Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-19
RAILS MAY BIND
INDIA AND CHINA
POLITICAL OFFICER HAS PLAN
FOR STEEL HIGHWAY
LOHIT VALLEY SUGGESTED AS
ROUTE FOR TRAINS
No Hiuh Attitudes to Obstruct Way,
and a Natural Highway Into
Tibet Is offered for
Development

LONDON, Dec. 1S.-An interesting
proposal for the construction OF a
railway between India and China Is
advanced by M. Noel Williamson. Mr..
Williamson Is political officer IN the
service of the Indian government, VINO
while stationed in Upper Assam has
found an opportunity for exploring the
Lohit branch of the Brahmaptura up
to the Tibetan frontier He found no
serious natural difficulties In the way
Of his progress up the Lohit valley
and believes ii would be an easy mat
ter, as a beginning, to connect lndla
with the borders of southeastern Ilpet
by good mule track. The distance
from the plains of Assam to the Dor
der of Tibet is less than fifty miles in
"a straight line and little more than q
hundred miles by the river valley. The
route traverses a country occupied by
a quiet. peaceable people, who look to
the Indian government as the para
mount power and the road could be
constructed not only at comparatively
little cost, but without risk OF trlpal
Unrest.
The highest altitude occurs in the
outer Cor firsD range of hills where
there is a rise of 1900 feet after which
no high attitudes obstruct the way
The banks of the river appear spe-
cially suited to serve as trade route.
Large fiat tiers running parallel to the
Lohit with easily surmounted spurs
extending to the river itself. rise grad
ually from an elevation of 200 leet
near the concluenCe of the Tlddlng
river with the Lohit to an elevation
Of 3100 feet at Sati near the frontier
an ascent of 1900 feet in seventy miles,
In short, the valley offers. says Mr..
Williamson, a natural highway into
Tibet, which only 7requires the hand
of man to render 1t easy and eXpedi-
tious.
Trade Light at Present
At present trade along the route is
infinitesimal 1t may reasonably be
hoped, however that improved COM
munications would lead 90 speedy de-
velopment OF trade. At present South
eastern Tibet (or tho Rong, as the
country is called) has no Industries
because there Is no incentive TO the
development of It's resources. A great
quantity Of wool Is wasted annually
because there Is no market for its sale.
This IS true not only as regards wool
Of ordinary quality. but as regards the
costly variety called bashm. from
which shawls are made. If commune
cation were improved along this nat
ural outlet for the trade Of Southeast
ern Tibet facilities for export would
be brought within the reach of all.
Mutual intercourse Is impossible at the
present moment, because Tibet Is a
forbidden land; bat good bride p1th
leading down from the frontier of Sa-
diya. a place in close proximity TO the
terminus OF the Dibru-Sadiya railway
would attract Tib2tans to trade in
Assam.
Moreover the Chinese government Is
known to be taking steps TO strengthen
its hold on Tibet and it has been re-
ported that a new Chinese province
viii shortly be formed out of the Rong
in any ease the enterprising Chinese
trader may be expected To be keenly
alive to the advantages OF easy COM
municatons with Assam and Mr. Will
hanson, in addition TO his modest pro-
posai for the opening up of q mule