The National tribune., 1900-06-28
CHINESE RAILWAYS.
The Boxer Movement and It's Effect on For
eign Investme

eign Investme nts.
Telegrams and railways appear to be
among the causes of the anti-foreign riots
now in progress in China. The develop
ment of this feature of modern enterprise
in China is described in considerable de-
tail in a recent publication ef the Treas
ury Bureau Of Statistics, entitled Com
mercial China in 1897 1t shows that
the telegraph system in China included IN
1899 about 5000 miles of line in opera
ton, and that the railroad system in
cludcd $50 miles of road in active opera
ton and over 5000 miles projected. The
telegraph system connected all of tie cap
itals of the Provinces with the National
Capital, Pekin, and in turn connected with
the Russian trans-Siberian telegraph line
and the ocean cables; but it appears from
the recent reports that those lines have
in many cases been destroyed by the anti
foreign mobs and armies.
The railways thus far contructed be-
long to the Chinese Government and were
constructed under its control and direction
and at its expense. They connect Pckin,
the capital, with Tien Tsin, which lies at
the head of the Gulf of Pecbili, and is
the seaport of Pekin, while other lines run
nortlIwardly from T'ien Tsin to Shanhaik-
wan, and still others extend southwardly
from Pekin as far as .Paoting, the capital
of the Province of Chill, in which Pekin
is located. From that point southwark
railway was being constructed in 1879 by
Belgian capital, though it was suspected
that Russian influence, and perhaps Rus
sian capital, was associated in this work.
This line was expected to extend to Han
kow, which may be described as the Chi
cagO of China, being its best and largest
and most prosperous inland commercial
city, located 500 miles up the 1angtSe-
kiang from Shanghai, which lies at the
mouth of that river. Hankow is a city
Of nearly 100000 inhabitants, and it
was expected that the Belgian line would
connect Pekin which lies well at the
ter, and that an American line would ex-
tend still further south from Hankow to
Canton and Hong Kong.
The American line was surveyed by
corps of engineers under Mr.. W. Il. Par
sons, of New York, in 1898 and 1899, IN
der a concession granted by the Chinese
Government to Calvin Brice, Hugh J.
Grant, Thurlow Weed Barnes and others,
and this line, like all others for which con-
cessions have been granted, was after q
term of years to become the property of
the Chinese Government. 1t was expect
ed that this American line running from
Hong Kong and Canton northward to
Hankow and connecting at that point with
the Belgian line, which would extend to
Pekin, would form an extremely import
ant artery of internal commerce from
China's most important southern city, Can.
ton, and its most important central city.
Hankow, and thence to its capital at the
north, Pekin, from which point it would
connect with the Russian railway system
which enters China in Manchuria at the
extreme north.
Numerous other railways have been
surveyed, and some of them were under
consideration. The German Government
railways in the Province of Shantung, in
which its port of KiaoChau is located,
while concessions to British companies
authorize the construction of lines along
Il very large share of the eastern coast
and extending up the valley of the West
was expected they would finally connect
with the railway system of India.
The railways projected in China and
for which concessions had been granted
contemplated length of more than 5000
miles, and it was confidently expected that
their construction would bring the trans
Siberian system Of Asfatic Russia into
touch with the trans-Indian system of
british India, which in turn would finally
connect with the railway systems of
southern Europe and thus give to the
world an international belt line stretching
IOFtHWGTulS lIOm HDTtHeFH Europe
through Russia and Siberia, thence south
wardly through China, thence wcstwardly
again through Burmah, India, Persia aud
Turkey in Europe to a connection with
the railway systems of southern Europe.
What the effect of the hostilities in
China with reference to works of this
character will be cannot be foretold. Rus.
sia controls a long stretch of territory
along her northern border, and England
and the territory of British India and Bur
nah at the southwest. Railway lines ex-
listing or projected extend from the terri
very Heart of China, and intermingled
with. and an important link among these,
is the great American enterprise already
alluded to, upon which a company had, &C,
cording to the statements of accepted au-
thorities In railway matters, arranged for
the expenditure Of $2O,00O,00O Of Ameri-
can funds.