RAILWAYS IN CHINA,

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14143, 19 August 1909, Page 5

RAILWAYS IN CHINA,

FOREIGN INTERESTS.

EQUAL • OPPORTUNITIES*

By -Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright.

(Received August 18, 11 p.m.)"

London, August 18. Reuter's Pekin Agency states that Mr. Fletcher, the United States •Charge d'Affairs, and the Chinese Foreign Office , have settled the Han-kow-Szechuan railways question on the basis of increasing the loan ;to 30,000,000 dollars, British, French, and German groups . taking threequarters and the American syndicate one-quarter. Americans aro to have an equal opportunity to furnish material for the Szechuan and .Canton lines , and branches, : and are to . be entitled to appoint subordinate engineers, and are also to have the right to participate to the extent of one-half in future loans on account of the Szechuan railway and branches.

INTRIGUING POWERS'IN. CHINA. While it is one of the objects of the reform party in China to conserve for China all rights of ownership in the extensive railway system now being constructed. in the country, the time has not yet come when foreign capital and foreign engineers can be dispensed with. Hence, while traffic was proceeding over about 4000 miles of railway, in which, different Powers were interested, in China* last year, new railways to the extent of. about- 2000 miles are now under construction, and further lines, with about 800 miles of track, are in contemplation. British, French, German, American, and Japanese capital-as invested-in the construction and operation of different lines in this large and continually increasing system, China herself as yet, a comparatively small amount of capital invested in the railways of the country. It may readily be understood that such a condition of affairs inevitably breeds mischievous intrigues. President Taft recently telegraphed •to Prince Chun, the Regent, pointing out that the United States has certain "rights in the Canton-Hankow railway, which is an important line with a surveyed route of 650 miles, now under construction, only a small portion of the track having been laid as yet. Dr. Morrison, . the Pekin correspondent of the Times, who has earned the right to be regarded its an unimpeachable authority, stated that President Taft's telegram was occasioned by the intrigues of the Deutsch Asiatiseho Bank, and added that German intrigues are. persistently carried on with the idea of, making trouble between the British in China and the Americans, whose policy and aims are identical. The fact is that there is a perfect welter of conflicting financial interests in China. America is very largely interested because she finds in. China a large market for her steel rails .and railway material of every kind. It was the late Secretary Hay who promulgated on behalf of the Washington Government the doctrine of the open door in China and equal opportunities for all.'; But it is a doctrine which has hitherto been more honoured in. the breach than iu the observance. According to Dr. Morrison, the Germans, who have a large amount of capital invested in Chinese railways, ; are' using .the railway construction in China as a means of breeding difficulties between England and. the United States. President Taft's telegram was at) indication that the little plan was detected at Washington as well us by the vigilant Dr. Morrison. Probably intrigues of this kind, which might conceivably create a vast amount of diplomatic trouble between two friendly nations, will continue to be 'engineered .certain Powers in. China untilthe time arrives when China is sufficiently reconstructed to buy out all "the foreigners and to own and operate all •the railways in her -own -territory. " o.< a? :