The sun., 1910-02-27
BUSINESS CHANCES IN CHINA
Much Capital Needed to Develop the ne.
sources of the Empire.

Much Capital Needed to Develop the ne
sources 0r the Empire.
Whils China h sadly in need OF funds
she is In the position Of an heir TO q great
property temporarily out Of cash. says
the Journal OF the American Asiatic Asso-
citation. In proportion TO it's population,
China's public debt is N.40 per capita,
as compared with tS.sS per capita in
British India. sIs,4S per capita in Japan
and $ss.ss per capita in the United King
dom. Should China increase her debt
In proportion to that OF Japan she would
be entitled to borrow the enormous sum
Of seven billions of dollars.
China has one-haf mile Of railroad to
every 5000 square miles of land, while
Japan has 15S miles. the United States
800 miles and Great Britain s4s miles. II
China had the same proportion of rail-
ways as the United States in relation to
area she would have 10000 miles OF rail-
way. which upon the besis Of $50, 900 q
mile would cost 81 500. 600 ,OOO
In China. as elsewhere. the commerce
Of the country grows in far more than
the ratio OF railroad extension Between
the years 1900 and 1907 China's railway
cent. while her net imports and exports
increased i5e per cent. China has this
enormous advantage over countries like
India. with large. dreamy. caste ridden
population-China has 900 ,OOO. 600 able
bodied. hard working people OF enormous
earning capacity. a national asset we'll
worthy Of the attention Of our eoono-
mists.
To-day China may be said to be torn
between contending emotions. Her peo-
pie are not anxious for foreign loans, Is
they dread the hold on their country
They are, however. sufficiently wide
awake to recognize that IL is very greatly
TO their advantage to secure the interest
Of a country like America, which has no
Interior designs on their property. to
counterbalance those Powers whose de-
signs they suspect.
As indicated, the opportunity for az
tension in China's railroads is very great.
In addition, however, there is an immense
opportunity for the employment of capital
in public utilities OF municipal impro We
ments. Among the 1900 walled cities
large proportion which Is aitoRether
destitute Of street railways, gas works.
power plants &c. These would under
favorable conditions afford an inviting
field for American enterprise.
IL Is a common belief that the people
OF China are ignorant and unprogressive
as well as disposed to view foreigners
with hostility-to regard them, in fact.
as foreign devils'--an expression, by the
way. which had a very different origin
from that commonly attributed to IL.
OF the people in the earlier days that
white foreigners were endowed with
supernatural powers.
As matter of fact the people OF China
are intelligent, and while they show a
great ability in protecting their rights
changes which they disapprove. thew
are In way progressive. The Rights
Recovery Movement Is dying out, for
the reason that IL is recognized that the
country has not itself the requisite amount
Of capital and the people are not educated
70 a point where they have confidence
in each other and can work conjointIy
by organising corporations or by other
wise uniting their capital In any large
enterprise.
Instead OF there being no real senti-
nent for reform there is every evidence
that the central Government is honest
In its efforts to suppress opium and In
the establishments Of its new educational
system, ~ well as in all other reforms
that are being introduced. The central
Government, Is In fact, very much In earn
est in urging these reforms throughout
the late Emperor In a young man Of good
Intelligence who is rapidly enlareing
hes experience. When In the oourse al
time he surrounds himself with good.
strong. able men. he will undoubtedly
be able 10 carry out tho tmuch needed
currency reforms, for lack OF which the
country suffers 90 much at the present
ams- 80
y I .