Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-27

Asia. Last winter Belgian syndicate was
granted concession t9 construct branch
ready has twenty or thirty miles of track
laid. Several branches are already under
construction.
Railways ih China.
The following is a list of the railways
now in operation IN China. with the mile
age of each: IC
Niles
Newchwang to Dalny and Port Arthur iItns
xsSehuans to Shan: twsn di.u.sianj i lsS
Tientsin to Taku tChineseb. ......... ~
TieLtsin to Picking Chinese ................ 70
Picking to Hankow (Belgian) ............... 500
Shanghai to Wusung (Elgllsh) ............ IA
Using tao to Tsinan-fu lGerman). ............ 1877
Branch TO Po-shan coal mines German IS
The following roads are under construc-
ton:
Kaifong to Honan-fu fBelgium,
Carton to Hankow (American)
Tientsfn to Cheng-kiang German
Ching -ting to Si-Hgan-fu (RussIaul
Tai Yuan to Chanting Russian).
Concessions have been granted by the
government for the following lines:
Shanghai to Marking tEnglish).
Hongkong to Canton (Englishl.
Ningpo to Hankchow (English)
Soochow to Hwai-An (Engiish).
Tonkfng to Yunan (French).
Tsinan-fu to KaifuDg-fu (German)
Many other roads are proposed Indeed
there are schemesamore or less defined and
organized to connect all Chinese cities of
Importance and gridiron the entire empire
with rails. And there are serious plans to
afford every of the sixteen provinces
access to tidewater. One of the most i'm
portant for which concessions have already
been granted, as above mentioned, has been
undertaken by an English syndicate which
proposes to girdle that prosperous section
around Shanghai with series of connect
ing roads that will give each of nine i'm
portant cities transportation facilities to
~
another. however. the concessionnaires are
idle. They are resting on their oars They
have made their surveys and are supposed
to have plenty of money, but thus far have
done nothing in the way of construction.
Another proposed English enterprise is in
tended to connect Hankow with several i'm
portant cities north and south of the Yang
tse river all of which offer favorable pros
poets. These same roads would reach min
eral deposits of great value, particularly
iron anthracite and bituminous coal, cop
per and tin.
Still another English proposition Is to con-
meet Canton with Cheng-tu. the capital of
Sezchuen province, and the head of naviga-
ton on the Yangtse river.
Proposed Route Through Burma.
I wrote you from Burma about the plan
to extend the Burma government road
across the border into China to Cheng-tu
and thus afford that great province, with
a population of 100000 facilities for send
ing its products to Europe by way of Ran
COON and receiving its imports In the same
way. thus saving several thousand miles
of transportation for every commercial in
terest in central China. This road has al
ready been constructed as far as the bound
airy line between Burma and Sezchuen
province, and the surveyors including two
or three American engineers, were proceed
ing to locate line on the Chinese side OF
the border when they were suddenly called
off last winter by the British authorities in
Burma. No reason was assigned and no
explanation has ever been made to the
British residents Of Burma, who are griev-
ously disappointed, and, disguised. 1t is ru-
moed-with how much truth cannot say
that Lord Curzon directed a suspension OF
this survey when he obtained the permits.
sion of China to send the expedition OF
Colonel Younghusband into Thibet. There
is no more tempting railway proposition In
the world than the extension OF the Bur
mere road over the Chinese border, but IL
involved important diplomatic questions.
The French government is behind several
syndicates which have obtained or are
seeking concessions for the construction of
railways northwardi from Tonquin, the
French possession i'm China, into the popu-
lous southern provinces and toward the
Yangtse Valley Alonga the lines of these
proposed roads are suppesedto be valuable
beds of coal and mineral deposits, as wen
as productive agricultural country. France
expects sooner later to absorb the prov
inces of Kwangsi, and Yunan, which adjoin
TOnQuln, ana CneSe railways VIII pTOUOle
that purpose.
German Plans.
The Germans have laid out a comprehen-
sive railway system converging at their
new colony on Kiaochau bay. which Will
spread over Shangtung and the adjoining
provinces and reach valuable, rich mining
districts. They are going about the busi-
ness with energy and determination and are
building in the most substantial and perma-
nent manner with the active support OF the
imperial government at Berlin. The Ger
man kaiser proposes to make Tsing-tao, his
new town, more important port than
Hongkong or Shanghai, II he can do so. and
1t Is no secret that sooner or later he ex-
poets to swallow the entire Shangtung prov
ince In the meantime the Germans are oc-
cupying 1t and developing its wonderful ma
ural resources in their thorough, practical
way.
FORTH but before 1t began Russia had sew
eral important schemes in view, chiefly TO
shorten the distance between st. Petersburg
and Picking. The present line, which leaves
the trans-Siberian road at Hardin, taxes
a long curve to the eastward out into Man
churia and makes the journey much longer
than necessary. 1t is like going from Chi
cago to New York by way of Memphis and
Nashville, and surveys have demonstrated
that by cutting cross lots through Mongo-
liza at least 1000 miles may be saved. What
ever may be the result of the war. nobody
believes tnat Russia Will dpduuoH Hci III
terests in the east. She has altogether too
much capital invested in the trans-Siberian
railway, for which she must provide trdf-
fic. and the rapid development of the agri-
cultural resources of Siberia makes 1t nee
essary to find an outlet for its grain and
other products in eastern Asia Russia may
be prevented from exercising political au-
thority in Manchuria or any other Chinese
province, but her commercial Interests will
not be abandoned.