Evening star., 1929-07-28
HOW MANCHURIA HAS GROWN
Agriculture Colonization and Railroads Form Three Most
Important Phases in Rapid Economic Deveopmen Mt of
Vast Territory During Last Is Years.

other part of the Chinese Eastern runs
southwark 152 miles, and then con-
tinues as a part of the South Man
churia Railway. The Chinese Eastern
also has 286 miles Of branches in the
northern timber lands.
500 Miles Of Track o Year.
The third principal railway is the
Peiping- -Mukdcn, which has 392 miles
OF trackage in Manchuria, running
southwest through the Great Wall to
Tientsin and Peiping. the former 'capi-
tai of China.
Railway construction is going on
steadily in Manchuria, at the rate Of
about 500 miles O year. In spurs and
feeder lines for the trunk lines-a stage
Of development which none Of the rail-
roads In China has yet reached.
A line northward from Harbin was
carried last year to atun ts. s0 lao ,1e es
Valley, which is one of Manchuria's S
finest wheat-growing areas. Last year
the income Of this line was more than
twice operation expenses.
The Taonan-Angangchi line was
completed to Tsitshar, which is the
capital Of Heilungchians Province. and
Taonanfu- Tsitsihar. Through trains
began operating last Winter. This ex-
tension involved crossing the Chinese
Eastern Railway at Anganchi. the first
crossing Of the Chinese Eastern by an
other railway.
Spurs Pierce Timber Lands.
Construction was begun last Summer
on a new railway from Tsitsihar to
Aigun. which was financed by local
capital
Several spurs were built from the
eastern branch of the Chinese Eastern
Railway into timber lands. The system
handled 6,67e,198 metric tons Of freight
In the season Of 1928, an increase
OF 45l,450 tons over the previous
season.
The Kirin -Hailungcheng Railway. lis
miles long. was completed and opened
last May to operate daily passenger
train each way, north and south. with
borrowed rolling stock. since its own
new equipment had not yet arrived.
Coal is plentiful in Manchuria. Oil
and iron occur In smaller quantities
At Fushun. short distance east Of
Mukden, is one coal deposit which con-
goo. .000, 900 tons. This has been op-
Grated for some years by the Fushun
Collieries. subsidiary of the South
Manchuria Railway. with a steadily
increasing annual output. The yearly
output Is expected to reach q peak in
1891 In the neighborhood Of 10000, 600
tons.
ShaIe Oil Deposits Worked.
Shale oil deposits exist in various
places In Manchuria. notably in the
Fushun district near Mukden; in
Southern Manchuria and along the
right Of the Lower Sungari. in Northern
Manchuria.
In the Fushun area the oil-bearing
shale overlies the coal seams which are
being exploited by the Fushun COL
lieries. The percentage Of oil here is
lew. varying from to IL per cent, and
averaging only about SIS per cent, and
the Oil can be extracted profitably in
connection with the mining Of the coal.
The oil reserves here are estimated at
$500 100000 tons. Within 100 feet
Of the surface there are estimated to be
255,000,000 tons of Oil. The South
Manchurian Railway Co. Is beginning
to exploit this and plans to produce
$4,000 tons Of oil annually during a first
period OF development.
The North Manchurian deposits. also
in the form of oil-bearing shale, are re-
ported on good authority to be q great
deal more extensive than the Fushun
deposits and also to have a higher per-
centage of oil.
The province of Fengtien contains
Continued on Fifth Paee)