The Washington critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1885-1888, 1885-11-14
WASHINGTON. D. G., NOV. IA, 1885
THE RAILROAD IN CHINA.

1t was not so many years ago that the
very thought of railroad in the Celcs.
tial Empire made the Chinese man-
darins of the red button and of the
peacock feather suprcmely indignant.
There has been one short line con.
structed, the possession of which was
promptly acquired by the government,
and 1t is very profitable road; but tits
not of Chinese origin. II was the in
yention and work of the outside bar
barian. But China is in many ways
getting rid of much of her old cNclu
siveness. 1t appears that her recent
unpleasantness with France in the Ton
quin country has convinced her that
she must have railroads like other great
powers. China had much trouble, we
are told, in getting her troops to the
scene of action, and, what Is of equal
importance, quite as much trouble in
getting them away in time Of danger or
defeat.
The Chinese Government, therefore,
proposes to build a system Of railways
and to let Americans have the contracts
for their construction. The relations
between the roads and the government
are to be very similar to those between
the government of the United States
and the Pacific railroads, and involving
similar guarantees In view of this
fact, we take the liberty of advising
friendly, far-oG China, to see to it that
her railroad agreements are so bound
up ,riveted and clinched that the railroad
corporations do not get altogether the
best side of the bargain. This advice
may be entirely superhuous, for as the
Chinese have knack Of chopping Off
The heads of the bankers who fail, they
would probably take some such meas.
ure against those who failed to come up
to their agreements as railway builders
and capitalists.
There is much money in prospect for
the contractors that undertake the con
struction of these roads. China is
teeming with life and national com
mercc. There will be plenty of rail
road traffic, for China. at present, has
practically no transportation by rail.
1t has $500 miles of water front aud IA
river 1900 miles long, which can be
tapped by railroads so as to make
colossal fortunes for the stockholders
and the directors-especially the di-
rcctOrs.
And it will be no sparsely settled
country through which the roads will
run. If any one wanted to construct a
road through parsely-inhabited re-
gion anywhere in China he would have
TO build it on stills over the water.
Even then he would interfere with
some of the population who have built
out wharves, covered them with soil
and erected houses thereon. Cities OF
10000 and $4,000 are as plentiful as
flies in the summer. There S millions,
no doubt, in building railroads in China
If the Government will grant anything
like liberal terms and independent
management Of them after they are in
running order.
No such field for railway building
was ever before presented, and who
can begin to estimate the political and
economic results that will follow fast
upon the introduction of 50 potent {
factor in the civilization Of mankind
and the development of its material re
sources? Once netted with railroads
and China, in spite of herself, will bC
no longer alone in the world.