The International
Development of China
By
Sun Yat-sen
_With 16 Maps in the Text and a
Folding Map at end_
G. P. Putnam's Sons
New York and London
The Knickerbocker Press
1922
Copyright, 1922
by
Sun Yat-sen
Made in the United States of America
[Illustration]
This work is
affectionately dedicated
to
SIR JAMES AND LADY CANTLIE
My revered teacher and devoted friends
to whom I once owed my life
PREFACE
As soon as Armistice was declared in the recent World War, I began to
take up the study of the International Development of China, and to
form programs accordingly. I was prompted to do so by the desire to
contribute my humble part in the realization of world peace. China, a
country possessing a territory of 4,289,000 square miles, a population
of 400,000,000 people, and the richest mineral and agricultural
resources in the world, is now a prey of militaristic and capitalistic
powers--a greater bone of contention than the Balkan Peninsula. Unless
the Chinese question can be settled peacefully, another world war
greater and more terrible than the one just past will be inevitable.
In order to solve the Chinese question, I suggest that the vast
resources of China be developed internationally under a socialistic
scheme, for the good of the world in general and the Chinese people in
particular. It is my hope that as a result of this, the present spheres
of influence can be abolished; the international commercial war can be
done away with; the internecine capitalistic competition can be got rid
of, and last, but not least, the class struggle between capital and
labor can be avoided. Thus the root of war will be forever exterminated
so far as China is concerned.
Each part of the different programs in this International Scheme, is
but a rough sketch or a general policy produced from a layman's thought
with very limited materials at his disposal. So alterations and changes
will have to be made after scientific investigation and detailed
survey. For instance, in regard to the projected Great Northern Port,
which is to be situated between the mouths of the Tsingho and the
Lwanho, the writer thought that the entrance of the harbor should be
at the eastern side of the port but from actual survey by technical
engineers, it is found that the entrance of the harbor should be at the
western side of the port instead. So I crave great indulgence on the
part of experts and specialists.
I wish to thank Dr. Monlin Chiang, Mr. David Yui, Dr. Y. Y. Tsu, Mr.
T. Z. Koo, and Dr. John Y. Lee, who have given me great assistance in
reading over the manuscripts with me.
SUN YAT-SEN.
CANTON, April 25, 1921.
CONTENTS
PAGE
THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF CHINA 1
PROGRAM I 11
PROGRAM II 30
PROGRAM III 77
PROGRAM IV 129
PROGRAM V 197
PROGRAM VI 222
CONCLUSION 231
APPENDIX I 239
APPENDIX II 251
APPENDIX III 257
APPENDIX IV 259
APPENDIX V 260
APPENDIX VI 262
MAPS
FACING
PAGE
FIGURE 1 16
FIGURE 2 17
MAP I 18
MAP II 19
MAP III 32
MAP IV 33
MAP V 44
MAP VI 45
MAP VII 48
MAP VIII 49
MAP IX 54
MAP X 55
MAP XI 82
MAP XII 83
MAP XIII 86
MAP XIV 87
MAP XV 90
MAP XVI 91
MAP AT END
The International Development of China
THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF CHINA
A PROJECT TO ASSIST THE READJUSTMENT OF POST-BELLUM INDUSTRIES
It is estimated that during the last year of the World War the daily
expenses of the various fighting nations amounted to two hundred
and forty millions of dollars gold. It is accepted by even the most
conservative, that only one half of this sum was spent on munitions and
other direct war supplies, that is, one hundred and twenty millions
of dollars gold. Let us consider these war supplies from a commercial
point of view. The battlefield is the market for these new industries,
the consumers of which are the soldiers. Various industries had to
be enlisted and many new ones created for the supplies. In order to
increase the production of these war commodities day by day, people
of the warring countries and even those of the neutral states had to
be content with the barest necessities of life and had to give up all
former comforts and luxuries.
Now the war is ended and the sole market of these war supplies has
closed, let us hope, forever, for the good of humanity. So, from now
on we are concerned with the problem as to how a readjustment may be
brought about. What must be considered first is the reconstruction of
the various countries, and next the supply of comforts and luxuries
that will have to be resumed. We remember that one hundred and twenty
million dollars were spent every day on direct war supplies. Let us
then suppose that the two items mentioned will take up one half of this
sum, that is, sixty millions of dollars a day which will still leave us
a balance of sixty million dollars a day. Besides, the many millions
of soldiers who were once consumers will from now on become producers
again. Furthermore, the unification and nationalization of all the
industries, which I might call the Second Industrial Revolution, will
be more far-reaching than that of the first one in which Manual Labor
was displaced by Machinery. This second industrial revolution will
increase the productive power of man many times more than the first
one. Consequently, this unification and nationalization of industries
on account of the World War will further complicate the readjustment of
the post-war industries. Just imagine sixty million dollars a day or
twenty-one billions and nine hundred millions of dollars a year of new
trade created by the war suddenly have to stop when peace is concluded!
Where in this world can Europe and America look for a market to consume
this enormous saving from the war?
If the billions of dollars worth of war industries can find no place
in the post-bellum readjustment, then they will be a pure economic
waste. The result will not only disturb the economic condition of the
producing countries, but will also be a great loss to the world at
large.
All the commercial nations are looking to China as the only "dumping
ground" for their over-production. The pre-war condition of trade was
unfavorable to China. The balance of imports over exports was something
over one hundred million dollars gold annually. The market of China
under this condition could not expand much for soon after there will
be no more money or commodities left for exchanging goods with foreign
countries. Fortunately, the natural resources of China are great and
their proper development would create an unlimited market for the whole
world and would utilize the greater part, if not all of the billions of
dollars worth of war industries soon to be turned into peace industries.
China is the land that still employs manual labor for production and
has not yet entered the first stage of industrial evolution, while in
Europe and America the second stage is already reached. So China has
to begin the two stages of industrial evolution at once by adopting
the machinery as well as the nationalization of production. In this
case China will require machinery for her vast agriculture, machinery
for her rich mines, machinery for the building of her innumerable
factories, machinery for her extensive transportation systems and
machinery for all her public utilities. Let us see how this new demand
for machinery will help in the readjustment of war industries. The
workshops that turn out cannon can easily be made to turn out steam
rollers for the construction of roads in China. The workshops that turn
out tanks can be made to turn out trucks for the transportation of the
raw materials that are lying everywhere in China. And all sorts of
warring machinery can be converted into peaceful tools for the general
development of China's latent wealth. The Chinese people will welcome
the development of our country's resources provided that it can be kept
out of Mandarin corruption and ensure the mutual benefit of China and
of the countries coöperating with us.
It might be feared by some people in Europe and America that the
development of China by war machinery, war organization and technical
experts might create unfavorable competition to foreign industries. I,
therefore, propose a scheme to develop a new market in China big enough
both for her own products and for products from foreign countries. The
scheme will be along the following lines:
I. The Development of a Communications System.
(a) 100,000 miles of Railways.
(b) 1,000,000 miles of Macadam Roads.
(c) Improvement of Existing Canals.
(1) Hangchow-Tientsin Canals.
(2) Sikiang-Yangtze Canals.
(d) Construction of New Canals.
(1) Liaoho-Sunghwakiang Canal.
(2) Others to be projected.
(e) River Conservancy.
(1) To regulate the Embankments and Channel of the Yangtze
River from Hankow to the Sea thus facilitating
Ocean-going Ships to reach that port at all seasons.
(2) To regulate the Hoangho Embankments and Channel to
prevent floods.
(3) To regulate the Sikiang.
(4) To regulate the Hwaiho.
(5) To regulate various other rivers.
(f) The Construction of more Telegraph Lines and Telephone and
Wireless Systems all over the Country.
II. The Development of Commercial Harbors.
(a) Three largest Ocean Ports with future capacity equalling
New York Harbor to be constructed in North, Central and
South China.
(b) Various small Commercial and Fishing Harbors to be
constructed along the Coast.
(c) Commercial Docks to be constructed along all navigable
rivers.
III. Modern Cities with public utilities to be constructed in all
Railway Centers, Termini and alongside Harbors.
IV. Water Power Development.
V. Iron and Steel Works and Cement Works on the largest scale in
order to supply the above needs.
VI. Mineral Development.
VII. Agricultural Development.
VIII. Irrigational Work on the largest scale in Mongolia and
Sinkiang.
IX. Reforestation in Central and North China.
X. Colonization in Manchuria, Mongolia, Sinkiang, Kokonor, and
Thibaut.
If the above program could be carried out gradually, China will not
only be the "Dumping Ground" for foreign goods but actually will be
the "Economic Ocean" capable of absorbing all the surplus capital as
quickly as the Industrial Nations can possibly produce by the coming
Industrial Revolution of Nationalized Productive Machinery. Then there
will be no more competition and commercial struggles in China as well
as in the world.
The recent World War has proved to Mankind that war is ruinous to both
the Conqueror and the Conquered, and worse for the Aggressor. What is
true in military warfare is more so in trade warfare. Since President
Wilson has proposed a League of Nations to end military war in the
future, I desire to propose to end the trade war by coöperation and
mutual help in the Development of China. This will root out probably
the greatest cause of future wars.
The world has been greatly benefited by the development of America as
an industrial and a commercial Nation. So a developed China with her
four hundred millions of population, will be another New World in the
economic sense. The nations which will take part in this development
will reap immense advantages. Furthermore, international coöperation
of this kind cannot but help to strengthen the Brotherhood of Man.
Ultimately, I am sure, this will culminate to be the keystone in the
arch of the League of Nations.
In order to carry out this project successfully I suggest that three
necessary steps must be taken: First, that the various Governments of
the Capital-supplying Powers must agree to joint action and a unified
policy to form an International Organization with their war work
organizers, administrators and experts of various lines to formulate
plans and to standardize materials in order to prevent waste and to
facilitate work. Second, the confidence of the Chinese people must be
secured in order to gain their coöperation and enthusiastic support.
If the above two steps are accomplished, then the third step is to
open formal negotiation for the final contract of the project with the
Chinese Government. For which I suggest that it be on the same basis
as the contract I once concluded with the Pauling Company of London,
for the construction of the Canton-Chungking Railway, since it was
the fairest to both parties and the one most welcomed by the Chinese
people, of all contracts that were ever made between China and the
foreign countries.
And last but not least, a warning must be given that mistakes such as
the notorious Sheng Shun Hwai's nationalized Railway Scheme in 1911
must not be committed again. In those days foreign bankers entirely
disregarded the will of the Chinese people, and thought that they
could do everything with the Chinese Government alone. But to their
regret, they found that the contracts which they had concluded with the
Government, by heavy bribery, were only to be blocked by the people
later on. Had the foreign bankers gone in the right way of first
securing the confidence of the Chinese people, and then approaching the
Government for a contract, many things might have been accomplished
without a hitch. Therefore, in this International Project we must pay
more attention to the people's will than ever before.
If my proposition is acceptable to the Capital-supplying Powers, I will
furnish further details.
PROGRAM I
The industrial development of China should be carried out along two
lines: (1) by private enterprise and (2) by national undertaking. All
matters that can be and are better carried out by private enterprise
should be left to private hands which should be encouraged and fully
protected by liberal laws. And in order to facilitate the industrial
development by private enterprise in China, the hitherto suicidal
internal taxes must be abolished, the cumbersome currency must be
reformed, the various kinds of official obstacles must be removed, and
transportation facilities must be provided. All matters that cannot
be taken up by private concerns and those that possess monopolistic
character should be taken up as national undertakings. It is for
this latter line of development that we are here endeavoring to
deal with. In this national undertaking, foreign capital have to be
invited, foreign experts and organizers have to be enlisted, and
gigantic methods have to be adopted. The property thus created will be
state owned and will be managed for the benefit of the whole nation.
During the construction and the operation of each of these national
undertakings, before its capital and interest are fully repaid, it
will be managed and supervised by foreign experts under Chinese
employment. As one of their obligations, these foreign experts have
to undertake the training of Chinese assistants to take their places
in the future. When the capital and interest of each undertaking are
paid off, the Chinese Government will have the option to employ either
foreigners or Chinese to manage the concern as it thinks fit.
Before entering into the details of this International development
scheme, four principles have to be considered:
(1) The most remunerative field must be selected in order to
attract foreign capital.
(2) The most urgent needs of the nation must be met.
(3) The lines of least resistance must be followed.
(4) The most suitable positions must be chosen.
In conformity with the above principles, I formulate PROGRAM I as
follows:
I. The construction of a great Northern Port on the Gulf of
Pechili.
II. The building of a system of railways from the Great
Northern Port to the Northwestern extremity of China.
III. The Colonization of Mongolia and Sinkiang (Chinese
Turkestan).
IV. The construction of canals to connect the inland waterway
systems of North and Central China with the Great Northern
Port.
V. The development of the Iron and Coal fields in Shansi and
the construction of an Iron and Steel Works.
These five projects will be worked out as one program, for each of them
will assist and accelerate the development of the others. The Great
Northern Port will serve as a base of operation of this International
Development Scheme, as well as a connecting link of transportation
and communication between China and the outer world. The other four
projects will be centered around it.
PART I
The Great Northern Port
I propose that a great deep water and ice free port be constructed on
the Gulf of Pechili. The need of such a port in that part of China has
been keenly felt for a long time. Several projects have been proposed
such as the deepening of the Taku Bar, the construction of a harbor
in the Chiho estuary, the Chinwangtao Harbor which has actually been
carried out on a small scale and the Hulutao Harbor which is on the
point of being constructed. But the site of my projected port is in
none of these places for the first two are too far from the deep water
line and too near to fresh water which freezes in winter. So it is
impossible to make them into deep water and ice free ports, while
the last two are too far away from the center of population and are
unprofitable as commercial ports. The locality of my projected port is
just at midway between Taku and Chinwangtao and at a point between the
mouths of the Tsingho and Lwanho, on the cape of the coast line between
Taku and Chinwangtao. This is one of the points nearest to deep water
in this Gulf. With the fresh water of the Tsingho and Lwanho diverted
away, it can be made a deep water and ice free port without much
difficulty. Its distance to Tientsin is about seventy or eighty miles
less than that of Chinwangtao to Tientsin. Moreover, this port can be
connected with the inland waterway systems of North and Central China
by canal, whereas in the case of Chinwangtao and Hulutao this could
not be done. So this port is far superior as a commercial harbor than
Hulutao or Chinwangtao which at present is the only ice free port in
the Gulf of Pechili.
From a commercial standpoint this port will be a paying proposition
from the very beginning of its construction, owing to the fact
that it is situated at the center of the greatest salt industry in
China. The cheapest salt is produced here by sun evaporation only.
If modern methods could be added, also utilizing the cheap coal near
by, the production could increase many times more and the cost could
thus be made cheaper. Then it can supply the whole of China with
much cheaper salt. By this industry alone it is quite sufficient to
support a moderate sized harbor which must be the first step of this
great project. Besides, there is in the immediate neighborhood the
greatest coal mine that has yet been developed in China, the Kailan
Mining Company. The output of its colliery is about four million tons
a year. At present the company uses its own harbor, Chinwangtao,
for shipping its exports. But our projected port is much nearer to
its colliery than Chinwangtao. It can be connected with the mine by
canal thus providing it with a much cheaper carriage than by rail to
Chinwangtao. Furthermore, our projected port will in future consume
much of the Kailan coal. Thus eventually the Company must use our port
as a shipping stage for its exports. Tientsin, the largest commercial
center in North China, has no deep harbor and is ice bound several
months a year in winter, and so has to use our projected port entirely
as an outlet for its world trade. This is the local need only but for
this alone it is quite sufficient to make our projected port a paying
proposition.
But my idea is to develop this port as large as New York in a
reasonable limit of time. Now, let us survey the hinterland to see
whether the possibility justifies my ideal or not. To the southwest
are the provinces of Chili and Shansi, and the Hoangho valley with
a population of nearly a hundred millions. To the northwest are the
undeveloped Jehol district and the vast Mongolian Prairie with their
virgin soil waiting for development, Chili with its dense population
and Shansi with its rich mineral resources have to depend upon this
port as their only outlet to the sea. And if the future Dolon Nor and
Urga Railway is completed with connection to the Siberian line then
Central Siberia will also have to use this as its nearest seaport. Thus
its contributing or rather distributing area will be larger than that
of New York. Finally, this port will become the true terminus of the
future Eurasian Railway System, which will connect the two continents.
The land which we select to be the site of our projected port is now
almost worth next to nothing. Let us say two or three hundred square
miles be taken up as national property absolutely for our future city
building. If within forty years we could develop a city as large
as Philadelphia, not to say New York, the land value alone will be
sufficient to pay off the capital invested in its development.
The need of such a port in this part of China goes without saying.
For the provinces of Chili, Shansi, Western Shantung, Northern Honan,
a part of Fengtien and the greater part of Shensi and Kansu with a
population of about 100 millions are lacking of a seaport of this kind.
Mongolia and Sinkiang as well as the rich coal and iron fields of
Shansi will also have to depend on the Chili coast as their only outlet
to the sea. And the millions of congested population of the coast and
the Yangtze valley need an entrance to the virgin soil of the Mongolian
Prairie and the Tienshan Valley. The port will be the shortest doorway
and the cheapest passage to these regions.
[Illustration: FIGURE 1]
The locality of our projected port is nearest to deep water line,
and far away from any large river which might carry silt to fill up
the approach of the harbor like those of the Hoangho entrance and the
Yangtze estuary which cause great trouble to conservancy work. So it
has no great natural obstacle to be overcome. Moreover, it is situated
in an arid plain with few people living on it, so it has no artificial
hindrance to be overcome. We can do whatever we please in the process
of construction.
[Illustration: FIGURE 2]
As regards the planning and estimation of the work of the harbor
construction and city building, I must leave them to experts who have
to make extensive surveys and soundings before detailed plan and proper
estimation could be made. Whereas for rough reference see Map I, and
figures 1 and 2.[A]
[A] As soon as this first program reached the American
Legation in Peking, the former Minister, Dr. Paul S.
Reinsch, immediately sent an expert to survey the site
which the writer indicated, and found that it is really
the best site on the Chili Coast for a world harbor,
excepting that the entrance of the port should be at
the west side instead of the east side as the writer
proposed. Detailed plans have been made as figures 1
and 2.
PART II
The Northwestern Railway System
Our projected Railway will start at the Great Northern Port and follow
the Lwan Valley to the prairie city of Dolon Nor, a distance of three
hundred miles. This railway should be built in double tracks at the
commencement. As our projected Port is a starting point to the sea, so
Dolon Nor is a gate to the vast prairie which our projected Railway
System is going to tap. It is from Dolon Nor our Northwestern Railway
System is going to radiate. First, a line N. N. E. will run parallel
to the Khingan Range to Khailar, and thence to Moho, the gold district
on the right bank of the Amur River. This line is about eight hundred
miles in length. Second, a line N. N. W. to Kurelun, and thence to the
frontier to join the Siberian line near Chita. This line has a distance
of about six hundred miles. Third, a trunk line northwest, west, and
southwest, skirting off the northern edge of the desert proper, to
Urumochi at the western end of China, a distance of about one thousand
six hundred miles all on level land. Fourth, a line from Urumochi
westward to Ili, a distance of about four hundred miles. Fifth, a line
from Urumochi southeast across the Tienshan gap into the Darim basin,
then turning southwest running along the fertile zone between the
southern watershed of the Tienshan and the northern edge of the Darim
Desert, to Kashgar, and thence turning southeast to another fertile
zone between the eastern watershed of the Pamir, the northern watershed
of the Kuenlum Mountain and the southern edge of the Darim Desert, to
the city of Iden or Keria, a distance of about one thousand two hundred
miles all on level land. Sixth, a branch from the Dolon Nor Urumochi
Trunk Line, which I shall call Junction A, to Urga and thence to the
frontier city Kiakata, a distance of about three hundred and fifty
miles. Seventh, a branch from Junction B to Uliassutai and beyond N. N.
W. up to the frontier, a distance of about six hundred miles. And
eighth, a branch from Junction C northwest to the frontier, a distance
of about four hundred and fifty miles. See Map II.
[Illustration: MAP I]
Regarded from the principle of "following the line of least resistance"
our projected railways in this program is the most ideal one. For
most of the seven thousand miles of lines under this project are on
perfectly level land. For instance, the Trunk Line from Dolon Nor to
Kashgar and beyond, about a distance of three thousand miles right
along is on the most fertile plain and encounters no natural obstacles,
neither high mountains nor great rivers.
Regarded from the principle of "the most suitable position," our
projected railways will command the most dominating position of world
importance. It will form a part of the trunk line of the Eurasian
system which will connect the two populous centers, Europe and China,
together. It will be the shortest line from the Pacific Coast to
Europe. Its branch from Ili will connect with the future Indo-European
line, and through Bagdad, Damascus and Cairo, will link up also with
the future African system. Then there will be a through route from our
projected port to Capetown. There is no existing railway commanding
such a world important position as this.
[Illustration: MAP II]
Regarded from the principle of the "most urgent need of the Nation,"
this railway system becomes the first in importance, for the
territories traversed by it are larger than the eighteen provinces
of China Proper. Owing to the lack of means of transportation and
communication at present these rich territories are left undeveloped
and millions of laborers in the congested provinces along the Coast
and in the Yangtze Valley are without work. What a great waste of
natural and human energies. If there is a railway connecting these vast
territories, the waste labor of the congested provinces can go and
develop these rich soils for the good not only of China but also of the
whole commercial world. So a system of railways to the northwestern
part of the country is the most urgent need both politically and
economically for China to-day.
I have intentionally left out the first principle--"the most
remunerative field must be selected"--not because I want to neglect
it but because I mean to call more attention to it and treat it more
fully. It is commonly known to financiers and railway men that a
railway in a densely populated country from end to end is the best
paying proposition, and a railway in a thinly settled country from end
to end is the least paying one. And a railway in an almost unpopulated
country like our projected lines will take a long time to make it a
paying business. That is why the United States Government had to grant
large tracts of public lands to railway corporations to induce them to
build the Transcontinental lines to the Pacific Coast, half a century
ago. Whenever I talked with foreign railway men and financiers about
the construction of railways to Mongolia and Sinkiang, they generally
got very shy of the proposition. Undoubtedly they thought that it
is for political and military reasons only that such a line as the
Siberian Railway was built, which traversed through a thinly populated
land. But they could not grasp the fact which might be entirely new
to them, that a railway between a densely populated country and a
sparsely settled country will pay far better than one that runs
from end to end in a densely populated land. The reason is that in
economic conditions the two ends of a well populated country are not
so different as that between a thickly populated country and a newly
opened country. At the two ends of a well populated country, in many
respects, the local people are self-supplying, excepting a few special
articles which they depend upon the other end of the road to supply.
So the demand and supply between the two places are not very great,
thus the trade between the two ends of the railway could not be very
lucrative. While the difference of the economic condition between a
well populated country and an unpopulated country is very great. The
workers of the new land have to depend upon the supplies of the thickly
populated country almost in everything excepting foodstuffs and raw
materials which they have in abundance and for disposal of which they
have to depend upon the demand of the well populated district. Thus the
trade between the two ends of the line will be extraordinarily great.
Furthermore, a railway in a thickly populated place will not affect
much the masses which consist of the majority of the population. It
is only the few well-to-do and the merchants and tradesmen that make
use of it. While with a railway between a thickly populated country
and a sparsely settled or unsettled country, as soon as it is opened
to traffic for each mile, the masses of the congested country will use
it and rush into the new land in a wholesale manner. Thus the railway
will be employed to its utmost capacity in passenger traffic from the
beginning. The comparison between the Peking-Hankow Railway and the
Peking-Mukden Railway in China is a convincing proof.
The Peking-Hankow Railway is a line of over eight hundred miles running
from the capital of the country to the commercial center in the heart
of China right along in an extraordinarily densely settled country
from end to end. While the Peking-Mukden line is barely six hundred
miles in length running from a thickly populated country to thinly
populated Manchuria. The former is a well paying line but the latter
pays far better. The net profit of the shorter Peking-Mukden Line is
sometimes three to four millions more yearly than that of the longer
Peking-Hankow line.
Therefore, it is logically clear that a railway in a thickly populated
country is much better than one that is in a thinly populated country
in remuneration. But a railway between a very thickly populated and
a very thinly populated or unpopulated country is the best paying
proposition. This is a law in Railway Economics which hitherto had not
been discovered by railway men and financiers.
According to this new railway economic law, our projected railway
will be the best remunerative project of its kind. For at the one
end, we have our projected port which acts as a connecting link with
the thickly populated coast of China and the Yangtze Valley and also
the two existing lines, the Kingham and the Tsinpu, as feeders to the
projected port and the Dolon Nor line. And at the other end, we have
a vast and rich territory, larger than China Proper, to be developed.
There is no such vast fertile field so near to a center of a population
of four hundred millions to be found in any other part of the world.
PART III
The Colonization of Mongolia and Sinkiang
The Colonization of Mongolia and Sinkiang is a complement of the
Railway scheme. Each is dependent upon the other for its prosperity.
The colonization scheme, besides benefitting the railway, is in itself
a greatly profitable undertaking. The results of the United States,
Canada, Australia, and Argentina are ample proofs of this. In the
case of our project, it is simply a matter of applying waste Chinese
labor and foreign machinery to a fertile land for production for which
its remuneration is sure. The present Colonization of Manchuria,
notwithstanding its topsy turvy way which caused great waste of land
and human energy, has been wonderfully prosperous. If we would adopt
scientific methods in our colonization project we could certainly
obtain better results than all the others. Therefore, I propose
that the whole movement be directed in a systematic way by state
organization with the help of foreign experts and war organizers, for
the good of the colonists particularly and the nation generally.
The land should be bought up by the state in order to prevent the
speculators from creating the dog-in-the-manger system, to the
detriment of the public. The land should be prepared and divided into
farmsteads, then leased to colonists on perpetual term. The initial
capital, seeds, implements and houses should be furnished by the state
at cost price on cash or on the instalment plan. For these services,
big organizations should be formed and war work measures should be
adopted in order to transport, to feed, to clothe and to house every
colonist on credit in his first year.
As soon as a sufficient number of colonists is settled in a district,
franchise should be given for self-government and the colonists should
be trained to manage their own local affairs with perfect democratic
spirit.
If within ten years we can transport, let us say, ten millions of the
people, from the congested provinces of China, to the Northwestern
territory to develop its natural resources, the benefit to the
commercial world at large will be enormous. No matter how big a capital
that shall have been invested in the project it could be repaid within
a very short time. So in regard to its bearing to "the principle of
remuneration" there is no question about it.
Regarded from "the principle of the need of the Nation" colonization
is the most urgent need of the first magnitude. At present China
has more than a million soldiers to be disbanded. Besides, the dense
population will need elbow room to move in. This Colonization project
is the best thing for both purposes. The soldiers have to be disbanded
at great expense and hundreds of millions of dollars may be needed
for disbandment alone, in paying them off with a few months' pay. If
nothing more could be done for these soldiers' welfare, they will
either be left to starve or to rob for a living. Then the consequences
will be unimaginable. This calamity must be prevented and prevented
effectively. The best way for this is the colonization scheme. I hope
that the friendly foreign financiers, who have the welfare of China at
heart, when requested to float a reorganization loan for the Chinese
Government in the future, will persist on the point--that the money
furnished must first be used to carry out the colonization scheme for
the disbanded soldiers. Otherwise, their money will only work disasters
to China.
For the million or more of the soldiers to be disbanded, the district
between our projected port and Dolon Nor is quite enough to accommodate
them. This district is quite rich in mineral resources and is very
sparsely settled. If a railway is to start at once from the projected
port to Dolon Nor these soldiers could be utilized as a pioneer party
for the work of the port, of the railway, of the developing of the
adjacent land beyond the Great Wall, and of preparing Dolon Nor as
a jumping ground for further colonization development of the great
northern plain.
PART IV
The Construction of Canals to connect the Inland Waterway Systems of
North and Central China with the Great Northern Port
This scheme will include the regulation of the Hoangho and its
branches, the Weiho in Shensi, and the Fenho in Shansi and connecting
canals. The Hoangho should be deepened at its mouth in order to give a
good drawing to clear its bed of silt and carry the same to the sea.
For this purpose, jetties should be built far out to the deep sea, as
those at the mouths of the Mississippi in America. Its embankments
should be parallel in order to make the width of the channel equal
right along, so as to give equal velocity to the current which will
prevent the deposit of silt at the bottom. By dams and locks, it could
be made navigable right up to Lanchow, in the province of Kansu, and at
the same time water power could be developed. The Weiho and the Fenho
can also be treated in the same manner so as to make them navigable
to a great extent in the provinces of Shensi and Shansi. Thus the
provinces of Kansu, Shensi, and Shansi can be connected by waterway
with our projected port on the Gulf of Pechili, so that cheap carriage
can be provided for the rich mineral and other products from these
three hitherto secluded provinces.
The expenses of regulating the Hoangho may be very great. As a paying
project, it may not be very attractive but as a flood preventive
measure, it is the most important task to the whole nation. This river
has been known as "China's Sorrow" for thousands of years. By its
occasional overflow and bursting of its embankments, millions of lives
and billions of money have been destroyed. It is a constant source of
anxiety in the minds of all China's statesmen from time immemorial.
A permanent safeguard must be effected, once for all, despite the
expenses that will be incurred. The whole nation must bear the burden
of its expenses. To deepen its mouth, to regulate its embankments and
to build extra dykes are only half of the work to prevent flood. The
entire reforestation of its watershed to prevent the washing off of
loess is another half of the work in the prevention of flood.
The Grand Canal, the former Great Waterway of China between the North
and the South for centuries, and now being reconstructed in certain
sections, should be wholly reconstructed from end to end, in order to
restore the inland waterway traffic from the Yangtze Valley to the
North. The reconstruction of this canal will be a great remunerative
concern for it runs right along from Tientsin to Hangchow in an
extremely rich and populous country.
Another new canal should be constructed from our projected port to
Tientsin to link up all the inland waterway systems to the new port.
This new canal should be built extra wide and deep, let us say, similar
to the present size of the Peiho, for the use of the coasting and
shallow-draft vessels which the Peiho now accommodates for other than
the winter seasons. The banks of this canal should be prepared for
factory sites so as to enable it to pay not only by its traffic but
also from the land on both sides of its banks.
As for planning and estimating these river and canal works, the
assistance of technical experts must be solicited.
PART V
The Development of the Iron and Coal Fields in Chili and Shansi, and
the Construction of Iron and Steel Works
Since we have in hand in this program the work of the construction
of the Great Northern Port, the work of the building of a system of
railways from the Great Northern Port to the North Western Extremity
of China, the work of the Colonization of Mongolia and Sinkiang, and
the work of the construction of canals and improvement of rivers to
connect with the Great Northern Port, the demand for materials will be
very great. As the iron and coal resources of every industrial country
are decreasing rapidly every year, and as all of them are contemplating
the conservation of their natural resources for the use of future
generations, if all the materials for the great development of China
were to be drawn from them, the draining of the natural resources of
those countries will be detrimental for their future generations.
Besides, the present need of the post-bellum reconstruction of Europe
has already absorbed all the iron and coal that the industrial world
could supply. Therefore, new resources must be opened up to meet the
extraordinary demand of the development of China.
The unlimited iron and coal fields of Shansi and Chili should be
developed on a large scale. Let us say a capital of from five
hundred to a thousand million dollars Mex. should be invested in
this project. For as soon as the general development of China is
started we would have created a vast market for iron and steel which
the present industrial world will be unable to supply. Think of our
railway construction, city building, harbor works, and various kinds
of machineries and implements that will be needed! In fact, the
development of China means the creation of a new need of various kinds
of goods, for which, we must undertake to create the supply also, by
utilizing the raw materials near by. Thus a great iron and steel works
is an urgent necessity as well as a greatly profitable project.
In this FIRST PROGRAM, we have followed the four principles set forth
at the outset pretty closely. As needs create new needs and profits
promote more profits, so our first program will be the forerunner of
the other great developments, which we will deal with shortly.
PROGRAM II
As the Great Northern Port is the center of our first program, so the
Great Eastern Port will be the center of our second program. I shall
formulate this program as follows:
I. The Great Eastern Port.
II. The regulating of the Yangtze Channel and embankments.
III. The Construction of River Ports.
IV. The Improvement of Existing Waterways and Canals in
connection with the Yangtze.
