1 FEBRUARY 1902, Page 2

Two important pieces of news were telegraphed from Pekin by

the Times correspondent last Saturday. The first relates te the discovery by the officials of treasure to the amount of over 100,000,000 taels—say 229,000,000—which had been buried in the women's quarter of the Palace before the flight of the Court, and had been found intact. It is at least satisfactory to think that the cupidity of the Allies was not subjected to the temptation of handling this treasure during the occupation of the city. The other news is even more significant. It is to the effect that Yuan Shih-Kai, the energetic Viceroy to whom the control of the Army and Navy has been practically entrusted, has been granted a sum of 21,250,000 annually to maintain an army of one hundred thousand strong in the province of Chih-li. It is further stated that forty Japanese officers are already with the Chinese Army, and that British instructors are to be engaged for the Navy.