The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1911-01-20
cHINA'S BIG WEALTH
FABULOUS HOARD OF GOLD IN
SECRET VAULTS.
imperial Treasure May Be Used to
Provide Navy for the Empire
Vast Accumulation Of
Years Of Tribute.

1t 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 foreign edu-
cation in the nayies 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 a
factor in the scheme occupying the Sc
rious attention of the authorities. Stu
dents are now being educated In Eng
land, France and Germany, and a re-
quest has been made to have the mum
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 a tendency to discontinue
such courtesies.
The escapade of a Chinese naval
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.
The recent incident of a Chinese
military student in Japan who ac-
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
Asiatlc Association. The order. it
appears, was subsequently rescinded.
or 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 it. The
desperate strain of the government to
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 and
In financial straights there remains
the great wealth of the imperial fam
lily to be reckoned with. Overlooked
by the allied troops, who ransacked
the palace from end to end, the ac-
cumulated treasure of years lies I'M
touched In the secret vaults over
which the foreign soldiers lit their
camp fires. unconscious Of the wealth
underneath
The tribute of years to the EmIress
Dowager and former sovereigns are
here boarded and available for the
country's defense. Native reports
are to the effect that an investigation
by the chief of the imperial house
bold disclosed the fact that the treas
ure amounted to 100000 taels OF
gold and 999 900, 600 taels of silver or
roughly speaking some $1,000. 0OO, 900
gold.
This amount of actual treasure is
enormous. and 1t may be greatly ex-
aggerated But there is every reason
to believe that the imperial treasure
must be vast, as the tribute from the
provinces, gifts from officials and 9th
err perquisites of the throne have been
rolling into Pekin for years. The
money has not been expended on any
great public improvements or build
fngs or diverted into any provincial
reform scheme, so 1t Is safe to be-
lieve that 1t exists.