V. The Establishment of large Cement Works.
PART I
The Great Eastern Port
Although Shanghai is already the largest port in all China, as it
stands it will not meet the future needs and demands of a world harbor.
Therefore there is a movement at present among the foreign merchants
in China to construct a world port in Shanghai. Several plans have
been proposed such as to improve the existing arrangement, to build a
wet dock by closing the Whangpoo, to construct a closed harbor on the
right bank of the Yangtze outside of Whangpoo, and to excavate a new
basin just east of Shanghai with a shipping canal to Hangchow Bay. It
is estimated that a cost of over one hundred million dollars Mex. must
be spent before Shanghai can be made a first-class port.
According to the four principles I set forth in Program I, Shanghai
as a world port for Eastern China is not in an ideal position. The
best position for a port of that kind is at a point just south of
Chapu on the Hangchow Bay. This locality is far superior to Shanghai
as an eastern port for China from the standpoint of our four
principles as set forth in our first program. Henceforth, in our
course of discussion, we shall call this the "Projected Port" so as to
distinguish it from Shanghai, the existing port of Eastern China.
The Projected Port
The "Projected Port" will be on the Bay which lies between the Chapu
and the Kanpu promontories, a distance of about fifteen miles. A new
sea wall should be built from one promontory to the other and a gap
should be left at the Chapu end, a few hundred feet from the hill as
an entrance to the harbor. The sea wall should be divided into five
sections of three miles each. For the present, one section of three
miles in length and one and a half miles in width should be built and
a harbor of three or more square miles so formed would be sufficient.
With the growth of commerce one section after another could be added
to meet the needs. The front sea wall should be built of stone or
concrete, while the transverse wall between the sea wall and the land
side should be built of sand and bush mattress as a temporary structure
to be removed in case of the extension of the harbor. Once a harbor
is formed there need be no trouble regarding the future conservancy
work, for there is no silt-carrying water in the vicinity by which the
harbor and its approaches may be silted up afterwards. The entrance of
our harbor is in the deepest part of the Hangchow Bay, and from the
entrance to the open sea there is an average depth of six to seven
fathoms at low water. The largest ocean liner could therefore come into
port at any hour. Thus as a first-class seaport in Central China our
Projected Port is superior to Shanghai. See Map III.
[Illustration: MAP III]
From the viewpoint of the principle of the line of least resistance,
our Projected Port will be on new land which will offer absolute
freedom for city planning and industrial development. All public
utilities and transportation plants can be constructed according to the
most up-to-date methods. This point alone is an important factor for a
future city like ours which in time is bound to grow as large as New
York City. If one hundred years ago human foresight could have foreseen
the present size and population of New York, much of the labor and
money spent could have been saved and blunders due to shortsightedness
avoided in meeting conditions of the ever growing population and
commerce of that city. With this in view a great Eastern Port in China
should be started on new ground to insure room for growth proportionate
to its needs.
[Illustration: MAP IV]
Moreover, all the natural advantages which Shanghai possesses as a
central mart and Yangtze Port in Eastern China are also possessed by
our Projected Port. Furthermore, our Projected Port in comparison
with Shanghai is of shorter distance, by rail communication, to all
the large cities south of the Yangtze. And if the existing waterway
between this part of the country and Wuhu were improved then the water
communication with the upper Yangtze would also be shorter from our
Projected Port than from Shanghai. And all the artificial advantages
possessed by Shanghai as a large city and a commercial center in this
part of China can be easily attained by our Projected Port within a
short time.
Comparing Shanghai with our Projected Port from a remunerative point of
view in our development scheme, the former is much inferior in position
to the latter, for valuable lands have to be bought and costly plants
and existing arrangements have to be scrapped the cost of which alone
is enough to construct a fine harbor on our projected site. Therefore,
it is highly advisable to construct another first-class port for
Eastern China like the one I here propose, leaving Shanghai to be an
inland mart and manufacturing center as Manchester is in relation to
Liverpool, Osaka to Kobe, and Tokyo to Yokohama.
Our Projected Port will be a highly remunerative proposition for the
cost of construction will be many times cheaper than Shanghai and the
work simpler. The land between Chapu and Kanpu and farther on will not
cost more than fifty to one hundred dollars a mow. The State should
take up a few hundred square miles of land in this neighborhood for the
scheme of our future city development. Let us say two hundred square
miles of land at the price of one hundred dollars a mow be taken up.
As six mows make an acre and six hundred and forty acres a square
mile, two hundred square miles would cost 76,000,000 dollars Mex. An
enormous sum for a project indeed! But the land could be fixed at the
present price and the State could buy only that part of land which will
immediately be taken up and used. The other part of the land would
remain as State land unpaid for and left to the original owners' use
without the right to sell. Thus the State only takes up as much land as
it could use in the development scheme at a fixed price which remains
permanent. The payment then would be gradual. The State could pay for
the land from its unearned increment afterwards. So that only the first
allotment of land has to be paid for from the capital fund; the rest
will be paid for by its own future value. After the first section of
the harbor is completed and the port developed, the price of land then
would be bound to rise rapidly, and within ten years the land value
within the city limits would rise to various grades from a thousand
to a hundred thousand dollars per mow. Thus the land itself would be
a source of profit. Besides there would also be the profit from the
scheme itself, i.e., the harbor and the city. Because of its commanding
position, the harbor has every possibility of becoming a city equal
to New York. It would probably be the only deep-water seaport for the
Yangtze Valley and beyond, an area peopled by two hundred million
inhabitants, twice the population of the whole United States. The rate
of growth of such a city would be in proportion to the rate of progress
of the working out of the development scheme. If war work methods, that
is, gigantic planning and efficient organization, were applied to the
construction of the harbor and city, then an Oriental New York City
would spring up in a very short time.
Shanghai as the Great Eastern Port
If only to provide a deep-water harbor for the future commerce in this
part of China is our object then there is no question about the choice
between Shanghai and our Projected Port. From every point of view
Shanghai is doomed. However, in our scheme of development of China,
Shanghai has certain claims for our consideration which may prove its
salvation as an important city. The curse of Shanghai as a world port
for future commerce is the silt of the Yangtze which fills up all its
approaches rapidly every year. This silt, according to the estimation
of Mr. Von Heidenstam, Engineer-in-chief of the Whangpoo Conservancy
Board, is a hundred million tons a year and is sufficient to cover an
area of forty square miles ten feet deep. So before Shanghai can be
considered ever likely to become a world port this silt problem must
first be solved. Fortunately, in our program, we have the regulation of
the Yangtze Channels and Embankments, which will coöperate in solving
the problem of Shanghai. Thus with this scheme in mind we might just as
well consider that the silt question of Shanghai has been solved and
let us go ahead, while leaving the regulation of the Yangtze Estuary to
the next part, to deal with the improvement of the Shanghai Harbor.
There are many plans proposed by experts for improving the Shanghai
Harbor as stated before, and some of them will necessitate the
scrapping of all the work which has been done by the Whangpoo
Conservancy Board for the last twelve years, at the cost of eleven
million taels. Here I wish to present a layman's plan for the
consideration of specialists and the public.
My project for the construction of a world harbor in Shanghai is to
leave the existing arrangement intact from the mouth of the Whangpoo
to the junction of Kao Chiao Creek above Gough Island. Thus all the
work hitherto done by the Whangpoo Conservancy Board for the last
twelve years will be saved. The plan is to cut a new canal from the
junction of Kao Chiao Creek right into Pootung to prolong that part
of the channel which has been completed by the Conservancy Work, and
to enlarge the curve along the right side of the Whangpoo River and
join it again, at the second turn above Lunghwa Railway Junction, so
as to make the river from that point to a point opposite Yangtzepoo
Point almost in a straight line and thence a gentle curve to Woosung.
This new canal would encircle nearly thirty square miles of land which
would form the civic center and the New Bund of our future Shanghai.
Of course the present crooked Whangpoo right in front of Shanghai
would have to be filled up to form boulevards and business lots. It
goes without saying that the reclaimed lots from the Whangpoo would
become State property and the land between this and the new river and
beyond should be taken up by the State and put at the disposal of
the International Development Organization. Thus it may be possible
for Shanghai to compete with our Projected Port economically in
its construction and therefore to attract foreign capital, to the
improvement of Shanghai as a future world port. See Map IV.
Below Yangtzepoo Point I propose to build a wet dock. This dock should
be laid between the left bank of the present Whangpoo, from Yangtzepoo
Point to the turn above Gough Island and the left bank of the new
river. The space of the dock should be about six square miles. A lock
entrance is to be constructed at the point above Gough Island. The wet
dock should be forty feet deep and the new river can also be made the
same depth by flushing with the water, not as proposed by experts, from
a lock canal between the Yangtze and the Taihu, at Kiangyin, but from
our improved waterway between this part of the country and Wuhu so
that a much stronger current could be obtained.
As we see that the present Whangpoo has to be reclaimed from the second
turn above Lunghwa Railway Junction to Yangtzepoo Point for city
planning, then the question of how to dispose of the Soochow Creek must
be answered. I propose that this stream should be led alongside the
right bank of the future defunct river and straight on to the upper end
of the wet dock, thence joining the new canal. At the point of contact
of the Creek and the wet dock a lock entrance may be provided in order
to facilitate water traffic from Soochow as well as the inland water
system directly with the wet dock.
As the first principle in our program was remuneration, all our
plans must strictly follow this principle. To create Pootung Point,
therefore, as a civic center and to build a new Bund farther on along
the left bank of the new canal in order to increase the value of the
new land which would result from this scheme must be kept in mind.
Only by so doing would the construction of Shanghai as a deep harbor
be worth while. And only by creating some new and valuable property
in this fore-doomed port could Shanghai be saved from the competition
of our Projected Port. After all, the most important factor for
the salvation of Shanghai is the solution of the silt question of
the Yangtze Estuaries. Now let us see what effect and bearing the
regulating of the Yangtze Channel and Embankments have upon the
question, and this we are going to deal with in the next part.
PART II
The Regulating of the Yangtze River
The regulating of the Yangtze River may be divided as follows:
a. From the deep-water line of the sea to Whangpoo Junction.
b. From Whangpoo Junction to Kiangyin.
c. From Kiangyin to Wuhu.
d. From Wuhu to Tungliu.
e. From Tungliu to Wusueh.
f. From Wusueh to Hankow.
a. Regulating of the Estuary from Deep-water Line Up to the Junction of
Whangpoo
It is a natural law that the obstruction to navigation in all rivers
is begun at their mouths, therefore the improvement of any river
for navigation must start from the estuary. The Yangtze River is no
exception to this rule, therefore to regulate the Yangtze, we must
begin by dealing with its estuaries.
The Yangtze has three estuaries, namely: The North Branch lying between
the left bank and the Island of Tsungming, the North Channel lying
between the Tsungming Island and the Tungsha Banks and the South
Channel lying between the Tungsha Banks and the right bank. Henceforth
for the sake of convenience I shall call them the North, Middle, and
South Channels.
The silting up of a river's mouth is due to the loss of velocity in its
current when the water gets into the wide opening at its junction with
the sea and causes the silt to deposit there. The remedy is to maintain
the velocity of the current by narrowing the mouth of the river so that
it equals that of the upper part. In this way the silt is suspended in
the water moving on into the deep sea. The narrowing process may be
accomplished by walls or training jetties. And thus the silt may be
carried by the water into the deepest part of the open sea and before
it settles down upon the bottom a returning tide will carry it from the
approach into the shallow parts on both sides of the river's mouth. The
mouth of a river can be kept clear from deposit of silt by the action
and reaction of the ebb and flow tide. The conservancy of an estuary of
any river is accomplished by utilizing these natural forces.
In order to regulate the estuary of the Yangtze we have to study the
three channels which form its mouth and to find out which of these
channels is to be selected as the regulated entrance into the sea. In
Mr. Von Heidenstam's proposal for the improvement of the approach of
Shanghai Harbor, he recommends two alternatives, viz., either to block
up the North and Middle Channels and to leave the South Channel only
for the mouth of the Yangtze, or to train the South Channel only and
leave the other two alone. For the present, he thinks, perhaps for the
sake of economy, the latter scheme would be enough. But the training
of the South Channel alone as the approach to Shanghai would leave it
in a state of perpetual anxiety as has been apprehended by Mr. Von
Heidenstam and other experts, for the main volume of the water of the
Yangtze may be diverted into either of the other two channels and leave
the Southern one to be silted up at any time. Therefore to make the
approach of Shanghai once for all safe and permanent, it is necessary
to block up two of the three channels, leaving only one as an approach
to the port. This is also the only feasible way of regulating the
estuary of the Yangtze.
In our scheme of regulating the Yangtze Estuary I should recommend
using the North Channel only and to block the other two. Because the
North Channel is the shortest way to the deep-sea line and by using
it as the only mouth of the Yangtze, we have on both sides of it more
shallow banks to be reclaimed by its silt. Thus the expenditure would
be less and the results greater. But this would leave Shanghai in
the lurch. Therefore in a coöperative scheme like this I would apply
the theory of killing two birds with one stone by using the Middle
Channel, since it would suit both of our purposes. The reason for this
is because the regulating of the Yangtze Estuary and the securing of a
Shanghai approach have different purposes, hence we must consider them
differently.
In my project of regulating the Yangtze Estuary I have two aims,
namely, to secure a deep channel to the open sea and to save as much
silt as possible for the purpose of reclamation of land. The Middle
Channel provides three ready receptacles for the deposit of the silt
for the formation of new land: the Haimen, the Tsungming, and the
Tungsha Banks. Besides these banks there are many hundreds of square
miles of shallow bottom which in the course of ten or twenty years will
also form land. As remuneration is our first principle we must consider
it in every step of our progress. The reclamation of about a thousand
square miles of land even in forty not to say twenty years would be
ample profit. At the lowest estimate the reclaimed land would be worth
twenty dollars per mow. If after ten years five hundred square miles
would be ready for cultivation purposes then we would gain a profit of
38,000,000 dollars. Whereas to make an approach by the South Channel
the receptacle ground will be on one side only, that is, the Tungsha
Banks, while on the right of the approach is the deep Hangchow Bay
which would take hundreds of years to fill up, and in the meanwhile
half of the silt would be wasted. To Shanghai as a seaport the silt is
a curse but to the shallow banks the silt would be a blessing.
Since it is a profitable undertaking to reclaim the above mentioned
banks and the neighboring shallows, we can quite well afford to build
a double stone wall from the shore end of the Yangtze right out into
the deep sea far beyond Shaweishan Island which is a distance of about
forty miles. A stone wall from one fathom to five fathoms in height
at low-water level would likely not exceed an average cost of two
hundred thousand dollars a mile as cheap stone can easily be obtained
from the granite islands nearby, in the Chusan Archipelago. A wall of
forty miles on each side that is eighty miles in all will cost sixteen
million dollars or thereabouts. And considering that 200 or 300 square
miles of Haimen, Tsungming, and the Tungsha banks could be converted
into arable land within a short time, the expense of building the wall
is well justified. Furthermore, the construction of this wall means
that there will be a safe and permanent approach for a world port in
Shanghai as well as a deep outlet for the Yangtze. See Map V.
The regulating wall on the right side should be built from the junction
of the Whangpoo by prolongation of its right jetty describing a
gentle curve into the depths of the South Channel and turning toward
the opposite side and cutting through the Blockhouse Island into the
Middle Channel, then running eastward right into the five-fathom line
southeast of Shaweishan Island. The left wall would be a continuation
from that of Tsungming at Tsungpaosha Island parallel with the right
wall by a distance of about two miles. This wall should curve to a
point at or near Drinkwater Point at Tsungming Island, then project
into the five-fathom line at the open sea passing by just at the south
side of the Shaweishan Island. A glance at the map here attached would
be sufficient to show how the future outlet of the Yangtze as well
as the future approach of Shanghai should be. The two regulating
submerged walls on both sides would be as high as low-water level so as
to give a free passage of the water over the top at flood tide. This
will serve the purpose of carrying back the silt from the sea when
the tide comes in, thus to reclaim the shallow spaces inclosed behind
the walls on both sides of the river more quickly than otherwise. The
new channel formed by these two parallel walls would likely be deeper
than the present South Channel outside the Whangpoo, which is forty to
fifty feet deep because the velocity of the current will be greater
than the present one, due to the concentration of three channels into
one. Furthermore, the depth would be more uniform and stable than at
present. Although the regulating walls end at the five-fathom line, the
momentum of the current would continue beyond that point, and so would
cut into the deep water outside. This would serve the double purpose of
draining the Yangtze Estuary as well as keeping open the approach to
Shanghai.
[Illustration: MAP V]
b. From Whangpoo Junction to Kiangyin
This part of the channel of the Yangtze River is most irregular and
changeable. The widest part is over ten miles while the Kiangyin Narrow
is only but three-quarters of a mile. The depth of the channel at the
open part is from five to ten fathoms while that of Kiangyin Narrow
is twenty fathoms. Judging by the depth of the water at this point a
width of one and a half miles must be provided for the channel in order
to slow down the current and to give a uniform velocity right along
the river. So the two-mile wide channel at Whangpoo Junction has to be
tabulated into one mile and a half at Kiangyin. See Map VI.
[Illustration: MAP VI]
The north or left embankment commencing at Tsungpao Sha continues with
the sea wall and makes a convex curve up to Tsungming Island at a point
about six miles northwest from Tsungming city. Then it follows along
the shore of Tsungming right up to Mason Point and transversing across
the north channel parallel to the north shore at a distance of three or
four miles right up to Kinshan Point, thence it cuts across the deep
channel which was formed in recent years and curves southwestward to
join the shore northeast of Tsingkiang and follows the shore line for
a distance of about seven or eight miles, then cuts into the land side
to give this part of the river a width of one and a half miles from
the fort at the Kiangyin side. This embankment from Tsungpao Sha to
Tsingkiang Point opposite Kiangyin fort is about one hundred miles in
length.
South of Tsungming Island a part of this embankment and a part of the
wall that projects into the sea together inclose a shallow space of
about 160 square miles good for reclamation purposes. The other part of
the embankment, which runs from Mason Point at the head of Tsungming
Island to Tsingkiang shore, incloses another space of about 130 square
miles.
The right embankment starts at the end of the left jetty of Whangpoo
Junction and, skirting along the Paoshan shore and passing the Blonde
Shoal into the deep, crosses the Confucius Channel on into Actaon
Shoal and follows the right side of Harvey Channel on to Plover Point.
Then it turns northwest across the deep channel into Langshan Flats,
thence recrosses the deep channel at Langshan crossing into Johnson
Flats, then joins the Pitman King Island, and thence skirts along
the shore right into the foot of the hills at Kiangyin forts. This
embankment incloses two shallow spaces: one above and the other below
Plover Point, together about 160 square miles. Alongside of both of
these embankments there are shallow spaces amounting to about 450
square miles, a great part of which having already formed land and a
part already appearing in low water. When these spaces are cut off
from the moving current the process of reclamation would be made to
work more rapidly so it is not extravagant to hope that within the
course of twenty years the whole of these 450 square miles would be
completely reclaimed and ready for cultivation. The profits from the
new lands thus reclaimed would amount to about $29,760,000 if only
taken at $20 per mow. The profits from the new lands would be netted
from the beginning of the work and would increase every year up to the
completion of the reclamation process.
With a profit of $30,000,000 in the course of twenty years before
us, it is a worth-while proposition to take up. Now let us see what
amount of capital should be invested before the whole project of our
reclamation work could be completed. In order to reclaim this 450
square miles of land two hundred miles of embankments have to be built.
Part of these projected embankments will be along the shore line, a
greater part will be in midstream, and a small part in deep channel.
Those along the shore line need not be bothered with except that the
concave surface must be protected with stone or concrete work. Those
in midstream should be filled up with stone ten feet or less below
low-water level just enough to give a resistance to the undercurrent in
order to prevent it from running sideward. Thus the main current would
follow the line of least resistance and cut the channel, as directed by
the rudimental embankment, by its own force. This rudimental embankment
would cost less than the sea wall which I estimated at $200,000 per
mile. Except at one point, that is, the junction of the North Channel
at Mason Point, which has to be blocked up entirely, the cost for
which, as has been estimated by experts, would amount to over a million
dollars for a distance of two or three miles. Thus the profits accruing
from the reclaimed lands would be quite sufficient to pay for the
embankments. So far we see that the regulating of the Yangtze from the
sea to Kiangyin is a self-paying proposition from the reclamation of
land alone, aside from the improvement of the navigation of the Yangtze
River.
c. From Kiangyin to Wuhu
This part of the river is quite different in nature from that below
Kiangyin. Its channel is more stable and only in a few places sharp
curves occur and the water has cut into the concave sides of the land,
thus occasionally making new channels along the sides of the two
shores. This section of the river is about 180 miles in length. See Map
VII.
The regulating works here would be more complicated than those below
Kiangyin. For besides the dilated parts which have to be reclaimed in
the same manner as those of the lower part of the river, the sharp
curves have to be straightened and side channels have to be blocked,
and midstream islands have to be removed, and narrows have to be
widened to give uniform width to the river. However, most of the
existing embankments in this part could be left as they are except
some of the concave surfaces of the shores have to be protected by
either stone or concrete work. The regulating works of the channel and
the embankments can be done by artificial means as well as by natural
processes so as to economize as much as possible. The cost of the whole
works of this part of the river cannot be accurately estimated until
a detail survey is made; but in a rough guess $400,000 per mile may
not be very far from the mark. Thus 180 miles will cost $72,000,000
exclusive of the expenses for the widening of the point between Nanking
and Pukow, in which case valuable properties will have to be removed.
[Illustration: MAP VII]
The Kwachow cut is to straighten the three sharp curves in front of
and above Chinkiang by converting them into one. Two and a half miles
of the land in the northern shore opposite Chinkiang will have to
be cut into in order to form a new channel of a mile or more in width.
The part of the river in front of, and above and below Chinkiang has to
be reclaimed. The new land thus reclaimed would form the water front
of Chinkiang city, the value of which may be sufficient to defray the
cost of the work and compensate for the land taken away on the northern
shore, to form the new channel. So the works of this part will be at
least a self-paying proposition.
[Illustration: MAP VIII]
The narrow between Pukow and Hsiakwan from pier to pier is barely six
cables wide. The depth of the water in this narrow from the shallowest
to the deepest is six to twenty-two fathoms. The land of the Hsiakwan
side had occasionally sunk away on account of the too rapid current and
the depth of the water. This indicates that this part is too narrow
for the volume of the Yangtze water to pass. Therefore a wider passage
must be provided for. In order to do so, the whole town of Hsiakwan
must be sacrificed as the river must be widened right up to the foot
of the Lion Hill, so as to provide a passage of a mile wide at this
point. What the cost for the compensation of this valuable property of
Hsiakwan will be will have to be submitted to the experts for a careful
investigation before it can be determined. This will be the most
costly part of the whole project for the regulating of the Yangtze.
But undoubtedly some equally valuable property can be created along
the riverside near by in place of Hsiakwan, so that a balance may be
realized by the work itself.
The channel below the Nanking Pukow Narrow will follow the short
passage alongside of the foot of the Mofushan to Wulungshan. The loop
around the island north of Nanking will have to be blocked up in order
to straighten the course of the river.
The section of the river from Nanking to Wuhu is almost in a straight
line with three dilatations along its course one just above Nanking the
other two just above and below the East and West pillars. To regulate
the first dilatation the channel above Me-tse-chow should be blocked up
and the island outside of it should be partly cut to widen the proper
channel. To regulate the other two dilatations the river should be made
to curve toward Taiping Fu to follow the deep channel on the right
bank. The left channel should be blocked up. The islands along this
curve should be partly or wholly removed. To regulate the dilatation
above the Pillars, the Friends Channel should be blocked up and Friends
Island be partly cut away. And the left bank below Wuhu should also be
cut to give the channel a uniform width.
d. From Wuhu to Tungliu
This part of the river is about 130 miles in length. Along its course
there are six dilatations, the most prominent of which is the one that
lies immediately below Tungling, which extends over ten miles from
side to side. In each of these dilatations there are usually two or
three channels with newly formed islands between them. The deep passage
often changes from one side to the other, and it is not uncommon that
all of the channels are filled up at the same time, thus stopping
navigation altogether for a considerable period. See Map VIII.
In regulating the part of the river from ten miles above Wuhu to
ten miles below Tatung, I propose to cut a new channel through the
midstream islands formed by the three dilatations and the sharp corners
of the shore, in order to straighten as well as to shorten the river,
as marked by the dotted lines in the map attached here. The cost of the
cut could not be estimated until a detail survey is made. But as soon
as the embankments are laid out the natural force of the river's own
current will do a great part of the dredging work, so that the expenses
of the cutting for the new channel will be much less than usual. Above
Tatung there are two sharp turns of the left shore to be cut. One is on
the left shore at the point where the beacon now stands about twelve
miles from Tatung. In this place a few miles of the left shore will
have to be cut away. The other cut is just below the city of Anking
hence to Kianglung beacon, a distance of about six miles. By this cut
we do away with the sharp turns of the river at Chuan Kiang Kau. These
cuttings would cost much more than the piling of stone at the lower
reach of the river. It is quite certain that the reclamation of the
side channels of this part will not cover the cost of the cuttings.
Therefore this part of the regulating work will not be self-paying, but
the navigation of the Yangtze, the protection it gives to both sides
of the land, and the prevention of floods in the future will amply
compensate for such work.
e. From Tungliu to Wusueh
This part of the river is about eighty miles in length. The land
along the right bank is generally hilly while that along the left is
low. Along its course there are four dilatations. In three of these
dilatations the current has cut into the left or northern bank of the
river and then turns back into its main course again almost at right
angles. At such points the bank is very unstable. Between the channels
of these dilatations islands are being formed. See Map IX.
The regulating works of this part are much easier to construct than
those of the lower part. The three diverting semicircular channels
have to be blocked up at the upper ends, and the lower openings left
open for silt to go into at flood seasons in order to reclaim them
by the natural process. The other dilatations should be narrowed in
from both sides by jetties. A few places will have to be cut, the most
important being the Pigeon Island and the turn above Siau Ku Shan. Some
of the midstream islands will have to be removed, and a few wide places
filled up in order to make the channel uniform, so as to give a regular
minimum depth of six fathoms right along the whole course.
f. From Wusueh to Hankow
This part of the river is about one hundred miles long. Above Wusueh we
enter into the hilly country on both sides. The river here is generally
about half a mile wide, with a depth of from five to twelve fathoms or
sometimes more in certain places. See Map X.
To regulate this part of the river a few wide spaces have to be
reclaimed to give a uniform channel, and the side channels at three or
four places closed up. Then we can make a channel with a uniform depth
of from six to eight fathoms at all seasons. At Collison Island section
of the river the Ayres Channel has to be closed up, leaving the winter
channel alone so as to give a gentle curve above and below this island.
At Willes Island and Gravenor Island point the Round Channel and the
channel between these two islands must be blocked up. The river must be
made to cut through Willes Island to make a shorter curve. At Bouncer
Island the South channel must be blocked up and above this the Low
Point turn must be cut away to form a gentler curve. From this point to
Hankow the river should be made narrower first by reclaiming the right
side as far as the meeting of the southwest curve with the right bank
then the reclamation should start at the opposite side of the left bank
and right up along the front of Hankow Settlement until the Han River
Mouth is reached. Thus a depth of six to eight fathoms can be secured
right up to the Bund of Hankow.
To sum up, the whole length of the regulating course of the river from
the deep sea to Hankow is about 630 miles. The embankments will be
twice this length; that is, 1,260 miles. I have estimated that the sea
wall at the mouth of the river could be built at $200,000 a mile, thus
for both sides $400,000 a mile will be sufficient for the 140 miles
from the deep sea to Kiangyin. For, in this part we have only the two
embankments to deal with, which merely requires the tumbling of stones
into the water until the pile is strong enough to hold the current to
a directed course. As soon as these stone ridges on both sides of the
river are formed, nature will do the rest to make the channel deep. The
work for this part, therefore, is simple.
[Illustration: MAP IX]
But the work for certain sections of the upper part of the river is
more complicated as about fifty or sixty miles of solid land of from
ten to twenty feet above water level and thirty to forty feet below
have to be cut in order to straighten the river's course. Of this
cutting and removing work, how much will have to be done artificially
and how much can be done by nature, I leave to the experts to estimate.
Excepting this, the other parts of this work, I think, cannot cost
much more than $400,000 a mile. So that the whole work from the sea to
Hankow, a distance of 630 miles will cost about $252,000,000, or let
us say, including the unknown part, $300,000,000 for the completion of
the entire project for the regulating of the Yangtze River. By this
regulating of the Yangtze River, we secure an approach of 600 miles
inland for ocean-going vessels into the very center of a continent
of two hundred millions of people of which half or one hundred million
is located immediately along 600 miles of the great water highway. As
regards remuneration for the work, this project will be more profitable
than either the Suez or Panama Canal.
[Illustration: MAP X]
Although we could not find means whereby the works above Kiangyin may
be made self-paying as those of the sections below by the reclamation
of land, profit from city building along the course of the river can be
realized after the regulating work is completed.
In conclusion, I must say that the figures given concerning the harbor
works and the Yangtze regulation are merely rough estimates which
must be in the nature of the case. As regards the costs of building
the rudimental dikes at the estuary of the Yangtze as well as along
the dilating parts of the river, the estimation may seem too low. But
the data on which I base my estimate are as follows: First, my own
observation of the private enterprise of reclamation by building dikes
at the Canton delta around my native village; second, the cheap stone
that can be obtained at the Chusan Archipelago; third, the estimation
of Mr. Tyler, Coast Inspector of the Maritime Customs for the blocking
up of the North Channel at the upper end of Tsungming Island, where the
narrowest part is about three miles. He says that a million taels or
more is necessary for the work. Or, let us say, in round figures, five
hundred thousand dollars (Mex.) a mile. This is two and a half times
my estimate. Now, let us compare the difference. The three-mile channel
at the upper end of Tsungming has an average depth of twenty feet of
water, while in my project the sea wall or dikes will be built in water
having an average of less than two thirds of this depth. Moreover, the
work of blocking up the North Channel entirely at a right angle is many
times more costly than that of building a rudimental dike of the same
length in a parallel line with the current. Since five hundred thousand
dollars are enough to block up cross-wise a mile of river twenty feet
deep, two fifths of that sum should be quite sufficient to finance
the work that I have projected. While writing this, I came across an
article in the _Chicago Railway Review_, May 17, 1919, dealing with the
same subject, which states that steel skeleton is a better and cheaper
substitute for stone or other materials for building dikes and jetties
in a muddy river like ours. Thus, by this new method, we may be able
to construct embankments, with cheaper material than I have hitherto
known. So, although the estimate which I have made may be somewhat low,
yet it is not so far from correct as it seems at first sight.
PART III
The Construction of River Ports
The construction of river ports along the Yangtze between Hankow and
the sea will be one of the most remunerative propositions in our
development scheme. For this part of the Yangtze Valley is richest
in agricultural and mineral products in China and is very densely
populated. With the cheap water transportation provided by the
completion of the regulating work both sides of this water highway
will surely become industrial beehives. And with cheap labor near by,
it will not be a surprise if in the near future both banks will become
two continuous cities, as it were, right along the whole extent of the
river from Hankow to the sea. In the meantime a few suitable spots
should be chosen for profitable city development. For this purpose I
will start from the lower part of the river as follows:
a. Chinkiang and North Side.
b. Nanking and Pukow.
c. Wuhu.
d. Anking and South Side.
e. Poyang Port.
f. Wuhan.
a. Chinkiang and North Side
Chinkiang is situated at the junction of the Grand Canal and the
Yangtze. It was an important center of inland water traffic between the
north and the south before the steam age. But it will resume its former
grandeur and become more important when the old inland waterway is
improved, and new ones are constructed. For it is the gateway between
the Hoangho and Yangtze valleys. Besides, by the southern portion of
the Grand Canal, Chinkiang is connected with the Tsientang valley--the
richest part of China. Thus, this city is bound to grow into a great
commercial center in the near future.
