THE CHINESE REVOLT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 35, 24 January 1912, Page 5

THE CHINESE REVOLT.

ths dowager-empress

expresses her opinions

DISAPPROVES ABDICATION

By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (United Press Association.)

New York, January 23. The “New York Herald’s” Pekin correspondent states that the- Dow-ager-Empress has decided against tho Emperor’s abdication, and declares that war to the death is preferable and befitting the dignity of the tyhand grenade battalion of FANATICS. WILL NOT RETURN ALIVE. Pekin, January 23. The Republicans have landed in Chefoo, and include a hand grenade battalion. These fanatics have sworn not to return alive, and each is armed with eight bombs.

PEACE delegates working HARD. ALLEGED BREACH OF FAITH. (Received 24, 9.55 a.m.) Pekin, January 23. The Republican peace representatives are now attempting to neutralise. the effect of Suu-Yat-Scii’s message to Yuan-Shih-Kai, which the best men consider to be a breach of faith, in view of the previous promising outlook. THE THRONE’S TREASURE. A Pekin cablegram of November 1-1 said : , . Rather more than a fortnight ago gold to the weight of 79,000 taels, and worth nearly £400,000, portion of the Palace treasure, was, through the agency of the Ministry of Finance, offered for sale to the foreign banks. Considerable interest attaches to the sale, because the amount sold was only a small portion of the large amount Hoarded in the Palace, Tne question is, shall the Palace be compelled to uisgoyge* the balance? During the foreign military occupation of Peidn in the year following tne Boxer outbreak of 49UU, the Palace treasure was guarded by foreign troops—hist oy American soldiers belonging to tne command ot General Cnahee, and on their withdrawal by .British soldiers detailed lor tins duty by General Gazelee. Why care should.nave been taken of tins treasure of State by tne belligerent Powers is one of the many mysteries associated with.that time or international jealousy. There is strong reason for believing 'that this hoarded treasure amounted in value to nearly nine millions sterlingj the whole of it was restored to the oninese intact.

Un tne return oj tJie Empress Dowager from her Might ,to‘ -feiaiifu the Palace treasure was largely added to, for the wily .“Old Buddha"’ displayed no gratitude, for the services rendered .10 her ..by the foreigni Powers in protecting her Treasury, but, pleading that the Palace had been Tooted in the absence of the Court, reaped a r.ch harvest of money contributions from the parauojtiq, and frofn the purchasers of title and olfice in all pans of the Empire, it is quite certain that the gold and silver now stored in the Palace must he sufficient to meet all China’s foreign obligations for several years To come. The gold just sold tvas packed in sealed boxes, with’HhSeript'fbns’ showing: that they had been remitted by the Canton 14oppo in the seA-enties. They had never been opened. No treasure remitted to Pekin during "the q>ast thirty years has yet been touched. To whom does this Palace treasure belong ? It is surely treasure of State. All foreign loans are authorised by Imperial edict, and nearly all contain a stipulation that they are “the direct obligation of the Imperial Chinese (Government both as to principal and interest,” and that “the Chinese Goaernment unconditionally undertakes, and hereby promises, to pay the.principal of the loan and the interest on the loan on the due dates fixed therefor.” That being so, it seems only reasonable that tliese large amounts, which really belong to the Treasury, should as soon as possible be made available for meeting China’s foreign jbligations.