The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-10
Tile Chief Secretary Of Imperial
Railways Tells Mr.. Carpc1l-
ter About Them.
TRUNK LINES OF NORTH G 6 H u
lAn Anglo-G German Scheme and
New Road From kiaochow.
Tie American Syndicate.
By Frank G. Carpenter

X
WASHINGTON, D.. O., july 1S.--I give
4 yo,, stn.day anintcrylcw which have
4 i,,st8 lad with Mr. John c. ferguson, tho
+ cbIcf secretary OF tho Chinese Imperial
Bruiiwn v ad,ninistra tionaT THIS ~ practically
the ministry OF railways of tho chinese
government, Will, which all the home anu
foreign syndicntcs have to dcal, me min
= istry9 has the same place az one OF our
Great government departments. and its
II lead, WHO ranks about as q cabinet OIL
Ger, Is Sheng kung-pao. ono OF the ab-
lest, wealthicst and most progressive OF
+ Chinese statesmen. Shcng Is, In sact, the
successor OF III Hung Chang as far as
International standing Is concerned Born
wealthy, he has always been largely inter-
cstcd In the leading commercial enter
prizes Of the empire. He was one OF The
original stockholders Of the Chinese Tcle-
Graph Company, was for many years the
director general OF the Chinese Merchant
steam Navigation Company, and was up
until tile time or his fathers death, Whc!
he retired to 70 into mourning, minister
or commerce., having beer mude suchE1 On
tho death OF II Hung Chang. shen y !,
lung -pao owns the largest cotton & n1lll
IN Shanghai. and he Is also hiiec'2r SEMI
K al OF the Hanyang iron and steel werk Ky.
with which are connected large mining
interests In coal and iron. .
Mr. Ferguson Is a Massachuse It's 5!fa n,
Who went 10 China shortly after his
graduation at the Boston university 70
be president OF 8the Marking & Y nivcrsity.
lie acted as such for ten years ana then
took the presidency o. ti,c 4 N a :
81 College a Shanghai. which Wus sfoundea
\ l,y Shcng kuns-pno. While there he 70
& aided the Chinese III important nesot,a-
a lions with the foreign powers that they
ncrsuaded him to give up his ed uca tionai
{. work am enter the service Of the govern
4 nlcnt For the past two years L ~ ne mas y
Y been connected with the Icoinn,iss sion Tor
the revision OF treaties between = nina nm
ana foreign countries and he IL now a
( part 81 the Imperial railway administra-
h ton. lie has come 10 this country on be-
llalfE4of that administrations, and has
4 am told been very successful In MS ms
4 sion. IIc knows all about the modern
movements In China, and perhaps more
4 than any other American about the new
= projects for raj ways here and the p 1t
pcctiye railway development Of the er'l-
Il IRE a l5 .
China's Railroad Development
1. Il i, response 10 my question Mr.. Fer Ter
Il guson said x sl3S .s 81 55
l:s1'he Chinese government has for some me
line. realized Its need OF railroads, BUTT
u 1,at no, been bic to raise sun cicnt capi-
tai TO construct them from among It's
snsi, people. 1T has had to borrow, and
u order5to do so has been obliged to Is
Tue government bonds and to mortgag sc
N The railways protected TO the syndicates
constructing them. This has REQUIRED
AZ lime, and the country is FAR behind in Its
Y railway development. Some sma u lines
~ have been constructed. and such lines a re-
8prontabIy mana gcd. One line runs from
81 Shanghai to Nusung. and others connect
II coal mines with the waterways. These
( have been built with Chinese capital, but
@ The greatatrunk ltnesare yet 10 be made.
and they viii be constructed on borrowed
captal raised by Issuing government
4 bonds. @ S$
North Chinese Railroads.
III but there are already a number Of