The morning call., 1894-03-23
RAILROADS IN CHINA.

The dispatches from China regarding
the opening of railroads in that empire are
confusing. They state hat line of road
has been opened from Tientsin to Shang-
hal and that it is now carrying passengers
and freight. 1t appears. however. that
the Shanghai here referred to is not the
great port with which we are familiar,
but place called Shanghai-Kevan, situ-
ate at the junction Of the Great Wall with
the Gulf of lisntuDg. Such q road must
traverse portion of the province of
Chih-li, which is in the extreme north of
China, and in comparison with the south
ern provinces is thinly peopled. 1t would
seem to be curious line 10 be chosen as
The pioneer railroad line Of China. A
railroad from the port Of Shanghai. near
the mouth of the Ysng-tse- kiang. to any
populous center in the interior would
explain itself; a line from the other
Shanghai could only be explained on the
theory that Ii is intended as a military
line to he used against the Russians, unless
ii is an extension of short eoal-carrying
line built few years sgo in that part of
the country. The military theory is con.
frmed by the rumor that the line is 10 be
continued To the failing River iu Shing-
King; such an extension could hardly find
traffic to support il.
The only railroad now in operation in
China is the Aforementioned line running
from the coal mines Of Tsi-gan-shsn and
ChGi-tang TO Tientsin. Ii would not be
running If the mines were not owned by
the Seventh Prince, the Emperor's father.
There was once a railroad line from
Shanghai 10 WoosuDg, q town ten miles
distant, but the popuace protested against
i so ferceiy that the rails were taken up
and slipped 10 Formosa. Several lines
have been projected and surveys for them
made within the last ten years. One from
Tienisin to Peking is badly wanted, as the
only access 10 the capital is by barge up
the Peiho in summer and by cart in winter !;
and another from Shanghai to Tientsn tu
carry freight and passengers in Novem ber,
December. January and February. when
the PeihO is closed by ice. But the Board
of Works has never been able TO see its
way to construct either. The prejudice of
the Chinese pessantTy against public i'm
provements which may disturb the graves
Of their ancestors constitutes an impedi-
ment not easily overcome.
Nearly fifteen years have passed since
General Tso, who had been the leader OF
the Tory or obstruction party in China, re-
canted his opinions on the subject Of rail-
roads, and declared that they were the
only salvation for the integrity of the en-
pire. On his change Of front, capitalists
and railroad engineers from Europe and
this country floeked to China to seek rail-
road concessions They came in such
numbers, with such glittering offers, that
the Chinese Government was filled with
suspicious. Il refused TO grant conces-
sions, and laid down as the fundament tai
principle of its railroad policy that Chinese
railroads must be built with Chinese cap
ital, managed by Chinese directors, and
run by Chinese engineers. 1t was as mucn
as to say that there should be no railroads /;
for the Chinese have never learned the
corporate use Of capital. and there is not
known To be q man in the empire who
could manage line OF railroad, or a ma
tive who could drive locomotive. And
sure enough there has not been mile Of
road built-unless this new enterprise in
the extreme north may be regarded as a
beginning.
The main objection which was urged to
the construction of railroads from the sea-
ports into the interior was that they would
serve as convenient avenues for enemies
to use In an invasion of the country.
Passing over this characteristic objection.
the foreigners who went to China In the
early eighties to build roads asked why
the Government should not authorize a
great central line from Canton On the
mouth of the Pearl to Tientsin, which is
now the most active commercial emporium
of China Thia would traverca the riphe II
provinces of the empire-Northern Quang-
tung, Kianoi, Boo-pe, Honan and Pechili.
But the Chinese never could be brought to
see the necessity of the proposed line.
They prefer to carry freight by canal In
summer. and by carts or bamboo poles
over a Chinaman's shoulder at any and all
times, while passengers can 60 by sedan
chair or wheelbarrow conveyance. Their
civilization is not steam civilization, but
they prefer it 10 any other.