GOLD HUNT IN GREECE

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 108, 2 November 1929, Page 20

GOLD HUNT IN GREECE

OFFICER'S WAR-TIME FIND

The Viennese Press gives the story of a Viennese officer, formerly a military geologist of the Austro-Hungarian army, who was sent by request of the Turkish Government in 1890 to supervise geological surveys in Macedonia, says the Vienna correspondent of the London "Observer." In the course of these 'Wladislaw Kaswinski uuearthed, near the village of Arret Gishar, a quantity of ore, which was found by him to be rich in gold. The rumour of this gold find spread rapidly, and in a short time orders were given by. the Sultan Abdul Hamed for Kaswiiiski's arrest. When brought before the Sultan he expressed his willingness to give full 'details of the location of the gold mine in return for his freedom. Before the trusting Turks had time to realise that the information was false, ho was safely pver the border. , ... Then came the war, and the col- j lapse of Austria-Hungary. Kaswinski, like thousands of others, lost his position, and found himself without means of. livelihood. Ho returned therefore, to Salonica and tried unsuccessfully to locate the gold. area. In 1919 he is said to have, obtained help, first through . Venizelos, and later through the agency of King Constantine, to both of whom he made appeals. But despite1 some outlay of money, and considerable digging,7 no gold was found. ■ ' •• - Kaswinski then left Greece, and tried to enlist financial support abroad. An English firm is said to have advanced generous funds for excavation, and, under Kaswinski's guidance, to' have found the gftkL-yeiu. Rumour has it that many large nuggets of gold aro at intervals handed in to the Greek National Bank; but the greatest secrecy is kept about the actual output.