In our regulation work of the Yangtze, we shall add a piece of new
land, over six square miles, in front of Chinkiang. This land on the
south side of the river will be utilized for city-planning for our
new Chinkiang. On the north side, land should also be taken up by the
state to build another city. The north side will be bound to outgrow
that of the south for the whole of Hoangho Valley could only emerge
into the Yangtze by waterway through this point. Docks should be
built between here and Yangchow for accommodation of inland vessels,
and modern facilities should be provided for transhipment between
inland vessels and ocean-going steamers. This port should be made as
a distributing center as well as a collecting center for the salt of
the eastern coast. This, with the help of modern methods, will reduce
transportation expenses. Stone or concrete bunds or quays should be
built on both sides of the river and tidal jetties should be provided
for train ferries. In time, when commerce grows, tunnels or bridges may
be added to facilitate traffic of the two sides. The streets should be
wide so as to meet modern demands. The water front and its neighborhood
should be planned for industrial and commercial uses and the land
beyond should be planned for residential purpose. Every modern public
utility should be provided. In regard to the details of planning the
city, I must leave them to the expert.
b. Nanking and Pukow
Nanking was the old capital of China before Peking, and is situated
in a fine locality which comprises high mountains, deep water and a
vast level plain--a rare site to be found in any part of the world. It
also lies at the center of a very rich country on both sides of the
lower Yangtze. At present, although ruined and desolate, it still has
a population of over a quarter of a million. Once it was the home of
many industries especially silk and now the finest satin and velvet are
still produced here. Nanking has yet a greater future before her when
the resources of the lower Yangtze Valley are properly developed.
In the regulation of the Yangtze I propose to cut away the town of
Hsiakwan, so that the wharf of Nanking could be removed into the deep
channel between Metsechow and the outskirt of Nanking. This channel
should be blocked up, thereby a wet dock could be formed to accommodate
all ocean-going vessels. This point is much nearer the inhabited parts
of the city than Hsiakwan. And the land between this projected wet
dock and the city could form a new commercial and industrial quarter
which would be many times larger than Hsiakwan. Metsechow in time,
when commerce grows, may also be developed into city lots and business
quarters. For the future development of Nanking the land within and
without the city should be taken up at the present price under the
same principle which I have proposed for the Projected Port at Chapu.
Pukow, opposite Nanking, on the other side of the river, will be the
great terminus of all the railways of the great northern plain to the
Yangtze. It will be the nearest river port for the rich coal and iron
fields of Shansi and Honan, giving access to the lower Yangtze district
and hence to the sea. As the great transcontinental trunk line to the
sea whether terminating at Shanghai or at our Projected Port, would
pass through this point, the construction of a tunnel under the Yangtze
to connect Nanking and Pukow by rail at the same time when the cities
are being constructed, will not be at all premature. This will at once
make possible a through train journey from Shanghai to Peking.
Concrete or stone embankment should be built along the shore above and
below the present Pukow point many miles in each direction. Modern
streets should be laid out on the land within the embankment so as to
be ready for various building purposes. The land on the north side
of the river should be taken up by the state for public uses of this
international development scheme on the same basis as at our Projected
Ports.
c. Wuhu
Wuhu is a town of 120,000 inhabitants and is the center of the rice
trade in the lower part of the Yangtze. It is at this point that I
propose to make an intake of the water which will go to flush the
Whangpoo River at Shanghai, and which will form the upper end of a
canal to the sea at Chapu. In the regulating work of the Yangtze the
concave part above the junction of the Yangki Ho has to be filled
up and the convex part of the opposite side has to be cut away. The
junction of the projected canal and the river will be at about a
mile or so below the Lukiang junction. The projected canal will run
northeast to a point between the southeast corner of Wuhu city and
the foot of the hill. There it joins the Yangki Ho and, following
the course as far as Paichiatien, branches off in the northeastern
direction. This gives Wuhu a southeast waterfront along the left side
of the canal. New bunds should be built along both sides of the canal
as well as alongside the Yangtze and at the junction of the canal
docks for inland vessels should be constructed with modern plants for
transhipment of goods. Wide streets should be laid out from the Bund
of the Yangtze far into the inland following the direction of the
canal. The bund alongside the Yangtze should be reserved for commercial
purposes and those alongside the canal for factories. Wuhu is in the
midst of a rich iron and coal field, so it will surely become an
industrial center when this iron and coal field is properly developed.
Cheap materials, cheap labor, and cheap foodstuffs are abundant at the
spot waiting for modern science and machinery to turn them into greater
wealth for the benefit of mankind.
d. Anking and South Side
Anking, the capital of Anhwei, was once a very important city but since
its destruction by the Taiping war it has never recovered its former
greatness. Its present population is about 40,000 only. Its immediate
neighborhood is very rich in mineral and agricultural products. The
great tea district of Liu-an and the rich mineral district in the
southeastern corner of Honan province will have to make Anking their
shipping port when railways are developed. In the Yangtze Conservancy
work, the concave turn of the river in front and west of the city has
to be filled up. This reclaimed land should be for the extension of a
new city, where modern transportation plants should be built.
Eagle Point, on the south side opposite Anking should be cut away to
make the river curve more gently and to give the channel a uniform
width. A new city should be laid out at this point, for from here we
command the vast tea districts of southern Anhwei and western Chekiang.
The rich inland city of Hweichow, with the highly productive country
around it, will have to make this port its shipping station. As Wuhu
is the center of the rice trade these twin cities of Anking will be
the centers of the tea trade. Like Wuhu, these twin cities are also
situated in the midst of rich iron and coal fields which will assist
them to become important industrial centers in the near future. So to
build twin cities at this point of the river will be a very profitable
undertaking.
e. The Poyang Port
I propose to construct a port at a point between the Poyang Lake and
the Yangtze River. This will be the sole port of the Kiangsi province.
Every city of this province is connected by natural waterways which,
if improved, will become a splendid water transportation system. The
province of Kiangsi has a population of 30,000,000 and is extremely
rich in mineral resources. A modern port acting as a commercial and
industrial center for the development of this resourceful province
would be a most remunerative proposition in our project.
The site of the port will be on the west side of the entrance to the
Poyang Lake and the right bank of the Yangtze. It will be an entirely
new city built on new ground, part of which will be reclaimed from
the shallow side of the lake. In the regulating work of the Poyang
Channel, a training wall should be built from the foot of the Taku
Tang Hill to Swain Point opposite to Stone Bell Hill of Hukow. A
closed dock should be constructed within this training wall for the
accommodation of inland water vessels. The city should be laid out
on the triangular space formed by the right bank of the Yangtze, the
left side of the Poyang Lake and the foot hill of the Lushan Mountain.
This triangle is about 10 miles on each side, excellent for city
development. The porcelain industry should be established here instead
of at Kingteh Chen, for great damages often occur owing to the lack
of transportation facilities, and to the necessity of transhipment
for the export of the finished articles from the latter place. Modern
plants on a large scale should be adopted for the manufacturing of
cheap wares as well as fine articles in our projected Poyang Port,
for here we shall have the greater advantage of collecting raw
materials than at Kingteh Chen. Thus the concentrating of the various
manufactures in an advantageous center will result in quickening the
growth of our new city. This Poyang Port is bound to grow into one
of the great commercial and manufacturing centers in China, judging
from the possibilities of Kiangsi alone. It will not only be a great
shipping port of the Yangtze but will also be a railway center between
North and South China. Thus to develop this port on a large scale is
quite justifiable from an economic point of view.
f. Wuhan
Wuhan signifies the three cities of Wuchang, Hankow, and Hanyang. This
point is the headwater of our projected ocean passage, the pivot of
the railway system of China Proper, and will become the most important
commercial metropolis in the country. The population of these three
cities is over a million and could be easily doubled or trebled if
improvements would be made. At present, Hanyang possesses the largest
iron works in China, and Hankow, many modern industries, while Wuchang
is becoming a great cotton manufacturing city. Besides, Hankow is the
trade center of Central and West China, and the greatest tea market
we have. The provinces of Hupeh, Hunan, Szechuen, and Kweichow and a
part of Honan, Shensi, and Kansu all depend upon Hankow as their only
port in the outside world. When railways are developed in China, Wuhan
will be still more important and will surely become one of the greatest
cities in the world. So in planning the future city of Wuhan we must
adopt for its development a scale as large as that of New York or
London.
In the regulation of the Yangtze embankments, we have to reclaim the
front of Hankow from the jetty of Lungwangmiao at the junction of the
Han River right along the left bank to the point where the Yangtze
turns eastward. This reclaimed space will be at an average of about
500 to 600 yards wide. This will narrow down the river at this part
to give a uniform channel of 5 to 6 cables in width and to give the
Hankow settlement a strip of valuable land along its waterfront. This
will also help to pay a part of the expenses for city construction. The
sharp bend of the Han River just before it joins the Yangtze should
be straightened so as to make a gentler curve around Lungwangmiao
Point and thus enable the currents of both rivers to flow in the same
direction at their junction. The Hanyang embankment will follow pretty
closely the present shore line but not beyond the iron works jetty.
The wide space of the river above Wuchang city should be walled in to
make a closed dock for inland water as well as ocean going vessels.
Below Wuchang, an embankment parallel to that of the left side should
be built so as to make the future city extend far below the present
one. A tunnel should be constructed to connect both embankments at a
point where the Kinghan railway makes its first turn when it comes to
the Yangtze River. And another tunnel or bridge should be constructed
between Hankow and Hanyang on one side and Wuchang on the other at
the junction of the Han River and the Yangtze. Additional tunnels or
bridges may be constructed at different points when the city grows
larger in the future. All the outlying land of these trio-cities should
be taken up on the same basis as at our projected seaports, so that
private monopoly and speculation in land may be prevented, and that
the unearned increment will go to the State to help the payment of
capital and interest on the foreign loans which are to be made in this
international development scheme.
PART IV
The Improvement of the Existing Waterways and Canals
The existing waterways and canals in connection with the Yangtze may be
enumerated as follows:
a. The Grand Canal.
b. The Hweiho.
c. The Kiangnan Waterway System.
d. The Poyang Waterway System.
e. The Han River.
f. The Tungting System.
g. The Upper Yangtze.
a. The Grand Canal
The Grand Canal connects with the Yangtze at a point opposite Chinkiang
and runs northward right up to Tientsin, a distance of over 600 miles.
We understand that a detailed survey of the Kiangpeh part of the canal
has begun and the work of improving it will commence soon. In our
project, I propose to substitute the Kiangpeh portion of the Grand
Canal by the Yangtze outlet of the Hweiho.
b. The Hweiho
The Hweiho rises in the northwest corner of Honan and runs southeast
and east to the north of Anhwei and Kiangsu. Its outlets have been
sealed up in recent years so its water has accumulated in the Hungtse
Lake and it depends upon evaporation as its only means of disposing
the water. Thus in the heavy rainy season, it floods a vast extent of
the country surrounding the lake and causes great misery to millions
of people. So the conservancy of the Hweiho is a very urgent question
of China to-day. Recently many investigations have been made and many
plans proposed. Mr. Jameson, chief engineer for the American Red Cross
Society, has proposed two outlets for the Hweiho: one following the
old course of the Yellow River to the sea and another through Paoying
and Kao-yu Lakes to the Yangtze. In this project I propose to follow
Mr. Jameson's plan for the sea outlet only as far as the old Yellow
River and for the Yangtze outlet only as far as Yangchow. When the sea
outlet or north branch reaches the old Yellow River I will lead it
across into the Yenho and follow the Yenho to its northern turn. From
there, we cut across the narrow strip of land into the Kuanho which
enters the sea at the nearest deep water line. This saves a great deal
of work of excavating the old course of the Hoangho. When the southern
branch reaches Yangchow, I propose to make the canal pass east of that
city instead of west as Mr. Jameson proposed, so that its current will
join the Yangtze in the same direction at the new curve below Chinkiang
city.
Both of these outlets or branches of the Hweiho should be made at least
twenty feet deep right along, so that coastal vessels from the north
to the Yangtze could use them as passage instead of going round the
Yangtze estuary, thus shortening the distance by about 300 miles. And
with twenty feet depth for both outlets, the Hweiho and the Hungtse
Lake would be well drained and the present bottom of the lake, which is
sixteen feet above sea level would be converted into agricultural land
at once. Thus 6,000,000 mow of land could be reclaimed according to the
estimate of Mr. Jameson, from the Hungtse and the neighboring lakes.
If twenty dollars a mow be taken for its value, a sum of $120,000,000
could be netted. Besides this direct profit to the Government, there
is an area of some 17,000 square miles of occasionally flooded land
which would be made flood-proof so that normally we shall have two
crops a year instead of two only in five years. That is to say, the
17,000 square miles or 10,880,000 acres will be made to produce five
times more than at present. For instance, if the value of the gross
production be estimated at fifty dollars an acre, then the total value
would be $544,000,000 Mex. and five times this sum would amount to
$2,720,000,000 Mex. What an enormous profit to the country!
c. The Kiangnan Waterway System
This system comprises the South Grand Canal, the Whangpoo, the Taihu,
and its connections. The most important improvement I intend to make
here is to widen and deepen the Wuhu-Ihsing Waterway between the
Yangtze and the Taihu, and from there to dredge a deep channel right
through the Taihu to a point midway of the Grand Canal between Suchow
and Kashing. At Kashing, divide it into two branches:--one following
the Kashing Sunkiang Canal to Whangpoo, and the other, to the Projected
Port at Chapu. This waterway between the Yangtze and the Whangpoo,
before it reaches Shanghai, should be made as wide and deep as possible
so as to make it carry sufficient water to flush the Shanghai harbor
as well as to provide a shorter passage for inland water vessels
between the Yangtze and the seaports. This waterway will act as silt
carrier by which the Taihu and the various lakes alongside of it may
be reclaimed in the future. Besides the main object for which this
canal is assigned, the reclamation scheme and the local traffic would
also add profit to it. This makes its remuneration doubly sure. As no
accurate surveys of the shallow Taihu and other lakes and swamps could
be obtained, the exact number of mow to be reclaimed could not be given
here. But in a rough estimate I should say that the reclaimed space
of the Kiangnan Lakes would be about the same in extent as those of
Kiangpeh (the North of the Yangtze).
d. The Poyang Waterway System
This system drains the entire area of Kiangzi province. Every hsien,
city, and important town is reached by waterway. Waterways are the only
means of communication in this province as well as in all the provinces
of Southeastern China, before the advent of railways. The lower part of
the Kiangsi waterway system suffers the same irregularities as those
of the lower Yangtze as both are on low land. So, to regulate it, a
similar work as that for the Yangtze should be applied. The Poyang Lake
should be divided by deep channels from the junction of each river,
and these should join together to form larger channels and finally
unite into one main channel at a point near Chuki and, running through
the narrow part of the lake, join the Yangtze at Hukow. The sides of
the deep channels should be lined with submerged stone ridges as high
as the shallow part of the lake, whereby the channels would serve the
purpose of draining as well as of navigation.
The shallow space beside those channels will be reclaimed into arable
land in due time. So the work of regulating the Poyang channels will be
well paid by reclamation.
e. The Han River
This river is navigable for small crafts through its main body up to
Hanchung in the southwest corner of Shensi; and through its branches
up to Nanyang and Shekichen in the southwest corner of Honan. This
navigable stream commands quite a large area of watershed. The upper
part, that is above Siangyang, is in mountainous country. From
Siangyang to Shayang it is in a wide, open valley and below Shayang it
runs into the Hupeh swamp.
To improve this river dams should be built above Siangyang in order
to utilize water power as well as to make locks for larger crafts to
ascend to the navigable point now navigable only for small crafts.
Below Siangyang, where the river is very wide and shallow, rudimental
dikes should be constructed of stones or piles in order to restrict
its channel and to reclaim the shallow space on both sides by natural
process. In the swamp, the river should be straightened and deepened.
A new canal between the Han and the Yangtze at Shasi should be
constructed to provide a shorter passage between Hankow and Shasi and
beyond. This canal in the swamp should be open to the lakes along its
course so as to let the silt-carrying water enter into them in the
flood season, thus filling them up quicker.
f. The Tungting System
This system of waterway drains the whole province of Hunan and beyond.
The most important branches are the Siangkiang and the Yuankiang. The
former runs through Hunan into the northeast corner of Kwangsi province
and connects with the Sikiang system by a canal near Kweilin. The
latter runs across the west border of Hunan into the eastern part of
Kweichow province. Both could be improved for the navigation of large
crafts. The canal between the Yangtze and the Sikiang watersheds should
be reconstructed and modern locks should be provided in it as well as
along the two waterways. Thus, vessels of ten feet draught may freely
pass between the Yangtze and the Sikiang. The Tungting Lake should be
drained by deep channels in the same manner as the Poyang Lake, and its
shallow space reclaimed by natural process.
g. The Upper Yangtze
I include the part from Hankow to Ichang also in the Upper Yangtze,
because it is at Hankow that the ocean navigation ends, and the inland
water communication begins. So, in dealing with the improvement of the
Upper Yangtze, I will begin at Hankow. At present the Upper Yangtze is
navigable for shallow draught steamers up to Kiating, a point about
1,100 miles above Hankow by river. If improvement be made farther on,
than shallow draught steamers could navigate right up to Chengtu, the
capital of Szechuen province, and the center of the richest plain in
West China, about sixty miles up the Min River.
To improve the Upper Yangtze from Hankow to Yochow, the work is much
similar to that of the lower part. The channel should be regulated
by rudimental dikes. The concave embankments in sharp bends should
be protected by stone or concrete; obstacles in midstream should be
removed. The great loop, called the Farmer Bend, above Kinkow, should
be cut through at the neck of Paichow, and the sharp point of Hanchin
Kwang should be cut away to make the curve of the river more gentle.
The tortuous part of the Yangtze, north of the Tungting Lake, between
Kinho Kow and Skipper Point, should be blocked up altogether and a
new channel made through Tungting Lake, returning to the Yangtze by
the Yochow Channel. This avoids the crooked passage and shortens the
river course considerably. From Skipper Point to Ichang the dilatations
should be restricted by dikes of stone or piling, and some sharp points
of the shores should be cut away to make the curves more gentle.
The Yangtze River above Ichang enters the Gorges which run about a
hundred miles up to the Szechuen depression, known as the Red Basin.
This part of the river from Ichang right along to its source is
confined by rocky banks, very narrow and deep, having an average depth
of six fathoms and at some particular points even thirty fathoms. Many
rapids and obstructions occur along its course.
To improve the Upper Yangtze, the rapids should be dammed up to form
locks to enable crafts to ascend the river as well as to generate water
power. Obstructions should be blasted and boulders removed. Thus, a
ten-foot channel right along from Hankow to Chungking could be obtained
so that through inland water transportation could be established
from Chungking to Peking in the north and to Canton in the south, as
well as to all navigable points in China Proper all the year round.
In this way, transportation expenses to the richest emporium in West
China could be reduced hundredfold. The benefit to the people will be
enormous and the encouragement to commerce will indeed be great.
PART V
The Establishment of Large Cement Works
Steel and cement are the basis of modern construction, and the most
important factors of the material civilization of the present age. In
the various projects of our development scheme, the demand for steel
and cement will be so enormous that all manufacturing countries
combined will not be able to supply the needs. Therefore, in our first
program, I have proposed to establish large steel works in the rich
iron and coal fields in the provinces of Shansi and Chili; so in this
second program I propose to establish large cement works along the
shores of the Yangtze River. The Yangtze Valley is exceptionally rich
in materials for cement,--limestone and coal lying side by side at the
water edge along the navigable channel from Chinkiang upward. Thus,
local supplies could be created for local needs.
At present, there is one cement works at Shihuiyau near Hoangshikang
at the upper reach. It is situated between a deep water wharf and a
limestone hill. The limestone is so near by that it can be cut and
shoveled into the kilns immediately. Between Hankow and Kiukiang there
are many places possessing the same advantage. Below Kiukiang, there
are also many such advantageous positions as Matang, Wushiki and many
others between Kiukiang and Anking. Between Anking and Nanking there
are exceptionally good locations for putting up cement works such
as Tatung, Tikang, and Tsaishisze, all these places being provided
abundantly with limestone and coal and iron, lying side by side.
With the huge harbor works, city building, and embankment construction,
the market for cement will be so great that a capital of one to two
hundred million dollars should be invested for the supply. This work
should be started gradually in accord with the acceleration of the
other works of the general development so that one project will further
the other, and over-production and waste of capital individually in any
of the parts of the general scheme will be guarded against. This will
help make each of them a profitable business by itself.
PROGRAM III
The main feature of the third program will be the construction
of a great southern port which will complete the plan for three
first-class seaports in China as proposed in the preliminary part of
this International Development Scheme. Our Great Southern Port will
naturally be Canton, which is not only the center of commerce in South
China but also the largest city in all China. Until recent times it
was the largest city on the coasts of the Pacific, and the center of
commerce of Asia. With the development of China, Canton will surely
resume its former importance. Around this southern metropolis I
formulate the third program as follows:
I. The Improvement of Canton as a World Port.
II. The Improvement of the Waterway System of Canton.
III. The Construction of the Southwestern Railway System of
China.
IV. The Construction of Coast Ports and Fishing Harbors.
V. The Establishment of Shipbuilding Yards.
PART I
The Improvement of Canton as a World Port
Canton's position as a seaport has been taken away by Hongkong since
its cession to England after the Opium War. But as a commercial center
of South China, Canton still holds its own, despite the advantages of
deep-water harbor, the artificial improvements of Hongkong, and the
political dominance of England. The loss of its position as a seaport
is entirely due to the ignorance of the Chinese people who never made
any combined effort to improve the welfare of the country, and also
to the corrupt government and officials of the Manchu dynasty. Since
the establishment of the Republic, the people have begun to awake
very rapidly and many schemes have been suggested to make Canton a
seaport. This awakening of the millions of Chinese has caused much
apprehension to the Hongkong Government. The authorities of that colony
have been doing their utmost to hinder every move to restore Canton
as a seaport and try to nip every scheme in the bud. Of course, if
Canton is improved and made into a world port, then all the services
that Hongkong performs for her as a shipping stage would be dispensed
with altogether. But a developed Canton and a prosperous China will
recompense Hongkong in various ways a hundred times more than its
present position as the monopolized ocean port of a backward and poor
China. Just look at the port of Victoria in British Columbia, which
was once the only seaport of West Canada as well as the Northwestern
region of the United States, but it prospered very little then with an
undeveloped hinterland despite its monopolistic character. Whereas as
soon as the rival ports arose, Vancouver on its own side, and Seattle
and Tacoma on the American side, all within the same distance as
Hongkong is to Canton, all of them because of a developed hinterland
prospered wonderfully, despite the keen competition between them as
seaports. Thus, we see that competitive seaports like Vancouver,
Seattle, and Tacoma instead of killing Victoria, as was once supposed
by shortsighted people, have made it more prosperous than ever. Then,
why doubt that a prosperous Canton and a developed China would not give
the same result to Hongkong? This is but a natural outcome. Therefore,
there should be no fear that a prosperous Canton and a developed
China would be harmful to Hongkong as a free port. So, instead of
doing the utmost as hitherto to hinder the development of Canton as a
seaport, the Hongkong authorities should do their utmost to encourage
such a project. Besides, the development of Canton and South China
will benefit the English as a whole commercially a hundred times more
than Hongkong can do at present. Although the local authorities of
that crown colony do not see far enough to realize it, however, I
believe that the great statesmen and captains of industries in the now
mightiest empire of the world would surely see it. With this belief
in my mind I feel quite safe in giving publicity to the scheme of my
international development of Canton as a world port in South China.
Canton is situated at the head of the Canton Delta, which is formed by
the junction of three rivers--the Sikiang or West River, the Peikiang
or North River, and the Tungkiang or East River. The area of this
delta is about 3,000 square miles and it has the most fertile alluvial
soil known in China. The land yields three crops a year--two crops of
rice and one crop of other products such as potatoes or beets. In silk
culture, it gives eight crops every year. The most delicious fruits of
many varieties are produced in this delta. This is the most thickly
populated district of all China. Within this delta and its immediate
neighborhood, more than half of the population of Kwangtung province is
found. This is the reason why, despite the great productivity of this
fertile delta, large quantities of foods have to be supplied by the
surrounding country as well as by foreign imports. Before the age of
machinery Canton for centuries was well known as an industrial center
of Eastern Asia. The workmanship and handicraft of its people are still
unequaled in many parts of the world. If machinery will be introduced
in its industries under our international development scheme, Canton
will soon recover its former grandeur as a great manufacturing center.
As a world port, Canton is in a most advantageous position. Being
situated at the junction of three navigable rivers and at the head of
the ocean navigation it is a pivot of inland water as well as ocean
communication in South China. If the Southwestern railway system is
completed, then Canton will be equal in importance to the two great
ports in North and East China, in regard to transportation facilities.
The ocean approach of Canton is generally deep excepting at two points
which can be easily trained and dredged to enable modern liners to
pass in and out at any hour. The deep water line of the ocean reaches
up to Lingting Island, where the depth is from 8 to 10 fathoms. Above
Lingting, the channel gets shallower (about 3 or 4 fathoms) and runs
about 15 miles up to the Fumen Entrance. From this point the water
becomes deep again (between 6 and 10 fathoms) right up to the Second
Bar--a distance of 20 miles. At the Second Bar, the water is about 18
to 20 feet deep for only a few hundred yards. After crossing the Second
Bar, the water becomes deep again for a distance of 10 miles averaging
about 30 feet deep up to the First Bar which will be the city limit of
our future Canton.
To improve the Approach to Canton, I suggest that two submerged
training walls be built at the left side of Canton Estuary above
Lingting Island--one from the shore to the head of the Kongsu Bank, and
another from the end of the same bank to the head of the Lingting Bank.
The first training wall will be 3 to 4 feet under water just at the
same level of the bank. The second wall will be from 4 feet at one end
to 16 feet at the other, which are the levels of the respective banks
which it connects. (See (1) (3) Map XI.) It will cross a channel of 24
feet deep between them. These two walls together with the four-foot
Kongsu Bank will act as one continuous wall and will direct the
undercurrent which now runs between the left shore and Lingting Bank,
into the middle part of the estuary, thus cutting a channel between the
bar and the bank of the same name to meet the deep water on the west
side of Lingting Island. On the right side of the Canton Estuary, a
training wall should be built from the lower part of Fraser Bank in a
southeasterly direction across the 24-foot channel into the Lingting
Bar ending at the east edge of that bar. (See (2) Map XI.) Thus,
with these submerged walls on both sides of the estuary to confine
the undercurrent in the middle, a very deep channel can be formed to
connect with the Fumen Entrance at one end and the Lingting trough at
the other both of which are about 50 feet deep so that a thoroughfare
from deep sea right up to the Second Bar of the Pearl River will be
created.
These submerged sea walls taken together are about 8 miles in length
and will be built only 6 to 12 feet from the bottom of the sea. The
expenses will not be much while the acceleration of the natural
reclamation process will be very great. Thus, the lands that will
be formed on both sides by these walls will far more than repay the
expenses of the work of building these walls.
[Illustration: MAP XI]
To regulate the Approach of Canton, in that part of the Pearl River
from the Fumen Entrance to Whampoa, I suggest that the East River
Estuaries be concentrated in a single outlet by using the uppermost
channel which joins the Pearl River at the lower point of Davids
Island. The other outlets of the East River, which joins the Pearl
River below the Second Bar, should be closed up by dams built to the
height of the normal water level so as to permit them to serve as flood
channels in the rainy season. By concentrating the whole volume of
water of the East River above the Second Bar, a stronger current could
be obtained to flush the upper part of this section of the river.
[Illustration: MAP XII]
In the training works of this section, I propose that several jetties
should be built as follows: First, a jetty from Elliot Island at point
(A) to the farther side of Calcutta Shoal opposite the lower point of
Parker Island. This will block the current between Elliot Island and
Calcutta Shoal and divert it into the present 36-foot channel thus
making it deeper by its natural force. Second, another jetty from
Bolton Island, at point (B) to midstream terminating at the lower side
of the Second Bar, on the right side of the river. Third, a jetty from
the lower point of Pattinger Island at (C) to midstream terminating
at the lower side of the same bar on the left side of the river. Thus
the Second Bar would be flushed by the concentrated current created
by these two jetties. The shallow bottom above these jetties should
be dredged to the required depth. If a rocky bottom is found at this
bar it should be blasted and removed, so as to give a uniform depth to
the whole approach. Fourth, the channel between the right bank of the
river and Bolton Island should be blocked up at (D). Fifth, a jetty
from Pattinger Island at (E) to the head of the Second Bar Bank in
midstream so as to cut off the current at the left side of the river
and to increase the velocity in the middle channel. Sixth, a jetty
from the right shore at (F) about midway between Danes Island and the
Second Bar, should be built to the head of the Midstream Shoal so as
to cut off the current at the right side of the river. And seventh,
another jetty from the lower point of Davids Island at (G) to midstream
opposite to the end of jetty (F). Jetties (G) and (F) will concentrate
the current of the upper Pearl River while at the same time jetty (G)
will also turn the East River current into the same direction as that
of the Pearl River. (See Map XII.)
By these seven jetties, the current between Whampoa and Fumen could be
controlled and the bottom of the river flushed to a depth of 40 feet or
more, thus creating a thoroughfare for ocean-going steamers from the
open sea right up to the city of Canton. These jetties taken together
will be not more than 5 miles in length and mostly in very shallow
water. After the building of these jetties, land will be rapidly formed
between jetties along both sides of the channel by natural process.
The reclaimed land alone will be quite enough to pay the expenses of
constructing these jetties, aside from the fact that the main object
of regulating the river and opening up a deep channel for ocean
transportation will have been realized.
Having dealt with the approach to Canton, we may now take up the
improvement of Canton City itself as a world port. The harbor limit of
Canton will be at the First Bar. From there, the harbor will follow the
deep water of Cambridge Reach and the water between Whampoa and Danes
Island into American Reach. At this point it will cut through Actaeon
Island to the south of Honam Island and follow the Elliot Passage to
Mariners Island. From Mariners Island following the Fatshan Creek, a
straight channel should be cut in a southwesterly direction to the
Tamchow Channel. Thus, a new waterway will be made from the First Bar
to Tamchow Channel, a distance of about 25 miles. This waterway will be
the main outlet of the North River as well as a thoroughfare for the
West River, and will also serve as the harbor of Canton. By conveying
all the water of the North River and a part of that of the West River
through this waterway, the current will be strong enough to flush the
harbor to a depth of 40 feet or more. (See Map XIII.)
The new city of Canton will be extended from Whampoa to Fatshan,
separated by the Macao Fort and Shameen Reaches. The section that lies
east of this water should be developed into commercial quarters and
that west of it into factory quarters. The factory section should be
transected by canals connecting with the Fati and Fatshan creeks so
as to give cheap transportation facilities to every factory. In the
commercial section, tidal wharves with modern plants and warehouses
should be provided. A bund should be built from the First Bar Island
along the north side of the new waterway, the west side of Honam to
connect with the bund of Shameen, and the northwestern side of Canton
city. Another bund should be built from above Fati along the east side
of Fati Island to Mariners Island thence turning southwest along the
left bank of the new waterway. The Front Reach, that is, the river
between the present Canton city and Honam Island should be filled up
from the upper point of Honam to Whampoa for city building.
[Illustration: MAP XIII]
In regard to the question of remuneration, the development of Canton
as a world port will be the most profitable undertaking of the kind in
the International Development Scheme. Because, besides its commanding
position as a commercial metropolis and its possession of advantageous
facilities as a manufacturing center of South China, a modern
residential city is in great demand in this part of the country. The
well-to-do people and merchants of this rich delta as well as those
retired Chinese merchants and millionaires abroad all over the world
are very eager to spend their remaining days at home. But owing to the
lack of modern conveniences and comforts they reluctantly remain in
foreign countries. Thus to build a new city with modern equipments for
residential purposes alone, in Canton, would pay splendidly. The land
outside of Canton is at present about 200 dollars a mow. If the land
marked off for the future city of Canton should be taken up by the
State on the same basis as elsewhere in this International Development
Scheme, immediately after the streets are laid out and improvements
made, the price of land would rise from ten to fifty times its original
value.
