Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-28

people. 1t Is the capital OF a province, and
Is the center of trade for more than hun
dred millions of population. The steamers
come up through the Yellow and enter
the Peiho. the stream which flows by
Tien Tsin They then unload, and
from Tien Tsin their goods are carried to
all parts of north China. Picking has be-
tween one and two million people. 1t is
only eighty miles from Tien Tsin. and the
country between the two is as fiat as
floor. Ii Hung Chang thought there should
be a railroad, and it was ut his instance
that ] went over the route. making surveys
and talking up the matter with the inEab
itants- We had to go very slowly, canvass
ing the country almost as q candidate does
his district here In a campaign. L made
many speeches.
AT last, when we thought we had the
matter pretty well worked up. it was pre-
scented to the emperor, and he asked for add
vice upon the subject from his council in
Peklng, and also from the viceroys and Cis
tinguished men all over the country. All
kinds of replies came in, but the one which
had the most to do with keeping back the
road was one from the viceroy of Canton,
CEang Chi Tung. Chang Chi Tung said that
he thought that roads ought to be built in
the interior first that there was danger
from foreign invasion, and that a road
like this connecting with the would put
the capital in perilous position.
He suggested that a railroad should be
built from Hankow to Picking. This would
be a great trunk line going north and south
through the most populous part of the en-
pire. Now, we had thought that the Tien
TSin-Pcking road was a sure thing and
had even gone so far as to order the ma
teriais The officials at Picking, however,
decided that Chang Chi lungs advice was
good, and they ordered us to stop the work
for the time We told them we had ordered
the materials. They said that makes no
difference, pay for what you have ordered,
but let the matter drop This we were
foEced to do The matter did drop, and it
was not until after the war that it was
taken up again. The road has since been
built and though l do not know exactly
as to its business I should judge that it
must have an enormous traffic.
China's Great Trunk Line.
"But how about Chang Chi lungs road?'
You mean the one from Hankow to
Peking,' said the minister. well, that is
being built from both ends Hankow, you
know, is 100 miles in from the coast 1t is
reached by the Yang Use Kiang which is
so large a river that the biggest ocean
steamships can go inland to Hankow. At
Hankow there are three cities close to-
gether which have an aggregate popula-
ton of about three millions, and the coun-
try all about is thCkly settled. The dis
lance from Hankow to Picking is in the
neighborhood of 500 miles. The country
swarms with people, and the road connect
ing the two must be very profitable At
HankOw there are extensive railroad shops.
There are rolling mills, foundries and ma
chine shops which have altogether cost
millions of dollars. The shops cover /
should say, at least twenty-five acres, and
in them much of the material for the rail-
road is being made. The work is some
what under the direction of Chang Chi
Tung. although more directly under Sheng.
1t is a great undertaking. and will be push
ed forward to completion
How about the concession which was
granted to the late Calvin S. Brice to
build a railroad in Gilman
The work is going on replied the min
lster- Il got the concession with the en-
perors sanction, and the company ex-
poets to carry out the building of the road
just as soon as it can The surveyors are
at work, l think. and arrangements are
being made for pushing the enterprise. 1t
has been retarded considerably by the
death of Senator Brice."
Just where will this road go, your ex-
cellency?''
1T will extend from Hankow to Canton,
connecting these two centers and passing
through one Of the most thickly populated
parts of China Canton has 2,0oOOOO or
more people, and there are cities all along
the line of the road"
Chinese Cheap Labor Not Dangerous
l here referred to the enormous popula-
ton Of China and the skill of the Chinese
in manufacturing and their use of modern
machinery and asked his excellency wheth-
er he did not think the day would come
when the factories of China would flood
materially injure the laboring classes OF
the rest of the world. He replied:
L think not. We Chinese are hard work
ers and money makers, but we are also
money spenders. The reason why we live
so cheaply-I refer to the lower classes
is because we have to do SO. If we ever
become the great manufacturing nation
that you predict. and / think we will, it Will
be to manufacture goods for ourselves.
As we make more money our wants Will
Increase We will spend more, wages will
go up. and you will find that your big mar
ket is on the other side of the world and
not here.
You must remember also" the minister
continued, that We have an enormous
population. We are numbered by the hun
dreds of millions, and big bodies move
slowly. The Chinese are especially con-
sentative. They do not change quickly,
and it Will be a long time before such a
condition as you anticipate comes.'
But has not China changed since it's war
with JAPAN
Yes. somewhat" was the reply. You
can see 1t when you go back to it.
The people are beginning to realize the
enormous market and their possibilities
outside their own country. They are chang
ing more at the sedports. The government
appreciates the situation better than it has
ever done and l look for more rapid
changes IN the future"
A Word About the Emperor.
How about the emperor Does he realize
the extent Ol the NOTIu outside OF Cn1na!'
Yes" replied the Chinese minister. "He
is Wen posted upon foreign affairs and
knows a great deal about this country and
Europe. have met him number of times
and he always asks many questions as to
foreign affairs. He IS very intelligent, but
has never been strong and is rather deli
cate than otherwise
What is Ii Hung Chang doing?
Iii Hung Chang is living in Picking" said
the minister. He has the office of grand
secretariat, and as such he holds a very
high place in the government. He is very
close to the empress dowager, and is often
consulted as to foreign affairs by the en-
peror and his cabinet. Ii Hung Chang is a
man of wonderful ability, and he will al
ways be one of much influence"
China and Japan VIII Not Combine
What are China's relations with Japan
at present?"
They are very friendly" replied the min
lister.
But Is there any possibility of a union
between the japanese and Chinese? Japan
has 100000 people and China has about
5O0.000,o00 II you could combine, organize
and arm these $40, 900, 900 you might be a
serious menace to the rest of the world"
Il have heard that possibility mentioned
before, replied the minister. ut is hardly
a possibility when you know the Chinese
our people are not naturally a conquering