Omaha daily bee., 1916-01-03
FEELS The EFFECTS OF WAR
Chinese Railroad Building at Stand
still on Account Of the Lack
of Money.
MANY LINES PARTLY FINISHED

Correspondence OF The Associated Press)
PEKING. Dec 2O.-Railway construction
In China is practically at a standstill as
a result Of financial conditions brought
about by the European war. The Bel
CLANS. British, Russians and French all
have railway undertakings in China and
the virtual suspension OF this work IL
hard blow to the country which is as yet,
inadequately 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 neutral country. such as
the United States n American financiers
would undertake TO complete the lines.
The Chinese themselves are trying to
finish the railway between Lanchow, In
Kansu provinds. with the sea at Tung-
chow, in Kiang-su province. This line is
more than 1000 miles long and Is OF
prime Importance as It runs east and
west through a rich country and crosses
the two important north and south rail
ways. One OF these connects Picking and
North China with Shanghai The other
connects Picking with Hankow, the grea
interior commercial metropolis on the
Yang-tse river. which city is called b,
Chicago Of China and will undoubtedly
be one Of the most important CONNER
cial centers when adequate railways arr
provided in the Yang-tse valley.
Road Partly Completed.
The Lanchow- to-the-sea line is alread!
partly completed through the section be
tween the great north and south rail
roads, and its managers are carrying oil
the work toward the west on a loan pro
vided by the Chinese government. Tn
work is fitful, however, and there
little prospect OF completing the lin
without foreign assistance.
Work has been suspended on the Brit
ish railroad, projected between Nankin
and Sinyang. This line is about go mile
long and connects Marking with tn
Shanghai and Picking main lines an
with the Picking ankow line at Sin
yang Only nine miles of earthwork ha
been completed on this project. The en-
tire route however, has been surveye
and all plans perfected, but the loan 70
financing II had not been negotiated be
, fore the outbreak Of the war.
Surveyors are still at work on the pre-
jected British railway southwest fror
Marking to Ping Hsiang. distance G
about 600 miles The survey will be con
pleted next spring. but at present ther
Is no money In sight for the building {
the railway.
Funds Running Low.
! The Chinese are continuing the exteT
, sion of the railway from Kalgan, norti
. w-x
Mongolia through money that has bee
raised by a local loan, but the funds al
insufficient to complete II. The origin'
plans provide that this line shall conne'
/ with the projected Russian line acros
, Mongolia to touch the Trans-Siberia
! railway near Lake Baikal in Siberia.
l Work has been suspended on the II
: ternational railway designed to come
I Hankow with the heart Of Szechue
1 province, to the westward along tn
3 Yang-tse river. Americans are interestC
D in this line together with the Englis
5 ana Germans. The American section e1
tends from Ichang in Hupeh provinc
to Wan Hsien. in szechuen province.
, distance of 40 miles. r. w. Randolp
, the American surveyor In charge, IL
: lIchang, but most OF his staff has r
turned 70 America and work has bee
. suspended until after the war.
= The Ssechuen railway will tap teri
tory OF over 6O.OOO.OOO Inhabitants who a
now without means Of communicate
n with the rest OF China except throut
Y the Yang-tse river, which, through
upper reaches. is filled with gorges al
y rapids which mSSe navigation imposs
BILE for anything but very small boats
Many other lines which have been pr
Elected and partially surveyed have al
n been abandoned temporarily because
q war conditions.