[Illustration: MAP XIV]
The landscape of the environment of Canton is exceptionally beautiful
and charming. It is an ideal place for planning a garden city with
attractive parks. The location of the city of Canton resembles that
of Nanking but is of greater magnitude and beauty. It possesses three
natural elements--deep water, high mountains, and vast extent of level
land which furnish facilities for an industrial and commercial center
and provide as well natural scenery for the enjoyment of man. The
beautiful valleys and hills of the northern shore of the Pearl River
could be laid out for ideal winter resorts and the high mountain tops
could be utilized for summer resorts.
Within the city limits at the northwest corner, a rich coal field has
been found. When the coal is mined and modern plants for generating
electricity and producing gas are provided, then cheap electricity and
gas could be had for transportation, for manufacturing, for lighting,
heating, and cooking purposes. And so the present wasteful methods of
transportation, and expensive fuels for manufacturing and cooking for
the populous city of Canton can be done away with entirely. Thus great
economic wonders could be wrought by such improvements. The present
population of Canton is over a million and if our development plan is
carried out, this city would grow in leaps and bounds within a very
short time. The population will become greater than any other city and
the profit of our undertaking will become correspondingly large.
PART II
The Improvement of the Waterway System of Canton
The most important waterway system in South China is the Canton system.
Besides this the others are not of much importance and will be dealt
with elsewhere with their ports. In dealing with the Canton system of
waterways, I have to divide it as follows:
a. The Canton Delta.
b. The West River.
c. The North River.
d. The East River.
a. The Canton Delta
To improve the Canton Delta we have to consider the proposition from
three points of view: First, the problem of flood prevention; second,
the problem of navigation; and third, the problem of reclamation. Each
of these problems affects the others so the solution of one will help
that of the others.
First, the problem of flood prevention. The frequent repetition of
floods in recent years has wrought great disasters to the people in the
neighborhood of Canton. It has destroyed lives by the thousands and
property by the millions. The part which suffers most is the country
between Canton and Lupao, lying just immediately north of the Canton
Delta. This fatal spot is, I think, created by the silting up of the
main outlet of the North River immediately below Sainam. On account of
this, the North River has to find its outlets through the West River
by the short canal at Samshui and through two small streams one from
Sainam, and another from Lupao. The former runs in a northeasterly
direction and the latter in a southeasterly direction and they join
at Kuanyao. From this point, the river takes a northeasterly course
as far as Kumli, thence, turning southeast, passes the west suburb of
Canton. Since the North River is silted up below Sainam, its channel
above that spot is also getting shallower every year. At present the
river above Samshui city is only about four or five feet deep. When the
North River rises its water generally finds its way into the West River
through the Kongkun Canal. But if the West River should rise at the
same time, then there would be no outlet for the North River and its
water would accumulate until it overflowed its dikes above and below
Lupao. This would naturally cause the dikes to break at some point and
allow the water to rush out and flood the whole country that is meant
to be protected by these dikes. The remedy for the North River is to
reopen the main outlet below Sainam and have the whole channel dredged
deep from Tsingyuen to the sea. Fortunately, in our improvement of the
navigation of the Canton Delta, we have to do the same thing; so this
one work will serve two purposes.
The remedy for the West River is that the shallow part just at its
junction with the sea between Wangkum and Sanchoo Islands should be
trained by walls on both sides--a long one on the left, and a short
one on the right--so as to concentrate the current to cut the river
bed here to a depth of twenty feet or more. In this way, a uniform
depth is secured, for after passing the Moto Entrance the West River
has an average depth of 20 to 30 feet right along its whole course
through this delta. With a uniform depth all the way to the sea, the
undercurrent will run quickly and drain off the flood water more
rapidly. Besides the deepening process, both shores should be regulated
so as to give a uniform width to the channel. Midstream shoals and
islands should be removed.
The East River Valley does not suffer so severely from floods as those
of the other two rivers, the West and the North, and its remedy will be
provided in the regulation of the river for navigation. This will be
dealt with in that connection.
[Illustration: MAP XV]
Second, the problem of navigation in the Canton Delta in connection
with the three rivers. In dealing with this question we commence with
the West River. In former days the traffic between the West River
Valley and Canton always passed through Fatshan and Samshui, a distance
of about 35 miles. But since the silting up of the Fatshan Channel
below Sainam, the traffic has to take a great detour by descending
the Pearl River southeastward as far as Fumen, then turn northwest
into the Shawan Channel, then southeast into the Tamchow Channel,
and then west into the Tailiang Channel and south into the Junction
Channel and Maning Reach. Here it enters into the West River and runs
a northwesterly direction up to Samshui Junction on this river. The
whole journey covers a distance of about 95 miles, which compared with
the old route is longer by 60 miles. The traffic between Canton and the
West River Valley is very great. At present there are many thousands of
steam launches plying between Canton City and the outlying districts,
and more than half of that number are carrying traffic to and fro on
the West River. Every boat has to run 95 miles on each trip whereas if
the channel between Samshui and Canton is improved, the distance would
be only 35 miles. What a great saving it will be!
[Illustration: MAP XVI]
In our project to improve the Canton Approach and Harbor, I suggested
the draining of a deep channel from the sea to Whampoa and from Whampoa
to Tamchow Channel. We now have to prolong this channel from its
Tamchow Junction up to Samshui Junction on the West River. This Channel
should be made at least 20 feet deep so as to join the deeper water of
the West River above the Samshui Junction. And the same depth should be
maintained in the North River itself some distance above Samshui, so as
to give facility for the navigation of larger vessels up the river when
the whole waterway is improved.
To improve the East River for navigation in the Canton Delta we should
concentrate the current of its estuaries into one single outlet by
using the right channel which joins the Pearl River at Davids Island,
thus deepening the channel as well as shortening the distance between
Canton and the East River districts when the upper part of the river is
improved.
Another improvement in the Canton Delta for navigation is the opening
of a straight canal between Canton City and Kongmoon so as to shorten
the passage of the heavy traffic between this metropolis and the Szeyap
districts. This canal should begin by straightening the Chanchun Creek
south of Canton as far as Tsznai. Then crossing the Tamchow Channel it
should enter into the Shuntuck Creek and follow this creek to its end
emerging into the Shuntuck Branch at right angles. From there, a new
canal must be cut straight to the turn of the Tailiang Channel near
Yungki, then the canal should follow this channel through Yellow Reach
as far as the Junction Bend. Here another new canal must be cut through
to the Hoichow Creek, then it should follow Kuchan Channel to the main
channel of the West River, and crossing it enter into the Kongmoon
Branch. Thus, a straight canal can be formed between Canton and
Kongmoon. In order to understand the improvement of the Canton Delta
more clearly see Maps XIV and XV.
Third, the problem of reclamation. A very profitable undertaking in
the Canton Delta is the reclamation of new land. This process has
been going on for centuries. Many thousands of acres of new land are
thus being added to cultivation from year to year. But hitherto all
the reclamation has been effected by private enterprise only, and
there are no regulations for it. So sometimes this private enterprise
causes great detriment to public welfare such as blocking up navigable
channels and causing floods. A glaring case is the reclamation work
just above the Moto Islands, which blocks more than half of the Main
Channel of the West River. In the regulation of the West River, I
propose to cut this new land away. In order to protect the public
welfare, the reclamation work in this Delta must be taken up by the
State and the profits must go to defray the expenses of improving
this waterway system for navigation, as well as for the prevention of
floods. At present, the area that can be gradually reclaimed is large
in extent. On the left side of the Canton Estuary, the available area
is about 40 square miles, and on the right side, about 140 square
miles. On the estuaries of the West River from Macao to Tongkwa Island,
there is an available area of about 200 square miles. Of the 380 square
miles, about one fourth would be ready for reclamation within the next
ten years. That is to say about 95 square miles could be reclaimed and
put to cultivation within a decade. As one square mile contains 640
acres and one acre six mow, so 95 square miles will be equal to 364,800
mow. As cultivated land in this part of China generally costs more than
fifty dollars a mow, so, if fifty dollars be taken as the average rate,
the value of these 364,800 mow would amount to $18,240,000. This will
help a great deal to defray the expenses of improving the waterway for
navigation and for preventing floods in this Delta.
b. The West River
The West River is at present navigable for comparatively large river
steamers up to Wuchow, a distance of 220 miles by water from Canton,
and for small steamers up to Nanning, a distance of 500 miles from
Canton, at all seasons. As for small crafts, the West River is
navigable in most of its branches, west to the Yunnan frontier, north
to Kweichow, northeast to Hunan and the Yangtze Valley by the Shingan
Canal.
In improving the West River for navigation I shall divide the work into
subsections as follows:
(1) From Samshui to Wuchow.
(2) From Wuchow to the junction of the Liukiang.
(3) Kweikiang or the North Branch of the West River from Wuchow
to Kweilin and beyond.
(4) The South Branch from Shunchow to Nanning.
(1) From Samshui to Wuchow. This part of the West River is generally
deep and does not need much improvement for vessels up to ten-foot
draught excepting at a few points. The midstream rocks should be
blasted and removed and sand banks and dilating parts should be
regulated by submerged dikes to secure a uniform channel and to make
the velocity of the current even, so that a stable fairway could be
maintained all the year round. The traffic of this river would be
sufficiently great to pay for all the improvements which we propose to
make.
(2) From Wuchow to the Junction of the Liukiang. At this junction, a
river port should be built to connect the deep navigation from the sea
and the shallow navigation of Hungshui Kiang and the Liukiang which
penetrate the rich mineral districts of Northwest Kwangsi and Southwest
Kweichow. This port will be about fifty miles from Shunchow which is
the junction of the Nanning branch of the river. So here, we have
only to improve a distance of fifty miles, for the improvement of the
river between Shunchow and Wuchow will be included in the plan for the
Nanning Port. Dams and locks would be necessary to make this part of
the river navigable for ten-foot draught vessels. But these dams at the
same time would serve the purpose of producing water power.
(3) Kweikiang or the North Branch of the West River from Wuchow to
Kweilin and beyond. As Kweikiang is smaller, shallower and has more
rapids along its course, so its improvement will be more difficult
than that of the other parts of the waterway. But this will be a
very profitable proposition in this Southern waterway project, for
this river not only serves the purpose of transportation in this
rich territory but will also serve as a passage for through traffic
between the Yangtze and the West River valleys. The improvement should
commence from the junction at Wuchow up to Kweilin, and thence upward
to the Shingan Canal, then downward to the Siang River, and thereby
connecting with the Yangtze River. A series of dams and locks should be
built for vessels to ascend to the inter-watershed canal and another
series should descend on the other side. The expenses of building these
two series of dams and locks could not be estimated until accurate
surveys are made. But I am sure this project will be a paying one.
(4) From Shunchow to Nanning. This portion of the Yuhkiang is navigable
for small steamers up to Nanning, the center of commerce in South
Kwangsi. From Nanning small crafts can navigate through the Yuhkiang as
far as the east border of Yunnan, and through Tsokiang as far as the
north border of Tongking. If this waterway be improved up to Nanning,
then it would be the nearest deep river port for the rich mineral
districts of the whole southwest corner of China, which includes the
whole province of Yunnan, a greater part of Kweichow and half of
Kwangsi. The immediate neighborhood of Nanning is also very rich in
minerals, such as antimony, tin, iron, coal and also in agricultural
products. So to make Nanning the head of a deep water communication
system will be a paying proposition. To improve the waterway up to
Nanning, a few dams and locks along its course will have to be built
for vessels of ten-foot draught to go up as well as for water power.
The expense for this work cannot be estimated without detailed surveys
but it would probably be much less than the improvement of Kweikiang
from Wuchow to the Shingan Canal.
c. The North River
The North River from Samshui to Shiuchow is about 140 miles long. The
greater part of its course is confined in the hilly districts, but
after it emerges from the Tsingyuen Gorge it comes into a wide, open
country, which connects with the plain of Canton. Here the dangerous
floods occur most often. Since the silting up of its proper outlet
below Sainam, the North River from that point up to the gorge has
become shallower every year, so the dikes at the left side, that is,
on the side of the plain, often break thus causing the inundation of
the whole plain above Canton. Thus the regulation of the river at this
part has two aspects to be considered: First, the prevention of floods
and second, the improvement for navigation. In dealing with the first
aspect nothing could be better than deepening the river by dredging.
In the improvement of the Canton Approach and Harbor and also of the
Canton Delta, we have to cut a deep channel right from the deep sea up
to Sainam. In the improvement of the lower part of the North River, we
have simply to continue the cutting process higher up until we have a
deep channel, say 15 to 20 feet as far as the Tsingyuen Gorge, either
by artificial or natural means. By this deepening of the bottom of the
river, the present height of the dikes will be quite enough to protect
the plains from being flooded.
In dealing with the second aspect, as we have already deepened the part
of the river from Sainam to the Tsingyuen Gorge for flood prevention,
we have at the same time solved the navigation question. It has now
only the upper part to be dealt with. I propose to make this river
navigable up to Shiuchow, the center of commerce as well as the center
of the coal and iron fields of Northern Kwangtung. To improve the part
above the gorge for navigation, dams and locks should be built in one
or two places before a ten-foot draught vessel can ascend up to that
point. Although this river is parallel with the Hankow-Canton Railway,
yet if the coal and iron fields of Shiuchow are properly developed, a
deep waterway will still be needed for cheap transportation of such
heavy freight as iron and coal to the coast. So to build dams for
water power and to construct locks for navigation in this river will
be a profitable undertaking as well as a necessary condition for the
development of this part of the country.
d. The East River
The East River is navigable for shallow crafts up to Laolung Sze, a
distance of about 170 miles from the estuary at the lower point of
Davids Island near Whampoa. Along its upper course, rich iron and coal
deposits are found. Iron has been mined here since time immemorial. At
present most of the utensils used in this province are manufactured
from the iron mined. So to make a deep navigable waterway up to these
iron and coal fields will be most remunerative.
To improve the East River for navigation as well as for flood
prevention, I propose to start the work at the lower point of Davids
Island as stated in the improvement of the Canton Approach. From here,
a deep channel should be dredged up to Suntang, and a mile above that
point a new channel should be opened in the direction of Tungkun city,
by connecting the various arms of water between these two places and
joining the left branch of the East River immediately above Tungkun
city. All other channels leading from this new channel to the Pearl
River should be closed up to normal water level so as to make these
closed-up channels serve as flood outlets in rainy seasons. Thus by
blocking up the rest of the estuaries of the East River, all the water
would form one strong current which would dredge the river bottom
deeper, and maintain the depth permanently. The body of the river
should be trained to a uniform width right along its course up to tidal
point, and above this point, the river should be narrowed in proportion
to its volume of water. Thus the whole river would dredge itself deep
far up above Waichow city. The railway bridge at the south side of
Shelung should be made a turning bridge so as to permit large steamers
to pass through it. Some sharp turns of the river should be reduced to
gentle curves and midstream obstacles should be removed. The portion of
the river above Waichow should be provided with dams and locks so as
to enable ten-foot draught vessels to ascend as near as possible to the
iron and coal fields in the valley.
PART III
The Construction of the Southwestern Railway System of China
The southwestern part of China comprises Szechwan, the largest and
richest province of China Proper, Yunnan, the second largest province,
Kwangsi and Kweichow which are rich in mineral resources, and a part
of Hunan and Kwangtung. It has an area of 600,000 square miles, and a
population of over 100,000,000. This large and populous part of China
is almost untouched by railways, except a French line of narrow gauge
from Laokay to Yunnanfu, covering a distance of 290 miles.
There are great possibilities for railway development in this part of
the country. A network of lines should radiate fan-like from Canton
as pivot to connect every important city and rich mineral field with
the Great Southern Port. The construction of railways in this part
of China is not only needed for the development of Canton but also
is essential for the prosperity of all the southwestern provinces.
With the construction of railways rich mines of various kinds could
be developed and cities and towns could be built along the lines.
Developed lands are still very cheap and undeveloped lands and those
with mining possibilities cost almost next to nothing even though
not state owned. So if all the future city sites and mining lands be
taken up by the government before railway construction is started, the
profit would be enormous. Thus no matter how large a sum is invested in
railway construction, the payment of its interest and principal will be
assured. Besides, the development of Canton as a world port is entirely
dependent upon this system of railways. If there be no such network of
railway traversing the length and breadth of the southwestern section
of China, Canton could not be developed up to our expectations.
The southwestern section of China is very mountainous, except the
Canton and Chengtu plains, which have an area of from 3,000 to 4,000
square miles each. The rest of the country is made up almost entirely
of hills and valleys with more or less open space here and there.
The mountains in the eastern part of this section are seldom over
3,000 feet high but those near the Tibetan frontier generally have
an altitude of 10,000 feet or more. The engineering difficulties in
building these railways are much greater than those of the northwestern
plain. Many tunnels and loops will have to be constructed and so the
construction costs of the railway per mile will be greater than in
other parts of China.
With Canton as the terminus of this system of railroads, I propose that
the following lines be constructed:
a. The Canton-Chungking line via Hunan.
b. The Canton-Chungking line via Hunan and Kweichow.
c. The Canton-Chengtu line via Kweilin and Luchow.
d. The Canton-Chengtu line via Wuchow and Suifu.
e. The Canton-Yunnanfu-Tali-Tengyueh line ending at the Burma
border.
f. The Canton-Szemao line.
g. The Canton-Yamchow line ending at Tunghing, on the Annam
border.
a. The Canton-Chungking Line via Hunan
This line will start from Canton and follow the same direction as the
Canton-Hankow line as far as the junction of the Linkiang with the
North River. From that point the railroad turns into the valley of
Linkiang, and follows the course of the river upward above the city
of Linchow. There it crosses the watershed between the Linkiang and
the Taokiang and proceeds to Taochow, Hunan. Thence it follows the
Taokiang to Yungchow, Paoking, Sinhwa, and Shenchow, and up to Peiho
across the boundary of Hunan into Szechwan by Yuyang. From Yuyang the
line proceeds across the mountain to Nanchuen, thence to Chungking
after crossing the Yangtze. This railway which has a total length of
about 900 miles passes through a rich mineral and agricultural country.
In the Linchow district north of Kwangtung, rich coal, antimony, and
wolfram deposits are found; in southwestern Hunan, tin, antimony, coal,
iron, copper and silver; and at Yuyang, east of Szechwan, antimony and
quicksilver. Among agricultural products found along this line we may
mention sugar, groundnuts, hemp, tung oil, tea, cotton, tobacco, silk,
grains, etc. There is also an abundance of timber, bamboo and various
kinds of forest products.
b. The Canton-Chungking Line via Hunan and Kweichow
This line is about 800 miles in length, but as it runs in the same
track with line (a) from Canton to Taochow, a distance of about 250
miles, it leaves only 550 miles to be accounted for. This line,
therefore, actually begins at Taochow, Hunan, and goes through the
northeastern corner of Kwangsi passing by Chuanchow, and then through
the southwestern corner of Hunan passing by Chengpu and Tsingchow.
Thence it enters into Kweichow by Sankiang and Tsingkiang and crosses
a range of hill to Chengyuan. From Chengyuan this line has to cross
the watershed between Yuan Kiang and Wukiang to Tsunyi. From Tsunyi it
will follow the trade route which leads to Kikiang and then crosses the
Yangtze by the same bridge as line (a) to Chungking. This railway will
also pass through rich mineral and timber districts.
c. The Canton-Chengtu Line via Kweilin and Luchow
This line is about 1,000 miles long. It runs from Canton directly west
to Samshui, where it crosses the North River to the mouth of Suikong.
Then, it ascends the valley of the same name to Szewui and Kwongning.
Next, it enters into Kwangsi at Waisap, thence to Hohsien and Pinglo.
From there it follows the course of the Kweikiang up to Kweilin. Thus
the rich iron and coal fields that lie between these two provincial
capitals, Canton and Kweilin, will be tapped. From Kweilin the road
turns west to Yungning and then proceeds to follow the Liukiang valley
into Kweichow province at Kuchow. From Kuchow it goes to Tukiang and
Pachai and following the same valley it crosses a range of hills into
Pingyueh, thence it goes across the Yuankiang watershed into the
Wukiang valley at Wengan and Yosejen. From Yosejen it follows the
trade route through Luipien hills to Jenhwai, Chishui, and Nachi. Then
it crosses the Yangtzekiang to Luchow. From Luchow, it runs through
Lungchang, Neikiang, Tzechow, Tseyang and Kienchow to Chengtu. The last
part of the line traverses very rich and populous districts of the
famous Red Basin of Szechwan province. The middle portion of this line
between Kweilin and Luchow lies in a very rich mineral country which
possesses great possibilities for further development. This line will
open up a thinly populated part for the crowded districts at both ends
of the line.
d. The Canton-Chengtu Line via Wuchow and Suifu
This line is about 1,200 miles in distance. It commences at the west
end of the Samshui bridge which crosses the North River at that point
for line (c), and following the left bank of the West River enters the
Shiuhing Gorge to the Shiuhing city. It passes Takhing, Wuchow, and
Tahwang along the same bank. While the river here turns southwestwards
the line turns northwestwards to Siangchow and then crosses Liukiang
to Liuchow and Kingyuan. Then it goes to Szegenhsien and across the
Kwangsi and Kweichow border to Tushan and Tuyun. From Tuyun the line
turns more westerly to Kweiyang, the capital of Kweichow Province.
Next, it proceeds to Kiensi and Tating and then leaving the Kweichow
border at Pichieh it enters Yunnan at Chenhiung. Turning northward to
Lohsintu and crossing the Szechwan border at that point, it proceeds to
Suifu. From Suifu the road follows the course of the Minkiang, passes
by Kiating and enters the Chengtu plain to Chengtu, the capital of
Szechwan. This line runs from one densely populated district to another
and passes through a wide strip of thinly populated and undeveloped
country in the middle. Along its course many rich iron and coal fields,
silver, tin, antimony, and other valuable metal deposits are found.
e. The Canton-Yunnanfu-Tali-Tengyueh Line
This line is about 1,300 miles in length from Canton to the Burma
border at Tengyueh. The first 300 miles of the line from Canton to
Tahwang will be the same as line (d). From the Tahwang junction this
line branches off to Wusuan and following in a general way the course
of the Hungshui Kiang passes through Tsienkiang and Tunglan. Then it
cuts across the southwestern corner of Kweichow province passing by
Sinyihsien and thence enters Yunnan province at Loping and by way
of Luliang to Yunnanfu, the capital of the province. From Yunnanfu
this line runs through Tsuyung to Tali, then turns southwestwards to
Yungchang and Tengyueh ending at the Burma border.
At Tunglan, near the Kweichow border in Kwangsi, a branch line of about
400 miles should be projected. This line should follow the Pepan Kiang
valley, up to Kotuho, and Weining. Thence it enters Yunnan at Chaotung,
and crosses the Yangtze River at Hokeow, where it enters Szechwan.
Crossing the Taliang mountain, it goes to Ningyuan. This branch line
taps the famous copper field between Chaotung and Ningyuan, the richest
of its kind in China.
The main line running through the length of Kwangsi and Yunnan from
east to west, will be of international importance, for at the frontier
it will join the Rangoon Bhamo line of the Burmese Railway System. It
will be the shortest road from India to China. It will bring the two
populous countries nearer to each other than now. By the new way the
journey can be made in a few days, whereas by the present sea-route it
takes as many weeks.
f. The Canton-Szemao Line
This line to the border of Burma is about 1,100 miles long. It starts
from south of Canton, passes Fatshan, Kunshan, and crosses the West
River from Taipinghü to Samchowhü. Thence it proceeds to Koming,
Sinhing, and Loting. After passing Loting it crosses the Kwangsi border
at Pingho, and proceeds to Junghsien and then westward, crossing the
Yukiang branch of the West River, to Kweihsien. Thence it runs north
of Yukiang to Nanning. At Nanning a branch line of 120 miles should be
projected. Following the course of the Tsokiang it goes to Lungchow
where it turns southward to Chennankwan on the Tongking border to join
the French line at that point. The main line from Nanning proceeds in
the same course as the upper Yukiang to Poseh. Then it crosses the
border into Yunnan at Poyai, and by way of Pamen, Koukan, Tungtu and
Putsitang to Amichow, where it crosses the French Laokay-Yunnan line.
From Amichow it proceeds to Linanfu, Shihping and Yuankiang where it
crosses the river of the same name. Thence it passes through Talang,
Puerhfu and Szemao and finally ends at the border of Burma near the
Mekong River. This line taps the rich tin, silver, and antimony
deposits of south Yunnan and Kwangsi, while rich iron and coal fields
are found right along the whole line. Gold, copper, mercury, and lead
are also found in many places. As regards agricultural products, rice
and groundnuts are found in great abundance, also camphor, cassia,
sugar, tobacco, and various kinds of fruits.
g. The Canton-Yamchow Line
This line is about 400 miles long measuring from the west end of the
Sikiang bridge. Starting from Canton it runs on the tracks of line (f)
as far as the farther side of the bridge over the West River. Thence
it branches off to the southwest to Hoiping and Yanping, and by way of
Yeungchun to Kochow and Fachow. At Fachow, a branch line of 100 miles
should be projected to Suikai, Luichow and Haian on the Hainan Straits
where, by means of a ferry, it connects with Hainan Island. The main
line continues from Fachow westward to Sheshing, Limchow, Yamchow and
ends on the Annam border at Tunghing, where it may connect with a
French line to Haiphong. This line is entirely within the Kwangtung
province. It passes through a very populous and productive country.
Coal and iron are found along the whole line, while gold and antimony,
in some parts. Agricultural products, as sugar, silk, camphor, ramie,
indigo, groundnuts, and various kinds of fruits are raised here.
The total length of this system as outlined above is about 6,700 miles.
In addition there will be two connecting lines between Chengtu and
Chungking; another from east of Tsunyi on line (b) southward to Wengan
on line (c); another from Pingyueh on line (c) to Tuyun on line (d);
another from the border of Kweichow on line (d) through Nantan and
Noti to Tunglan on line (e), thence through Szecheng to Poseh on line
(f). These connecting lines total about 600 miles. So the grand total
will be about 7,300 miles.
This system will be intersected by three lines. First, the existing
French line from Laokay to Yunnanfu with a projected line from Yunnanfu
to Chungking crosses line (f) at Amichow, line (e) at Weining, line (d)
at Suifu, line (c) at Luchow, and meets lines (a) and (b) at Chungking.
Second, the projected British line from Shasi to Sinyi crosses line (a)
at Shenchow, line (b) at Chenyuen, line (c) at Pingyueh, line (d) at
Kweiyang and a branch of line (e) at a point west of Yungning. Third,
the projected American line from Chuchow to Yamchow crosses line (a)
at Yungchow, line (b) at Chuanchow, line (c) at Kweilin, line (d) at
Liuchow, line (e) at Tsienkiang, line (f) at Nanning, and meets line
(g) at Yamchow. Thus, if this system and the three projected French,
British, and American lines are completed, Southwestern China would be
well provided with railway communications.
All these lines will run through the length and breadth of a vast
mineral country, in which most of the essential and valuable metals of
the world are found. There is no place in the world which possesses as
here so many varieties of rare metals, such as wolfram, tin, antimony,
silver, gold, and platinum and at the same time so richly provided
with the common but essential metals, such as copper, lead, and iron.
Furthermore, almost every district in this region is abundantly
provided with coal, so much so that there is a common saying: "Mu mei
pu lih cheng," that is, "Nobody would build a city where there is no
coal underneath." The idea was that in case of a siege those within the
city might obtain fuel from under the ground. In Szechwan, petroleum
and natural gas are also found in abundance.
Thus, we see that this Southwestern Railway System for the development
of mineral resources in the mountainous regions of Southwestern China
is just as important as the Northwestern Railway System is for the
development of agricultural resources in the vast prairies of Mongolia
and Turkestan. These railway systems are a necessity to the Chinese
people and a very profitable undertaking to foreign capitalists.
They are of about equal length, viz.--about 7,000 miles. The cost
per mile of the Southwestern System will be at least twice that of
the Northwestern System, but the remuneration from the development
of mineral resources will be many times that from the development of
agricultural resources.
PART IV
The Construction of Coast Ports and Fishing Harbors
After planning the three world ports on the coast of China, it is time
for me to go on and deal with the development of second-and third-class
seaports and fishing harbors along the whole coast in order to
complete a system of seaports for China. Recently, my projected plan of
the Great Northern Port was so enthusiastically received by the people
of Chili Province that the Provincial Assembly has approved the project
and decided to carry it out at once as a provincial undertaking.
For this object, a loan of $40,000,000 has been voted. This is an
encouraging sign and doubtless the other projects will be taken up
sooner or later by either the provinces or the Central Government,
when the people begin to realize their necessity. I propose that four
second-class seaports and nine third-class seaports and numerous
fishing harbors should be constructed.
The four second-class seaports will be arranged so as to be placed in
the following manner: one on the extreme north, one on the extreme
south, and the other two midway between the three great world ports.
I shall deal with them according to the order of their future
importance as follows:
a. Yingkow.
b. Haichow.
c. Foochow.
d. Yamchow.
a. Yingkow
Yingkow is situated at the head of the Liaotung Gulf and was once
the only seaport of Manchuria. Since the improvement of Talien as a
seaport, the trade of Yingkow has dwindled and lost half of its former
business. As a seaport, Yingkow has two disadvantages, first, the
shallowness of its approach from the sea and second, the blocking up
by ice for several months in winter. Its only advantages over Talien
is that it is situated at the mouth of the Liaoho and has inland
water communication throughout the Liao valley in south Manchuria.
The half of the former trade that it still holds at present against
Talien is entirely due to the inland water facility. To make Yingkow
outmatch Talien again in the future and become first in importance
after the three great world ports, we must improve its inland water
communication, as well as deepen its approach from the sea. In regard
to the improvement of the approach work similar to the improvement of
the Canton Approach should be adopted. Besides the construction of a
deep channel, about twenty feet in depth, reclamation work should be
carried out at the same time. For, the shallow and extensive swamp
at the head of the Liaotung Gulf could be turned into rice-producing
land from which great profit could be derived. Regarding the inland
water communication, not only the water system in the Liao valley but
also the Sungari and the Amur Systems have to be improved. The most
important work is the construction of a canal to connect these systems
and this I shall now discuss in the next paragraph.
The Liaoho-Sungari Canal is the most important factor in the future
prosperity of Yingkow. It is by this canal only that this port can
be made the most important of the second-class seaports in China and
further the vast forest lands, the virgin soil and the rich mineral
resources of North Manchuria can be connected by water communication
with Yingkow. So this canal is all important for Yingkow, without which
Yingkow as a seaport could at most hold her present position, a town
of 60,000 to 70,000 inhabitants and an annual trade of $30,000,000
to $40,000,000 only and could never gain a place as the first of the
second-class seaports in China. This canal can be cut either south of
Hwaiteh in a line parallel to the South Manchurian Railway between
Fan Kia Tun and Sze Tung Shan, a distance of less than ten miles, or
north of Hwaiteh in a line between Tsing-shan-pao and Kaw-shan-tun,
a distance of about fifteen miles. In the former case the canal is
shorter but it makes the waterway as a whole longer, while in the
latter case, the canal is about twice as long but it makes the waterway
as a whole shorter between the two systems. In either line, there are
no impassable physical obstacles. Both lines are on the plain but the
elevation of the one may be higher than that of the other, which is the
only factor that will determine the choice between the two. If this
canal is constructed, then the rich provinces of Kirin and Heilungkiang
and a portion of Outer Mongolia will be brought within direct water
communication with China Proper. At present, all water traffic has to
go by way of the Russian Lower Amur, then round a great detour of the
Japan Sea before reaching China Proper. This canal will not only be
a great necessity to Yingkow as a seaport, but will also have a great
bearing on the whole Chinese nation economically and politically. With
the Liaoho-Sungari Canal completed Yingkow will be the grand terminus
of the inland waterway system of all Manchuria and Northeastern
Mongolia; and with the approach from the sea deepened it will also be a
seaport next in importance only to the three first-class world ports.
b. Haichow
Haichow is situated on the eastern edge of the central plain of China.
This plain is one of the most extensive and fertile areas on earth. As
a seaport, Haichow is midway between the two great world ports along
the coast line, namely the Great Northern and the Great Eastern Ports.
