DEFENCE 587
At the end of March 1897 the total funded debt amounted to 2,141,242,300 marks. Of this amount 450,000,000 bears interest at 4 per cent., 790,000,000 at 3^ per cent., and 901,242,300 at 3 per cent. Besides the funded there exists an imfunded debt, represented by ' Reichs-Kasscnscheinc,' or imperial treasure bills, outstanding on March 31, 1897, to the amount of 120,000,000 marks.
As a set off against the debt of the Empire there exists a variety of in- vested funds. The fund for invalids (March, 1897) consisted of 424,613,700 marks. The war treasure fund, 120,000,000 marks, is not invested, but ju-e- served in gold at Spandau.
Defence. I. Frontier.
Germany has a total frontier length of 4,570 miles. On the north it is bounded by the North Sea (293 miles), Denmark (47 miles), and the Baltic (927 miles) ; on the south well-defined mountain-ranges and the Lake of Constance separate it from Austria (1,403 miles) and Switzerland (256 miles). On the re- maining sides, however, the boundaries are chiefly conventional, except in the south-west, where the Vosges Mountains separate Germany and France. On the east Germany is bounded by Russia for 843 miles ; on the west by France (242 miles), Luxem- burg (111 miles), Belgium (70 miles), and Holland (377 miles).
Some of the coast defences and batteries have been placed under the jurisdiction of the admiralty. The Empire is at present divided into ten ' fortress districts ' (Festungs-Inspec- tionen), each including a certain area with fortified places. The following is a list of these districts, and the names of the fortresses in each, the fortified places of the first class, serving as camps, being distinguished by italics, while those specially designed for railway protection or obstruction are marked by asterisks (*), and coast fortresses by a dagger (t) :—
1. KoNiGSBERG : Konigshcrg, Danzig,i Pillau,t Memel,+ Boyen. 2 PosEN : Posen, Glogau,* Neissc, Glatz. 3. Berlin: Spandau, Magdeburg^ Torgau,* Kmtrin. 4. Mainz: Mainz, Ulm, Rastatt. 5. 5Ietz : Metz, Dieden- hofen,* Bitsch.* 6. Cologne (Koln) : Cologne, Koblenz, Wesel,* Saarlouis.* 7. Kiel : Kiel, Friedrichsort,t Cuxhaven,t Geestemiinde,t Wilhelmshaven,t Swinemiinde.t 8. Thorn : Thorn, Graudenz, Vistula Passages (Weichseliiber- giinge), Dirschau. 9. Strassburg : Strassbtorg : New Breisach. 10. Munich (Miinchen) : Ingolstadt, Germersheim. *
It will be seen that the Empire has 17 fortified places of the first class, serving as fortified camps, and 19 other fortresses.
These fortresses are all connected with each other by means of underground telegraphs, while strategical railway lines lead from the principal military centres towards the frontiers.
