The Washington herald., 1913-03-09
FORMER PRESIDENT OF CHINA
WOULD PROMOTE RAILWAY
DR.. Sun Will Try to Raise Money to Open Country
Which Would Give the World Tn.
limited Markets.

the latter. whenever an opportunity Of
fers. They want monographs with
Chinese tunes, fancy cotton and wooden
goods. kerosene lamps. glassware. pony
saddles and brides. cutlery, watches. and
clocks. There Is a great opportunity to
sell them medicinal drugs. For example.
they are acquainted with nothing so SIM
pie and effective as EPSON salts (sulphate
Of maSnesia). or boracic eye-water. A
fortune awaits the Individual who, duly
bearing In mind the Oriental taste In re-
gard to cclors. shall design a pleasing
substitute for the tiny embroidered shoes
now being generally discarded by Chinese
ladies.
Throughout western China rapeseed oil
Is almost the only illuminant The little
taper In a vessel Of this oil. with its
dim fickering fame, has served for CEN
turtles to light the dwellings Of the
millions of that vast region. But patent
lamps are coming in, and already the
streets OF some OF the cities are illumi-
mated by electricity. As soon as the
railroads arrive. rapeseed oil will be
rapidly displaced by kerosene.
The kerosene tins of the Standard OIL
Company are the most widely distributed
foreign product in China. Following the
lines Of trade where no other imported
goods are known. they are to be seen
where no foot Of missionary has yet trod.
Gasoline, however. being more expensive.
and handled with greater difficulty and
danger, IL little used in China.
There Is long-accepted belief that all
the Chinese people depend upon rice as
their main article OF diet. and that wheat
products are only gradually finding IA
vor with them. This is measurably true
as regards the region south Of the
Yangtze. though even there. when rice is
nd intry oh 10 np
the latter are consumed: and much
wheat is eaten at all times by people who
can afford It. But to the population
north OF the Yangtze rice Is q luxury.
There are millions In Central and North
ern China that never tasted rice; and
there are more people in those sections
who eat wheat products than the entire
population of the United States Wheat
was known there centuries before Co
lumbus discovered America It is not
possible. indeed, to raise much rice in
the northern provinces Of China, because
the climate is too cold. and in the centra:
and western provinces the soil is un-
suitable.
Enormous wheat Yield.
Mr.. Arnold estimates that at least 30
0oo, 900 bushels Of wfnter-sown wheat will
be produced In Central and Western Chi
will be sold for not more than 30 cents a
bushel. Much Of the land formerly de-
voted to the culture of the opium poppy
is being planted in wheat.
Up to ten years ago all the -four made
in China was produced by primitive ma
tive mills and family grinding stones. At
the present time modern rolling mills are
being rapidly introduced. and already
they are turning out 100000 barrels
year. The growth of the milling indus
try is encouraging the raising of wheat
in adjacent districts, and already the
Shanghai mills are selling -four in the
Chinese market n.5cO.0o0 barrels per an
NUM- at a price one-third less than the
cost OF an eCsIivalent article imported
from the United States.
Thus Il is not at all surprising that inn
ports OF American -four are dropping off
at an alarming rate. and there is pros
pect OF an entire los. OF the profitable
market which the mills OF our Pacific
Coast have hitherto found In China for
their surplus low-grade fiours. the quail
ity and price OF which suited the Chi
nese trade. This trade. by the way. pre-
fers strength to whiteness-
Motor boats of large size run far UP
some OF the rivers into the interior. and
by this means American -four within re-
cent years has obtained a much wider
market. There are six such boats run
ming between Wuchow and Manning They
are cheaply constructed at Hongkong by
a Chinese firm. and. gasoline being scarce
and expensive. they burn kerosene in
stead Attempts have been made to
utilize motor vehicles for purposes II
transportation, but there is
little chance for them until the roads are
revolutionized. Nearly all the reads IN
China are mere footpaths or narrow
tracks for pack-mules.
Throughout nearly all of southern
China the people are awakening to the
need for improved transportation facili-
ties. Wherever the railway comes. I'M
proved roads are made to supplement- il.
and new towns spring up like mushrooms.
as in the early days Of the western
United States.
Railroads Are Wanted.
1t is realized that the first require
ment for the development Of the country
but construction proceeds slowly. partly
for lack Of money, and partly because
the people do not want to borrow the
requisite cash for the purpose from
abroad. Throughout the land a patriotic
dea Of China for the Chinese has
spread. Thus II Is that Or. Sun proposes.
Turing his contemplated visit to the
United States, to get all the money he
,an from the Chinese in America There
ire many wealthy Cinnamon In this
and most people would be As
tonished to learn what great sums IN
he aggregate have been contributed re-
emily by the laundrymen Of our cities
% the cause of a new and free China
OF the railroads already projected by
he Chinese government, two are over
100 miles In length. one l,7oo miles long.
Ind one over 700 miles. These are Ger
ain to be built eventually. by reason Of
heir enormous importance to both Eu-
'ops and Asia Their construction sisui-
les actual railway communication be-
ween London and Pekin In less than
en days. and travel from London TO
Iongkong (all rail except the English
in less than fourteen days. The
involved are vast, but the
,oliticaI and economic position Of China
demands their early realization To the
-nited States they will necessarily be
for. with rapid railroad
between Europe and all
,arts of China and Asia, our direct
steamship connections will largely lose
heir value in a commercial sense.
A complete system has been planned
o connect the various commercial centers
Il China, and incidentally to meet the
rrans-Siberian railroad near Lake Baikal,
hus cutting of two days in the journey
rom Europe to Pekin and points south.
\lso. a railroad is projected into Mon
.olia. and another into Tibet. For the
CT the latter. the Viceroys
# Yunnan and Szechunn are now trying
o raise money. Its cost is the only DIFF
culty. the project being entirely feasible
rom an engineering standpoint. One ot
he greatest series Of tunnels In the