Omaha daily bee., 1907-01-27
DlU hAlLWA1 OlOlEM
Japan oOntsmplatss Combination Which
Will Include Europe and Asia.
SEA TO SEA Ro0TE AROUND RUSSIA
Many Nations to Be Brought Into sChems
for Rapid Transit.
PLANS WERE OUTLINED BY AMERICANS
War Stopped the Work of the Man from
California
FEAR OF RUSSIA CAUSES CAUTION
CEsF's Government May object to
Plan which Is TO Keep IL from
Part I'm International
Route,

TOXIC, Jan. 96-Cspecial)-It is inter-
esting to note that the railway extensions
projected by the Japanese through Man
churia, for which expenditures running up
10 more than SOO,OOOOO0 yen have already
been arranged, are only the beginning of
a vast system OF railways which Will In
the not far distant future rival the great
Siberian railroad Of Russia. The Japanese
will look after the MRnchurian and Chinese
branches Of this system, but the Indian
branches and some of the Afghanistan
lines will be to u large extent under British
control French capital is to fll in the
gap In the vicinity of Persia and Thibet,
while German energy and German enter
prise will become responsible for the lines
to the south OF the Caspian sea and the
Black sea and on to Constantinople. From
Constantinople lines will be developed
through the Balkan states the methods and
In all probability the routes of the Orient
Expross being followed in a large measure
Swift connections will be made with
Vienna, Berlin. Paris and London, and It Is
hoped that eventually British military
preJudices can be won over to point
where permission will be given for a tunnel
under the British channel between Great
Britain and France, so that II will be pos
sible to travel without change of cars
from London TO the orient and the western
shores OF the Chinese sea,
This plan. which was originally laid out
by an American named Crater is said by
engineers to be less daring than the Cape
to Cairo road at the time OF Its inception.
When Crater first appeared in Paris he
found his plans blocked by play of world
wide international forces which he could
not understand. His chief trouble appeared
10 ha In oaftin0 I0arsfan concaaaiona Pms
sian interests finally blocke all Persian
franchises; there was a big row In Paris
and Crater finally returned to California in
disgust. Then came the war between Rus
sia and Japan and of course the execution
Of an international enterprise of this
character became a matter OF absolute i'm
possibility. The recent death Of the shah
of Persia viii, It is believed. remove all
Obstacles toward the construction OF the
central section OF the trunk line through
the southern and central portions of Asia
Plan Not Impossible.
1t should be remembered that the pro-
gram is not SO stupendous as might appear
at hrst thought 30 far as the East Indian
railway systems are concerned. It is only
necessary to remember that they are fairly
well developed and that 1t would not be
dificult to establish connections to the
north with line OF this character. With
the Japanese pushing on toward the west
of MRnchuria and with the Germans push
ing on east through the Turkish empire, It
would appear TO be matter of only a
few years before the gaps in the under
taking would be pretty well filled.
os course the significance of the move
ment lies in the fact that once the railway
y completed by this international chain
Russia will be pretty well penned up for
all time in the frozen north. From a
military and commercial point of view, of
course, this paralleling of the Siberian rail-
way becomes matter OF grave Importance
1t IL even believed in governmental circles
here that some movement OF this nature is
behind the Anglo-Japanese alliance, which
has pushed the diplomats OF the world
Once the trunk line through Asia is de-
cided to be a strategic and commercial
necessity. once the wisdom of such a policy
is admitted by the governments Of London,
Paris and Berlin. 1t is admitted that the
necessary loans would not become a matter
of financial impossibility. Relatively. It is
believed that II would be an undertaking
no greater than the dream Of Cecil Rhodes
OF railway from the north of Africa to
the south, or than the Americans are now
undertaking. single handed. In the building
OF the Panama canal
IL Is only necessary, at any rate to read
between the lines of the speech OF the
emperor at the opening OF the Diet. where
he laid emphasis on the increasing cordial
relations that existed between Japan and
the other powers and the necessity for the
development of the national resources in
general and the resources OF the new Asia
tic possessions OF Japan in particular. to
understand that important movements OF
q, world wide nature may be expected dur
Ing the next twelve-month.
Sons Fear of Russia.
II is said here that the only reason why
the news in connection with some of these
railways plans have not been made public
before this is because Of the negotiat tions
now pending between Russia and Japan
Though the Russian government Is fully
aware Of the nature Of some OF these plans
and Is prepared to acknowledge the dis
position Of the nations OF the world &C
keep that empire penned up In the ice.
looked harbOrs OF the frozen north, never.
theless II Is feared by all concerned that a
storm OF indignation might sweep over