The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-05-29
AMERICANS PUSH
ORIENT DEVELOPMENT
Great Opportunities for Development Are
Revealed in Reports by Frank Rhea,
Formerly Connected with Penn
sylvania Railroad.

Washington, May 29.--West and East
are meeting daily in the Orient, where
American built locomotives connect al
Kalgan on the border of Mongolia with
caravans from the far interior of Asia
Steel rails have broken the artificial
boundary of the Great Wall of China
which remains only a relic of the past
while long trains go putting through a
tunnel underneath bearing to the sea
| priceless furs, rugs, wool and turquoise,
and to the interior the manufactured
products Of the United States and other
foreign nations.
The story of railroad development in
the Orient and the possibilities open
there to American enterprise are set
forth in a series of reports to the bureau
of foreign and domestic commerce by
Frank Rhea, formerly connected with the
Pennsylvania railroad and the General
Electric company, who recently returned
from a tour as special agent through
China, Japan, the Philippines, New Zea-
land and Australia.
In all China there are only $500 miles
of railroad, of which $500 miles are
Chinese government lines Most of the
railroad development has been in north
and central China. All except one of the
government lines are American type, OF
the standard four feet, eight and one
half inch gauge, and on the line to Kal
gan, which pierces farther into the int
rior than any other, 80 of the sc locomo
tives are American made. Giant Mallet
compound engines, each with tractive
effort of $4,000 pounds, parallel the
Great Wall to Ching Lung Chiao, then
pass beneath it until they meet the east
bound caravans of camels, gaily capaYi
soned Mongol horses and the queer cam
ell drawn carts of Mongolia at Kalgan,
which is one of the strangest and great |
est markets of the world.
Japan has about 5000 miles of rail !
roSd, which cost 100000 a mile to build !
through the steep mountains of Nippon. |
All of it is government owned and organ |
lied on a military basis, like the German |
roads, each employee having distinct rank |
and being responsible to his superiors,
like a soldier. Many electric lines are
being built in Japan. Locomotives and |
electrical equipment have been purchased
from the United States, but freight and
passenger cars have been bought largely
in England or built at home, because the
roads are Of three feet, six inch gauge
The japanese government is considering
the railroads to standard gauge
as military measure, at cost equal to
the original construction.
In the Philippines, American equip
nent has been used except on the island
IF Luzon, where the railroads were built
by British capital. All the roads are
organized on the English system. In the
ill country of the islands, where official
ociety spends the hot season, American
motor buses are used.
Australia and New Zealand have fol-
owed their mother country in building
peculiar feature of the Aus
ralian roads is that, in the total of
a 900 miles, there are three different
,auges and in only one instance do any
wo states have connecting lines OF the
anne gauge A traveller from Brisbane
o Perth must change cars eight times.
The disadvantage of different track
widths in the Orient was strikingly IL
when there was talk of Japan
operations against the Ger
mans in Russia In discussing plans it Q
yas brought out that the railroad from Q
'ort Arthur and Dairen, which the Jap d
nese forces probably would use to reach
hang Chun, the connecting point with !,
he transcontinental line, is five feet Il
hree inches wide Trains cannot be
transferred from one line to the other I
nd in any operations there would be Il
Iuch loss of time in unloading and load
ig equipment. y
Great difficulty also was experienced in "
lspting for American use locomotives q
in this country for ship q
ent to the Russians at Vladivostok, but n
bich were held here when peace was p
with Germany. q
Americas best opportunities Tor the =
lie Of railroad and electrical equipment Z
the Orient were found by Mr.. Rhea to :
in China, which has less equipment
II mile of railroad than any other ma
on in the world. The Chinese roads 4
IN about $4,000 gold per mile, as much
the American roads, which they are
abled to do through greater efficiency
handling their meagre amount Of roll
2 stock. The cycle of use of freight q
rs is about six days, as compared with
DAYS in America. Demurrage- Il fixed
so for every u hours Of daylight, so
ere is no delay in unloading Japan in ST
e future probably viii be more Of a 20
mpetitor than a customer Of the Unit be
States. owing to the tremendous in
strial expansion in progress there. n,
lch Of their raw material still viii be
released from the United States. but 20
even greater amount will be obtained sHi
China. Korea and Manchuria. where -
panese capital is developing rich coal
iron deposits. Abundant and cheap zp
lie labor is available. Extension Of a.
lroads in the Philippines will be lin -
q bF the -fnaI size OF the Islands. M
impaired with other countries ENGLAND d
,habiv will copsf-,. =, .-,r,,,1,s - tbs
- - - - - s,Ft
.teih eoioiie- Nith the ouiA OF ther fG
Tread purchases. re-