PRECIOUS PIECE OF JADE

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXV, Issue 3303, 14 May 1931, Page 7

PRECIOUS PIECE OF JADE

WORTH KING'S RANSOM. A piece of jade as big as a man's head, and worth a king's ransom, is the goodwill offering of General Chih Shu-jen, former Chinese war lord, to the Nationalist Government at Nanking. The jMe was presented as a New Year's gift by a representative of General Chih, who spent weeks carrying it through bandit-infested regions of North China to Pekin and thence by rail to the capital. It will be used in the manufacture of a State seal. Although one of the least talked about Chinese military leaders, General Chih is chairman of the Sinkiang Provincial Administration. His domain is one of the most wealthy in China proper, although a good deal of it consists of the Gobi desert. Siakiang is the most western of the China provinces and is bounded on the south by India, on the west by Afghanistan and Turkestan, and on the north by Siberia and Mongolia. Much of the best jade in the world comes from that region.

Accompanying the jade was a note to President Chiang Kaishek and the members of his" Cabinet, calling their attention to General Chih's loyalty to the Government and his desire to cooperate in helping to establish unity throughout China. He added that at present he is in serious need of assistance in developing his province in both an industrial and agricultural way, and would appreciate whatever help could be given. The region abounds in mineral wealth, he points out, particularly petroleum, gold, and jade. All that is required is adequate transportation facilities, and he would like to build a few roads with Nanking's help and permission. Although the Nanking Government has taken considerable interest in General Chih's appeal for assistance in developing Sinkiang, the piece of jade is the chief attraction at present as far as matters concerning the western province are concerned. On point of beauty the jade is worth all the attention and publicity that has been showered upon it. No picture can give a correct idea of its real beauty, even in uncut roughness. Technically, it is known as khotan, or suet jade, because of its resemblance to sheep suet.