It has been made as the terminus of the Hailan railway, the trunk line
of central China from east to west. Haichow also possesses the facility
of inland water communication. If the Grand Canal and the other
waterway systems are improved, it will be connected with the Hoangho
Valley in North China, the Yangtze Valley in Central China, and the
Sikiang Valley in South China. Its deep sea approach is comparatively
good, being the only spot along the 250 miles of the North Kiangsu
coast that could be reached by ocean steamers to within a few miles
of the shore. To make Haichow a seaport for 20 feet draught vessels,
the approach has to be dredged for many miles from the mouth of the
river before the four fathom line could be reached. Although possessing
better advantages than Yingkow, in being ice free, Haichow, as a
second-class seaport, has to be content to take a second place after
Yingkow, because she does not have as vast a hinterland as Yingkow, nor
such a monopolistic position in regard to inland water communication.
c. Foochow
Foochow, the capital of Fukien Province, ranks third among our
second-class seaports. Foochow is already a very large city, its
inhabitants being nearly a million. It is situated at the lower reach
of the Min River, about 30 miles from the sea. The hinterland of
this port is confined to the Min Valley with an area of about 30,000
square miles. The territory beyond this valley will be commanded by
other coast or river ports, so the area commanded by this port is much
smaller than that by Haichow. Consequently, it could be given only
the third place in the category of second-class seaports. The Foochow
approach from the Outer Bar to Kinpei Entrance is very shallow. After
this Entrance is passed, the river is confined on both sides by high
hills and becomes narrow and deep right up to Pagoda Anchorage.
I propose that a new port should be constructed at the lower part of
Nantai Island. For here land is cheap and there will be plenty of
room for modern improvement. A locked basin for shipping could be
constructed at the lower point of Nantai Island, just above Pagoda
Anchorage. The left branch of the Min River above Foochow City should
be blocked up so as to concentrate the current to flush the harbor at
the south side of Nantai. The blocked-up channel on the north side of
that island should be left to be reclaimed by natural process or may
be used as a tidal basin to flush the channel below Pagoda Anchorage,
if it is found necessary. The upper Min River must be improved as far
as possible for inland water traffic. Its lower reach from Pagoda
Anchorage to the sea must be trained and regulated to secure a through
channel of 30 feet or more to the open sea. Thus Foochow could also be
made a calling port for ocean liners that ply between the world ports.
d. Yamchow
Yamchow is situated at the head of Tongking Gulf in the extreme south
of the China Coast. This city is about 400 miles west of Canton--the
Great Southern Port. All the districts lying west of Yamchow will
find their way to the sea by this port 400 miles shorter than by
Canton. As sea transportation is commonly known to be twenty times
cheaper than rail transportation, the shortening of a distance of 400
miles to the sea means a great deal economically to the provinces of
Szechuan, Yunnan, Kweichow, and a part of Kwangsi. Although Nanning, an
inland water port, lying northwest of Yamchow, is much nearer to the
hinterland than Yamchow, yet it could not serve this hinterland as a
seaport. So all the direct import and export trade will find Yamchow
the cheapest shipping stage.
To improve Yamchow as a seaport the Lungmen River should be regulated
in order to secure a deep channel to the city, and the estuary should
be deepened by dredging and training to provide a good approach to
the port. This port has been selected as the terminus of the Chuchow
Yamchow Railway (Chu-Kin line) which will run from Hunan through
Kwangsi into Kwangtung. Although the hinterland of this port is
much larger than that of Foochow, yet I still rank it after that
city because the area commanded by it is also commanded by Canton,
the southern world port, and by Nanning, the river port, and so
all internal as well as indirect import and export trade must go
to the other two ports. It is only the direct foreign trade that
will use Yamchow. Thus, in spite of its extensive hinterland it is
very improbable that it could outmatch Foochow in the future as a
second-class port.
Besides the three great world ports, and the four second-class ports, I
propose to construct nine third-class ports along the China coast, from
north to south, as follows:
a. Hulutao.
b. Hoangho Port.
c. Chefoo.
d. Ningpo.
e. Wenchow.
f. Amoy.
g. Swatow.
h. Tienpak.
i. Hoihou.
a. Hulutao
Hulutao is an ice-free and deep-water port, situated on the west side
of the head of Liaotung Gulf, about 60 miles from Yingkow. As a winter
port for Manchuria, it is in a more advantageous position than Talien
for it is about 200 miles shorter by rail to the sea than the latter
and is on the edge of a rich coal field. When this coal field and the
surrounding mineral resources are developed, Hulutao will become the
first of the third-class ports and a good outlet for Jehol and Eastern
Mongolia. This port may be projected as an alternative to Yingkow,
as the sole port of Manchuria and Eastern Mongolia, if a canal could
be constructed to connect it with the Liaoho. It is only by inland
water communication that Yingkow could be made the important port of
Manchuria in the future and it will be the same in the case of Hulutao.
So if inland water communication could be secured for Hulutao it will
entirely displace Yingkow. If it is found to be economically cheaper
in the long run to construct a Hulutao-Liaoho Canal than to construct
a deep harbor at Yingkow, the Hulutao harbor will have to be placed
on the northwest side of the peninsula instead of on the southwest as
at present projected. For the present site has not enough room for
anchorage without building an extensive breakwater into the deep sea,
which will be a very expensive work. Furthermore, there would not be
room enough for city planning on the narrow peninsula, whereas on the
other side, the city could be built on the mainland with unlimited
space for its development.
I suggest that a sea wall be built from the northern point of
Lienshanwan to the northern point of Hulutao to close up the Lienshan
Bay and make it into a closed harbor, and an entrance be opened in
the neck of Hulutao to the south side where deep water is found. This
closed harbor will be over 10 square miles in extent but only some
parts need to be dredged to the required depth at present. On the north
side of the harbor, another entrance into the neighboring bay should be
left open between the sea wall and the shore, and another breakwater
should be built across the next bay. From there, a canal should be
constructed either by cutting into the shore or by building a wall
parallel with the coast line until it reaches the lowland from where
a canal should be cut to connect with the Liaoho. If a canal is thus
constructed for Hulutao, then it will at once take the place of Yingkow
and become the first of the second-class ports.
b. The Hoangho Port
The Hoangho Port will be situated at the estuary of the Hoangho on the
southern side of the Gulf of Pechihli, about 80 miles from our Great
Northern Port. When the Hoangho regulation is completed its estuary
will be approachable by ocean steamers, and a seaport will naturally
spring up there. As it commands a considerable part of the northern
plain in the provinces of Shantung, Chili, and Honan and possesses the
facility of inland water communication, this port is bound to become an
important third-class port.
c. Chefoo
Chefoo is an old treaty port situated on the northern side of the
Shantung Peninsula. Once it was the only ice-free port in the whole
of North China. Since the development of Talien in the north and
the development of Tsingtau in the south its trade has dwindled
considerably. As a seaport, it will undoubtedly hold its own when the
railroads in the Shantung Peninsula are developed, and the artificial
harbor is completed.
d. Ningpo
Ningpo is also an old treaty port, situated on a small river, the
Yungkiang, in the eastern part of Chekiang province. It has a good
approach, deep water reaching right up to the estuary of the river. The
harbor can be easily improved by simply training and straightening two
bends along its course up to the city. Ningpo commands a very small
but rich hinterland. Its people are very enterprising, and are famed
for their workmanship and handicrafts second only to those of Canton.
Thus Ningpo is bound to become a manufacturing city when China is
industrially developed. But owing to the proximity of the Great Eastern
Port, Ningpo will not likely have much import and export trade directly
with foreign countries. Most of its trade will be carried on with the
Great Eastern Port. So a moderate harbor for local and coast-wise
traffic will be quite sufficient for Ningpo.
e. Wenchow
Wenchow is situated near the mouth of the Wukiang in south Chekiang.
This seaport has a wider hinterland than Ningpo, its surrounding
districts being very productive. If railroads are developed it will
undoubtedly command considerable local trade. At present the harbor is
very shallow, unapproachable by even moderate-sized coastal steamers.
I suggest that a new harbor at Panshiwei, north of Wenchow Island be
constructed. For this purpose, a dike should be built between the
northern bank and the head of Wenchow Island to block up the river
entirely on the northern side of that island leaving only a lock
entrance. The Wukiang should be led through the channel on the south
side of the island for the purpose of reclaiming the vast expanse of
the near-by shallows as well as for draining the upper stream. The
approach from the southern side of Hutau Island to the port should be
dredged. On the right side of the approach, a wall should be built in
the shallow between Wenchow Island and Miau Island and in the shallows
between Miau Island and Sanpam Island so as to form a continuous wall
to prevent the silt of Wukiang from entering into the approach. Thus a
permanent deep channel will be secured for the new port of Wenchow.
f. Amoy
Amoy, an old treaty port, is situated on the island of Siming. It has
a great, deep, and fine harbor, commanding a considerable hinterland
in southern Fukien and Kiangsi, very rich in coal and iron deposits.
This port carries on a busy trade with the Malay Archipelago and the
Southeastern Asian Peninsula. Most of the Chinese residents in the
southern islands, Annam, Burma, Siam, and the Malay States are from the
neighborhood of Amoy. So the passenger traffic between Amoy and the
southern colonies is very great. If railways are developed to tap the
rich iron and coal fields in the hinterland, Amoy is bound to develop
into a much larger seaport than it is at present. I suggest that a
modern port be constructed on the west side of the harbor to act as an
outlet for the rich mineral fields of southern Fukien and Kiangsi. This
port should be equipped with modern plants in order to connect land and
sea transportation.
g. Swatow
Swatow is situated at the mouth of the Hankiang at the extreme east
of Kwangtung. In relation to emigration, Swatow is much similar to
Amoy, for it also supplies a great number of colonists to southeastern
Asia and the Malay Archipelago. So its passenger traffic with the
south is just as busy as Amoy. As a seaport Swatow is far inferior
to Amoy, on account of its shallow approach. But in regard to inland
water communication, Swatow is in a better position as the Hankiang
is navigable for many hundreds of miles inland by shallow crafts. The
country around Swatow is very productive agriculturally, being second
only to the Canton Delta along the Southern seaboard. In the upper
reaches of the Hankiang there are very rich iron and coal deposits.
The approach to the port of Swatow can be improved easily by a little
training and dredging, thus making it a fine local port.
h. Tienpak
Tienpak is situated at a point in the coast of Kwangtung province
between the estuary of the West River and the island of Hainan. Its
surrounding districts are rich in agricultural products and mineral
deposits. So a shipping port in this part is quite necessary. Tienpak
can be made into a fine harbor by entirely walling in the bay from its
west side and by opening a new entrance into the deep water in the neck
of the peninsula southeast of the bay. Thus a good approach could be
secured. The harbor is very wide but only a part need be dredged for
large vessels and the rest of the space could be used by fishing boats
and other shallow crafts.
i. Hoihou
Hoihou is situated on the north side of Hainan Island on the strait
of the same name, opposite Haian on the Luichow Peninsula. Hoihou is
a treaty port, similar to Amoy and Swatow, supplying a great number
of colonists to the south; Hainan is a very rich but undeveloped
island. Only the land along the coast is cultivated, the central part
being still covered by thick forests and inhabited by aborigines, and
it is very rich in mineral deposits. When the whole island is fully
developed, the port of Hoihou will be a busy harbor for export and
import traffic. The harbor of Hoihou is very shallow, and so even small
vessels have to anchor miles away in the roadstead outside. This is
very inconvenient for passengers and cargoes, so the improvement of the
Hoihou harbor is a necessity. Furthermore this harbor will be the ferry
point between this island and the mainland for railway traffic when the
railway systems of the mainland and the island are completed.
Fishing Harbors
As regards fishing harbors all our first-, second-, and third-class
ports must also furnish facilities and accommodations for fishery.
Thus all of these, i.e., three first-class ports, four second-class
ports, and nine third-class ports, will be fishing harbors as well. But
besides these sixteen ports there is still room and need to construct
more fishing harbors along the coast of China. I propose, therefore,
that five fishing harbors be constructed along the northern coast, that
is, along the coast of Fengtien, Chihli, and Shantung, as follows:
(1) Antung, on Yalu River, on the border of Korea.
(2) Haiyangtao, on the Yalu Bay, south of Liaotung Peninsula.
(3) Chinwangtao, on the coast of Chihli, between the Liaotung and
Pechihli gulfs, the present ice-free port of Chihli province.
(4) Lungkau, on the northwestern side of Shantung Peninsula.
(5) Shitauwan, at the southeastern point of the Shantung Peninsula.
Six fishing harbors should be constructed along the eastern coast, that
is, along the coasts of Kiangsu, Chekiang, and Fukien, as follows:
(6) Shinyangkang, on the eastern coast of Kiangsu, south of the old
mouth of the Hoangho.
(7) Luszekang, at the northern point of the Yangtze Estuary.
(8) Changtukang, in the midst of Chusan Archipelago.
(9) Shipu, north of Sammen Bay, east of Chekiang.
(10) Funing, between Foochow and Wenchow, east of Fukien.
(11) Meichow Harbor, north of Meichow Island, between Foochow and Amoy.
Four fishing harbors should be constructed on the southern coast, that
is, along the seaboard of Kwangtung and Hainan Island, as follows.
(12) Sanmei, on the eastern coast of Kwangtung, between Hongkong and
Swatow.
(13) Sikiang Mouth. This harbor should be on the northern side of
Wangkum Island. When the Sikiang Mouth is regulated, the Wangkum
Island will be connected with the mainland by a sea wall, so a good
harbor site could thus be provided.
(14) Haian, situated at the end of the Luichow Peninsula opposite to
Hoihou, on the other side of Hainan Strait.
(15) Yulinkang a fine natural harbor at the extreme south of the Hainan
Island.
These fifteen fishing harbors with the greater ports, numbering 31
in all, will link up the whole coast line of China from Antung, on
the Korean border to Yamchow, near the Annam border, providing, on an
average, a port for every 100 miles of coast line. This completes my
project of seaports and fishing harbors for China.
At first sight objections might be raised that too many seaports and
fishing harbors are provided for one country. But I must remind my
readers that this one country, China, is as big as Europe and has a
population larger than that of Europe. If we take a similar length
of the coast line of western Europe we would see that there are many
more ports in Europe than in China. Besides, the coast line of Europe
is many times longer than that of China, and in every hundred miles
of the European coast line there are more than one considerable-sized
port. Take Holland, for instance. Its whole area is not larger than the
hinterland of Swatow, one of our third-class seaports, yet it possesses
two first-class ports, Amsterdam and Rotterdam, and numerous small
fishing ports. Let us also compare our country with the United States
of America in regard to seaports. America has only one fourth the
population of China yet the number of ports on her Atlantic coast alone
is many times more than the number provided in my plan. Thus, this
number of ports for China for the future is but a bare necessity. And
I have considered only those that will pay from the beginning so as to
adhere strictly to the principle of remuneration that was laid down at
the outset of my first program. See Map XVI.
PART V
The Establishment of Shipbuilding Yards
When China is well developed according to my programs, the possession
of an oversea mercantile fleet, of ships for coastal and inland
water transportation, and of a large fishing fleet will be an urgent
necessity. Before the outbreak of the late World War, the world's
seagoing tonnage was 45,000,000 tons. If China is equally developed
industrially, according to the proportion of her population, she would
need at least 10,000,000 tons of oversea and coastal shipping for her
transportation service. The building of this tonnage must be a part of
our industrial development scheme; for cheap materials and labor can
be obtained in the country, and so we could build ships for ourselves
much cheaper than any foreign country could do for us. And besides the
building of a seagoing fleet, we have to build our inland water crafts
and fishing fleets. Foreign shipping yards could not do this service
for us on account of the impracticability of transporting such numerous
small crafts across the ocean. Thus, in any case, China has to put up
her own yards to build her inland water crafts and fishing fleets. So
the establishment of ship building yards is a necessary as well as a
profitable undertaking from the beginning. The shipping yards should
be established at such river and coastal ports that have the facility
of supplying materials and labor. All the yards should be under one
central management. Large capital should be invested in the project so
as to procure a yearly output of 2,000,000 tons of various kinds of
vessels.
All types of vessels should be standardized both in design and
equipment. The old and wasteful types of inland water crafts and
fishing boats should be replaced by modern efficient designs. The
inland water crafts should be designed on the basis of certain standard
draughts such as the 2-foot, 5-foot, and 10-foot classes. The fishing
trawlers should be standardized into the one-day, the five-day, and the
ten-day service class. The coastal transports should be standardized
into the 2,000-, the 4,000-, and the 6,000-ton class, and for oversea
transports we should have standardized ships of 12,000-, 24,000-, and
36,000-ton classes. Thus, the many thousands of inland water crafts and
fishing junks that now ply the rivers, lakes, and coasts of China may
be displaced by new and cheaper crafts of a few standard types which
could perform better services at less expense.
PROGRAM IV.
In my first and third programs, I have described my plans for the
Northwestern Railway System and the Southwestern Railway System. The
former is for the purpose of relieving the congestion of population
in the coast districts and the Yangtze Valley by opening up for
colonization the vast unpopulated territory in Mongolia and Sinkiang,
as well as of developing the Great Northern Port. The latter is for the
purpose of exploiting the mineral resources of Southwestern China, as
well as of developing the Great Southern Port--Canton. More railroads
will be needed for the adequate development of the whole country. So in
this fourth program, I shall deal entirely with railroads which will
complete the 100,000 miles proposed in my introductory part of this
International Development Scheme. The program will be as follows:
I. The Central Railway System.
II. The Southeastern Railway System.
III. The Northeastern Railway System.
IV. The Extension of the Northwestern Railway System.
V. The Highland Railway System.
VI. The Establishment of Locomotive and Car Factories.
PART I
The Central Railway System
This will be the most important railway system in China. The area which
it serves comprises all of China Proper north of the Yangtze and a part
of Mongolia and Sinkiang. The economic nature of this vast region is
that the southeastern part is densely populated while the northwestern
part is thinly populated, and that the southeastern part possesses
great mineral wealth while the northwestern part possesses great
potential agricultural resources. So every line of this system will
surely pay as the Peking-Mukden line has proved.
With the Great Eastern Port and the Great Northern Port as termini of
this system of railroads, I propose that, besides the existing and
projected lines in this region, the following be constructed, all of
which shall constitute the Central Railway System.
a. The Great Eastern Port-Tarbogotai line.
b. The Great Eastern Port-Urga line.
c. The Great Eastern Port-Uliassutai line.
d. The Nanking-Loyang line.
e. The Nanking-Hankow line.
f. The Sian-Tatung line.
g. The Sian-Ninghsia line.
h. The Sian-Hankow line.
i. The Sian-Chungking line.
j. The Lanchow-Chungking line.
k. The Ansichow-Iden line.
l. The Chochiang-Koria line.
m. The Great Northern Port-Hami line.
n. The Great Northern Port-Sian line.
o. The Great Northern Port-Hankow line.
p. The Hoangho Port-Hankow line.
q. The Chefoo-Hankow line.
r. The Haichow-Tsinan line.
s. The Haichow-Hankow line.
t. The Haichow-Nanking line.
u. The Sinyangkang-Hankow line.
v. The Luszekang-Nanking line.
w. The Coast line.
x. The Hwoshan-Kashing line.
a. The Great Eastern Port-Tarbogotai Line
This line begins at the Great Eastern Port on the seaboard, and runs
in a northwesterly direction to Tarbogotai on the Russian frontier,
covering a distance of about 3,000 miles. If Shanghai be the Great
Eastern Port, the Shanghai-Nanking Railway will form its first section.
But if Chapu be chosen, then this line should skirt the Taihu Lake on
the southwest through the cities of Huchow, Changhing, and Liyang to
Nanking, then crossing the Yangtze at a point south of Nanking, to
Chiantsiao and Tingyuen. Thence, the line turns westward to Showchow
and Yingshang, and enters Honan province at Sintsai. After crossing
the Peking-Hankow line at Kioshan, and passing Piyang, Tanghsien,
and Tengchow, it turns northwestward to Sichwan and Kingtsekwan,
and enters the province of Shensi. Ascending the Tan Kiang Valley,
it passes through Lungkucha and Shangchow, and crosses the Tsinling
Pass to Lantien and Sian, the capital of Shensi, formerly the capital
of China. From Sian, it goes westward, following the valley of the
Weiho. It passes through Chowchih, Meihsien, and Paoki and enters the
province of Kansu at Sancha, thence proceeding to Tsinchow, Kungchang,
Titao, and Lanchow, the capital of Kansu. From Lanchow it follows the
old highway which leads into Liangchow, Kanchow, Suchow, Yumen, and
Ansichow. Thence it crosses the desert in a northwesterly direction to
Hami, where it turns westward to Turfan. At Turfan this line meets the
Northwestern Railway System and runs on the latter's track to Urumochi
and Manass where it leaves that track and proceeds northwesterly to
Tarbogotai on the frontier, crossing the Shair Mountain on the way.
This line runs from one end of the country to the other encountering
in its entire length of 3,000 miles only four mountain passes, all of
which are not impassable for they have been used from time immemorial,
as trade highways of Asia.
b. The Great Eastern Port-Urga Line
This line starts from the Great Eastern Port and uses the same track
as line (a) as far as Tingyuen, the second city after crossing the
Yangtze River at Nanking. From Tingyuen, its own track begins and
the line proceeds in a northwesterly direction to Hwaiyuan, on the
Hwai River, thence to Mongcheng, Kwoyang, and Pochow. Turning more
northward, it crosses the Anhwei border into Honan, and passing through
Kweiteh it crosses the Honan border into Shantung. After passing
through Tsaohsien, Tingtao, and Tsaochow, it crosses the Hoangho and
enters Chihli province. Passing through Kaichow it re-enters Honan to
Changteh, thence it follows the Tsingchangho valley, in a northwesterly
direction, across the Honan border into Shansi. Here the line enters
the northeastern corner of the vast iron and coal field of Shansi.
After entering Shansi, the line follows the river valley to Liaochow
and Yicheng, and crosses the watershed into the Tungkwoshui Valley to
Yutse and Taiyuan. From Taiyuan, it proceeds northwestward through
another rich iron and coal field of Shansi to Kolan. Thence, it turns
westward to Poate, where it crosses the Hoangho to Fuku, in the
northeastern corner of Shensi. From Fuku, the line proceeds northward,
cuts through the Great Wall into the Suiyuan District and crosses the
Hoangho to Saratsi. From Saratsi, the line runs in a northwesterly
direction across the vast prairie to Junction A of the Northwestern
Trunk Line, where it joins the common track of the Dolon Nor-Urga line
to Urga. This line runs from a thickly populated country at one end
in Central China to the vast thinly populated but fertile regions of
Central Mongolia, having a distance of about 1,300 miles from Tingyuen
to Junction A.
c. The Great Eastern Port-Uliassutai Line
Starting from the Great Eastern Port, this line follows line (a) as far
as Tingyuen, and line (b) as far as Pochow. At Pochow, it branches off
on its own track and proceeds westward across the border to Luye, in
Honan. Thence it turns northwestward to Taikang, Tungsu, and Chungmow
where it meets the Hailan line and runs in the same direction with
it to Chengchow, Jungyang, and Szeshui. From Szeshui it crosses the
Hoangho to Wenhsien, thence to Hwaiking and over the Honan border into
Shansi. It now passes through Yangcheng, Chinshui, and Fowshan to
Pingyang where it crosses the Fen River and proceeds to Puhsien and
Taning, then westward to the border where it crosses the Hoangho into
Shensi. Thence it proceeds to Yenchang, and follows the Yenshui Valley
to Yenan, Siaokwan, and Tsingpien. Then running along the south side of
the Great Wall, it enters Kansu, and crosses the Hoangho to Ninghsia.
From Ninghsia, it proceeds northwestward across the Alashan Mountain
to Tingyuanying at the edge of the desert. Thence it proceeds in a
straight line northwestward to Junction B of the Northwestern Railway
System, where it joins that system and runs to Uliassutai. This part
of the line passes through desert and grassland both of which could
be improved by irrigation. The distance of this line from Pochow to
Junction B is 1,800 miles.
d. The Nanking-Loyang Line
This line runs between two former capitals of China, passes through a
very populous and fertile country, and taps a very rich coal field at
the Loyang end. It starts from Nanking, running on the common track
of lines (a) and (b) and branches off at Hwaiyuan westward to Taiho.
After passing Taiho, it crosses the Anhwei border into Honan. Thence
it runs alongside the left bank of the Tashaho to Chowkiakow, a large
commercial town. From Chowkiakow, it proceeds to Linying where it
crosses the Peking-Hankow line thence to Hiangcheng and Yuchow where
the rich coal field of Honan lies. After Yuchow it crosses the Sungshan
watershed to Loyang where it meets the Hailan line running from east to
west. This line is about 300 miles from Hwaiyuan to Loyang.
e. The Nanking-Hankow Line
This line will run alongside the left bank of the Yangtzekiang,
connecting with Kiukiang by a branch line. It starts on the opposite
side of Nanking and goes southwest to Hochow, Wuweichow and Anking,
the capital of Anwei province. After Anking, it continues in the same
direction to Susung and Hwangmei, where a branch should be projected
to Siaochikow, thence across the Yangtze River to Kiukiang. After
Hwangmei, the line turns westward to Kwangchi, then northwestward to
Kishui, and finally westward to Hankow. It covers a distance of about
350 miles through a comparatively level country.
f. The Sian-Tatung Line
This line starts from Sian and runs northward to Sanyuan, Yaochow,
Tungkwan, Yichun, Chungpu, Foochow, Kanchuan, and Yenan, where it
meets the Great Eastern Port-Uliassutai line. From Yenan, it turns
northeastward to Suiteh, Michih, and Kiachow on the right bank of
the Hoangho. Thence it runs along the same bank to the junction of
the Weifen River with the Hoangho (on the opposite side), where it
crosses the Hoangho to the Weifen Valley and proceeds to Singhsien and
Kolan, there crossing the Great Eastern Port-Urga line. From Kolan,
it proceeds to Wuchai and Yangfang, where it crosses the Great Wall
to Sochow and then Tatung there meeting the Peking-Suiyuan line. This
line is about 600 miles long. It passes through the famous oil field in
Shensi, and the northern border of the northwestern Shansi coal field.
At Tatung, where it ends, it joins the Peking-Suiyuan line and through
the section from Tatung to Kalgan it will connect with the future
Northwestern System which will link Kalgan and Dolon Nor together.
g. The Sian-Ninghsia Line
This line will start from Sian in a northwesterly direction to
Kingyanghsien, Shunhwa, and Sanshui. After Sanshui, it crosses the
Shensi border into Kansu at Chengning and then turns west to Ningchow.
From Ningchow, it follows the Hwan Valley along the left bank of the
river up to Kingyangfu and Hwanhsien, where it leaves the bank and
proceeds to Tsingping and Pingyuan, where it meets the Hwan River
again and follows that valley up to the watershed. After crossing
the watershed, it proceeds to Lingchow, then across the Hoangho to
Ninghsia. This line covers a distance of about 400 miles and passes
through a rich mineral and petroleum country.
h. The Sian-Hankow Line
This is a very important line connecting the richest portion of the
Hoangho Valley with the richest portion of the central section of the
Yangtze Valley. It starts from Sian on the track of line (a), crosses
the Tsingling and descends the Tankiang Valley as far as Sichwan. At
this point, it branches off southward across the border into Hupeh, and
following the left bank of the Han River, passes Laohokow to Fencheng,
opposite Siangyang. After Fencheng, it follows continuously the same
bank of the Han River to Anlu, thence proceeding in a direct line
southeastward to Hanchwan and Hankow. This line is about 300 miles long.
i. The Sian-Chungking Line
This line starts from Sian almost directly southward, crosses the
Tsingling Mountain into the Han Valley, passes through Ningshen,
Shihchuan, and Tzeyang, ascends the Jenho Valley across the southern
border of Shensi into the province of Szechwan at Tachuho. Then
crossing the watershed of the Tapashan into the Tapingho Valley, it
follows that valley down to Suiting and Chuhsien. Thence it turns to
the left side of the valley to Linshui and follows the trade road to
Kiangpeh and Chungking. The entire distance of this line is about 450
miles through a very productive region and rich timber land.
j. The Lanchow-Chungking Line
This line starts from Lanchow southwestward and follows the same route
as line (a) as far as Titao. Thence, it branches off and ascends the
Taoho Valley across the Minshan watershed into the Heishui Valley
following it down to Kiaichow and Pikow. After Pikow, it crosses the
Kansu border into Szechwan and proceeds to Chaohwa, where the Heishuiho
joins the Kialing. From Chaohwa, it follows the course of the Kialing
River down to Paoning, Shunking, Hochow, and Chungking. The line is
about 600 miles long, running through a very productive and rich
mineral land.
k. The Ansichow-Iden line
This line passes through the fertile belt of land between the Gobi
Desert and the Altyntagh Mountain. Although this strip of land is
well watered by numerous mountain streams yet it is very sparsely
populated, owing to the lack of means of communication. When this line
is completed, this strip of land will be most valuable to Chinese
colonists. The line starts from Ansichow westward to Tunhwang, and
skirts the southern edge of the Lobnor Swamp to Chochiang. From
Chochiang, it proceeds in the same direction via Cherchen to Iden where
it connects with the terminus of the Northwestern System. With this
System, it forms a continuous and direct line from the Great Eastern
Port to Kashgar at the extreme west end of China. This line from
Ansichow to Iden is about 800 miles in length.
l. The Chochiang-Koria Line
This line runs across the desert alongside the lower part of the Tarim
River. The land on both sides of the line is well watered and will be
valuable for colonization as soon as the railroad is completed. This
line is about 250 miles in length and connects with the line that
runs along the northern edge of the desert. It is a short cut between
fertile lands on the two sides of the desert.
m. The Great Northern Port-Hami Line
This line runs from the Great Northern Port in a northwesterly
direction by way of Paoti and Siangho to Peking. From Peking it
runs on the same track with the Peking-Kalgan Railway to Kalgan,
where it ascends the Mongolian Plateau. Then it follows the caravan
road northwestward to Chintai, Bolutai, Sessy, and Tolibulyk. From
Tolibulyk, it takes a straight line westward crossing the prairie and
desert of both the Inner and Outer Mongolia to Hami where it connects
with the Great Eastern Port-Tarbogotai line which runs almost directly
west to Urumochi, the capital of Sinkiang. Thus, it will be the direct
line from Urumochi to Peking and the Great Northern Port. This line is
about 1,500 miles in length, the greater part of which will run through
arable land and so when it is completed it will form one of the most
valuable railways for colonization.
n. The Great Northern Port-Sian Line
This line will run westward from the Great Northern Port to Tientsin.
From here it runs southwestward to Hokien, passing through Tsinghai
and Tachen. From Hokien, it runs more westerly to Shentseh, Wuki, and
Chengting where it joins the Chengtai line as well as crosses the
Kinhan line. From Chengting it takes the same road as the narrow gauge
Chengtai line which has to be reconstructed into standard gauge so as
to facilitate through trains to Taiyuan and farther on. From Taiyuan
it runs southwestward to Kiaocheng, Wenshui, Fenchow, Sichow, and
Taning. After Taning it turns westward and crossing the Hoangho, it
turns southwestward to Yichwan, Lochwan, and Chungpu where it joins the
Sian-Tatung line and runs on the same tracks to Sian. Its length is
about 700 miles over very rich and extensive iron, coal, and petroleum
fields, as well as productive agricultural lands.
o. The Great Northern Port-Hankow Line
This line starts from the Great Northern Port skirting the coast to
Petang, Taku, and Chikow, thence to Yenshan and crosses the Chili
border into Shantung at Loling. From Loling, it goes to Tehping,
Linyi and Yucheng where it crosses the Tientsin-Pukow line, proceeds
to Tungchang and Fanhsien, and then crosses the Hoangho to Tsaochow.
After Tsaochow it passes the Shantung border into Honan, crossing the
Hailan line to Suichow. From Suichow it proceeds to Taikang where it
crosses line (c), then to Chenchow and Chowkiakow where it crosses line
(d) and thence to Siangcheng, Sintsai, Kwangchow, and Kwangshan. After
Kwangshan it crosses the boundary mountain into Hupeh, passing through
Hwangan to Hankow. This line is about 700 miles long, running from the
Great Northern Port to the commercial center of central China.
p. The Hoangho Port-Hankow Line
This line starts from the Hoangho Port in a southwesterly direction to
Pohsing, Sincheng, and Changshan, then across the Kiauchow-Tsinan line
to Poshan. Thence it ascends the watershed into the Wen Valley to Taian
where it crosses the Tientsin-Pukow line to Ningyang and Tsining.
