TO INDIA IN A WEEK.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXIII, Issue 19, 24 January 1911, Page 2

TO INDIA IN A WEEK.

If a £21,000,000 Russian scheme to con.neet the rad'.hvays of Russia, amd India, by a Tin© through Persia be ea<rriic-cl out, it will be possible to travel f.rootn London to Bombay in a week. There is no evidence of any politieal hostility to the proposal, anid loding British statesmen are sadd to have given it a sympathetic reception. The Russian group of promoters propose to. form mi international combination of financial and eomimeraia! men to study the question and' afterwards build the line. The length of the line to be built to connect the existing Russian and Indian lines is omiiy 1600 mii.les, and a rough survey w'hidh. has been made leads to the conclusion that for the sum of £18,300,000 the line could be completed. AicUding to this the necessary rate of interest for the invested capital for four .years (the period of construction;) would necessitate the expenditure of another £2,500,000. This would meairt a total expenditure of £21,000,000, which the Russian group think quite sufficient for the enterprise. As to the possible success of the enterprise from the purely nmanoai'li standpoint, it is hoped that, given the possibility of taking passengers and mails froan London to Bombay in eight days six hours, at the very moderate estimate speed of twenty-eight miles per hour, or with a speed of thirty-thlree miles in. exactly seven days, and with a daily service, the transit traffic would be developed from its very first days', especially as it is remembered that the English traffic, for the purpose of saving four and l a-half days, maintains a. special service from Calls to Birinidiisii. A through ticket from London to Bombay for passengers by the proposed system would cost a bout £4O for a. journey of seven days, as against £6O for a journey of double that period by the Loudon.-B>rinidisL route. "Tliis is no mere scheme in the all'," siays M. Zvegintseff, a member of the Russian, Duma. "It has been shown that there are no. potitiica.'] objections. Those concerned 'with the scheme in Russia have not piroceeuie>d until they have been assured that they wouldi .have no hindrance from the Imperial Government there. AYiith regard to the next step, it may be stated; that both from a. political and financial, standpoint everything necessary has been dtaue in, Russia. So far as the political aspect of the. project is concerned, we hope that no political objection is likely to be raised in London. It now reina ins. therefore, to' ascertain the views of the hnaneia 1 ! groups on; this side of the Channel." • —Lou don correspo nden.t, Novooihier 21.