Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1911-03-11
CHINA'S BIG WEALTH
FABULOUS HOARD OF GOLD IN
SECRET VAULTS.
imperial Treasure May Be Used to
Provide Navy for the Empire
Vast Accommodation OF
Years Of Tribute see

It is proposed to select the sons of
high Manchu officials attending the
Mobiles. school at Pekin and send
them to the naval colleges at Marking
and Tientsin for preliminary course
of study preparatory to a foreign edu-
cation in the navies of the friendly
Powers. 1t is reported that the Chi
nese government has already arrang-
ed with the British authorities to
train the cadets on board British war
ships and th-t permission has been
granted by the regent to select 100
students at once
The absence OF competent native
officers to train the men for the new
navy and command the ships Is
factor in the scheme occupying the Sc
rious attention of the authorities. Stu
dents are now being educated in Eng
land, France ana Germany, and re-
quest has been made to have the num-
Der increased. Whether the naval
academies of Europe and America
will be as freely opened to China as
they were to Japan is problematical,
for there is tendency to discontinue
such courtesies.
The escapade OF a Chinese navel
pupil on board the French training
ship Borda. who decamped to Belgium
with papers stolen from an officers
cabin, has served to intensity the dis
like Of French officers to the admis-
sion of foreign cadets to the training
ships. There is a revulsion of feel
ing in France at least to this system,
and the officers are complaining that
after educating the Japanese they are
now expected to teach the Chinese.
Tbs recent incident of Chinese
military student In Japan who &C
quired the mobilization plans Of the
regiment and other valuable informa-
ton. led to the summary dismissal of
all Chinese students from the army,
says the Journal of the American
Asiatic Association. The order, it
appears, was subsequently rescinded.
OF course the all important part of
the scheme is to raise the funds, And
as already pointed out, every cash OF
revenue entering Pekin has capa-
cious nav open to receive 1t. The
desperate strain of the government tc
raise funds for the navy program are
fully disclosed by the many proposed
schemes for this purpose.
But the persistence of the regent
and his advisers in carrying through
the scheme, in spite of the apparent
lack of sufficient resources and his re
fusal to accept foreign financial assis
/, lance suggest another view of the sit
: uation which has not been touched.
= While the government is poor ant
r In financial straights there remains
the great wealth of the imperial fam
; lily to be reckoned with. Overlooke,
d, by the allied troops. who ransacke,
= the palace from end to end. the &C
4 cumulated treasure of years lies un
: touched in the secret vaults owe
n which the foreign soldiers lit thei
camp fires, unconscious of the wealtl
: underneath. ...
The tribute of years to the Empires
Dowager and former sovereigns ar
here boarded and available for tn
n country's defense. Native report
d are to the effect that an investigator
?. by the chief Of the imperial house
II hold disclosed the fact that the treal
ure amounted to 100000 taels {
: gold and 999,OOO,OOO taels of silver, G
u" roughly speaking some s1.OOO.OOO.O0
Il gold
t. This amount of actual treasure
= enormous, and 1t may be greatly e,
aggerated. But there is every reaso
to believe that the imperial treasur
. must be vast. as the tribute from tn
provinces, gifts from officials and otl
err perquisites of the throne have bee
rolling into PelSin for years. TIL
money has not been expended on. an
IN great public Improvements or bull
is ings or diverted into any provinci
Ia reform scheme, so it is safe to b
"a lieve that it exists. ...ifa a.