The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-12-12
RUSSIA GRABS
CHINESE ROADS
Hongkong Correspondent Says Gear
Has Control of Railway from
t. Canton to Picking.
Belgian Control of Road from Han
kow to Picking Is Merely
a Blind.
Russia Now Has Virtual Control of
Practically All Chinese
Trunk Lines.

According. to Hongkong CORE
spondent of the Commercial West
Russia has secured virtual control OF
the Peking-Hankow and HankoW-
Canton railways. This gives the car
possession of practically all the trunk
lines in China. The correspondent
says:
The political situation in China just now
Is one OF great unrest Uneasiness is felt
among the native officials as to the out
come. In the north Russia is pressing her
various claims, with no intention of ever
genuinely surrendering her hold upon
Manchuria. She has built railroad, Sc
cured an open port on the Pacific and for
titled it WELL and, in my opinion, will ulti-
nately sway her power over the whole Of
Manchuria.
/ secured important information this
week to the effect that the Belgians, who
are building railroad from Hankow to
Picking, are but foiis to Russia. and the So
called American concession from Canton
to Hankow is American only in name.
American engineers We're employed to
build the road in order to retain the con-
cession, and control passed to the Bel
CLANS. Should this information be con-
firmed, it will be found that Russia, will
control the line, not only from Moscow
thru Siberia to Manchuria and Peking but
from Picking to Hankow and from Hankow
to Canton.
Sung Acted for Russia.
A few weeks ago the Picking foreign Of
flce commanded Mr.. Ii to finance among
the rich Chinese a project known as the
Picking Chang Kia Kou railroad line. He
was unable to do anything. as the Chi
nese feared to trust any money in the
hands of native officials. AT this point a
wealthy Chinaman by the name Of Sung
came forward and offered to finance the
project. On inyes tigation we find Mr. Sung
Is one of the agents of the Russian Chi
nese bank in China. This railroad is a
part of the Belgian propositions. This in
formation is interesting from a political
point of view. My informant holds high
official position and is well posted on the
subject of Belgian collision with Russian
interests.
cession to construct the railroad from Pc
king to Hankow was granted to a Belgian
syndicate, in which the king of Belgium
Is said to be financially interested It was
considered by the powers that as Belgium
had so little interest in far eastern affairs
the granting of the concession was prae-.
tically placing the political interests .5of
the road in neutral hands. The restriction
of the power of substitution was over
looked. however, and as a result there is
now little doubt in official circles that
the Belgians have since yielded to the
$ overtures made 4 hem by the Russian gov
eminent, and that the latter has conse-
quently obtained control of this important
IdtIOdu HIS 'CklllS& extended her. power
across China to it's southern terminus and
Canton. t52sE 49, {
Americans and HankoW Line.
The line from Hankow to Canton now
being constructed was officially conceded
to American capitalists, but the control
later passed into Belgian hands and from
them to Russian control In confirmation
of this, the following extract from letter
written by an official resident of Shanghai
appeared in the local press few days
back:
.As showing the deep design of Russia
only need to tell You that the Canton G.
Hankow railroad which is ostensibly
ital is really owned by American
and Russian capital, Russia con-
trolling the so-called interests This
road extends from Canton 500 miles
to Hankow, and in time will be the means
of controlling a large and populous section
of the Chinese empire
1t may. therefore. be safely concluded
that Russia has more al stake in fighting
the Manchurian question than is generally
supposed Her contention in CARRYING her
trans Siberian railroad in conjunction with
the Chinese Eastern railway thru to Port
Arthur was ostensibly to secure an east
ern outlet open to navigation at all sea-
sons of the year, which people considered
but reasonable demand. 1t will now be
seen. however. that the Port Arthur ex-
tension is but the clean edge of the wedge,
and that when an agreement is eventually
reached over the present Manchurian diff
ficulties, the world will ultimately realize
that the entire trunk railroads from north
to south of China are virtually under Rus
sian control.
Scheme Long Contemplated.
On the eve of the siege of Picking was
engaged in that district in conducting ne
gotiations with Sir Claude w. Kinder en-
gineer in chief of the north Chinese rail-
ways. who built and operates the railroad
running from Picking to Shanhai- Kwan.
and it was during these negotiations that
/ learned of the pressure which the Rus
sian government was making to secure the
railroad In question, also Of the overtures
they were making for this official to leave
the Chinese government employ and as.
sociate his interests with theirs which
proposition he rejected. The railroad in
question, altho owned by the Chinese gov
ernment. is in reality bonded to Russian
capitalists thru the medium of the Hong
Kong and Shanghai Banking corporation
who some years ago secured a Chinese
loan and took bonds upon this railroad in
security. In spite Of considerable misman-
agement the line continues to pay and the
bondholders have no difficulty In obtaining
the required interest upon the capital adj
vanced. It is not likely, therefore, that
this section IF thn RAILROAD will o,,a,, f,1