The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1942-02-19
Burma Road Is The
Lifeline Of The
Chinese Empire
BY CHARLES NJ. UPHAM.
International Highway Authority

The Road to Mandalay," immortal
lied by Kipling, was d water route
travelled only by boat. Modern China
las, however, given this phase ne,r
meaning, For the literary Importance
of Kipling's sea road is today matched
by the military significance of the
overland road to China's fight for
freedom.
The Burma Road, %, 100 miles across
the Chinese and Burmese Wristbands,
is the lifeline Of the free Chinese gov
eminent in its war with Japan. Start
ing at Rangoon, India, free China $
only available seaport Of any size, il
blazes north to Mandalay ParalleIng
the railway to Lashio, it snakes thru
wild and remote country along the
route of the Old Tribute Road to
Chungking. Marco Polo took the same
trail COO years ago.
The road as it exists today was built
in sections over a long span OF years.
The Chinese government began to
rush its construction after the Japan
csc invasion in 1887 In fact, China
embarked upon a giant road building
program at that time as a vital par
Of her defense program. Engineers
have constructed $4,000 miles Of mod
ern roads through previously untoched
and isolated wastelands in the past
four years. All Of these roads have
been built in the vast, remote provinces
of western China which, before the
war, were totally undeveloped econom-
cally and indusuialIy
Within a year after Japan entered
China, the nation lost 80 per cent Of
her industries which We're centered
in the rich coastal provinces Faced
with economic defeat, her coolies
moved 385,O00 tons of industrial
equipment into the interior, 1900
miles away, in one of the epic migra-
tions Of history. Development Of
China's West faced an initial setback,
because Of the total lack Of modern
roads and transportation facilities.
However, thanks to training in the
United States and Great Britain,
China had well-equipped corps of
engineers and technicians upon which
to draw in this emergency. All engi-
neers were Immediately modified by
the government and road building, tc
speed movement Of troops, material
and supplies, was undertaken as a
first major defense protest.
The first job undertaken and the
first completed, because Of its stratc-
gic Importance, was the Burma Road
They replaced chain-and- plank bridges
with concrete spans, laid a quick
draining gravel surface, rolled it with
huge boulders drawn by water buf-
4aloes. Two hundred thousand Chin
csc engineers and coolies worked tc
complete this road within year AM
half, though modern engineers haC
estimated that seven years would be
needed for its construction.
Constructions of highways through
the Northwest to connect China's wa
capital with Eastern Asia was started
next More than one million farmers
soldiers, peasant women and young
boys, equipped with little modern ma.
chinery, cut 5000 miles of roads out Of
almost solid rock. They used spades
and picks, for the most part, and car
ried the road over 5,O0O-foot mountain
passes One difficult section of thi,
highway was built almost entirely bJ
an army Of women, with their babies
slung on their backs and armed witt
axes, pickles, kitchen knives anl
scoops. Another vital supply route
which crosses the Northwest border
into Russia was built by 10000 sol
diers and civilians. Weekly bus pas.
! senger service is maintained ovel
this road. The important Chinese high
way which connects Chengtu with Pa