The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-04
CHINA'S TREASURE HOUSE.
\ Ancient City of and the
Wealth Stored There.
New York Herald.

After the first splendid successes of the
Japanese. to which they will probably add
further successes at sea and at Port Arthur
and Wei-hai-Wei, the more serious diff
culties of the plucky and energetic Japan
eSe are now commencing. Inc oa.tie
,Corean peninsula to China proper. when
alone can the resources and power of re-
sistance of China be tested. These are sup
posed TO be great, but are not unknown to
the Japanese or u~ndervalued by them.
The Japanese are apparently straining
Moukden before the Chinese can muster
their forces there i'm sufficient numbers
and fighting condition. The enthusiasm
and patriotism of the whole japanese ma
ton is unexampled, and the government
is simply an exponent of the national feel
ing and of the hatred of Chinese Off cial
arrogance. The transferring of the Japan
csc court from Toxic to Hiroshima and the
assembling of the Parliament there instead
of at Toxic is one of the signs of the
earnestness of the japanese and of their
appreciation of the magnitude of the en-
terprise before them.
Nither China nor Japan can recede or
pause to consider peace proposals of the
English, who have favored China from the
start, and who are beginning to fear the
consequences of Japanese victories over
China. These victories are also being
closely watched by Russia. who will not be
Tlaw turn to 5a ne.a adT EnriisS s a5 'f Rnsslan ,n 5sat
ences are now secretly at work in opposite
directions, and when the battles around
C" III Aohfoo
openly.
Moukden, toward which the japanese
army 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
Pee-Chee-Lee. The population of the city is
estimated at 800, 600. At present it is strong
y 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.
churian dynasty to Pekin after conquering
the Ming dynasty and the whole of south
ern China, about two hundred years ago, 1t
was their intention to make Moukden their
plan was faithfully followed by the succeed
ing rulers, who never for a moment neg
lected to attend to the strong defenses of
a city without which the Emperor might
some day find himself homeless. Since the
| outbreak of the present war with Japan
new earthworks have been added, subter-
ranean mines have been laid outside the
city and large numbers of troops have been
poured into it, until to-day the place is one
or enormous strength.
1t is, doubtless. Japan's intention to cap
ture this place first, and If she succeeds in
doing so she will not only strike at the
most sensitive part of the great Chinese
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 Moul-
den and boarded there is immense. 1t has
been the custom of the court since the in
auguration of the present dynasty to send
every year TO this city 6,000,0 coo taels to be
stored, and calculating at this rate, the
treasure must have reached the sum of
lWO,OO0,OO taels by this time. for the reign
of the present dynasty over a vast territory
of four hundred provinces dates back to
two hundred years ago. 1t seems incredible
ID the Western world that such a vast
amount should have been buried and stored
In the earth without ever being utilized.
but 1t is in perfect harmony with the Chi.
nese methods of taking precautions for fu-
ture emergencies.