February 1, 1909.]
THE YUNNAN RAILWAY,
(Daily Press, January 28th.) By the end of t is year or early in the next it will be possible to travel from Hongkong to Yunnan-fu in a week. We have some recollection of a British Consular report which mentioned among the benefits con- ferred by this line the provision of sanitoria for Indo-China, and eveu Bangkok, Singa- pore and Hongkong, for the lake district of Yunnan the Consul described as
a "terrestrial paradise" or aid it could be made such if a check were put upon the ruthless destruction of timber which has been going on in the district now for some years past. But, however beautiful and health-giving the lake district of Yunnan may be, the tourist traffic from Hongkong and Singapore will not be likely to appreci- ably affect the Company's revenu“. The project has proved an inordinately costly one, and though the railway may yield good returns and materially add to the economic resources of Indo-China, as the French Foreign Affairs Committee anticipates it will do, we venture to think that it is extremely doubtful whether the line will pay interest on the capital invested for many years to come. It will be seen from the summary of B report presented to the French Chamber last month, which we print in another column, that the initial cost of the line will amount to nearly double the original estimate. Costly errors" have been committed and have had to be paid for, and the company must have had an enormous bill to meet for com- pensation and hospital arrangements. I be extremely malarious character of some of the districts traversed by the line was responsible for an appalling sick-list and death rate. In 1905 when the road was being made through the Nam-ti Valley the Commissioner of Customs at Mengtze wrote
that
KO
24
|
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
it was not till five years later that the work and naturally they are not without of construction was actually commenced. their effect on British naval policy. Now the completion of the line is in Generally speaking, the redistribution sight, but the British scheme of pene- iudicated is only a continuation of the tration from Burma has not yet passed policy enunciated under a Conservative beyond the cussion, and `seems unlikely to do so
stage of academical dis- Administration when the establishment of if the route then contemplated is the best.
a naval base at Rosyth in the Firth of Forth Lord CURZON described the idea as "mid-made public, aroused some criticism in was decided. That proposition, when first summer madness," and said that in his belief Germany, but, after all, there could be no there had been a greater lack both of exact disguising the fact tha the project was only knowledge and of perspective in the treat- & belated recognition of an imperative need ment of this matter of building a railway, that had long existed. For years it has across Yunnan to the Yangtse, and a looser been felt that the Scottish coasts were rein given to the imagination than in almost inadequately protected, and the creation of any subject of contemporaneous politics, a base in the northern kingdom, while But there appear to be other avenues of justiced by naval considerations, might progress besides the one which was then also be regarded as a concession to under consideration and the EARL OF Scottish demands for a share of the RONALDSHAY, M.P., in his recent book work makes out a good case for a line from Bhamo to Tali-fu, which is the old trade route. Mr. COLQUHOUN in "Across Chryse" discuss -8 such a scheme and says it would never be carried out "except in the brain of an unpractical theorist " for no engineer, he imagines, would "waste a thought upon such an idle dream. Mr. COLQUHOUN, as every one knows, has a scheme of his own. We cannot pretend to say which is the most practical; it is a question for the experts. But as it becomes more clearly de- monstrated that the French line to Yunnan menaces the existing trade of Iudia with the province, and as its political significance becomes more generally appreciated we may surely expect to see some serious attempts made to bring this question within the range of practical politics.
""
BRITAIN'S NAVAL DEFENCE.
