Evening star., 1897-02-27
a NEW CAPITAL.
There Is N Plan In China to FOrsake
Pekin for New Seat of Government.

There IL N Plan In China to FOrsake
Pekfn for IA New Seat of Government.
From the Chicago Tribune
Under the current of the conservative
existence of the Chinese empire there is
working the spirit of change 1t is a
truth strongly displayed by the recent
visit of Ii Hung Chang. China's most pow
erfuI viceroy. to the rest of the world; but
ii is even more clearly shown by the fact
that in the empire ruled by its ancestors,
where any departure from what has been
is thought a wrong. there is talk of chang
Ing the capital. As yet it is merely talk;
but It's existence and the radical change
with which it deals show plainly the re-
cent progress of Far Cathay.
Hankow. the city proposed as the new
seat of government. possesses from COM
mercial point of view radical advantages
over Pekin. and this fact is urged as the
strong reason for the change. Situated in
the center of China proper. on the banks
OF Its great artery. the Yangtze. by which
large steamers can penetrate to the heart
OF the city, Hankow has a great future be-
fore it, With the awakening of a more
progressive spirit in the empire, it must
become place of prime Importance. 1t is
already the center of the tea trade in the
HangtZe valley. and during the tea season
of May and June ii is crowded with buyers
from all parts of the world. BY far the
of Russian merchants. but other nations
are represented in the neighborhood
For considerable time the British have
had a settlement about half mile north
of the Han. a large tributary of the
1angtze. from which Hankow. literally the
mouth of the Han, takes its name. The
French have also been in possession of
grant Some time ago the Germans. taking
the initiative, applied for and obtained
settlement about mile north of the Brit
ish concession Russia. whose interests in
Hankow are very great, promptly followed,
and obtained land also bordering ON the
river between the British concession and
the French and German settlements.
In these settlements the introduction of
improvements has been rapid A bund, or
esplanade. has been constructed. and other
work Is under way and being rapidly
pushed forward The river rises forty feet,
when II Is within short distance of the
bund wall. but occasionally it is subject to
Hood. on which occasions it is necessary
to take boats up and down the bund and
along the streets. Both sides of the bund
are planted with trees. and from the river
the British concession has pleasing ap-
pearance. looking not unlike a portion of
Shanghai bodily moved up the Yangtze
Through the work of Europeans and the
native rulers, progress in the city has been
considerable railway has lately been
projected between Pekin and Hankow
Should IL be continued to Canton rapid
transit of passengers and goods might be
made between the two latter places. The
iohs- TOuHudDOut, and sometimes disagree
able. passage via the YangtZe and the
dangerous China sea could be done away
with at pleasure. and the journey itself ac-
compllShed in perhaps less than two days
Immediately. opposite Hankow city lies
"uchang. the principal residence OF the
most powerful viceroy in the empire after
LII Hung Chang-Chang Chi Tung He is a
man or strong intellectual power and has
Drought about many reforms At Wuchaup
there are large cotton mills and at Ham
yang on the Hankow side of the river arc
large iron works and arsenal the forma
tion OF which has cost Chang Chi TunR an
enormous amount of money. His right
hand man. Tsai TastaI is a well-educated
ana most gentlemanlike man. Until quite
lately Englishmen held most of the i'm
portant posts They have gradually been
superseded by Germans. German interests
are being pushed forward in every direc-
uoh- Even the troops at the garrison and
Tort at Wuchang are being placed under
herman ofncers for instruction
IN Hankow there are no European shops
Most or the necessaries OF life however
Cah De obtained from native storekeepers
Ihe climate Is extremely trying to foreign
ers the thermometer frequently going IN
10 itS and loi in summer with perhaDs
Only TWO or three degrees difference he
tween midday and midnight. At sunset all
preeZeS Die away and radiation SETS In
making a summer night in Hanknw Z,
Ihing 10 be looked forward to with dread
Inc winters are very cold bur during
spring and autumn life at Hankow is a de-
light. - . "e