Omaha daily bee., 1910-12-18
PLAN FOR GREAT RAILROAD
Musoovite Engineers and Financiers
the 0riginators.
SUBMITTED TO GREAT BRITAIN
II France, Germany or Persia Desire
to Participate in Building New
Road They Can Have Small
Block of stock.
BY GEORGE FRASER.

ST PETERSBURG. Dec 17.-Cspecial to
The Bee)-It soon will be possible to go
by rail from Europe TO Calcutta If the
proposition made by the Russian engineers
and the financleTs to link up the Russian
and Indian railways is accepted by the
Russian and British governments, which
now seems assured.
The Russian promoters Of the scheme
have been announced. They are: M.
Homiakoff, ex-president OF the Dumas NJ.
TimiriaEeff, chairman OF the Russian Bank
Of External Commerce and a member of
the upper house; NJ. Barck, managing d.
rector Of the Volga-Ks bank; NJ Bech-
kovsld. chairman Of the Vladikazkas Rail
way company; NJ. NJ. Bunge and Palash-
kovsld, railway and harbor contractors
NJ. Rafalovitch, a nephew Of the Russian
financial agent In Paris; NJ. Guchkoff
senior partner OF Botlzin, the largest tea
and sugar house in Russia, and mayor
Of Moscow; and NJ. zveEintseff, member Of
the Duma
II is intended that there shall be from
ten TO fifteen Russian founders and an
equal number Of British founders. In add
ton to the nine names given, IL is expected
that there will be one representative Of the
industry, and at least one Of the agricuI-
ture.
The agreement signed by the Russian
group provides. among other things. that
the company shall be international; that
Its chief office shall be In some western
| city London and Brussels have both been
proposeo); the direction Of the line must
follow the shortest route from Calais 10
! Calcutta, using existing lines and going
through Persia; the English and Russian
interests mast be equal: the participation
OF French, German, Persian and other
groups will be welcomed. but the amount
OF their participation must be decided
later by mutual agreement: the founders
shares TO receive no dividend until after
the ordinary shareholders have received 4
per cent
Financing VIII he Easy.
M Zevgintseff says the capital required
for the undertaking is much less tbsr
has been stated. The length of the Une
to be built TO connect the existing Russian
and Indian lines is only 1000 miles. and a
rough survey, which has been made. leads
10 the conclusion that for the sum Of ss5
OOo,OOO the line could be completed. ADDING
70 this the necessary rate OF interest Tor
the invested capital for four years obs
! period Of construcLOn) would necessItats
| the expenditure OF another SIS 900 600 Tbi.
This would mean a total expenditure OF
800 1000, which the Russian group think
\ quite sufficient for the enterprise.
As 10 the possible success Of the enter.
! prise from the purely financial stapduoiDt
/ II is hoped that. given the possibility Of
taking passengers and mails from London
! TO Bombay in eight days. and six hours
at the very moderate estimated speed OF
/ twenty-eight miles per hour. or with q
speed OF thirty-thres miles IN exactly
seven days, and with q daily service. III.
/ transit traffic would be developed from IL,
/ very first days especially II II is remem,
/ bered that the English traffic for the pur.
| pose OF saving four and a half days, main.
tRins special service from Calais 10 Brin.
oisi. A through ticket from London Il
Bombay for passengers BY the proposed
! system would cost about 500 for a journe,
Of seven days, as against $500 for journey
OF double thar period by the London Brln
disi route.
Not a Visionary Plan
In conclusion M Zevgintse said: '-Thil
| is no mere scheme Of the air. II has beer
shown that there are no political obiec
lions. Those concerned with the schem,
in Russia have not proceeded until the,
have been assured that they would hav,
| no hindrBnce from the Imperial gov
eminent there. With regard 70 the mex
step, IL may be stated that. both from Z
1 political and financial standpoint, every
thing necessary has been done IN Russia
So far as the political aspect Of the projec
is concerned, We hope that no political OBJ
! lection is likely 10 be raised in London.