CHINA FOR THE YANKEES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7981, 27 September 1887, Page 3

CHINA FOR THE YANKEES.

A battle royal has been raging for a long time past between England, Germany, France, and America for the privilege of making railways in China, and we now learn with regret and dismay that the astute financier* pf Wall-street have tickled the enrs of the Mandarins more effectually than the charmers who have thrnncuri in vain the courts of Pekin from

every exchange in Europe. To England in particular this is a serious blow and a great reproach, for politically our influence ought to be predominant, and as such to have turned the scale in our favor. It roust not be forgotten, however, that a few months afro it was confidently reported from Berlin that Germany was the winning horse, bnt this tumor proved premature, and it is, of course, just possible thnt the news telegraphed from Shanghai? that two Chinese envoya extraordinary had , left that city for Wellington to ratify an arrangement with America may be erroneous also. There is, however, not much chance of this, and tho fact seems to be that -an American syndicate has bren formed to establish a bank, with £17,000,000 cnpiU, and that a concession has been ut.'.ained from the Chinese Government authorising the construction of a line from Canton to Pekio, which, as anyone can see fr<.m the mnp, would be some 1400 or 15P(- miles lorn;, and will bo the main truni ,ne for the Continent. The Chairman of Ihe Bank is the celebrated Li flung Chang, and the establishment itself will be under joint American and Chine&e management. Such IB the beginning of a movement the consequences whereof np man may yet foresee, but it is easy to forecast a startjing growth p£ trade }a lite East when tto

wants of some 400,000,000 of human beings are suddenly brought within touch of Western 'civilisation. Doubtless^ the lesson thus sharply administered to British pride will not be thrown away, and there is this to be said : That the brnnt of sounding the depths of * hincse fanaticism and ignorance will be borne by others than ourselves, and some useful lessons learnt at the expense of friendly competition. What these difficulties are nose know better than Messrs. Rapier and Ransome, and Messrs. Waring of this city, who, 15 years ago, pioneered a lino to Woosung, the rails of which had afterwards to be pulled up and removed to Formosa in deference to the hostility of the Mandarins and the superstitions of the benighted populace.