(Daily Press, January 29th.) The telegraphic information which we published yesterday to the effect that the the death rate among the coolies British Admiralty contemplated the reduc. imported from various parts of the Empire tion of the Channel Fleet and the creation and put to work in this dreaded valley of a new North Sea Fleet is significant may, without exaggeration, be estimated at of the greater consideration which is at 5,000, or 70 per cent of the total number present being given to the defence of Great employed on that particular section of the Britain. Tue proposed redistribution of the line.' It will be readily understood too fleets need not be regarded as a threat to that the rate of wages demanded for work any particular country, nor need it be in these death-dealing regions was far from deemed an attempt to appease the alarmists normal, and this combined with the Syndi who continually point to the possibility of cate's liability to provide compensation and invasion. There are good reasons-power- medical aid in case of sickness, must have ful commercial reasons-for refusing to be- contributed very materially to upset all lieve in the likelihood of any of the leading previous calculations of cost. Theù, again, nations of Europe coming to blows, and a alterations in the route have been made, dispassionate review of the circumstances and much of the extra cost is set down to will prove beyond doubt that the prospective these deviations from the original plans. re-arrangement of the fleets is dictated by At the time this project was conceived purely naval considerations and not by a Great Britain was contemplating the desire to antagonise Germany or still further penetration of Yunnan by a line from encourage the feeling which is expressed in Burma. A section of the projected line the term Anglophobia. When we recollect from Mandalay to Kung-lung on the all the efforts that have been made and are frontier was actually under construction being made to promote a better under- when PRINCE HENRI OF ORLEANS began an standing between the two nations, the agitation for a "retort to this new movement interchange of visits of representative people, of England" with a similar one by France. and-most important of all-the propose
To this end" he wrote "it is absolutely visit of King EDWARD to Germany, there necessary for 118 aleo to have Я can be little doubt that there is a real railway penetrating China" and M. PAUL and genuine wish in both Germany and DOUMER, who at that time was Governor-Britain that the relations between them General of Indo-China, took up the matter with bis accustomed energy. Yunnan and Szechuan seemed to him to he reserved for commercial exploitation by France, and by pointing out that France would have the advantage if she at once bestirred hers. If, thanks to the facility for reaching Yunnan derived from their footing in the Valley of the Red River, be succeeded in winning the enthusiastic support of his Government for 'the scheme. The concession was speedily obtained from the Chinese Government, but
should be of the most cordial nature, and that nothing should be allowed to interrupt the progress of two of the leaders in the march of civilisation. Some who are eager to stir up strife may seize upou this project as a threat to Germany, but it is no more directed towards that Power than the institution of the Volunteer movement or the formation of the Territorial Army. Naval conditions are always changing, Great Britain is no longer the only power on the sea. Other navies have arisen,
doue at naval ceutres, which
To remove this weakness in the scheme was previously a monopoly of England. for the defence of Britain is not only advisable but absolutely necessary, if greater security against possible attacks is desired, and no Britain to make the disposition of her navy one will deny the right of Great
which will offer the highest degree of pro- tection. All the other countries of Europe look well to their frontiers not because they are afraid that their neighbours are anxious to strike at any particular place, but be- cause it is part of their respective schemes of defence. In like manner it may be conceded that Great Britain, although she has no frontiers marching with those of other countries, is justified in looking to the defence of her coasts. On the other hand we have little sympathy with those alarmiste who surround themselves with fear at every new movement on the part of some Con tinental power, Such demonstrations suggest cowardice, and their effect, if allow- ed to become general, would not only make Britons the laughing stock of the Continent. but would also encourage the contingency they are so anxious to avert. An overween- ing confidence is not advisable, neither is panic. As we suggested at the outset, there are, apart from purely military considera- tions, good reasons why war is not likely to eventuate. The commercial interests of both countries are so great, and have so much in common that they would not readily suffer to take place the dislocation of trade and commerce which would be a co-relative of any outbreak of hostilities among the greater Powers of Europe. Ostensibly the issue lies in other hands, but we know full well that with such a com-
munity of commercial interests nothing untoward will be allowed to happen. The naval expert may have his opinion as to whether the proposed arrangement, owing to the wider area over which the fleets will be distributed, tends to weaken the effective striking force of the Navy, but while we do not propose to enter upon the discussion of a question which has been decided by the Lords of the Admiralty, it seems to us that the coscentration of the navy is in no wise impeded by this arrangement and the protec tion of hitherto unpatrolled coasts will add materially to the sense of security ip Britain which all schemes of defence are intended.to impart.
The remains of three members of the Siamese Royal family are to be cremated within the coming week, and His Majesty the King will be present to light the pyros. The cremation of the body of the Prince who died in Germany last on the 1st prox, and after the ashes have been year, and that of his mother, are to take place removed on the following day, another pyro will be lighted to cremate the remains of another member of the Family.
4172717