Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-26

An Account of the Ancient City and Of
the Wealth Concealed There.

An Account of the Ancient City ana OF
the Wealth Concealed There.
After the first splendid successes Of the
Japanese. to which they will probably add
further successes at sen and at Port Arthur
and Wei-Hai-Wei says the New York Her
aid. the more serious difficulties OF the
plucky and energetic japanese are now
commencing. The battle ground will soon
be transferred from the Corean peninsula
to China proper, when alone can the re-
sources and power of resistance of China
be tested. These are supposed to be great.
put are not unknown to the Japanese. or
undervalued by them.
The japanese are apparently straining all
their energies and powers to get to Mouk-
den before the Chinese can muster their
forces there In sufficient numbers and fight
Ing condition. The enthusiasm and patriot
ism OF the whole japanese nation is unex-
ampled, and Tho government 10 simply an
exponent OF the national feeling and of the
hatred Of Chinese official arrogance The
transferring OF the japanese court from
parliament there instead of at Toxic is one
OF the signs OF the eafnestness of the Jara-
nese end OF their appreciation Of the mag
nitude OF the enterprise before them.
Neither Chira nor Japan can recede or
pause to consider peace proposals of the
English, who have favored China from the
start, snd who ere beginning to fear the
consequences OF japanese victories over
ly watched by Russia, who will not be slow
10 take advantage OF anything that may
turn up" English and Russian influences
are now secretly at work in opposite direc-
den are fought, these two opposing interests
Will have to show their hands openly.
An Ancient Capital.
Moukden, toward which the Japanese ar
my Is marching, is the ancient capital of
the Manchurian dynasty, and is located in
the northern part of the Shing- King prov
ince. The broad Lio-Tang river runs past
the city to empty itself into the Gulf of
Pechili. The population of the city 4. es
timated at 100000. At present 1t is strong
ly fortified and guarded 1t is the home Of
the present Chinese dynasty. where the
tombs Of the ancestors of the present en-
peror are kept sacred. Although these an
cestors transferred the seat OF the Man
churtan dynasty to Pekin, after CONQUER
ing the Ming dynasty and the whole south
ern China, about two hundred years ago,
1t was their intention to make Moukden
their chief refuge in case of emergency.
This plan was faithfully followed by sue
ceeding rulers. who never for a moment ne
elected to attend to the strong defenses
OF city without which the emperor might
some day find himself homeless. Since the
outbreak OF the present war with Japan
ranean mines have been laid outside the
city, and large numbers of troops have been
poured into IL, until today the place Is one
of enormous strength.
1t is doubtless Japan's intention to CAP
ture this place first, and IL she succeeds
In doing SO she will not only strike at the
most sensitive part of the great Chinese
giant, but she will secure vast treasure,
sufficient to defray the expenses incurred
from the beginning of the war
1t is an open secret that the wealth sent
annually by the court Of Pekin to Moukden
and boarded here is immense. 1t has been
the custom of the court since the inaugura-
ton Of the present dynasty to send every
year to this city 100000 taels to be stored.
ana calculating at this rate. the treasure
must have reached the sum of 200 600 600
taels by this time, for the reign Of the
present dynasty over a vast territory OF
four hundred provinces dates back to 9OO
years ago. 1t seems Incredible to the west
ern world that such a vast amount should
have been buried and stored in the
earth without ever being utilized, but Il il
In perfect harmony with the Chinese meth
DDS Of taking precautions for future emer-
gencies.