The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-11
British line proposed 20 extend to 500.
chow ana Nankin

British tine proposed 70 extend to 500.
chow and Nankin.
Important Aneriean Cenceasions.
American railway concessions in China
are Up 10 the present time confined TO Z
single but very important line. which 10
to connect Canton. the great commercial
center OF Southern China with Hankcw.
the great interior city and commercial
center already described. This line which
- about 6e miles in length passes through
= rich and important agricultural section.
having population equal to that OF the
United states and at its center taps an
important iron and coal area The direc.
ton OF the proposed liae In almost due
north and south. and while 1t practically
touches the seaooar6 al its southern ter
minus. where II reaches the Yangtae, At
the north IL several hundred miles inter-
sor. thus bringing to the great pcrt q Cam
valley. which section Is quite similar to
that 81 the upper Mississippi In our own
country. Al Hankow ths proposed Amert-
lire. which viii bring IL into direct COM
munication with Picking the capital OF tho
empire. thus placing In direct com
,,,ss =, IN The the capital s Of The sn-
ctal center, Hankow. In the interior and
the great producing center In the western
Interior with the great seaport at tho
south. Canton. This concession Was grant
ed To American capitalists IN April 1eE
under an agreement executed after due
imperial sanction BY the present Chinese
minister at Washington and q corps Of
engineers and officials Is now In China. un-
der the charge OF W. II. Parsons. of New
York. engaged In an elaborate survey ot
the route. which IL Is expected will b
complete within n few weeks. The Rail-
way Age recently gave the names Of the
Americans most prominently connected
samuel sam s r snsans and I 4 Hssa
Barnes. Of New York: George ]. BtpperS,
OF Indiana and the Carnegie Steel Com
nans; ct p P. ,s.i The sum 70 b
81. 90 90 for the Canton Hankow road. and
So. 0n for the Hankow- PekinG road.
should that CONTRACT be also given them.
as recent reports indicate may be the case.
American enterprise In railway building
seems To be well recognized by the Chin
csc. Who In July. 1888. selected Capt Wat
son w. Rider OF the United States. ~
chief engineer OF the Chinese Imperial
Railway System. and during the year or
dered several locomotives from American
workshops and a quantity OF rails through
an American contractor.
French Interests In the south.
I'm the extreme south OF China French
interests are proposing sundry railway
lines to connect their ports and navigahle
rivers OF Tonkin with the cities and prov
inces OF Southern China These proposed
lines not only connect the French terri
tory OF Tonkin with the treaty ports OF
Yengtsz. Woochow and Pakhoi but also
the Important points Of Yunnan. Manning
er which form connection with tho port
OF Canton and the railway lines that arc
to center there, and thus give connection
WITH the great 1slwy system ,, OF China
the proposed American line II British
line to connect the province Of Ssechuan
In the west OF China with Canton and
most populous and perhaps the most pre-
ductive OF the provinces Of China, being
an elevated tableland, lying at the head OF
a.rsrr f{s,p Hv eha 90 Ar<&
varted productions and enterprisinK popu-
lation give II a character quite similar TO
that OF the region of the upper Aissinsippi
In the United States: This proposed Brit.
ish line connects Chengtoo. the capital
Of Szechuan. with Wuchow on this West
river. which has recently been opened to
commerce. and from which point TRAFFIC
viii reach Canton either By the West river
or by an already projected line from W.
! chow TO Canton. This proposed Britain
vne connecting Szechuan with the lines
/ which reach Canton Ii about go miles In
| length.
! To Connect with DritisA InAaa.
| Another important British line pro-
| posed differs from any OF those already de-
scribed. In the fact that II Is an effort to
connect China and her railway systems
| with the railway systems Of British India.
| existing railway line from Mandalay In
| Rurman 10 the Chinese border at Kuniong
bnild br p "n line northeas,rHrdly into
the Chinese province Of Yunnan and to
the city Of Yunnan itself. and thence far
great province OF sxechuar. to the head
OF navigation on the Yangtxe. This pro-
posed line would cross the British hne con-
Meeting Szechuan with Canton. thus not
only putting the railway system Of bur
nah into direct communication with Cam
ton. but also bringing II into communities
ton with the head of navigation In the
great Yangfxe valley. where Great. Britain
has already obtained an agreement that
no exclusive territorial concessions to f0p.
whose commerce In looked upon ~ the
most important Of that Of all China. While
this project Of tapping Southern. Western
the Burmah and Indian railway systems
necessarily encounters many serious OBJ
staeles. because OF the character Of the
territory through which the connecting
lines must pass, IL IL one Of great impor-
lance and almost startling In Its couceps
ton and possibilities. since. n SUCCESSFUL.
Il would bring the existing railway system
of India. having length OF q 90 miles.
into touch with the proposed railway sys-
TEN lem 81 sh IA. ana connect connecting through
road. thus giving direct and connecting
railway line from Paris via st. Petersburg
soushwaraiy through China am ana s.ain
westwardly into and extending through
British India
Cost VIII Ne Eaorness.
THE cost Of these proposed railway tines
In China viii be. ~ carried out. IN euor-
nous sum The lines constructed up to
the present time have been built under the
control and az the expense Of the chineee
government The recent concessions pro-
pose 30 permit the construction OF lines BY
capital and organizations composed o1
residents Of other countries. The funds
for this purpose are In most cases TO be 80
cured By mortgage upon the railways thus
created the disbursement and future man.
ag.ment To remain In control OF the for,
ei9n lenders during the term Of ths mort
gage, but the lines themselves. after the
mortgage Lien In paid. are In most. II NOT
ali cases 70 become the property Of tho
Chinese government. Thus far efforts Of
foreigners so obtain a share or stock In.
terest in addition To the mortgage lien
have usually been unsuccessful, though In
many cases the length ~ time during
which the loans are 20 run and the COM
trci ~ the lines remain tn the hands Of
those furnishing the funds may be con-
ssdsred approaching an equivalent to
ownership. no far. at least. the present
generation is concerned. In the American
contract lsssSc Of desentures IN per-
mittsd. which To a certain extent may par
ticapats In tfse prospective profits OF tbs
enterprise. and In the Eeigisu contract
those supplying the funds are 10 particf-