GERMANY’S WAR CHEST.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144199, 16 September 1913, Page 8

GERMANY’S WAR CHEST.

TREASURE WORTH £0,000,000. Germany is the only great nation that has a tvar chest of actual cash. Neither Germany nor Russia needs to keep one. A great nation has no trouble to finance its activities these days, although a long war may impose a severe burden and a modern European conflict with great Powers. But (ho absurdity of trying to keep cash in hand' against the day of war is shown by this fact; it has been conservatively computed that Germany’s £6,000.000 would bo exhausted in a dav and a half in case the Empire went to war. Now, if Germany had onlv invested this money at ii per cent, she might have enough money by this time to last a week. Still, there is cue excuse for keeping the cash hidden—the nation hasn’t spent it for something else. Tito' Gorman war chest is as picturesque as it is mysterious. The £6.000.000, which is to be increased to £18,000,01)0, is stored away in the Julius Tower on an island at Spandau, at the confluence of the Epreo and Haver rivers. The greater part of the island is made land. It lias always been 'so. The mere mention of Baedeker that “the Imperial military reserve fund of £6,000,000 is kept in the Julitis-Tlmrnt of the citadel of Spandau. which is only eight miles from Beilin, has excited the cutv icsily of almost every foreign visitor in the German capital. But sightseers are not welcome within the fortifications of Spandau. The Tower itself is not impressive. It stands in the midst of the citadel surrounded by barracks and officers’ quarters, and' it is not far from the great arsenals and the matin factories of war implements. ' Directly about it is a small cleared square which gives ju.se enough room for the movements of the small,company which does duty there. The tower is cylindrical arid is built of. heavy masonry, with nothing to relievo its massive effect. It rises about thirty-five or forty feet from the ground, anil is almost as thick through as it is tall. . ' Eatranec to the tower is made through triple steel doors, each guarded by a system of “simultaneous keys” hold,"by different individuals and by a CONSTANTLY CHANGING BAND OF SENTRIES. One; set of keys is with the Chancellor of the Empire and the other with the president of the committee for the debts of the Empire; The local guardian of tho treasure was made curator by a decree of 1874 under orders from tho Chancellor. . Tho gold that makes up tins Reichskriegenatz”' is in twenty franc pieces, the very same that wore paid as the French "war indemnity. The gold coin is stored away in bags in a’dozen small cabinets' or safes built into tbe walls. Those are on various levels and are reached bv a spiral staircase. Twenty-four men usually comprise the guard. Of these eight are constantly on duty, tho guard changing every two hours.- Tho patrol is made about • tho base of the tower, in tho tower; and on tho top. Once a vear tho amount of tho gold is‘certified to by an official reckoning. Tho coins arc not counted. Instead the gold is weighed in bulk and minuto fractional differences duo to dampness and other atmospheric conditions aro noted. _ ; The amount .of gold in the Julius Tower has never varied, and there has befen but* one attempt at robbery. This was made by a drunken cobbler of Spandau, who in some mysterious way, according to the story, managed to got by the. guards. When ho was halfway up no fell and broke his neck. The Julius Tower was first used by Frederick the Great as tho Prussian war chest . Tho reserve hold there was turned over to the Empire when it was founded, and the tower itself used for tho storage of tho £6,000,000. ' Tho money Ims been kept in reserve to defray tho expenses of the quick mobilisation'of the German army in case war should break out. It would pay for tho horses and military supplies that are already contracted for in such an emergency.