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[Page 247]

necessary for any person to sell gold jewellery, for the purpose of paying just debts, or meeting other obligations during the war period, the government will buy at full value the gold. It will therefore not be necessary to trust to money lenders or itinerant jewellers, who might be inclined to make profit out of the necessities of the people during hard times." In many cases we are told, the Egyptians horde gold as sovereigns or as jewellery, the former in boxes or safes, the latter as wearing material for their women. Nearly every woman and girl has ear decorations or neck adornments of a golden colour, flat and lengthy and of varied design when pendants, circular and interposed with many coloured glass beads when as circles. Riding midst the farmers one sometimes sees a woman of comely appearance & better gowned than the average, and adorned as to her face neck and wrists with much jewellery. It is believed that at least twenty million sovereigns are thus held by the Egyptians.

I notice from todays cables one from Paris which reads as follows:– "Paris – March 31. The Senate has passed the bill providing for a loan of thirteen hundred and fifty million francs to allies and friendly nations, such as Serbia, Belgium, Montenegro, and Greece." Just think of it, an incidental that France undertakes to find for the small states, £54,000,000,000 at one vote? England and Russia will probably act in like manner. The total sum incidental to the great will war, on paper will represent such vast sums that ordinary intelligence will may not be able to grasp it. Mr Lloyd George's next budget speech bears promise of being such document as has not been exampled in the world's history. Magnifique!

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