From Tsining it proceeds in a straight line southwestward to Pochow in
Anhwei, and Sintsai in Honan. At Sintsai it joins the Great Northern
Port-Hankow line to Hankow. The distance of this line from the Hoangho
Port to Sintsai is about 400 miles.
q. The Chefoo-Hankow Line
This line starts at Chefoo on the northern side of the Shantung
Peninsula and crosses that Peninsula to Tsimo, on the southern side,
via Laiyang and Kinkiakow. From Tsimo it proceeds southwestward across
the shallow mud flat at the head of Kiauchow Bay in a straight line
to Chucheng. After Chucheng it crosses the watershed into the Shuho
Valley to Chuchow and Ichow, then proceeds to Hsuchow where it meets
the Tientsin-Pukow line and the Hailan line. From Hsuchow it runs on
the same track with the Tientsin-Pukow line as far as Suchow in Anhwei,
then branches off to Mongcheng and Yinchow, and crosses the border into
Honan at Kwangchow, where it meets the Great Northern Port-Hankow line
and proceeds together to Hankow. This line from Chefoo to Kwangchow is
about 550 miles in length.
r. The Haichow-Tsinan Line
This line starts from Haichow following the Linhung River to Kwantunpu,
then turns westward to Ichow. From Ichow it turns first northward then
northwestward, passing by Mongyin and Sintai to Tai-an. At Tai-an it
joins the Tsinpu line and proceeds in the same track to Tsinan. This
line covers a distance, from Haichow to Tai-an, of about 110 miles,
tapping the coal and iron fields of southern Shantung.
s. The Haichow-Hankow Line
This line starts at Haichow in a southwesterly direction, goes to
Shuyang and Sutsien, probably in the same route as the projected
Hailan line. From Sutsien it proceeds to Szechow and Hwaiyuan, where
it crosses the Great Eastern Port Urga and Uliassutai lines. After
Hwaiyuan it goes to Showchow and Chenyangkwan, thence continuing in
the same direction across the southeastern corner of Honan and the
boundary mountain into Hupeh, proceeds to Macheng and Hankow, covering
a distance of about 400 miles.
t. The Haichow-Nanking Line
This line goes from Haichow southward to Antung then inclining a little
south to Hwaian. After Hwaian it crosses the Paoying Lake (which will
be reclaimed according to the regulation of the Hwaiho in Part IV,
Program II) to Tienchang and Luho, thence to Nanking. Distance, about
180 miles.
u. The Sinyangkang-Hankow Line
This line starts from Sinyangkang to Yencheng, then crossing the
Tasung Lake (which will be reclaimed) to Hwaian. From Hwaian it turns
southwestward passing over the southeastern corner of the Hungtse
Lake (which will also be reclaimed) to Suyi, in Anhwei. After Suyi,
it crosses the Tientsin-Pukow line near Mingkwang, to Tingyuen, where
it meets lines (b) and (c). After Tingyuen, it proceeds to Lu-an and
Hwoshan, then crosses the boundary mountain into Hupeh passing through
Lotien to Hankow, a distance of about 420 miles.
v. The Luszekang-Nanking Line
This line starts at Luszekang, a fishing harbor to be constructed
at the extremity of the northern point of the Yangtze Estuary. From
Luszekang it proceeds westward to Tungchow where it turns northwestward
to Jukao, and then westward to Taichow, Yangchow, Luho, and Nanking.
This line is about 200 miles long.
w. The Coast Line
This line starts at the Great Northern Port, and follows the Great
Northern Port-Hankow line as far as Chikow, where it begins its own
line. Keeping along the coast, it crosses the Chili border to the
Hoangho Port, in Shantung, then proceeds to Laichow where it takes
a straight cut away from the coast to Chaoyuan and Chefoo, thus
avoiding the projected Chefoo-Weihsien line. From Chefoo it proceeds
southeastward through Ninghai to Wenteng, where one branch runs to
Jungcheng and another to Shihtao. The main line turns southwestward
to Haiyang and Kinkiakow, where it joins the Chefoo-Hankow line, and
follows it as far as the western side of Kiauchow Bay, thence southward
to Lingshanwei. From Lingshanwei the line proceeds southwestward along
the coast to Jichao, and crosses the Shantung border into Kiangsu,
passing Kanyu to Haichow. Thence it proceeds southeastward to Yencheng,
Tungtai, Tungchow, Haimen, and Tsungming Island which will be connected
with the mainland by the regulation works of Yangtze embankment. From
Tsungming trains can be ferried over to Shanghai. This line from Chikow
to Tsungming is about 1,000 miles in length.
x. The Hwoshan-Wuhu-Soochow-Kashing Line
This line starts from Hwoshan to Shucheng and Wuwei, then across the
Yangtze River to Wuhu. After Wuhu it goes to Kaoshun, Liyang, and
Ihing, then crosses over the northern end of Taihu (which will be
reclaimed) to Soochow, where it meets the Shanghai-Nanking line. From
Soochow it turns southward to Kashing on the Shanghai-Hangchow line.
This line runs over very populous and rich districts of Anhwei and
Kiangsu provinces, covering a distance of about 300 miles, which will
form the greater part of the shortest line from Shanghai to Hankow.
PART II
The Southeastern Railway System
This system covers the irregular triangle which is formed by the Coast
line between the Great Eastern and the Great Southern Ports, as the
base, by the Yangtze River from Chungking to Shanghai, as one side,
and by line (a) of the Canton-Chungking Railway as the other side,
with Chungking as the apex. This triangle comprises the provinces of
Chekiang, Fukien, and Kiangsi, and a part respectively of Kiangsu,
Anhwei, Hupeh, Hunan, and Kwangtung. This region is very rich in
mineral and agricultural products, especially iron and coal deposits
which are found everywhere. And the whole region is thickly populated.
So railway construction will be very remunerative.
With the Great Eastern Port and the Great Southern Port and the
second-and third-class ports that lie between the two as termini
of this system of railroads, I propose that the following lines be
constructed:
a. The Great Eastern Port-Chungking Line.
b. The Great Eastern Port-Canton Line.
c. The Foochow-Chinkiang Line.
d. The Foochow-Wuchang Line.
e. The Foochow-Kweilin Line.
f. The Wenchow-Shenchow Line.
g. The Amoy-Kienchang Line.
h. The Amoy-Canton Line.
i. The Swatow-Changteh Line.
j. The Nanking-Siuchow Line.
k. The Nanking-Kaying Line.
l. The Coast Line between the Great Eastern and Great Southern Ports.
m. The Kienchang-Yuanchow Line.
a. The Great Eastern Port-Chungking Line
This line connects the commercial center of western
China--Chungking--with the Great Eastern Port in almost a straight
route south of the Yangtze River. It starts from the Great Eastern
Port and goes to Hangchow, then through Linan, Ghanghwa, to Hweichow,
in Anhwei. From Hweichow it proceeds to Siuning and Kimen, then
crosses the border into Kiangsi and passing Hukow reaches Kiukiang.
From Kiukiang it follows the right bank of the Yangtze, crosses
the Hupeh border to Hingkwochow and then proceeds to Tungshan and
Tsungyang, where it passes over the border to Yochow in Hunan. From
Yochow it takes a straight line across the Tungting Lake (which will
be reclaimed) to Changteh. From Changteh it proceeds up the Liu Shui
Valley, passing through Tzeli, and crossing the Hunan border to Hofeng,
in Hupeh and then to Shinan and Lichwan. At Shinan a branch should be
projected northeastward to Ichang, and at Lichwan another branch should
be projected northwestward to Wanhsien, both on the left side of the
Yangtze River. After Lichwan it crosses the Hupeh border into Szechwan,
passing Shihchu to Foochow, then passes the Wukiang and proceeds along
the right side of the Yangtze River as far as lines (a) and (b) of the
Canton-Chungking Railway and then crosses together on the same bridge
to Chungking on the other side of the river. The length of this line
including branches, is about 1,200 miles.
b. The Great Eastern Port-Canton Line
This is a straight line from one first-class seaport to another.
It starts from the Great Eastern Port and goes to Hangchow, then
turning southwestward, follows the left bank of the Tsien Tang River
through Fuyang, Tunglu to Yenchow and Chuchow. Then it proceeds
across the Chekiang-Kiangsi border to Kwangsin. From Kwangsin it goes
through Shangtsing and Kinki to Kienchang, then proceeds to Nanfeng,
Kwangchang, and Ningtu. After Ningtu it proceeds to Yutu, Sinfeng,
Lungnan, and crossing the boundary mountain of Kiangsi and Kwangtung,
to Changning. Thence via Tsungfa it goes to Canton, covering a distance
of about 900 miles.
c. The Foochow-Chinkiang Line
This line starts from Foochow, goes by way of Loyuan and Ningteh to
Fuan, and then proceeds across the Fukien-Chekiang border to Taishun,
Kingning, Yunho, and Chuchow. Thence it proceeds to Wuyi, Yiwu, Chukih,
and Hangchow. After Hangchow it goes to Tehtsing and Huchow and then
crosses the Chekiang border into Kiangsu. Then it proceeds by way of
Ihing, Kintan, and Tanyang to Chinkiang. This line is about 550 miles
in length.
d. The Foochow-Wuchang Line
This line starts from Foochow and following the left bank of the Min
River and passing Shuikow and Yenping reaches Shaowu. After Shaowu, it
proceeds across the Fukien border into Kiangsi and then passes through
Kienchang and Fuchow to Nanchang, the capital of Kiangsi. From Nanchang
it proceeds to Hingkwo, in Hupeh, and passes on to Wuchang, the capital
of Hupeh. It covers a distance of about 550 miles.
e. The Foochow-Kweilin Line
This line starts from Foochow, crosses the Min River and proceeds by
way of Yungfu, Tatien, Ningyang, and Liencheng to Tingchow. Thence it
crosses the Fukien-Kiangsi border to Shuikin. From Shuikin it proceeds
to Yutu and Kanchow and then to Shangyiu and Chungyi. After Chungyi it
crosses the Kiangsi-Hunan border to Kweiyanghsien and Chenchow, where
it crosses the Canton-Hankow line to Kweiyangchow. Thence it continues
to Sintien, Ningyuan, and Taochow, where it meets lines (a) and (b)
of the Canton-Chungking Railway. After Taochow it turns southward
following the Taoho Valley to the Kwangsi border and then crossing it,
proceeds to Kweilin. This line covers a distance of about 750 miles.
f. The Wenchow-Shenchow Line
This line begins from the new Wenchow Port and follows the left bank
of the Wukiang as far as Tsingtien. From Tsingtien it proceeds to
Chuchow and Suenping and turns westward across the Chekiang border
to Yushan in Kiangsi. After Yushan it goes to Tehsing, Loping, and
then skirting the southern shore of Poyang Lake goes through Yukan to
Nanchang, the capital of Kiangsi. From Nanchang it proceeds to Juichow,
Shangkao, and Wantsai, then crosses the Kiangsi border to Liuyang in
Hunan, and Changsha, the capital of Hunan. After Changsha it goes to
Ningsiang, Anhwa, and Shenchow where it connects with line (a) of the
Canton-Chungking Railway, and with the Shasi-Singyi line. This line
covers a distance of about 850 miles.
g. The Amoy-Kienchang Line
This line starts from the new port of Amoy and goes to Changtai, then
following the Kiulungkiang to Changping, Ningyang, Tsingliu, and
Kienning. After Kienning it proceeds across the Kiangsi border to
Kienchang, where it connects with the Great Eastern Port-Canton line,
the Foochow-Wuchang line, and the Kienchang-Yuanchow line. This line
covers a distance of about 250 miles.
h. The Amoy-Canton Line
This line starts at the new port of Amoy, and proceeds to Changchow,
Nantsing, and Siayang, where it crosses the Fukien border to Tapu, in
Kwangtung. From Tapu it goes to Tsungkow, Kaying, Hinning, and Wuhwa.
After Wuhwa it crosses the watershed between the Hankiang and the
Tungkiang rivers to Lungchan, then following the Tungkiang down to
Hoyun, it crosses another watershed to Lungmoon, Tsengshin and Canton.
This line covers a distance of about 400 miles.
i. The Swatow-Changteh Line
This line starts from Swatow, proceeds to Chaochow, Kaying, and then
crosses the Kwangtung border to Changning in Kiangsi. From Changning
it crosses the watershed into Kungkiang Valley and follows that river
down to Hweichang and Kanchow. From Kanchow it proceeds to Lungchuan,
Yungning, and Lienhwa, where it crosses the Kiangsi border into Hunan.
After that, it proceeds to Chuchow and Changsha, the capital of Hunan.
From Changsha it goes to Ningsiang, Yiyang, and Changteh where it
ends, connecting with the Great Eastern Port-Chungking line, and the
Shasia-Singyi line. This line covers a distance of about 650 miles.
j. The Nanking-Siuchow Line
This line starts from Nanking and runs along the right bank of the
Yangtze to Taiping, Wuhu, Tungling, Chichow, and Tungliu. After
Tungliu it passes over the Anhwei border into Kiangsi, at Pengtseh,
and goes to Hukow. At Hukow it meets the Great Eastern Port-Chungking
line and crosses the bridge together with that line to the projected
Poyang Port. From the Poyang Port it runs along the west shore of
the Poyang Lake through Nanking and Wucheng to Nanchang, where it
meets the Wenchow-Shenchow and Foochow-Wuchang lines. From Nanchang
it proceeds up the Kan Kiang Valley, via Linkiang to Kian, where it
crosses the projected Kienchang-Yuanchow line. After Kian, it proceeds
to Kanchow where it crosses the Foochow-Kweilin line. Thence it goes to
Nankanghsien and Nanan. After Nanan it crosses the boundary mountain,
Tayuling, into Kwangtung at Nanyung, thence passes through Chihing to
Siuchow, where it meets the Canton-Hankow line. This line covers a
distance of about 800 miles.
k. The Nanking-Kaying Line
This line starts from Nanking, proceeds to Lishui and Kaoshun and then
crosses the Kiangsu border into Anhwei at Suencheng. From Suencheng it
proceeds to Ningkwo and Hweichow. After Hweichow it crosses the Anhwei
border into Chekiang, passing through Kaihwa, Changshan, and Kiangshan,
and leaving Chekiang enters Fukien at Pucheng. From Pucheng it proceeds
via Kienningfu to Yenping where it crosses the Foochow-Wuchang line and
then goes through Shahsien and Yungan to Ningyang, where it meets the
Foochow-Kweilin and Amoy-Kienchang lines. From Ningyang it proceeds to
Lungyen and Yungting, then joining the Amoy-Canton line at Tsungkow
proceeds together to Kaying, its terminus. This line runs over a
distance of about 750 miles.
l. The Coast Line Between the Great Eastern and the Great Southern Ports
This line starts from the Great Southern Port--Canton--proceeds in
the same direction as the Canton-Kowloon line as far as Shelung and
then goes its own way following the course of the Tungkiang River to
Waichow. From Waichow it proceeds to Samtochuck, Haifung, and Lukfung,
then turning northeastward goes to Kityang and Chaochow. After Chaochow
it goes to Jaoping, then crossing the Kwangtung-Fukien border to
Chaoan. Thence it proceeds to Yunsiao, Changpu, Changchow, and Amoy.
From Amoy it proceeds to Chuanchow, Hinghwa, and Foochow, the capital
of Fukien. After Foochow it proceeds in the same direction as the
Foochow-Chinkiang line, as far as Fuan, then turns eastward to Funing,
and northward to Futing. After Futing it crosses the Fukien border
into Chekiang and proceeds through Pingyang to Wenchow. At Wenchow it
crosses the Wukiang and proceeds to Lotsing, Hwangyen, and Taichow.
Thence, it proceeds through Ninghai to Ningpo, its own terminus, where
it connects with the Ningpo-Hangchow line, thus linking it up with
the Great Eastern Port via Hangchow. This line covers a distance from
Canton to Ningpo of about 1,100 miles.
m. The Kienchang-Yuanchow Line
This line starts from Kienchang and runs through Yihwang, Loan,
Yungfeng, and Kishui to Kian, where it crosses the Nanking-Siuchow
line. After Kian it proceeds to Yungsin and Lienhwa where it meets
the Swatow-Changteh line. Thence it crosses the Kiangsi border into
Hunan, at Chaling, then through Anjen to Hengchow where it crosses the
Canton-Hankow line. From Hengchow the line proceeds to Paoking where
it crosses line (a) of the Canton-Chungking Railway then westward to
Yuanchow, its terminus, where it joins with the Shasi-Singyi line. This
line covers a distance of about 550 miles. The total length of this
Southeastern Railway System is about 9,000 miles.
PART III
The Northeastern Railway System
This system will cover the whole of Manchuria, a part of Mongolia, and
a part of Chihli province--an area of nearly 500,000 square miles, with
a population of 25,000,000. This region is surrounded by mountains
on three sides and opens on the south to the Liaotung Gulf. Amidst
these three mountain ranges lies a vast and fertile plain drained by
three rivers--the Nonni on the north, the Sungari on the northeast,
and the Liaoho on the south. This part of China was once regarded as a
desert, but since the completion of the Chinese Eastern Railway it has
been found to be the most productive soil in China. It supplies the
whole of Japan and a part of China with nitrogenous food in the form
of soya bean. This bean, the wonderful properties of which were early
discovered by the Chinese, contains the richest nitrogenous substance
among vegetables and has been used as a meat substitute for many
thousand years. Vegetable milk is extracted from this bean, and from
this milk various kinds of preparations are made. The extraction from
this bean has been proved by modern chemists to be richer than any kind
of meat. The Chinese and the Japanese have used this kind of artificial
meat and milk from time immemorial. Recently food administrators in
Europe and America have paid great attention to this meat substitute,
while the export of soya bean to Europe and America has steadily
increased. This Manchu-Mongolian plain is destined to be the source of
the world's supply of soya bean. Besides soya bean, this plain also
produces a great quantity of various kinds of grains, and supplies
the entire Eastern Siberia with wheat. The Manchurian mountains are
exceedingly rich in timber and minerals--gold being especially found in
great quantities in many localities.
Railway construction in this region has proved to be a most profitable
undertaking. At present there are already three railway systems
tapping this rich country, viz., the Peking-Mukden line, the best
paying railroad in China, the Japanese South-Manchurian Railway, also
a very remunerative line, and the Chinese Eastern Railway, the best
paying portion of the whole Siberian system. Besides these, there are
many lines projected by the Japanese. In order to develop this rich
region properly a network of railways should be projected.
Before dealing with the separate lines of this network of railways, I
should like to propose a center for them, just as the spider's nest is
to a cobweb. I shall name this central city "Tungchin," the Eastern
Mart, which should be situated at a point southwest of the junction
of the Sungari and Nonni rivers, about 110 miles west by south from
Harbin, and will be in a more advantageous position than the latter.
This new city will be the center not only of the railway system but
also of the inland water communication when the Liaoho-Sungari Canal is
completed.
With the projected city of Tungchin as a center, I propose the
following lines:
a. The Tungchin-Hulutao line.
b. The Tungchin-Great Northern Port line.
c. The Tungchin-Dolon Nor line.
d. The Tungchin-Kerulen line
e. The Tungchin-Moho line.
f. The Tungchin-Korfen line.
g. The Tungchin-Yaoho line.
h. The Tungchin-Yenchi line.
i. The Tungchin-Changpeh line.
j. The Hulutao-Jehol-Peking line.
k. The Hulutao-Kerulen line.
l. The Hulutao-Hailar line.
m. The Hulutao-Antung line.
n. The Moho-Suiyuan line.
o. The Huma-Chilalin or Shihwei line.
p. The Ussuri-Tumen-Yalu-Coast line.
q. The Linkiang-Dolon Nor line.
r. The Chikatobo-Sansing or Ilan line.
s. The Sansing or Ilan-Kirin line.
t. The Kirin-Dolon Nor line.
a. The Tungchin-Hulutao Line
This is the first line that radiates from this projected Manchurian
railway center, and is the shorter of the two direct lines that lead
to the ice-free ports on the Liaotung-Chihli Gulf. It runs almost
parallel to the South Manchurian Railway, the distance between the
two lines being about 80 miles at the northern end, converging to 40
miles at Sinmin, and diverging again after that point. According to
the original agreement with the former Russian Government, no parallel
line within 100 miles was allowed to be built. But such restriction
must be abolished under this new International Development Scheme for
the benefit of all concerned. This line starts from Tungchin, and
proceeds southward across the vast Manchurian plain by Changling,
Shuangshan, Liaoyuan, and Kangping, to Sinmin in a straight line
covering a distance of about 270 miles. After Sinmin, the line joins
the Peking-Mukden Railway and runs on the same track for a distance of
about 130 miles to Hulutao.
b. The Tungchin-Great Northern Port Line
This line is the second that radiates from this railway center direct
to a deep water ice-free seaport. It starts from Tungchin, proceeding
in a southwesterly direction, passes Kwangan, midway between Tungchin
and the West Liaoho, and many other small settlements before it crosses
the Liaoho. After crossing the Liaoho, it enters the mountainous
regions of the Jehol district by a valley to Fowsin, a hsien city, and
crosses the watershed into the Talingho Valley. After passing through
the Talingho Valley, the line crosses another watershed into the Luan
Valley by a branch of the same river. Then it penetrates the Great Wall
and proceeds to the Great Northern Port by way of Yungping and Loting.
The whole length of this line is about 550 miles, the first half of
which is on level land and the second half in mountainous country.
c. The Tungchin-Dolon Nor Line
This is the third line that radiates from the railway center and
proceeds nearly in a westerly direction across the plain to Taonan
where it crosses the projected Aigun-Jehol line (Japanese), and also
meets the termini of two other projected lines, the Changchun-Taonan
and the Tsengkiatun-Taonan (Japanese). After Taonan, the line turns
more southward by skirting along the foothills of the southeastern side
of the Great Khingan range where vast virgin forests and rich minerals
are found. Then it passes through the upper Liaoho Valley formed by
the Great Khingan Mountain on the north, and the Jehol Mountain on the
south and through the towns of Linsi and Kingpang to Dolon Nor, where
it meets the trunk line of the Northwestern Railway system. This line
covers a distance of about 480 miles, a greater part of which is on
level land.
d. The Tungchin-Kerulen Line
This is the fourth line that radiates from the Tungchin Railway
center. It runs in a northwesterly direction almost parallel with the
Harbin-Manchuli line of the Chinese Eastern Railway, the distance
between the two lines varying from 100 to 130 miles. The line starts
from Tungchin on the north side of the junction of the Nonni and
Sungari rivers and proceeds westward across the Nonni River to Talai,
and then turns northwestward across the plain into the valley of the
north branch of the Guileli River. After entering the valley, it
follows the stream up to its source, then crosses the Great Khingan
Mountain watershed into the Mongolian Plain by the Khalka River, and
follows the right bank of this river to the north end of Bor Nor Lake.
Thence it turns directly westward to the Kerulen River, and follows
the south bank of the river to Kerulen. This line covers a distance of
about 630 miles.
e. The Tungchin-Moho Line
This is the fifth line that radiates from this railway center. It
starts from the north side of the junction of the Nonni and Sungari
rivers, and proceeds northwestward across the northern end of the Great
Manchurian Plain to Tsitsiha. At Tsitsiha, it joins the projected
Kinchow-Aigun line and proceeds together northwestward alongside the
left bank of the Nonni River as far as Nunkiang where it separates from
the other. Thence it resumes the northwesterly direction and proceeds
into the upper Nonni Valley until the headwater is reached. Then it
crosses the northern extremity of the Great Khingan Range to Moho,
where it joins the terminus of the Dolon Nor-Moho line. This line is
about 600 miles long. About a quarter of this length runs on the plain,
the second quarter runs along the lower Nonni Valley, the third along
the Upper Valley, and the fourth runs in mountainous but gold-bearing
regions, where only physical difficulties are to be expected.
f. The Tungchin-Korfen Line
This is the sixth line from the railway center. It also starts on the
northern side of the Nonni-Sungari junction, and proceeds across the
plain by the cities Chaotung and Tsingkang. After Tsingkang it crosses
the Tungkun River, proceeds to Hailun, and then, ascending the Tungkun
Valley, crosses the watershed of the Little Khingan Mountain. Thence it
descends into the Korfen Valley and proceeds by Chelu to Korfen on the
right bank of the Amur River. This line covers a distance of 350 miles,
two thirds of which run on comparatively level land and one third in
mountainous district. This is the shortest line from Tungchin to the
Amur River and the Russian territory on yonder side.
g. The Tungchin-Yaoho Line
This is the seventh line that radiates from this railway center.
It starts from the northern side of the Nonni-Sungari junction and
traverses the plain on the left of the Sungari River by Chaochow, then
crosses the Chinese Eastern Railway, and the Hulan River to Hulan.
After Hulan, it proceeds to Payen, Mulan, and Tungho, then crosses the
Sungari River to Sansing, now called Ilan. Thence it proceeds into the
Wokan Valley and crosses the watershed by Chihsingshitse and Takokai
into the Noloho Valley and passing by various villages and towns along
this river to Yaohohsien, ends at the junction of the Noloho and the
Ussuri River. This line covers a distance of 500 miles in very fertile
country.
h. The Tungchin-Yenchi Line
This is the eighth line that radiates from this railway center. It
starts from the eastern side of the Nonni-Sungari junction and proceeds
in a southeasterly direction on the right side of the Sungari River to
Fuyu or Petunai and various towns along the road on the same side of
the river until it comes across the Harbin-Talien Railway, then turns
away from the road and proceeds eastward to Yushu and Wuchang. After
Wuchang, the line turning more southward, proceeds to Fengtechang and
then follows the same direction to Omu. At Omu, it crosses the Mutan
River, then proceeds to Liangshuichuan and Shehtauho, where it joins
the Japanese Hweining-Kirin line and proceeds together to Yenchi. This
line covers a length of about 330 miles through very rich agricultural
and mineral country.
i. The Tungchin-Changpeh Line
This is the ninth line that radiates from the Tungchin railway center.
It starts from the south side of the Nonni-Sungari junction and
proceeds in a southeasterly direction across the plain to Nungan.
After Nungan, it crosses the Itung River and proceeds continuously
in the same direction across several branches of the same river to
Kiudaichan, where it joins the Changchun-Kirin line and proceeds
together as far as Kirin. After Kirin, it goes its own way following
the right bank of the Sungari River in a southeasterly direction to
the junction of Lafaho River and turns southward along the same bank of
the Sungari to Huatien. After Huatien, it continues in the same course
up to Toutaokiang, as far as Fusung, then turns southeastward into the
Sunghsiangho Valley and proceeds upward to the Changpeh Shan watershed
by skirting the south side of the Celestial Lake, then turns southward
following the Aikiang River to Changpeh on the Korean frontier. This
line covers a distance of about 330 miles. Some great difficulties are
to be overcome in the last portion of the line where it crosses the
Changpeh watershed.
j. The Hulutao-Jehol-Peking Line
With this line I shall begin to deal with a new group of the
Northeastern Railway System which will make Hulutao, the ice-free port
on the Liaotung Gulf as their center and terminus. This, the first
line, starts from Hulutao and proceeds westward up the Shaho Valley
to Sintaipienmen. Thence it crosses the mountainous district through
Haiting, Mangniuyingtse, and Sanshihkiatse to Pingchuan, and continues
in the same direction to Jehol or Chengteh. After Jehol, it proceeds
by the old imperial highway to Lwanping, then turns southwestward to
Kupehkow where it penetrates the Great Wall. Thence it follows the same
highway through Miyun and Shunyi to Peking. This line covers a distance
of about 270 miles.
k. The Hulutao-Kerulen Line
This is the second line of the Hulutao radiation. It starts from this
seaport and proceeds northward through the mountainous region of
Jehol by Kienping and Chihfeng. Thence, the line follows the highway
across the Upper Valley of Liaoho to Chianchang, Sitoo, Takinkou, and
Linsi. After Linsi, it proceeds up the Lukiako Valley and crosses the
watershed at the southern extremity of the Great Khingan Mountain,
through Kanchumiao and Yufuchih. Then it proceeds to Payenbolak,
Uniket, and Khombukure where it joins with the Dolon Nor-Kerulen line
and proceeds together to Kerulen. This line up to Khombukure covers a
distance of about 450 miles, tapping a very rich mineral, timber, and
agricultural country.
l. The Hulutao-Hailar Line
This, the third line, starts from Hulutao and proceeds by way of
Chinchow along the west side on the Talingho River to Yichow, where
it crosses the Talingho to Chinghopienmen and Fowsin. After Fowsin,
the line goes northward to Suitung, thence, crossing the Siliaoho to
Kailu, it proceeds between the Great and Little Fish Lakes to Kinpan
and Tachuan. Then it proceeds across the Great Khingan Mountain into
the Oman Valley and follows the same river to Hailar. This line
covers a distance of about 600 miles passing through rich mineral and
agricultural land and virgin forests.
m. The Hulutao-Antung Line
This, the fourth line, starts from Hulutao and proceeding
northeastward, follows the course of the projected Liaoho-Hulutao
Canal, and then goes eastward to Newchwang and Haicheng. From there it
proceeds southeastward to Sinmuchen, where it joins the Antung-Mukden
line and proceeds together to Antung on the Korean border. This
line covers a distance of about 220 miles. This together with the
Hulutao-Jehol-Peking line will make the shortest line from Antung and
beyond, i.e., Korea, to Peking.
n. The Moho-Suiyuan Line
With this as the first I am going to deal with another group of lines
in this system. These will be the circumferential lines which link up
the radii from the Tungchin center in two semicircles, the outer and
the inner. This Moho-Suiyuan line starts from Moho and proceeds along
the right bank of the Amur River to Ussuri, Omurh, Panga, Kaikukang,
Anlo, and Woshimen. After this point, the river bends more southward
and the line follows the same bend to Ankan, Chahayen, Wanghata, and
Huma. From Huma, it proceeds to Sierhkenchi, Chila, Manchutun, Heiho,
and Aigun where it meets the terminus of the Chinchow-Aigun line.
After Aigun, the line turns more eastward to Homolerhchin, Chilirh,
and Korfen where it meets the terminus of the Tungchin-Korfen line.
Thence it proceeds to Wuyun, Foshan, and Lopeh. After Lopeh, it goes to
Hokang at the junction of the Amur and Sungari. At this point, the line
crosses the Sungari River to Tungkiang and proceeds to Kaitsingkow,
Otu, and Suiyuan where it ends. This line covers a distance of 900
miles running all its way through the gold-producing region.
o. The Huma-Chilalin or Shihwei Line
This is merely a branch of the Moho-Suiyuan line. It starts from Huma
and follows the Kumara River passing by the Taleitse Gold Mine and
Wapalakow Gold Mine. Then it proceeds up the Kumara River in a westerly
and southwesterly direction to its southern source and there it crosses
the watershed into the Halarh Valley, thence descending the valley to
Chilalin or Shihwei. This line covers a distance of about 320 miles
running in an extremely rich gold district.
p. The Ussuri-Tumen-Yalu-Coast Line
This, the second line of the outer semicircle, starts by continuing the
first line at Suiyuan, and proceeds along the left bank of the Ussuri
River, passing Kaulan, Fuyeu, and Minkang, to Yaoho, where it meets
the terminus of the Tungchin-Yaoho line. From Yaoho, it runs parallel
to the Russian Ussuri Railway on the east side of the river as far as
Fulin. After Fulin, it parts from the Russian line by turning westward
following the Mulingho River to Mishan on the northwestern corner of
the Hanka Lake. Thence it goes to Pinganchin, turns southward alongside
the boundary line and crosses the Harbin-Vladivostok line at Siusuifen
Station to Tungning. After Tungning, it continues the same southward
course alongside the boundary line to a point between Szetaukow and
Wutaukow, then turns westward to Hunchun, and northwestward to Yenchi
where it meets the projected Japanese Hweining-Kirin line. From Yenchi,
it follows the Japanese line to Holung, and proceeds southwestward by
the left side of the Tumen River across the watershed into the Yalu
Valley, where it meets the Tungchin-Changpeh line. After Changpeh it
turns westward and northwestward following the right bank of the Yalu
to Linkiang, thence southwestward, still following the right bank of
the Yalu, to Tsianhsien and then continues in the same direction, along
the Yalu bank, to Antung, where it meets the Antung-Mukden Railway.
