HIDDEN MILLIONS.

Matamata Record, Volume XIII, Issue 1108, 24 March 1930, Page 7

HIDDEN MILLIONS.

TREASURE IN SIBERIA. , Story of Revolution. Somewhere in wildest Siberia a great treasure lies buried. It has been in its secret hiding place since the days when Admiral "White” legions were retreating along the Trans-Siberian railway before the armies of the Bolshevik revolution. £ 1 ! , It is known that Admiral Koltchak had at his disposal a considerable part of the gold reserve of the old Russia. For a while this was kept at Kazan, but was taken away from there when the Reds advanced on the place. With it, it is believed, was also a considerable amount of gold which formed part of the " war chest ” of the “ Whites ” forces, while many wealthy Russians had confided their priceless family jewels,to the guradians of this last remnant of Imperial Russia’s exchequor. After the capture execution of Koltchak by the Bolsheviks, the bulk - of the jewels were probably reclaimer by their owners. The money, however, amounting to at least 100,000,000 roubles (about £10,000,-; 000) was, it is said, divided into four parts by Koltchak. The bulk was buried "somewhere in Siberia.” No more was heard about the treasure until. quite recently, when a group of four persons came tp Paris and approached certain financiers : with a strange proposal. They declared that they were aware of the spot where one-quarter of Koltchak’s , treasure, several millions of pounds in value, was buried, and it was their desire to sell their shares of it. All treasures found in Russia is, according to Soviet law, divided equally between the Government and thfe finders. One of the greatest of Parisian financiers, among others, have refused, to have anything to do with the proposal, the group approached an important Parisian bank, which thought the matter was worth inquiring into. As a result, a preliminary agreement was concluded between the two parties. The group furnished the bank with certain information, and a commission has been dispatched to Moscow to verify this and to open negotiations with the Russian Government.

These pourparlers were recently proceeding, in Paris, when, a curious complication arose. Holders of old Russian bonds, which are now practically valueless, indicated their intentions to request the French Government to proceed to the sequestration of all sums which may come to France as a result of the finding of Koltchak’s treasure. These should, it is maintained, be used on behalf of French investors who suffered so heavily as a result of the Soviet Government’s refusal to recognise the pre-Revolution' debts . contracted by Russia. There is a belief that the finding of one part of the treasure would result in the discovery of data enabling the rest to be unearthed.