RESTORING THE LOOT.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 69, 21 March 1919, Page 5

RESTORING THE LOOT.

RETURNED BY GERMANY. GOLD AND SECURITIES. M. do I.astovrie, one of tho commission which arranged the prolongation of the armistice at Troves, thus describes the way in which the gold and securities were given into French keeping for the Allies by the Germans. The gold bars markpd with the Russian Kaglp weighed lo kilogrammes each. There are 5.500 of those ingots, and they weigh altogether 82.500 kilgrammes. " Tho gold left , Berlin packed in boxes and stowed away in ton luggage vans guarded by a section of infantry. Tho train roaohed tho eastern railway terminus in Paris, coming ' from Pont-a-Mousson. Tho precious load was taken to tho Bank of France in mili- j tary motor-cars. A commission composed of member, of tho Bank of France received tho valuable cases in-tho name , of tho Allies. Tho bars wore weighed j one by one in specially delicate scales |

adjusted to a decigram. The operations j to tost thp purity of the metal will be long, possible lusting one year. Most of I the stolon security certificates have been j

returned. Those filled (i.OOO cases, and !

•epresentod a value of €120,000.000. The securities have been deposited in the hanks of Lillp. Rouhaix, and Tourcoing. Measures are now- heing taken to restore I those securities to their rightful owners. ] The restitutions, including securities and other valuables, pxceed the sum of , £240.000.000. and comprise certificates de- ' posited against receipt vouchers for securities derived from safes broken open by the Germans and boxes of securities and j valuables deposited in tho vaults of the , banks hy thoir proprietors. About I €120.000.D0fl represents securities de- I posited against receipt vouchers, and j the other deposits are at least of equal ; value. Another train from Brussels for ,

Valenciennes brought safes weighing from five to seven tons, which, tho Ger-

mans say, have never boon opened. Further trains brought back valuables and

securities centralised at Liege by the Germans, and taken by them from vari-

ous dppartmonts which suffered from invasion.