THE KAISER'S HOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 132, 25 November 1911, Page 7

THE KAISER'S HOARD.

TREASURE FOR THE EUROPEAN WAR. The German "war treasure," kept in the Julius Tower at Spandau, is the largest amount of cash ever brought together in one building. Even when it amounted to £0,000,000 it was the largest, but now it has been decided to raiso the total to £12,000,000.

The Emperor has declared that the larger sum is needed to meet the terrific cost of modern war. This vast sum is kept entirely out of circulation, costing the community in lost interest alone at least £o'oo,ooo a year, when every cent of capital is needed.

The war treasure is entirely in gold, silver and currency. It contributes nothing to the vast cost of maintaining the Germany Army in time of peace. It may be used only to pay the expenses of the army after war has broken out. It is truly blood money. The existence of this enormous war treasure derives universal interest just now from the threatening outlook in Europe and China. The Julius Tower is the centre of the Citadel of Spandau, the chief fortification of Berlin. Spandau has repeatedly fallen into the hands of an enemy. During the Seven Years' War it was taken by the Russians. From October 25 1806 until April 26, 1813, the French, under Napoleon, held the fortress. Germans teel sure, however, that to-day their army !s too powerful to make such a calamity possible. Spandau is a vast system of fortification8 ' the central part being ancient, while the other works are of the most modem construction. To sketch .or photograph these works is a serious crime. The Julius Tower stands in the centre, and is built of solid blocks of basalt Us foundations go 10ft lower than the bed of the River Spree. The tower is reputed, to have been founded bv Julius Caesar.

The millions in the tower are called the 'fteichskriegechkaetz,'' or Imperial War Fund. The £6,000,000 was part of the indemnity imposed by Bismarck on the French in 1871. The fund existed before then, however, and enabled Bismarck to enter on a series of wars in defiance of the wishes of Parliament. When the Reichstag, by the law of November 11, 1871, set aside £6,000,000, the sum seemed enormous, but since then the war strength of the German Army has doubled, and the preliminary cost of war is computed to have increased 70 per cent.

Every German soldier going to war costs the Empire 5s per day The Empire can put 3,000,000 soldiers into the field. To maintain them for a day would absorb £2,900,000. The fund of £6,000,000 would keep the army only for two days and a-half. Hence the demand for an increase.

The war fund is designed to pay:— (1) For the cost of calling in the reserves and paying for transports; (2) for calling in recruits and drilling them to take the place of those killed or disabled in war; (3) for hiring mechanics to accompany the armies; (4) for putting the fortresses on a war footing, provisioning them, etc.; (s)' for setting up administrative quarters, hospitals, etc.; (fl) for paying officers and men certain bonuses to enable them to meet urgent family needs; (7) for procuring coal, rolling stock, automobiles, airships, material and provisions.

Tho money is kept in iron boxes, labelled with the names and addresses of commanders of army corps and admirals of fleets. These packages would be immediately despatched to the commanders named at the outbreak of war. Vast sums are also provided for special purpuses, such as secret service, spy work, bribery, etc. Though the Julius Tower funds are in eiiarge of a special curator. Privy Councillor Iterz. with offices at No. 1 Wilhelm ■P-latz, Berlin, this functionary is not always advised of tho proceedings beforehand, and only when the Kaiser's special deputies have finished their work is Councillor Itevz called in to cheek up Hie. accounts While this takes place (he special deputies are guests at the citadel—in reality prisoners of State. The Kaiser is the prime mover iu the matter of increasing the war hoard in tho Julius Tower He is convinced that its -present size is not largo enough to carry on the work of mobilisation with the extraordinary swiftness that guarantees success.

It is argued that in case of war the metal funds of the Reichsbank could be drawn upon for immediate use, but the Reiehbank is expected to maintain the army in (lie field, which it could not do if its metal reserves were impaired. The cost of previous wars was furnished., one-third by taxation, two-thirds by loans—resources that cannot be. drawn upon at a. moment's notice or a month's notice. Hence the, Kaiser's demand for doubling the metal reserve in the Julius Tower.

The Fourth Guard Grenadier Regiment and a battery of the Third Guard Grenadiers look after the defence of the Julius Tower, under the command of Lieutcnant-Gencral von Horn, governor of the fortress. Tho Third Train Battalian, stationed within tho citadel, is ready at a moment's notice to conduct the war treasures to the various destinations.

Even if part of the citadel should blow up, the Julius Tower would not be affected, as no powder or explosives are stored anywhere near it. In the tower itself no gas or electric light is permitted. It is entirely lighted from the outside.

At irregular hours of the night the inside of the tower is searched for thieves or burglars by means of ladders brought from the citadel and manned by engineers, who use swinging lamps to light up the interior. While tho search is in progress the regular tower garrisons and sentinels hold their rifles in readiness to shoot any suspected person. A second guardroom is established behind the only entrance door. Its duty is to defend the entrance and the only staircase leading to the vaults. Before each of the vaults sentinels are stationed and sentinels are constantly passing up and down the staircase.

A third guardroom is established under the roof, with look-outs in all directions. As the roof is ironclad, this lofty guardroom in summer-time resembles the notorious lead chambers of old Venice. Except by Imperial orders, written entirely in the Kaiser's hand, not a penny of the treasure may leave Julius Tower. Nominally the fund is under the control of the Imperial Chancellor, the Imperial Treasury Department, and the curator of the War Treasury, but when the timo comes for the distribution of this vast amount of money the Kaiser alone counts. It is one of the greatest powers granted to him by the German Constitution.

He cannot declare war exepet with the consent of the Imperial Federal Council, but he can start the war funds moving without asking either the Federal Council or the Reichstag