The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-09-14
CHINA RAILROAD
MAY RIP APART
MAP OF ASIA
New 2,000-M Line
Break for Soviet, So
Japan Doesn't Like 1t.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS
Seripps-HoWard Foreign Editor

Seripps-HoWard Foreign Editor
WASHINGTON. Sept. 14-Plans
for a new 2.OOO-mile railway. which
may change the map Of Asia. have
been announced by the Chinese gov
eminent.
Strategically. for both China and
Russia. the new line with motor
highway feeders. would srpass in
present importance the Trans-Si-
berian and Chinese Eastern rail-
ways
The Chinese section would open
up Sinkiang. or Chinese Turkestan.
in northwest China and make it
possible TO bring the products Of
that region down to the Pacific.
BY building short connecting links
between Russian Turkestan and
the projected railway, the Soviet
Union would have a new outlet TO
the Pacific from which Japan now
has virtually barred it.
With the japanese in control OF
all Manchuria, the Chinese and
Russian-oWned Eastern railway TO
Vladivostok has become usless to
the Russians.
Could Be Cut EARLY
And as the alternative Trans
Siberian line for hundreds Of miles
runs along the Manchurian border,
it could be cut in a dozen places
overnight if the japanese cared to
do sO-as they would in case of con-
hict.
Vladivostok. therefore, now def
nitely is lost to Russia as a real
outlet to the Pacific. AS matters
stand. Siberia has been bottled up
by the japanese. A new way out
has become imperative and the new
Chinese route would provide that
way.
Russian-Turkestan and Chinese
Turkestan (Sinkiang) meet in CEN
trail Asia. Already two Russian rail-
ways go almost to the border. One,
a direct line from Moscow, ends at
Verni. RuSsian-Turkestan. The
other begins at KrasnOvodsk, on the
Caspian sea, and passes through
BOkhara and Samarkand to the
Chinese frontier.
Both these lines easily could con-
meet with the projected Chinese
railway and provide an exit not
only for European Russia, but for
Siberia and the whole of central
Asia
The new line has not yet been
fully surveyed. Experts have gone
over the proposed route but survey
Ors will begin to peg it next month.
Sven Hedin. noted Swedish explorer,
will be in charge.
Near Soviet Border
Roughly. the highways and rail-
road will begin at or near the So
Wet border. run along the Tarim
river, along which gigantic irriga-
ton projects are planned, thence
eastward to connect with existing
communications south of the Yellow
river
To have the outlet north of the
Yellow river would not be safe.
either for Russia or China. The
japanese general staff has plans for
strategic control of all China east
and north of the elbow of that tur-
gid stream.
The cost of the project is esti-
mated at S50,0OOOOO gold. Where
or how the money is to be raised
has not been made public. Chinese
Finance Minister T. V. SOOng Just
has completed a journey to America
and Europe. where it is reported he
established financial connections.
Russia, however. might be in
duced to furnish much. if not all, of
the needed capital. The scheme is
quite as important to her. econom-
ically and for purposes of national
defense. as it is to China Without
some such line, she can be cut off
from the Pacific whenever it suits
the fancy of Japan.
japanese Hostile
Japan is hostile to the plan. It
would lessen the strategic import
ance of her conquest of Manchuria. /
1t would strengthen China and help
Russia out of a perilous pocket. /
Said Rengo. official Japanese news
agency. in a recent bulletin:
The Chinese government is
working clandestnely in America
and Europe to obtain loans and
arms. Since the supply of funds or
weapons to China will do no good /
but help aggravate internal dissen- +
sion and anti-Japanese activities in
the country. Japan must oppose
such assistance from the powers. |
Should they persist" the bulletin
concluded threateningly. the Jap
aneSe government would be COM