CHINA
535.
built, it appears likely that, as more cars are needed for outside roads and longer travelling, this trade will develop on the lines of the purchase of a better class of truck than the cheap cars which so far have held the field and of which American. manufacturers are the principal suppliers.
Aviation
The stimulus given to the development of aviation in China can be traced directly to the enthusiasm aroused by the flight of General Chang Wei-chang, who completed a circuit of China in the latter part of 1928, stopping at the larger cities en route, and left in his wake a wave of enthusiasm that later crystallisca into actual orders for planes. During the year 1929 over 100 new machines, representative of the latest modern types, arrived in China, among which American models numbered 33, while orders were given for an additional 12, and other purchases included not less than 29 British, 23 German, and 17 French planes of various types, from the light trainer up to the six passenger air-mail and transport models. On the 9th July the Ministry of Communications commenced an experimental air service between Shanghai and Nanking. The end of the year found the China Airways Federal Incoporated success- fully operating an air-mail and passenger service between Shanghai and Hankow, having overcome the many difficulties inherent in the establishment of such a route in a country representing practically virgin territory in so far as facilities and aids to aviation are concerned. Calls are made at Nanking and Kiukiang en route, and the service is carried on by amphibian machines which are able to alight on or take off from either land or water. The Japan Aviation Company has inaugurated a mail service between Dairen and Japan which now carries both mails and passengers. Several other routes are under contemplation, if not in actual operation. number, however, of qualified Chinese pilots is all too few, and there is a lamentable dearth of training schools in China, the one maintained by the Canton Aviation Bureau being the only one attempting thorough instruction both theoretically and practically. It is a regrettable fact that in many provinces, especially in Manchuria, where Mukden alone is reported to have some 140 planes available, very few are being put to any practical use through lack of aviators, and most of the planes are already in a deplorable condition.
The
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Railway materials:
Rails
...
Locomotives and tenders...
Railway carriages and wagons (includ-
ing tramcars) ........
...
Motor vehicles and accessories, tires, etc.:
Motor-cars:
...
Piculs .Value, Hk. Tls.
1928
1929 1,913,042 821,533 1,563,856 3,500,623
""
2,288,596 2,934,749
Pieces
...
...
4,065 {
4,142 4,639
570
707
3,439,001
99
""
...
...
...
"2"
"
* 1,878,483 3,423,279
513,358 1,772,825
Motor-trucks, and chassis of Passenger cars, and chassis of
Motor-cycles
accessories
...
...
Motor-cars and motor-trucks, parts and
...
India-rubber tires and inner tubes
Aeroplanes and parts
...Value, Hk. Tls.
* Complete figures not available.
HISTORICAL
The year 1900 will ever be memorable in the history of China for the "Boxer " 1 rising. Details of this great social and political upheaval may be found in preceding volumes of this Directory. The object of the rising, which was confined to the North, was the extermimation of foreign native Christians and people known to be associated with foreigners. The Legation Quarter at Peking was besieged for two months by the d Boxer rabble and the Imperial troops, the occupants being reduced to the verge of starvation. Troops were poured into China by all the European Powers, America and Japan, and it was not before 20,000 foreign troops had fought their way to the capital that the siege was raised. Over 250 Europeans were murdered during the rising, and di it was estimated that over 10,000 natives perished, most of them being Christians or
the kinsmen of Christians.
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