The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-12-14
AArunpoAN rnApr IN enrNA.
Discussion OF halfway Contract Situation
ana Tioid for american Supplies,
CspccIAi correspondence 10 -the Railway
ARu)

ana fInlu Tor At1tTlNNH N"PfiFFf
Especial ooreHpondonce 10 the Ha'~N'
Ago.
Shanghai october s1.--Mr, T. H. Jorhl
gan, IN counsel. general uf tho un''o'
States, took very great interest In IN
efforts of Americans 10 secure rallroa'
building contract from tho Chinese gov
ernmsnt Th1ro In no doubt that Mr. Jer
nigan'A efforts and interest wcro fully ap
prcclated by what was Btyi@i tho "H"na
torlai syndicate" blE aggregation %
which Senator Cal. Drico In promineh'
member. and OF which ex-senator w ID
waAhburn ami "A. w. Hash were the
agents In CHINA, Mr. Jornigan occupied
a peculiarly interesting position. iIo wal
70 hlgh offioiai representative ~ n ooufHr,
which, tho Chinese officials appreciate v
tho soaatcat railway building country II
Tho world and he aiso enjoyed the al
vantage Of thc personal Acquaintance and
friendly resard % shcnlr rao,al. director.
gensrai of Chinese railways, Tho connSul.
general worked faithfuily ana inicfatlg,
ably IN behalf ~ tho Americans, AMI for
n Tins 1t looked as though hc Was EolnE
10 bs successful Nir. Jerplaap'H views
upon the railway situation wcrr stated
10 your correspondent In answer to n
query as 60 how American Intervals ap.
pear~i To him, Ito said
~ am not aware that CHINA has. 10
date, made any contract win any Ameri'
can syndicate 10 construct railroads Homo
railroad machinery has btssn purchased
from America, but tho idea has b1en to
have Americans undertake the connt rue.
tipn Of railroads In China. AMI thrn valu-
able contracts for machinery would have
gone 10 our country Tho syndicate rep.
rraon'~i by senator wasbbIrn came 90
c'hina with sllt.-dEc nnaocial standing.
AMI tho senator spent several months In
china examining thn business reserve
forces ~ the empire ami Informing him.
iBg this tlmo SEVERAL propositions were
submitted 10 tho senator 10 construct
railroads. but they do not apprar % have
had Inviting features. and were rejected
YOU can stabr that while arnaior
washburn was In China he AMI tho chin
ESQ director. general of railroads wvrr on
Tho bee, ~ terms. visiting each other
ffSduettly aud unr-t,r,,sty discussing
railroad subjects. I was present at aoy.
~ral Of tho meetings. afsi both gentlemen
sa~nrd anxious to rras4i some conclusion
as 10 the basis fur contract Il was
al ono tiur undrrutoai that CHINA would
gnaiantr- any bonds lasued 60 construct
railroads. and had not this understand
ing been Withdrawn. the American syn.
dicate, would probably have made a con.
tract, t,ut when II was STATED thai china
would not lndorsc tho bonds. tho remain
inE security offered WaS Ipt conaid~rv-i
valuable enough TO Justify a lsrgr outlay
ot money TO build railroads In a country
whoFu every such venture would be an
untFicd experiment There has b-rn no
contract To construct railroads offered
which has not rrr, boon submitted TO tho
American syndicate Tor acceptance, w'hilc
tho HsigiAna wrru negotiating for the
contract TO buUd tho tine from IlAnkow
90 1~klnE. their contract waA auhmitt / ~
TO sho American syndicate repeatedly. and
In rrsponS, to a telegram from the dlroc-
tor-g-oeraI ] wrnt TO iIankow bcfore the
'on,pc, was Sisn~i ard 4 was there II
frFed TO nt- rOr the ~ Indicate. The terms
wrr- such AZ cvrn with my very impor.
frCi knowirdsr I would not have ae.
copied. snd 80 advised senator Wash
burn. Ihra On route homo. by telegram.
'rse7s Is neither glory nor common sense
IN contracting 10 advance several mil,
lions of dollars IN china or anywhere
else WNh security only on what Is TO bc
constructed ur b,nlt with the money
and such Ia Abou, tho nature II the nrl.
sian contnct. Tho American syndicate
would not accept a. AMI showed sound
buslnrs- sonsr In not accepting H.
The contracts subsequently offered
have not very materially differed from
tho uclsinn contract. and consequently
arr not wanted
This Iailroad market ~ China has
bc-n somewhat dcmonilrod by the rrek.
loas bidding ~ irresponsible mon Some
have come 10 china win all to gain.
nothing 90 lo-a ami hayr engaged dc.
lih~rttrly 20 gain n contract by loud talk
md rrrklcHs bidding inspired by tho
hope of possible small mhrsln from
some luCkleNs purchaser Tho Chinese
have, 10 aomc cNtcH bc~n confused by
Introduction from hlgh sources and with
These prlmA fachc passports to respect
ful confederation tho Chinese are natur-
ally CONFUSED to comprehend why men
VINO have neither money nor credit at
homo should bc introduced into china as
men competent to undertake large husl-
ness enterprises
In II recent Interview with the drive.
tor-gcncral. said to him that In onlcr
that IUIlrOad construction IN China might
he dons we'll and permanently. he would
have to pay business prices for work and
mntrrial; that he could not cxpcct TO hire
h"'NlNH H"'huill'N NJ INV pTlV'H Pdlu INV
coolies Of HIS own country. and where he
lid, he misitt expect coclIc workmanship
IN return.
'"rhc underlying defect In all this bnsI-
ness Is that there are too many to consult,
Thero does not hppcar on the scene any
on" controlling mind. The machinery
moves, when II docs move, without a bal
ancc wheel and there IL no telling when
there VIII be n jar Ana then then r.
lacking the courhge to assume or meet
responsibilities The probability OF fall
ure Ia ever presont tho decision that
knows no failure. ana which soon brings
success, is wanting. cnuslng the move