After Antung, it proceeds to Tatungkow at the mouth of the Yalu, thence
along the coast to Takushan and Chwangho, then westward through Situn
and Pingfangtien to join the South Manchurian Railway at Wukiatun. This
line covers a distance of 1,100 miles, which runs from end to end right
along the southeastern boundary of Manchuria.
q. The Linkiang-Dolon Nor Line
This is the third line of the outer semicircle of the Tungchin railway
center, and connects the radiating lines south of the center. It
starts from Linkiang at the southwestward turn of the Yalu River, and
proceeds across the mountainous region passing by Tunghwa, Hingking,
and Fushun, to Mukden, where it crosses the South Manchurian Railway.
From Mukden, it goes together with the Peking-Mukden line as far
as Sinmin, where it crosses the Tungchin-Hulutao line and proceeds
northwestward through Sinlihtun to Fowsin. After Fowsin the line
enters the hilly district of the upper Liaoho Valley, and proceeds to
Chihfeng, after passing through numerous small villages and camping
places in this vast pasture. After Chihfeng the line proceeds through
the Yinho Valley by Sanchotien, Kungchuling, and Tachientse, to Famuku,
thence follows the Tulakanho to Dolon Nor, covering a distance of about
500 miles.
r. The Chikatobo-Sansing or Ilan Line
This is the first line of the inner semicircle which connects the
radiating lines from the Tungchin railway center on the northeast. It
starts from Chikatobo on the upper reach of the Amur, and proceeds
eastward and southeastward through many valleys and mountains of the
Great Khingan Range to Nunkiang. After Nunkiang, it goes in a more
southerly direction to Keshan, thence to Hailun, and then crosses the
Sungari to Sansing or Ilan. This line covers a distance of about 700
miles, passing through an agricultural and gold-producing country.
s. The Sansing or Ilan-Kirin Line
This is the second line of the inner semicircle. It starts from Sansing
and proceeds southwestward along the right bank of the Mutan River
through Tauchan, Erchan, Sanchan, and Szuchan, to Chengtse where
it crosses the Harbin-Vladivostok line. Then it goes to Ninguta,
after crossing over the Mutan River from right to the left bank.
After Ninguta it proceeds southwestward passing through Wungcheng,
Lanchichan, Talachan, and Fungwangtien, to Omu. From Omu it joins the
Japanese Hweining-Kirin line and proceeds westward to Kirin. This line
covers a distance of about 200 miles, along the fertile Mutan Valley.
t. The Kirin-Dolon Nor Line
This is the third line of the inner semicircle in the Tungchin
system. It starts from Kirin and follows the old highway westward
to Changchun where it meets the termini of the Chinese Eastern
Railway from the north and the Japanese South Manchurian Railway
from the south. After Changchun, it proceeds across the plain to
Shuangshan where it meets the Tungchin-Hulutao line and the Japanese
Szupingkai-Chengkiatun-Taonan line. From Shuangshan, it crosses the
Liao River to Liaoyuan, thence it traverses the vast plain, crossing
the Tungchin-Great Northern Port line and goes to Suitung where it
meets the Hulutao-Hailar line. After Suitung, it proceeds up the Liao
Valley where it comes across the Hulutao-Kerulen line and then crosses
the watershed to Dolon Nor where it ends. This line covers a distance
of 500 miles. This completes the cobweb system of the projected
North-Eastern Railway. The total length of this entire system is about
9,000 miles.
PART IV
The Extension of the Northwestern Railway System
The Northwestern Railway System covers the region of Mongolia,
Sinkiang, and a part of Kansu, an area of 1,700,000 square miles. This
territory exceeds the area of the Argentine Republic by 600,000 square
miles. Argentina is now the greatest source of the world's meat supply,
while the Mongolian pasture is not yet developed, owing to the lack
of transportation facilities. As Argentina has superseded the United
States in supplying the world with meat, so the Mongolian pasture will
some day take the place of Argentina, when railways are developed and
cattle raising is scientifically improved. Thus the construction of
railroads in this vast food-producing region is an urgent necessity
as a means of relieving the world from food shortage. In the first
program of this International Development Scheme, I proposed 7,000
miles of railways for this vast and fertile region, for the purpose
of developing the Great Northern Port, and relieving the congested
population of southeastern China. But this 7,000 miles of railways
form merely a pioneer line. In order to develop this virgin continent
properly, more railways have to be constructed. Therefore in this plan,
namely, the Extension of the Northwestern Railway System, I propose the
following lines:
a. The Dolon Nor-Kiakata line.
b. The Kalgan-Urga-Tannu Ola line.
c. The Suiyuan-Uliassutai-Kobdo line.
d. The Tsingpien-Tannu Ola line.
e. The Suchow-Kobdo line.
f. The Northwestern Frontier line.
g. The Tihwa or Urumochi-Ulankom line.
h. The Gaskhiun-Tannu Ola line.
i. The Uliassutai-Kiakata line.
j. The Chensi or Barkul-Urga line.
k. The Suchow-Urga line.
l. The Desert Junction-Kerulen line.
m. The Khobor-Kerulen-Chikatobo line.
n. The Wuyuan-Taonan line.
o. The Wuyuan-Dolon Nor line.
p. The Yenki-Ili line.
q. The Ili-Hotien line.
r. The Chensi-Kashgar line and its branches.
a. The Dolon Nor-Kiakata Line
This line starts from Dolon Nor and proceeds in a northwesterly
direction, following the caravan road across the vast pasture to
Khorkho, Kuoto, and Suliehto. After Suliehto, it crosses the boundary
line into Outer Mongolia by the same road to Khoshentun, Lukuchelu,
and Yangto. Thence it crosses the Kerulen River to Otukunkholato, and
enters the hilly region where it crosses the Kerulen watershed and
the Chikoi watershed. The water from the Kerulen watershed flows into
the Amur, and thence into the Pacific Ocean, while the water from the
Chikoi watershed flows into Lake Baikal, and thence to the Arctic
Ocean. After crossing the Chikoi watershed, it follows a branch of the
Chikoi River to Kiakata. This line covers a distance of about 800 miles.
b. The Kalgan-Urga-Tannu Ola Line
This line starts from Kalgan at the Great Wall, and proceeds
northwestward up the plateau, crosses a range of hills into the
Mongolian prairie, and goes to Mingan, Boroldshi, Ude, and Khobor,
where it crosses the Dolon Nor-Urumochi trunk line. After Khobor, it
proceeds across the vast and rich pasture of Mubulan, then proceeds in
a straight line through Mukata and Nalaiha to Urga. From Urga, it goes
into the hilly district crossing Selenga Valley to a point opposite
the southern end of Lake Kos Gol, and then turns northward across a
range of mountains to Khatkhyl on the southern shore of Kos Gol. After
Khatkhyl, it skirts Kos Gol Lake along the western shore for some
distance, then turns northwestward and westward, following the course
of the Khua Kem River to a point near its exit at the frontier line,
then turns southwestward up the Kemtshik Valley to its headwater,
passes through Pakuoshwo, and ends at the boundary line between the
Russian and Chinese territories. This line covers a distance of about
1,700 miles.
c. The Suiyuan-Uliassutai-Kobdo Line
This line starts from Suiyuan in the northwestern corner of Shansi,
and proceeds in a northwesterly direction across the hilly country
into the Mongolian pasture to Tolibulyk, where it crosses the Great
Northern Port-Hami line, and the Great Eastern Port-Urga line. After
Tolibulyk, it proceeds in a straight line in the same direction passing
through Barunsudshi to the capital of Tuchetu. Thence it continues
in the same straight line northwestward to Gorida. After Gorida, it
follows the caravan road to Kolitikolik where it crosses the Great
Northern Port-Urumochi trunk line. From Kolitikolik, the line turns
northwestward, then westward and proceeds across many streams and
valleys and passes by many small towns to Uliassutai. At Uliassutai,
it crosses the B. Junction-Frontier branch of the Great Eastern
Port-Urumochi line. After Uliassutai, the line proceeds westward
following the trade road, passes through Khuduku, Bogu, Durganor, and
Sakhibuluk to Kobdo. Thence the line turns northwestward to Khonga,
Ukha, and Clegei, then westward to Beleu and ends at the frontier. This
line is about 1,500 miles long.
d. The Tsingpien-Tannu Ola Line
This line starts from Tsingpien at the Great Wall, on the northern
border of Shensi, proceeds through the Ordos country by Bonobalgasun,
Orto, and Shinchao, and then crosses the Hoangho to Santaoho. From
Santaoho, it proceeds across Charanarinula Mountain into Mongolian
prairie in a northwesterly direction to Kurbansihata where it crosses
the Peking-Hami line, then it goes to Unikuto and Enkin, where it
crosses the Great Northern Port-Urumochi line. After Enkin, the
line enters into a valley and watered district, proceeds northward
to Karakorum, and then turns northwestward across various streams
and valleys of the tributary of the Selenga River by Sabokatai and
Tsulimiau. After Tsulimiau, it proceeds in the same direction across
the Selenga River, follows its branch, the Telgir Morin River, up
to its source and crosses the watershed into Lake Teri Nor. Then it
follows the outlet of the Teri Nor to the Khua Kem River, where it ends
by joining the Kalgan Urga-Tannu Ola line. This line covers a distance
of about 1,200 miles.
e. The Suchow-Kobdo Line
This line starts from Suchow in a northwesterly direction penetrating
the Great Wall at Chiennew, and proceeds to the coal field, about 150
miles from Suchow. Then it goes to Habirhaubuluk and Ilatoli. A short
way from this place the line comes across the Peking-Hami line and
then proceeds to Balaktai. After this the line passes a bit of pure
desert to Timenchi. After entering the hilly and watered country it
proceeds to Gaskhiu where it crosses the Great Northern Port-Urumochi
trunk line. After Gaskhiun, it proceeds to Wolanhutok, Tabateng, and
Tabutu where it joins the Kucheng and Kobdo highway and following it,
proceeds to Kobdo, through Batokuntai and Sutai. Here the line ends,
covering a distance of about 700 miles.
f. The Northwestern Frontier Line
This line starts from Ili following the Urumochi-Ili line to Santai,
on the eastern side of Zairam Lake, then proceeds northeastward by
itself to Tuszusai on the west side of Ebi Lake. After Tuszusai it
proceeds to Toli where it crosses the Central Trunk line, that is,
the Great Eastern Port-Tarbogotai line. Thence it goes to Namukotai
and Stolokaitai by passing through a vast forest and a rich coal
field. From Stolokaitai, the line follows the highway and proceeds
to Chenghwaszu, the capital of Altai province. Thence it crosses a
mountain range by the Urmocaitu Pass into the Kobdo Valley, and follows
the course of the Kobdo River to Beleu where it joins the Suiyuan-Kobdo
line and proceeds to Clegei. From Clegei, it proceeds by itself to
Tabtu via Usungola and Ulamkom. At Tabtu, it joins the other line again
and proceeds together to the Khua Kem River in the Tannu Ola district.
It then turns eastward ascending the river to the junction of the Bei
Kem and Khua Kem rivers, then starts again on its own course, following
the former river and proceeds up to its source in a northeasterly
direction ending at the frontier. This line covers a distance of about
900 miles.
g. The Tihwa or Urumochi-Ulankom Line
This line starts from Tihwa following the Dolon Nor trunk line to
Fowkang, then proceeds by its own route almost northward through
Chipichuan to Khorchute. From Khorchute, it turns northeastward and
proceeds across a hilly district to Kaiche, then to Turhuta, where
it crosses a branch line from Junction C. of the Great Northern
Port-Urumochi line. After Turhuta, it turns northward, proceeds up the
Pakaningale Valley to Zehoshita, and then crosses the Tilikta Pass.
Thence it turns northeastward proceeding across the newly cultivated
country to Kobdo. After Kobdo, it proceeds through a fertile plateau,
by crossing many rivers and skirting many lakes to Ulankom, where it
ends by joining the Northwestern Frontier line. It covers a distance of
about 550 miles.
h. The Gaskhiun-Tannu Ola Line
This line starts from Gaskhiun and proceeds northeastward across a
hilly and watered country through Hatonhutuk and Talangjoleu, to
Pornulu. After Pornulu, the line proceeds across the Sapkhyn Valley
by Huchirtu and Porkho to Uliassutai where it meets the Suiyuan-Kobdo,
and the Great Eastern Port-Uliassutai lines. After Uliassutai, the
line proceeds northward to a quite new country by first crossing the
headwaters of Selenga, then the headwaters of the Tess River. In the
Tess Valley the line crosses a vast virgin forest. After emerging
from this forest it proceeds northwestward across the watershed into
the Khua Kem Valley in Tannu Ola and ends by joining the Northwestern
Frontier line. This line covers a distance of about 650 miles.
i. The Uliassutai-Kiakata Line
This line starts from Uliassutai and runs on the track of the
Gaskhiun-Tannu Ola line, until it reaches the Eder River, a branch of
the Selenga. Then, turning off eastward, it begins its own course and
proceeds downward following the course of the Eder River, crossing
the Tsingpien-Tannu Ola line, to the junction of this river with the
Selenga. There it joins the Kalgan-Urga-Tannu Ola line and proceeds
together eastward in the common track for some distance until the other
line turns southeastward, when this line turns northeastward following
the Selenga down to Kiakata. This line covers a distance of about 550
miles, running through a fertile valley.
j. The Chensi or Barkul-Urga Line
This line starts from Chensi or Barkul and proceeds northeastward
across a cultivated region through Tutaku to Urkesiat. After Urkesiat,
it crosses the Suchow-Kobdo line, then traverses the vast pasture on
the north side of the Gobi Desert to Suchi and Dalantura. Thence it
turns more northward across the Great Eastern Port-Uliassutai line, and
the Dolon Nor-Urumochi line to Tashunhutuk. After this point the line
crosses the Suiyuan-Uliassutai line at Ologai and proceeds over the
watershed into the Selenga Valley where it crosses the Tsingpien-Tannu
Ola line at Sabokatai. From here it turns eastward across a hilly and
watered region to Urga. This line covers a distance of about 800 miles.
k. The Suchow-Urga Line
This line starts from Suchow and proceeds by Kinta to Maumu, and then
follows the Taoho or Edsina River, which waters this strip of oasis,
to the lakes. Thence it crosses the Gobi Desert, where it meets the
crossing lines of the Peking-Hami and the Great Eastern Port-Uliassutai
railways and with them forms a common junction. From this junction it
proceeds across desert and pasture lands to another railway crossing
which is formed by the Suiyuan-Kobdo and Tsingpien-Tannu Ola lines,
also forming a common junction together. Thence it proceeds into
pasture land through Hatengtu and Tolik to Sanintalai, where it crosses
the Dolon Nor-Urumochi line. After Sanintalai, the line proceeds
through Ulanhoshih and many other small towns and encampments to Urga.
This line covers a distance of about 700 miles. One third of this
length is through the desert and the other two thirds through watered
pasture land.
l. The Desert Junction-Kerulen Line
This line starts from the Desert Junction, proceeds northeastward to
the postural land and crosses the Tsingpien-Tannu Ola line south of
Ulan Nor Lake. Thence it proceeds to the Tuchetu Capital where it
crosses the Suiyuan-Kobdo line. After the Tuchetu Capital it goes
across a pasture to Junction A. From Junction A. it proceeds to
Ulanhutuk and Chientingche, then crosses the Kalgan-Tannu Ola line to
Zesenkhana. From Zesenkhana, the line follows the course of the Kerulen
River down in a northeasterly direction to the city of Kerulen, where
it crosses the Dolon Nor-Kerulen line, and meets the Kerulen-Tungchin
line. This line covers a distance of about 800 miles.
m. The Khobor-Kerulen-Chikatobo Line
This line starts from Khobor, the crossing junction of the Dolon
Nor-Urumochi, and the Kalgan-Urga-Tannu Ola lines, and proceeds
northeastward across a vast pasture to Khoshentun, where it crosses
the Dolon Nor-Kiakata line. After Khoshentun, it proceeds in the same
direction across a similar pasture to Kerulen, where it crosses the
Dolon Nor-Kerulen line. Then it proceeds first along the right bank of
the Kerulen River, then crosses to the left side, and passes along the
northwestern side of Hulan Lake. After Hulan Lake, the line crosses the
Chinese Eastern Railway, and the Arguna River, then proceeds along the
right bank of the river to Chikatobo, where the line ends by joining
the Dolon Nor-Moho and the Chikatobo-Sansing lines. This line covers a
distance of about 600 miles. The first half of it runs on dry land and
the second half on watered land.
n. The Wuyuan-Taonan Line
This line starts from Wuyuan at the northwest bend of the Hoangho
and proceeds northeastward across the Sheiten Ula Mountain and
pasture to Tolibulyk, where it meets the crossing junction of three
lines--the Peking-Hami line, the Suiyuan-Kobdo line, and the Great
Eastern Port-Urga line. From Tolibulyk the line proceeds continuously
in the same direction across a pasture to Khobor where it meets the
crossing junction of the Dolon Nor-Urumochi and the Peking-Urga lines,
and also the terminus of the Khobor-Kerulen line. After Khobor the
line turns more eastward and runs across the Dolon Nor-Kiakata line
midway to Khombukure, where it crosses the Dolon Nor-Kerulen and the
Hulutao-Kerulen lines. From Khombukure the line proceeds to Dakmusuma,
where it crosses the Dolon Nor-Moho line. Thence it goes eastward
across the Great Khingan Mountain to Tuchuan, then turns southeastward
to Taonan, where it ends. This line covers a distance of about 900
miles.
o. The Wuyuan-Dolon Nor Line
This line starts from Wuyuan and proceeds northeastward across the
Sheiten Ula Mountain to Maomingan, where it crosses the Great Eastern
Port-Urga line. Then it proceeds across the vast pasture and the
Suiyuan-Kobdo line to Bombotu, where it passes over the Peking-Hami
line. After Bombotu, the line turns eastward and proceeds across the
Kalgan-Urga-Tannu Ola line, then goes to Dolon Nor, where it ends by
joining the Dolon Nor-Mukden-Linkiang line, which forms a direct route
from the upper Hoangho Valley to the rich Liaoho Valley. This line
covers a distance of about 500 miles.
p. The Yenki-Ili Line
This line starts from Yenki or Karashar, and proceeds northwestward
across the mountain pass into the Ili Valley. It then follows the
Kunges River downward, in a westerly direction, traversing a most
fertile valley, to Ining and Kuldja or Ili, the principal city of the
Ili district near the Russian border, where it joins the Ili-Urumochi
line. This line covers a distance of about 400 miles.
q. The Ili-Hotien Line
This line starts from Ili or Kuldja, proceeds southward across
the Ili River, then eastward along the left side of the river and
then southeastward and southward to Bordai. From here it turns
southwestward into Tekes Valley and proceeding upward crosses the
Tekes River to Tienchiao and then ascends the mountain pass. After
the mountain pass the line turns southeastward, traverses a vast coal
field and then turns southwestward to Shamudai, where it crosses the
Turfan-Kashgar line. From Shamudai it turns southward across the
fertile zone of the north side of the Tarim Valley, to Bastutakelak.
Then it proceeds southwestward to Hotien passing by on the way many
small settlements in the fertile zone of the Hotien River which flows
across the desert. At Hotien the line meets the Kashgar-Iden line.
After Hotien the line proceeds upward to the highland south of the city
and ends at the frontier. This line covers a distance of about 700
miles.
r. The Chensi-Kashgar Line and Its Branches
This line starts from Chensi and proceeds southwestward along the
Tienshan pasture through Yenanpoa, Shihkialoong, and Taolaitse
to Chikoching, then along the Tienshan forest through Wutungkwo,
Tungyenchi, Siyenchi, and Olong to Sensien, where it crosses the
Central Trunk line. After Sensien it proceeds along the northern edge
of the Tarim Desert through Lakesun City and Shehchuan to Hora, where
it crosses the Cherchen-Koria line. From Hora the line proceeds along
the course of the Tarim River, passing by many new settlements, fertile
regions, and virgin forests, to Bastutakelak, where it crosses the
Ili-Hotien line. Thence it goes through Pachu to Kashgar where it meets
the Urumochi-Iden line. After Kashgar it proceeds northwestward to
the frontier where it ends. Attached to this line are two branches.
The first branch proceeds from Hora southwestward through many oases
to Cherchen. The second proceeds from Pachu southwestward along the
Yarkand River to Sache and then westward to Puli near the frontier.
This line including the branches covers a distance of about 1,600
miles. The total length of this entire system is about 16,000 miles.
See general map.
PART V
The Highland Railway System
This, the last part of my railway program, is the most difficult and
most expensive undertaking of its kind; consequently, it must be the
least remunerative of all the railway enterprises in China. So no
work should be attempted in this part until all the other parts are
fully developed. But when all the other parts are well equipped with
railways then railway construction in this highland region will also be
remunerative, despite the difficulties and the highly expensive work in
construction.
The highland region consists of Tibet, Kokonor, and a part of
Sinkiang, Kansu, Szechwan, and Yunnan, an area of about 1,000,000
square miles. Tibet is known to be the richest country in the world
for gold deposits. Furthermore the adjacent territories possess rich
agricultural and pastural lands. This vast region is little known to
the outside world. The Chinese call Tibet "the Western Treasury,"
for, besides gold, there are other kinds of metals especially copper,
in great quantities. Indeed the name of the Western Treasury is most
appropriately applied to this unknown region. When the world's supply
of precious metals are exhausted, we have to resort to this vast
mineral bearing region for supply. So railways will be necessary at
least for mining purposes. I therefore propose the following lines:
a. The Lhasa-Lanchow line.
b. The Lhasa-Chengtu line.
c. The Lhasa-Tali-Cheli line.
d. The Lhasa-Taklongshong line.
e. The Lhasa-Yatung line.
f. The Lhasa-Laichiyaling line.
g. The Lhasa-Nohho line.
h. The Lhasa-Iden line.
i. The Lanchow-Chochiang line.
j. The Chengtu-Dzunsasak line.
k. The Ningyuan-Cherchen line.
l. The Chengtu-Menkong line.
m. The Chengtu-Yuankiang line.
n. The Suifu-Tali line.
o. The Suifu-Mengting line.
p. The Iden-Gortok line.
a. The Lhasa-Lanchow Line
This is the most important line of this system for it connects the
capital city of Tibet--a vast secluded region with several millions of
people--with the central trunk line of the country. The route which
it passes through is inhabitable and is already slightly inhabited
in the region between the ends of the proposed line. So it will
probably be a paying line from the beginning. This line starts from
Lhasa, following the old imperial highway in a northward direction and
proceeds by Talong to Yarh, which lies on the southeastern side of
Tengri Nor Lake. After Yarh, the line turns more eastward and proceeds
across the watershed from the Sanpo Valley to the Lukiang Valley by the
Shuangtsu Pass. Thence turning more eastward the line proceeds across
the headwater of the Lukiang to that of the Yangtze by passing many
valleys, streams, and mountain passes. Then it crosses the main body
of the Upper Yangtze, which is here known as the Kinshakiang, over the
Huhusair Bridge. After crossing the bridge, it turns southeastward,
then eastward across the Yangtze Valley into the Hoangho Valley, where
it passes through many small towns and encampments into the Starry Sea
region. At the Starry Sea, the line passes between the lakes of Oring
Nor and Tsaring Nor. Thence it turns northeastward across the southeast
valley of the Zaidam region, and returns into the Hoangho Valley again.
Then it proceeds through Katolapo and various towns to Dangar, now
called Hwangyuan, situated near the border between Kansu and Kokonor.
After Dangar, the line turns southeastward following the course of the
Sining River, proceeds downward through a very rich valley and passes
through Sining, Nienpai, and hundreds of small towns and villages to
Lanchow. This line covers a distance of 1,100 miles.
b. The Lhasa-Chengtu Line
This line starts from Lhasa and proceeds northeastward on the former
imperial highway by Teking and Nanmo to Motsukungchia. Thence it turns
southeastward and northeastward to Giamda. From Giamda, the line turns
northward, then northeastward where it proceeds through the Tolala Pass
to Lhari. After Lhari the line goes in an easterly direction and passes
Pianpa, Shihtuh, and many small towns to Lolongchong. Thence it crosses
the Lukiang by the Kayu Bridge and then turns northeastward to Kinda
and Chiamdo. After Chiamdo, the line instead of following the imperial
highway southeastward to Batang, turns northeastward, following another
trade route, and proceeds to Payung at the northwestern corner of
Szechwan. From Payung, it proceeds across the Kinshakiang over the
bridge near Sawusantusze. The line then turns southeastward, enters the
Ichu Valley and proceeds downward to Kantzu on the Yalung River. Thence
it proceeds to Chango and Yinker, to Badi on the Great Golden River,
and Mongan on the Little Golden River. After Mongan, the line goes
through the Balan Pass to Kwanhsien, and entering the Chengtu Plain,
reaches Chengtu by Pihsien. This line covers a distance of about 1,000
miles.
c. The Lhasa-Tali-Cheli Line
This line starts from Lhasa by the same track as the Lhasa-Chengtu
line as far as Giamda. From Giamda, it proceeds by its own track
southeastward, following a branch of the Sanpo River to Yulu, where
this branch joins its main stream. After Yulu, it follows the left
bank of the Sanpo River passing by Kongposaga to Timchao. From
Timchao, the line turns away from the Sanpo River and proceeds in an
eastward direction to Timchong city, Ikung, Kuba, and Shuachong. After
Shuachong, the line proceeds southeastward to Lima, thence eastward
to Menkong on the Lukiang. From Menkong, the line turns southward and
goes along the right bank of the Lukiang passing Samotung to Tantau.
Then crossing the Lukiang, it proceeds across the watershed through
Gaiwa village to the Lantsang (or Mekong) River, and to Hsiaoweisi
beyond it. After Hsiaoweisi, it follows the river bank to the Chenghsin
Copper Mine, thence it turns away from the river and proceeds by Hosi,
Erhyuan, Tengchow, and Shangkwang to Tali. From Tali, the line proceeds
to Hsiakwang, Fengyi, Menghwa, and then meets the Lantsang River again
at Paotien. Thence it follows the left bank southward right through to
Cheli, where it ends. This line covers a distance of 900 miles.
d. The Lhasa-Taklongshong Line
This line starts from Lhasa and proceeds southward by way of Teking
to the Sanpo River where turning eastward it follows the left bank of
the river to Sakorshong. After crossing the Sanpo River to Chetang,
it proceeds southward by Chikablung, Menchona, Tawang, Dhirangjong
to Taklongshong and continues farther on until it reaches the Assam
frontier. This line covers a distance of 200 miles.
e. The Lhasa-Yatung Line
This line starts from Lhasa and proceeds southwestward by Chashih
following the former imperial highway by Yitang and Kiangli to Chushui.
At Chushui, it crosses to Sanpo River over the Mulih Bridge to Chakamo
on the south side, thence to Tamalung, Paiti, Tabolung, and Nagartse.
After Nagartse, the line turns westward to Jungku, Lhaling, and
Shachia. At Shachia, the line leaves the former imperial highway and
turns southwestward again and proceeds via Kula to Yatung at the Sikkim
border. This line covers a distance of 250 miles.
f. The Lhasa-Laichiyaling Line and Branches
This line starts from Lhasa and proceeds northwestward by Chashih
following the former imperial road to Little Taking, and westward to
Yangpachin and Sangtolohai. Thence turning southwestward, it proceeds
to Namaling and Tangto, and crosses the Sanpo River at Lhaku. After
Lhaku, the line turns westward to Shigatse, the second important city
in Tibet whence it proceeds in the same direction to Chashihkang,
Pangcholing, and Lhatse all on the right side of the Sanpo River. From
Lhatse, a branch line starts southwestward via Chayakor and Dingri
to Niehlamuh on the Nepal border. The main line, however, crosses to
the left side of the Sanpo River and proceeds on the same highway via
Nabringtaka to Tadum where another branch line proceeds southwestward
to the Nepal border. The main line continues northwestward via
Tamusa and Choshan to Gartok, thence turning westward it proceeds to
Laichiyaling on the Sutlej River and ends on the Indian border. This
line, including the two branches, covers a distance of 850 miles.
g. The Lhasa-Nohho Line
This line starts from Lhasa and runs in the same track as line (f) to
Sangtolohai where it proceeds by its own line northwestward to Teching,
Sangchashong, and Taktung. Thence, it enters into the richest gold
field in Tibet and through Wengpo, Tulakpa, Kwangkwei, and Ikar reaches
Nohho, where the line ends. It covers a distance of 700 miles.
h. The Lhasa-Iden Line
This line starts from Lhasa, following the common track of lines (f)
and (g) to the southwestern corner of Tengri Lake, whence it proceeds
by its own track northwestward by Lungmajing, Tipoktolo and four or
five other small places to Sari. After Sari, the line penetrates a vast
tract of uninhabited land to Pakar and Suketi. Thence crossing the
mountain passes and descending from the highland to the Tarim Basin
through Sorkek to Yasulakun, the line joins the Cherchen-Iden railway
of the Northwestern System and proceeds on the same track to Iden. This
line covers a distance of 700 miles.
i. The Lanchow-Chochiang Line
This line starts from Lanchow, on the same track of the Lhasa-Lanchow
line as far as the southeastern corner of the Lake Kokonor. Thence
it proceeds on its own track by skirting along the southern shore of
Lake Kokonor to Dulankit, where it turns southwestward to Dzunsasak.
From Dzunsasak, the line proceeds in a westerly course along the
southern side of the Zaidam Swamp, and passes Tunyueh, Halori, and
Golmot to Hatikair. After Hatikair, the line turns northwestward
by Baipa, Nolinjoha, to Orsinte. Thence turning more northward, it
proceeds across the mountain range by Tsesinvitusuik and Tuntunomik to
Chochiang, where it ends by joining the Ansi-Iden and Chochiang-Koria
lines, covering a distance of 700 miles.
j. The Chengtu-Dzunsasak Line
This line starts from Chengtu and proceeds to Kwanhsien on the track
of the Lhasa-Chengtu line, thence northward on its own track by
Wenchuan, to Mauchow. Then, it proceeds northwestward following the
course of the Minkiang to Sungpan. After Sungpan, it ascends the Min
Valley passing Tungpi to Shangleyao, where it crosses the watershed
from the Yangtze River side to that of the Hoangho. Thence the line
proceeds to Orguseri, and following a branch of the Hoangho to the
northwestern turn of its main stream, it proceeds along its right
bank via Chahuntsin to Peilelachabu. There it crosses the Hoangho
to the northwest turn of the old imperial road, where it joins the
Lhasa-Lanchow line and proceeds as far as Lanipar. Then turning
northwestward, it proceeds by its own line to Dzunsasak, where it ends
by joining the Lanchow-Chochiang line. This line covers a distance of
650 miles.
k. The Ningyuan-Cherchen Line
This line starts from Ningyuan and proceeds in a northwestward
direction via Hwaiyuanchen to the Yalungkiang. Then it ascends along
the left side of that river to Yakiang, and crossing to the right side
of that river it proceeds by the old post road to Siolo, where it
turns away from the river and follows the same post road to Litang.
From Litang it proceeds in the same direction but follows another
road to Kangtu, on the left side of the Kinshakiang. Following the
same side of the river, it proceeds to Sawusantusze, where it crosses
the Lhasa-Chengtu line. After Sawusantusze, the line continues in
the same direction and follows the same side of the Kinshakiang via
Tashigompa, to the Huhusair Bridge, where it crosses the Lhasa-Lanchow
line. Then following a northern branch of the Kinshakiang to its
source and crossing the watershed, it proceeds along the caravan road
by Hsinszukiang and Olokung to Cherchen, where it ends, covering a
distance of about 1,350 miles. This is the longest line of this system.
l. The Chengtu-Menkong Line
This line starts from Chengtu and proceeds southwestward by Shuangliu,
Hsintsin, Mingshan, to Yachow. From Yachow, it turns northwestward
and proceeds to Tienchuan, then westward to Tatsienlu, Tunyolo, and
Litang. After Litang, the line proceeds southwestward through Batang
and Yakalo, to Menkong, covering a distance of about 400 miles of very
mountainous country.
m. The Chengtu-Yuankiang Line
This line starts from Chengtu on the same track of the Chengtu-Menkong
line, proceeds to Yachow and thence by its own track in the same
direction via Jungching, to Tsingliu. After Tsingliu, the line proceeds
southward through Yuehsi to Ningyuan, where it meets the head of the
Ningyuan-Cherchen line. After Ningyuan, it goes to Kwaili, then crosses
the Kinshakiang to Yunnanfu where it crosses the Canton-Tali line.
