Bisbee daily review., 1916-01-06
RAIL WAY BUILDING
 IN CHINA IS NOW
 NEAR STANDSTILL
Efforts to Interest American Capital; Chinese, Tn e m- selves, Are Very Active; War Causes Disturbances.

PEKING, Jan. 5.-Railway construc- ton in China is practically at a stand
 still as a result of financial condi- tions brought about by the European war. The Belgians. British, Russians and French all have railway undertak- ings in China, and the virtual sus- pension of this work is a hard blow to the country which is. as yet, in- adequately served by railways and greatly in need of them for defensive as well as commercial purposes.
 Efforts have been made to interest American capital in several of the lines Chinese officials are confident that the European nations would turn over their interests to a neutral country, such as the United States, if American financiers would under take to complete the lines. z
 The Chinese themselves are trying to finish the railway between Lan- chow, in Kansu Province, with the sea at Tungchow, in Kiang-su Prov ince. This line is more than a thou sand miles long and is of prime i'm portance as it runs east and west through a rich country and across the two important north and south rail ways On of these connects Peking and North China with Shanghai. The other, connects Picking with Hankow, the great interior commercial mstro- polls on the Yang.tse river, which city is called the Chicago of China and will undoubtedly be one of the most important commercial 'centers when adequate railways are provided in the Yang-tse valley.
 The Lunchow-to-the-sea line is al- ready partly completed through the section between the great north and south railroads, and it's managers are carrying on the work towards the west on a loan provided by the Chin csc government. The work is fitful, however and there is little prospect of completing the line without foreign assistance.
 Work has been suspended on the British railroad, projected between Ranking and Sinyang. This line is 25O miles long and connects Ranking the Shanghai and Peking main lines, and with the Peking- Hankow line at Sinyang. Only nine miles of earth work has been completed on this project. The eitire route, however, has been surveyed and all plans per fected, but the loan for financing it had not been negotiated before the outbreak of the war.
 Surveyors are still at work on the projected British railway southwest from Ranking to Ping Hsiang, dist ance of about 800 miles. The survey will be completed next spring, but at present there is no money in sight I for the building of the railway,
 The Chinese are continuing the ex- tension of the railway from Kalgan, 1 northwest of Peking, to the Yellow River in Mongolia through money that has been raised by local loan. but the funds are insufficient to complete it. The original plans provide that this line shall connect with the pro i jected Russian line across Mongolia l to touch the Trans-Siberian Railway aear Lake Baikal in Siberia.
 Work has been suspended on the railway designed to con meet Hankow with the heart of Sze- chuen Province, to the westward | along the Yang-tse river. Americans are interested in this line together with the English and German. The American section extends from lchans