From Yunnanfu, it proceeds along the west side of the Kunming Lake to
Kunyang, and through Hsinshing, Hsingo, to Yuankiang, where the line
ends by joining the Canton-Szemo line. It covers a distance of about
600 miles.
n. The Suifu-Tali Line
This line starts from Suifu and proceeds along the left bank of the
Yangtze River to Pingshan and Lupo. After Lupo, it turns away from the
river in a southwesterly direction and scales the Taliangshan Mountains
to Ningyuan, where it crosses the Chengtu-Yuankiang line and meets the
termini of the Canton-Ningyuan line and the Ningyuan-Cherchen line.
Thence continuing in the same direction, it crosses the Yalungkiang
to Yenyuan and Yungpeh. After Yungpeh, the line turns more southward,
across the Kinshakiang to Sincheng and thence to Tali, where it ends
by meeting the Canton-Tali line and the Lhasa-Tali line. It covers a
distance of about 400 miles.
o. The Suifu-Mengting Line
This line starts from Suifu on the same track as the Suifu-Tali
line as far as Lupo. From Lupo, it goes on its own track across the
Yangtze River here known as the Kinshakiang, and follows the right
side of that river upward to its southward bend where it crosses the
Chengtu-Yuankiang line, to Yuanmow. From Yuanmow, it proceeds to
Tsuyung, where it crosses the Canton-Tali line, thence to Kingtung.
After Kingtung, it proceeds southwestward across the Lantsangkiang or
Mekong River, to Yunchow, thence turning southwestward, it follows a
branch of the Lukiang River to Mengting and ends on the frontier. This
line covers a distance of about 500 miles.
p. The Iden-Gartok Line
This line starts from Iden, and proceeds southward along the Keriya
River to Polu, thence following the caravan road up the highland to
Kuluk. From Kuluk, it proceeds southwestward via Alasa and Tunglong
to Nohho, where it meets the terminus of the Lhasa-Nohho line. After
Nohho, it skirts around the eastern end of the Noh-tso-Lake to Rudok
and proceeds southwestward to Demchok, on the Indus River. From
Demchok, it proceeds southeastward following the Indus River up to
Gartok, where it ends by joining the Lhasa-Laichiyaling line. This line
covers a distance of about 500 miles. This highland system totals about
11,000 miles.
PART VI
The Establishment of Locomotive and Car Factories
The railways projected in the Fourth Program will total about 62,000
miles; and those in the First and the Third Programs about 14,000
miles. Besides these, there will be double tracks in the various trunk
lines, which will make up a grand total of no less than 100,000 miles,
as stated in the preliminary part of these programs. With this 100,000
miles of railways to be constructed in the coming ten years, the
demands for locomotives and cars will be tremendous. The factories of
the world will be unable to supply them, especially at this juncture
of reconstruction after the great world war. So the establishment
of locomotive and car factories in China to supply our own demands
of railway equipment will be a necessary as well as a profitable
undertaking. China possesses unlimited supplies of raw materials and
cheap labor. What we need for establishing such factories is foreign
capital and experts. What amount of capital should be invested in this
project, I have to leave to experts to decide.
I suggest that four large factories should be started simultaneously at
the beginning--two on the coast and two on the Yangtze. Of those on the
coast, one should be at the Great Northern Port, and the other at the
Great Southern Port--Canton. Of those on the Yangtze, one should be at
Nanking and the other at Hankow. All four are in centers of both land
and water communication, where skilled labor can easily be obtained.
They are also near our iron and coal fields. Besides these four great
factories, others should be established at suitable centers of iron and
coal fields when our railways will be more developed.
All the factories should be under one central control. The locomotives
and cars of our future railways should be standardized so as to make
possible the interchange of parts of machinery and equipment. We should
also adopt the standard gauge, that is, the 4 feet 8½ inch gauge which
has been adopted by most of the railways of the world. In fact, almost
all the railways hitherto built in China are of this gauge. The purpose
of the proposed standardization is to secure the highest efficiency as
well as the greatest economy.
PROGRAM V
In the preceding four programs, I dealt exclusively with the
development of the key and basic industries. In this one, I am going to
deal with the development of the _main_ group of industries which need
foreign help. By the main group of industries, I mean those industries
which provide every individual and family with the necessaries and
comforts of life. Of course, when the key and basic industries are
developed, the various other industries will spontaneously spring up
all over the country, in a very short time. This had been the case in
Europe and America after the industrial revolution. The development of
the key and the basic industries will give plenty of work to the people
and will raise their wages as well as their standard of living. When
wages are high, the price for necessaries and comforts of life will
also be increased. So the rise in wages will be accompanied by the rise
in the cost of living. Therefore, the aim of the development of some of
the main group of industries is to help reduce the high cost of living
when China is in the process of international development, by giving
to the majority of the people plenty of the essentials and comforts of
life as well as higher wages.
It is commonly thought that China is the cheapest country to live
in. This is a misconception owing to the common notion of measuring
everything by the value of money. If we measure the cost of living
by the value of labor then it will be found that China is the most
expensive country for a common worker to live in. A Chinese coolie, a
muscular worker, has to work 14 to 16 hours a day in order to earn a
bare subsistence. A clerk in a shop, or a teacher in a village school
cannot earn more than a hundred dollars a year. And the farmers after
paying their rents and exchanging for a few articles of need with
their produce have to live from hand to mouth. Labor is very cheap
and plentiful but food and commodities of life are just enough to go
round for the great multitude of the four hundred millions in China in
an ordinary good year. In a bad year, a great number succumb to want
and starvation. This miserable condition among the Chinese proletariat
is due to the non-development of the country, the crude methods of
production and the wastefulness of labor. The radical cure for all
this is industrial development by foreign capital and experts for the
benefit of the whole nation. Europe and America are a hundred years
ahead of us in industrial development; so in order to catch up in a
very short time we have to use their capital, mainly their machinery.
If foreign capital cannot be gotten, we will have to get at least their
experts and inventors to make for us our own machinery. In any case,
we must use machinery to assist our enormous man-power to develop our
unlimited resources.
In modern civilization, the material essentials of life are five,
namely: food, clothing, shelter, means of locomotion, and the printed
page. Accordingly I will formulate this program as follows:
I. The Food Industry.
II. The Clothing Industry.
III. The Housing Industry.
IV. The Motoring Industry.
V. The Printing Industry.
PART I
The Food Industry
The food industry should be treated under the following headings:
a. The Production of Food.
b. The Storage and Transportation of Food.
c. The Preparation and Preservation of Food.
d. The Distribution and Exportation of Food.
a. The Production of Food
Human foods are derived from three sources: the land, the sea and the
air. By far the most important and greatest in quantity consumed is
aerial food of which oxygen is the most vital element. But this aerial
food is abundantly provided by nature, and no human labor is needed for
its production except that which is occasionally needed for the airman
and the submariner. So this food is free to all. It is not necessary
for us to discuss it here. The production of food from the sea which I
have already touched upon when I dealt with the construction of fishing
harbors and the building of fishing crafts, will also be left out here.
It is the specific industries in the production of food from land,
which need foreign help that are to be discussed here.
China is an agricultural country. About four-fifths of its population
is occupied in the work of producing food. The Chinese farmer is very
skillful in intensive cultivation. He can make the land yield to its
utmost capacity. But vast tracts of arable lands are lying waste in
thickly populated districts for one cause or other. Some are due to
lack of water, some to too much of it and some to the "dog in the
manger" system,--the holding up of arable land by speculators and land
sharks for higher rents and prices.
The land of the eighteen provinces alone is at present supporting
a population of four hundred millions. Yet there is still room for
development which can make this same area of land yield more food if
the waste land be brought under cultivation, and the already cultivated
land be improved by modern machinery and scientific methods. The
farmers must be protected and encouraged by liberal land laws by which
they can duly reap the fruits of their own labor.
In regard to the production of food in our international development
scheme, two necessary undertakings should be carried out which will be
profitable at the same time.
(1) A scientific survey of the land.
(2) The establishment of factories for manufacturing
agricultural machinery and implements.
(1) A scientific survey of the land. China has never been
scientifically surveyed and mapped out. The administration of land
is in the most chaotic state and the taxation of land is in great
confusion, thus causing great hardships on the poor peasants and
farmers. So, under any circumstance, the survey of land is the first
duty of the government to execute. But this could not be done without
foreign help, owing to lack of funds and experts. Therefore, I suggest
that this work be taken up by an international organization. This
organization should provide the expenses of the work by a loan, and
should carry out the work with the required number of experts and
equipment. How much will be the expenses for the survey and what is the
amount of time required and how large an organization is sufficient to
carry on the work, and whether aerial survey by aeroplanes be practical
for this work are questions which I shall leave to experts to decide.
When the topographical survey is going on a geological survey may
be carried out at the same time so as to economize expenses. When
the survey work is done and the land of each province is minutely
mapped out, we shall be able to readjust the taxation of the already
cultivated and improved land. As regards the waste and uncultivated
lands we shall be able to determine whether they are suitable for
agriculture, for pasture, for forestry, or for mining. In this way, we
can estimate their value and lease them out to the users for whatever
production that is most suitable. The surplus tax of the cultivated
land and the proceeds of waste land will be for the payment of the
interest and principal of the foreign loan. Besides the eighteen
provinces, we have a vast extent of agricultural and pastural lands
in Manchuria, Mongolia, and Sinkiang, and a vast extent of pastural
land in Tibet and Kokonor. They will have to be developed by extensive
cultivation under the colonization scheme, which is alluded to in the
first program.
(2) The establishment of factories for manufacturing agricultural
machinery and implements. When the waste land is reclaimed, cultivated
land improved and waste labor set to work on the land, the demands for
agricultural machinery and implements will be very great. As we have
cheap labor and plenty of iron and coal, it is better and cheaper for
us to manufacture than to import the implements and machinery. For
this purpose, much capital should be invested, and factories should be
put up in industrial centers or in the neighborhood of iron and coal
fields, where labor and material could be easily found.
b. The Storage and Transportation of Food
The most important foodstuff to be stored and transported is grain.
Under the present Chinese method, the storage of grain is most
wasteful for if kept in large quantities it is often destroyed by
insects or damaged by weather. It is only in small quantities and by
great and constant care that grains can be preserved for a certain
period of time. And the transportation of grains is also most expensive
for the work is mostly done on man's shoulders. When the grains reach
the waterway it is carried in a most makeshift way, without the least
semblance of system. If the method of storing and transporting of grain
be improved, a great economic saving could be accomplished. I propose
that a chain of grain elevators be built all over the country and a
special transport fleet be equipped all along the waterways by this
International Development Organization. What will be the capital for
this project and where the elevators should be situated have yet to be
investigated by experts.
c. The Preparation and Preservation of Food
Hitherto the preparation of food is entirely by hand with a few
primitive implements. The preservation of food is either by salt or sun
heat. Mills and cannery method are scarcely known. I suggest that a
system of rice mills should be constructed in all the large cities and
towns in the Yangtze Valley and South China where rice is the staple
food. Flour mills should be put up in all large cities and towns north
of the Yangtze Valley, where wheat, oats, and cereals other than rice
are the staple food. All these mills should be under one central
management so as to produce the best economic results. What amount of
capital should be invested in this mill system by this international
development scheme should be subjected to detailed investigation.
In regard to the preservation of food, fruits, meats and fishes should
be preserved by canning or by refrigeration. If the canning industry
is developed there will be created a great demand for tinplates.
Therefore the establishment of tinplate factories will be necessary and
also profitable. Such factories should be situated near the iron and
tin fields. There are many localities in South China where tin, iron,
and coal are situated near each other, thus providing ready materials
for the factories. The tinplate factories and the canneries should be
combined into one enterprise so as to secure best economic results.
d. The Distribution and Exportation of Food
In ordinary good years, China never lacks food. There is a common
saying in China that "One year's tilling will provide three years'
wants." In the richer sections of the country, the people generally
reserve three or four years' food supply in order to combat a bad
year. But when China is developed and organized as an economic whole,
one year's food reserve should be kept in the country for the use of
the local people and the surplus should be sent out to the industrial
centers. As the storage and transportation of food will be under a
central management so the distribution and exportation of food should
be under the same charge. All surplus grains of a country district
should be sent to the nearest town for storage and each town or city
should store one year's food. All the staple food should be sold only
at cost price to the inhabitants according to their number, by the
distributing department. And the surplus food should be exported to
foreign countries where it is wanted and where the highest price can be
obtained by the export department under the central management. Thus
the surplus food will not be wasted as hitherto under the prohibition
law. The proceeds of this export will surely amount to a huge sum
which will be used in the payment of the interest and principal of the
foreign loan invested in this undertaking.
We cannot complete this part of the food industry without giving
special consideration to the Tea and Soya industries. The former, as a
beverage, is well known throughout and used by the civilized world and
the latter is just beginning to be realized as an important foodstuff
by the scientists and food administrators. Tea, the most healthy and
delicious beverage of mankind, is produced in China. Its cultivation
and preparation form one of the most important industries of the
country. Once China was the only country that supplied the world with
tea. Now, China's tea trade has been wrested away from her by India
and Japan. But the quality of the Chinese tea is still unequalled.
The Indian tea contains too much tannic acid, and the Japanese tea
lacks the flavor which the Chinese tea possesses. The best tea is only
obtainable in China--the native land of tea. China lost her tea trade
owing to the high cost of its production. The high cost of production
is caused by the inland tax as well as the export duty and by the old
methods of cultivation and preparation. If the tax and duty are done
away with and new methods introduced, China can recover her former
position in this trade easily. In this International Development
Scheme, I suggest that a system of modern factories for the preparation
of tea should be established in all the tea districts, so that the tea
should be prepared by machinery instead of, as hitherto, by hand. Thus
the cost of production can be greatly reduced and the quality improved.
As the world's demand for tea is daily increasing and will be more so
by a dry United States of America, a project to supply cheaper and
better tea will surely be a profitable one.
Soya bean as a meat substitute was discovered by the Chinese and used
by the Chinese and the Japanese as a staple food for many thousands of
years. As meat shortage has been keenly felt in carnivorous countries
at present, a solution must be found to relieve it. For this reason
I suggest that in this International Development Scheme we should
introduce this artificial meat, milk, butter and cheese to Europe and
America, by establishing a system of soya bean factories in all the
large cities of those countries, so as to provide cheap nitrogenous
food to the western people. Modern factories should also be established
in China to replace those old and expensive methods of production by
hand, so as to procure better economic results as well as to produce
better commodities.
PART II
The Clothing Industry
The principal materials for clothes are silk, linen, cotton, wool and
animal skins. I shall accordingly deal with them under the following
headings:
a. The Silk Industry.
b. The Linen Industry.
c. The Cotton Industry.
d. The Woolen Industry.
e. The Leather Industry.
f. The Manufacturing of Clothing Machinery.
a. The Silk Industry
Silk is a Chinese discovery and was used as a material for clothes for
many thousands of years before the Christian Era. It is one of the
important national industries of China. Up to recent times, China was
the only country that supplied silk to the world. But now this dominant
trade has been taken away from China by Japan, Italy and France,
because those countries have adopted scientific methods for silk
culture and manufacture, while China still uses the same old methods of
many thousand years ago. As the world's demand for silk is increasing
daily, the improvement of the culture and manufacture of silk will
be a very profitable undertaking. In this International Development
Scheme, I suggest first that scientific bureaus be established in every
silk district to give directions to the farmers and to provide healthy
silk-worm eggs. These bureaus should be under central control. At the
same time, they will act as collecting stations for cocoons so as to
secure a fair price for the farmers. Secondly, silk filiatures with
up-to-date machinery should be established in suitable districts to
reel the silk for home as well as for foreign consumption. And lastly,
modern factories should be put up for manufacturing silk for both home
and foreign markets. All silk filiatures and factories should be under
a single national control and will be financed with foreign capital
and supervised by experts to secure the best economic results and to
produce better and cheaper commodities.
b. The Linen Industry
This is an old Chinese industry. In southern China there is produced
a kind of very fine linen in the form of ramie, known as China-grass.
This fiber if treated by modern methods and machinery becomes almost as
fine and glossy as silk. But in China, so far as I know, there is not
yet such new method and machinery for the manufacturing of this linen.
The famous Chinese grass-cloth is manufactured by the old method of
hand-looms. I propose that new methods and machinery be introduced into
China by this International Development Organization to manufacture
this linen. A system of modern factories should be established all over
the ramie-producing districts in South China where raw materials and
labor are obtainable.
c. The Cotton Industry
Cotton is a foreign product which was introduced into China centuries
ago. It became a very important Chinese industry during the hand-loom
age. But after the import of foreign cotton goods into China, this
native handicraft industry was gradually killed by the foreign trade.
So, great quantities of raw cotton are exported and finished cotton
goods are imported in large quantities into China. What an anomaly
when we consider the enormous, cheap labor in China. However a few
cotton mills have been started recently in treaty ports which have made
enormous profits. It is reported that during the last two or three
years most of the Shanghai cotton mills declared a dividend of 100 per
cent and some even 200 per cent! The demand for cotton goods in China
is very great but the supply falls short. It is necessary to put up
more mills in China for cotton manufacturing. Therefore, I suggest
in this International Development Scheme to put up a system of large
cotton mills all over the cotton-producing districts under one central
national control. Thus the best economic results will be obtained and
cotton goods can be supplied to the people at a lower cost.
d. The Woolen Industry
Although the whole of Northwestern China--about two-thirds of the
entire country is a pastural land yet the woolen industry has never
been developed. Every year, plenty of raw materials are exported from
China on the one hand and plenty of finished woolen goods imported on
the other. Judging by the import and export of the woolen trade the
development of woolen industry in China will surely be a profitable
business. I suggest that scientific methods be applied to the raising
of sheep and to the treatment of wool so as to improve the quality
and increase the quantity. Modern factories should be established
all over northwestern China for manufacturing all kinds of finished
woolen goods. Here we have the raw materials, cheap labor and unlimited
market. What we want for the development of this industry is foreign
capital and experts. This will be one of the most remunerative projects
in our International Development Scheme, for the industry will be a new
one and there will be no private competitors on the field.
e. The Leather Industry
This will also be a new industry in China, despite the fact that there
are a few tanneries in the treaty ports. The export of hides from and
the import of leather goods into China are increasing every year. So,
to establish a system of tanneries and factories for leather goods and
foot-gear will be a lucrative undertaking.
f. The Manufacturing of Clothing Machinery
The machinery for the manufacturing of various kinds of clothing
materials is in great demand in China. It is reported that the orders
for cotton mill machinery have been filled up for the next three
years from manufacturers in Europe and America. If China is developed
according to my programs, the demand for machinery will be many
times greater than at present and the supply in Europe and America
will be too short to meet it. Therefore to establish factories for
the manufacturing of clothing machinery is a necessary as well as a
profitable undertaking. Such factories should be established in the
neighborhood of iron and steel factories, so as to save expenses for
transportation of heavy materials. What will be the capital for this
undertaking should be decided by experts.
PART III
The Housing Industry
Among the four hundred millions in China the poor still live in huts
and hovels, and in caves in the loess region of north China while
the middle and the rich classes live in temples. All the so-called
houses in China, excepting a few after western style and those in
treaty ports are built after the model of a temple. When a Chinese
builds a house he has more regard for the dead than for the living.
The first consideration of the owner is his ancestral shrine. This
must be placed at the center of the house, and all the other parts
must be complement and secondary to it. The house is planned not for
comfort but for ceremonies, that is, for "the red and white affairs,"
as they are called in China. The "red affair" is the marriage or other
felicitous celebrations of any member of the family, and the "white
affair" is the funeral ceremonies. Besides the ancestral shrine there
are the shrines of the various household gods. All these are of more
importance than man and must be considered before him. There is not
a home in old China that is planned for the comfort and convenience
of man alone. So now when we plan the housing industry in China in
our International Development Scheme, we must take the houses of the
entire population of China into consideration. "To build houses for
four hundred millions, it is impossible!" some may exclaim. This is
the largest job ever conceived by man. But if China is going to give
up her foolish traditions and useless habits and customs of the last
three thousand years and begin to adopt modern civilization, as our
industrial development scheme is going to introduce, the remodelling
of all the houses according to modern comforts and conveniences is
bound to come, either unconsciously by social evolution or consciously
by artificial construction. The modern civilization so far attained
by western nations is entirely an unconscious progress, for social
and economic sciences are but recent discoveries. But henceforth
all human progress will be more or less based upon knowledge, that
is upon scientific planning. As we can foresee now, within half a
century under our industrial development, the houses of all China
will be renewed according to modern comfort and convenience. Is it
not far better and cheaper to rebuild the houses of all China by a
preconceived scientific plan than by none? I have no doubt that if
we plan to build a thousand houses at one time it would be ten times
cheaper than to plan and build one at a time, and the more we build the
cheaper terms we would get. This is a positive economic law. The only
danger in this is over-production. That is the only obstacle for all
production on a large scale. Since the industrial revolution in Europe
and America, every financial panic before the world war was caused by
over-production. In the case of our housing industry in China, there
are four hundred million customers. At least fifty million houses will
be needed in the coming fifty years. Thus a million houses a year will
be the normal demand of the country.
Houses are a great factor in civilization. They give men more enjoyment
and happiness than food and clothes. More than half of the human
industries are contributing to household needs. The housing industry
will be the greatest undertaking of our International Development
Scheme, and also will be the most profitable part of it. My object of
the development of the housing industry is to provide cheap houses to
the masses. A ten thousand dollar house now built in the treaty port
can be produced for less than a thousand dollars and yet a high margin
of profit can be made. In order to accomplish this we have to produce
transport, and distribute the materials for construction. After the
house is finished, all household equipment must be furnished. Both of
these will be comprised in the housing industry which I shall formulate
as follows:
a. The Production and Transportation of Building Materials.
b. The Construction of Houses.
c. The Manufacturing of Furniture.
d. The Supply of Household Utilities.
a. The Production and Transportation of Building Materials
The building materials are bricks, tiles, timber, skeleton iron, stone,
cement and mortar. Each of these materials must be manufactured or
cut out from raw materials. So kilns for the manufacture of tiles and
bricks must be put up. Mills for timbers must be established, also
factories for skeleton irons. Quarries must be opened and factories for
cement and mortar must be started. All these establishments must be
put up at suitable districts where materials and markets are near one
another. All should be under one central control so as to regulate the
output of each of these materials in proportion to the demand. After
the materials are ready they must be transported to the places where
they are wanted by special bottoms on waterways, and by special cars on
railways so as to reduce the cost as low as possible. For this purpose
special boats and cars must be built by the shipbuilding department and
the car factory.
b. The Construction of Houses
The houses to be built in China will comprise public buildings and
private residences. As the public buildings are to be built with public
funds for public uses which will not be a profitable undertaking, a
special Government Department should therefore be created to take
charge. The houses that are to be built under this International
Development Scheme will be private residences only with the object to
provide cheap houses for the people, as well as to make profit for this
International concern. The houses will be built on standardized types.
In cities and towns the houses should be constructed on two lines: the
single family and the group family houses. The former should again be
sub-divided into eight-roomed, ten-roomed and twelve-roomed houses, and
the latter into ten-family, hundred-family and thousand-family houses,
with four or six rooms for each family. In the country districts the
houses should be classified according to the occupation of the people,
and special annexes such as barns and dairies should be provided for
the farmers. All houses should be designed and built according to the
needs and comfort of man; so a special architectural department should
be established to study the habits, occupations and needs of different
people and make improvements from time to time. The construction should
be performed as much as possible by labor-saving machinery so as to
accelerate work and save expenses.
c. The Manufacturing of Furniture
As all houses in China should be remodelled all furniture should be
replaced by up-to-date ones, which are made for the comforts and needs
of man. Furniture of the following kinds should be manufactured: the
library, the parlor, the bedroom, the kitchen, the bathroom and the
toilet. Each kind should be manufactured in a special factory under the
management of the International Development Organization.
d. The Supply of Household Utilities
The household utilities are water, light, heat, fuel and telephones.
Except in treaty ports, there is no water-supply system in any of the
cities and towns of China. Even many treaty ports possess none as yet.
In all the large cities, the people obtain their water from rivers
which at the same time act as sewage. The water supply of the large
cities and towns in China is most unsanitary, (1) It is an urgent
necessity that water supply systems should be installed in all cities
and towns in China without delay. Therefore special factories for
equipping the water system should be established in order to meet the
needs. (2) Lighting plants should be installed in all the cities and
towns in China. So factories for the manufacture of the machinery
lighting plants should be established. (3) Modern heating plants
should be installed in every household, using either electricity, gas,
or steam. So the manufacturing of heating equipment is a necessity.
Factories should be established for this purpose. (4) Cooking fuel is
one of the most costly items in the daily needs of the Chinese people.
In the country the people generally devote ten per pent of their
working time to gathering firewoods. In town the people spend about
twenty per cent of their living expenses for firewood alone. Thus this
firewood question accumulates into a great national waste. The firewood
and grass as a cooking fuel must be substituted by coal in the country
districts, and by gas or electricity in towns and cities. In order to
use coal gas and electricity, proper equipment must be provided. So
factories for the manufacturing of coal gas, and electricity, stoves
for every family must be established by this International Development
Organization. (5) Telephones must also be supplied to every family in
the cities as well as in the country. So factories for manufacturing
the equipment must be put up in China, in order to render them as cheap
as possible.
PART IV
The Motoring Industry
The Chinese are a stagnant race. From time immemorial a man is praised
for staying at home and caring for his immediate surroundings only.
Laotse--a contemporary of Confucius--says: "The good people are those
who live in countries so near to each other that they can hear each
other's cock crow and dog bark and yet they never have had intercourse
with each other during their lifetime." This is often quoted as the
Golden Age of the Chinese people. But in modern civilization the
condition is entirely changed. Moving about occupies a great part of
a man's life time. It is the movement of man that makes civilization
progress. China, in order to catch up with modern civilization, must
move. And the movement of the individual forms an important part of the
national activity. A man must move whenever and wherever he pleases
with ease and rapidity. However, China, at present, lacks the means
of facility for individual movement, for all the old great highways
were ruined and have disappeared, and the automobile has not yet been
introduced into the interior of the country. The motor car, a recent
invention, is a necessity for rapid movement. If we wish to move
quickly and do more work, we must adopt the motor car as a vehicle. But
before we can use the motor car, we have to build our roads. In the
preliminary part of this International Development Scheme, I proposed
to construct one million miles of roads. These should be apportioned
according to the ratio of population in each district for construction.
In the eighteen provinces of China Proper, there are nearly 2,000
hsiens. If all parts of China are to adopt the hsien administration,
there will be nearly 4,000 hsiens in all. Thus the construction of
roads for each hsien will be on an average of 250 miles. But some
of the hsiens have more people and some have less. If we divide the
million miles of roads by the four hundred million people, we shall
have one mile to every four hundred. For four hundred people to build
one mile of road is not a very difficult task to accomplish. If my
scheme of making road-building as a condition for granting local
autonomy is adopted by the nation, we shall see one million miles of
road built in a very short time as if by a magic wand.
As soon as the people of China decide to build roads, this
International Development Organization can begin to put up factories
for manufacturing motor cars. First start on a small scale and
gradually expand the plants to build more and more until they are
sufficient to supply the needs of the four hundred million people. The
cars should be manufactured to suit different purposes, such as the
farmer's car, the artisan's car, the business man's car, the tourist's
car, the truck car, etc. All these cars, if turned out on a large
scale, can be made much cheaper than at present, so that everybody who
wishes it, may have one.
Besides supplying cheap cars, we must also supply cheap fuel, otherwise
the people will still be unable to use them. So the development of the
oil fields in China should follow the motor car industry. This will be
dealt with in more detail under the mining industry.
PART V
The Printing Industry
This industry provides man with intellectual food. It is a necessity
of modern society, without which mankind cannot progress. All human
activities are recorded, and all human knowledge is stored in printing.
It is a great factor of civilization. The progress and civilization of
different nations of the world are measured largely by the quantity of
printed matter they turned out annually. China, though the nation that
invented printing, is very backward in the development of its printing
industry. In our International Development Scheme, the printing
industry must also be given a place. If China is developed industrially
according to the lines which I suggested, the demand for printed matter
by the four hundred millions will be exceedingly great. In order to
meet this demand efficiently, a system of large printing houses must be
established in all large cities in the country, to undertake printing
of all kinds from newspapers to encyclopædia. The best modern books
on various subjects in different countries should be translated into
Chinese and published in cheap edition form for the general public in
China. All the publishing houses should be organized under one common
management, so as to secure the best economic results.
In order to make printed matter cheap, other subsidiary industries must
be developed at the same time. The most important of these is the
paper industry. At present all the paper used by newspapers in China
is imported. And the demand for paper is increasing every day. China
has plenty of raw materials for making paper, such as the vast virgin
forests of the northwestern part of the country, and the wild reeds of
the Yangtze and its neighboring swamps which would furnish the best
pulps. So, large plants for manufacturing papers should be put up in
suitable locations. Besides the paper factories, ink factories, type
foundries, printing machine factories, etc., should be established
under a central management to produce everything that is needed in the
printing industry.
PROGRAM VI
The Mining Industry
Mining and farming are the two most important means of producing raw
materials for industries. As farming is to produce food for man, so
mining is to produce food for machinery. Machinery is the tree of
modern industries, and the mining industry is the root of machinery.
Thus, without the mining industry there would be no machinery, and
without machinery there would be no modern industries which have
revolutionized the economic conditions of mankind. The mining industry,
after all, is the greatest factor of material civilization and economic
progress. Although in the fifth part of the first program I suggested
the development of the iron and coal fields in Chili and Shansi as
an auxiliary project for the development of the Great Northern Port,
still, a special program should be devoted to mining in general. The
mineral lands of China belong to the state, and mining in China is
still in its infancy. So to develop the mining industry from the outset
as a state enterprise would be a sound economic measure. But mining in
general is very risky and to enlist foreign capital in its development
in a wholesale manner is unadvisable. Therefore, only such mining
projects which are sure to be profitable will be brought under the
International Development Scheme. I shall formulate this mining program
as follows:
I. The Mining of Iron.
II. The Mining of Coal.
III. The Mining of Oil.
IV. The Mining of Copper.
V. The Working of Some Particular Mines.
VI. The Manufacture of Mining Machinery.
VII. The Establishment of Smelting Plants.
PART I
The Mining of Iron
Iron is the most important element in modern industries. Its deposits
are found in great quantities in certain areas and can be easily mined.
The iron mines should be worked absolutely as a state property. Besides
the Chili and Shansi iron mines, the other iron fields must also be
developed. There are very rich deposits in the southwestern provinces,
the Yangtze Valley and the northwestern provinces in China Proper.
Sinkiang, Mongolia, Manchuria, Kokonor, and Tibet also possess large
deposits of iron. We have the Han Yeh Ping Iron and Steel Works in
the Yangtze Valley and the Pen Chi Hu Iron and Steel Works in South
Manchuria, both of which are largely capitalized by Japan and are
working very profitably lately. There should be similar works in the
vicinity of Canton, the Great Southern Port, and also in Szechuen, and
Yunnan, where iron and coal are found side by side. The iron deposits
in Sinkiang, Kansu, Mongolia, etc., must also be developed one after
the other, according to the needs of the locality. Iron and Steel Works
must be put up in each of these regions to supply the local demand
for manufactured iron. What amount of capital should be invested in
these additional iron and steel works must be thoroughly investigated
by experts. But I should say that a sum equal to or double the amount
to be invested in the Chili and Shansi iron and steel works will not
be too much, because of the great demand which will result in the
development of China.