June 12, 1909.]
the largest emporium in Asia, would natur- ally be to connect his line in the easiest and most complete manner with the wharves, alongside which are daily moored steamers of a capacity much exceeding twenty thousand tons. It is noteworthy that in no single case has any attempt been made to convey goods for either export or import between the railways and the wharves. Even at Tientsin where the train actually runs alongside the jetties, and where steamers are frequently delayed between the jetties and Tientsin, it never seems to have occurred to anyone connected with the management of the railway that
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
measures.
mile.
THE NAVAL RACE,
WIS
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THE KOWLOON RAILWAY ESTIMATES.
491
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readily with Chinese and English laudally itself with Britain in the fray. While This would be of an English we take this view it does not follow that we accept the dictum. that Britain should abandon her policy of the Two Power Standard. Financially, she is able to bear the burden and therefore there is no need to (Daily Press, June 9th.)
be very despondent. The Government may When the first Dreadnought le slow in laying down Dreadnoughts, but launched at Portsmouth almost three years there is much to justify the policy of caution. ago the wave of satisfaction, amounting to Each
embrace programme should triumph, which passed over the country at advanced type of battleship, and as the the great advance which this event markel contingent Dreadnoughts just decided upon in the building of battleships was such as to suggest that this notable addition to the leads to the conclusion that the vessels are 30 per cent. better than the original, it British Navy was practically the last word launched five years hence might make their a very great economy would result to thein battleships. Such a thought was never predecessors as obsolete as the first Dread. trade of the port were the cargoes, instead perhaps expressed, but outsiders might be nought did with the remainder of the British of being conveyed up the river by the pardoned if they imagined that Britons Navy. Therefore caution seems justified. steamers, landed and put on board the train took such a flattering unction to their souls. At the same time this can be overdone, and at Tongku, whence they could be readily Now, however, we realise more than ever that those who clamour for additions to the naval delivered into godown at Tientsin. At to the building of ships, like to the making of shipbuilding programme are not without
hanghai a continuous line of wharves some books, there is no end, and that the breaking reason. seven miles long runs along the river, and of records, even in shipbuilding, is only an
It is a perfectly natural desire to wish for more ships of the prevailing stan could be readily served from the existing incentive to greater deeds on the part of dard than Britain's most dangerous rival lines of railway, yet neither in the case of those momentarily eclipsed. Therefore it the Shanghai-Nanking, nor of this new line follows that the construction of a Dread-Government invited the criticism levelled at possesses or is likely to possess, and the to Kashing, has the slightest attempt been nought involves plans for the building of a it by refusing to make its programme as large made to effect a junction. It is noteworthy, greater. And so the competition continues. as it has admitted, is necessary. In our tele- in the case of Shanghai, that provision has It need hardly be said that the laying graphic news yesterday it was stated that been male in the Land Regulations of the down of the Dreadnoughts was the logical the armaments for the four contingent Settlements for the acquisition under com-
outcome of the policy, built on new Dreadnoughts had been ordered. As this pulsory powers at a fair rate of the land discoveries and tests, of increasing the size step has been delayed for several months, it required for such extensions; so that the and armaments of our ships of war, but the does not add to the feeling of confidence in obstruction does not proceed from any un-
far-reaching effects of introducing those the Admiralty, but public opinion in England willinguess on the part of the Foreigu mammoth fighting machines which revolu- is certainly forcing the Government and the Municipalities, who would, on the contrary, tionised to some degree naval warfare were Admiralty to prepare a programme more in lend every assistance to such a project.
not so evident at the outset. Now it is accord with what is considered the Empire's seen that when Britain built the first needs in the light of recent events. Dreadnought she made the remainder of her navy to no little extent obsolete. This type of vessel was so far superior to its pre- decessors that it reduced the value of the other ships, and though Britain had the benefit of starting before other nations in
(Daily Press, June 11th) the building of these battleships, the other We draw attention with pleasure to the nations were placed in more favourable remarks which His Excellency the Governor positions than before, inasmuch as they had made yesterday at the meeting of the not the previous great margin which Legislative Council on railway matters. divided their navies from that of Britain to His Excellency confessed that when making make up before attaining a parity of fight his last statement he had been misled by ing forces on sea. In other words, naval figures in the Chief Resident Engineer's experts being practically agreed that report as to the cost of work on the Beacon Dreadnoughts were the most scientific Hill Tunnel in 1907 and 1908, which showed fi hting machines so far devised, the various
a reduction of 108 per cent per foot in Amongst the other tendencies of the Powers began to concentrate largely on favour of the latter year, notwithstanding present fashion for improving the intern Dreadnoughts, with the result that Britain that the Report admitted that greater communications is a growing desire to finds itself no longer holding that numerical difficulties had been encountered in 1908 assimilate the standards of weight and supremacy which she has regarded as than in 1907. The Chief Engineer has measurement. Some twenty one centuries necessary for the maintenance of her since explained to His Excellency this ago the great monarch T'sIN SHIHWANGTI, interests. Of course, in the actual number apparent contradiction by a reference to bis on assuming formally the government issued of ships of war she is still vastly superior to former report "in which it is stated that a proclamation calling for an assimilation any of her rivals, but a new standard of the so-called cost per lineal foot in 1907 of the standards. His decease a few years quality has been set, and judged by that included the expenditure upon the metric later, before the reform had been accom-
Britain does not stand in the same favour-gauge construction lines laid at both facings plished, caused it to be shelved, and from able position that has hitherto been hers. of the tunuel, the erection of machinery, that time to the present affairs have been It is not the fact that other nations can the accumulation of timber at the site and growing worse in China. The necessities build Dreadnoughts that makes Britons many other similar items." His Excellency of railway engineering are now bringing feel uneasy. The disquieting feature is that had overlooked this explanation in the about a general desire for a settlement; the others can build as well and as speedily, there- 1907 report, and we did the same in com. new line, according to the Engineer is 38 by making it difficult if not impossible formenting on these figures, being misled miles and 960 feet long, which he tells us is Britain to maintain her policy of the two in the matter by the statement made exactly 112 li. Ali, everyone connected Power standard. Undoubtedly the situation by the Chief Resident Engineer in with China knows, has hitherto been the is somewhat disconcerting, but England most indefinite of measures, but according need not feel greatly depressed. She to Mr. Hau's measurement, for the future still leads. Admittedly she might not be it must be taken at exactly 1,800 feet able in the future to face certain combina- English. A previous endeavour totions of Powers, but it requires a consider establish a standard on the part of Mr. T. W. KINGSMILL, of Shanghai, had put it on ад average at 1,830 feet; the difference, it will be seen, is no very material; but in view of the present disposition to extend the present lines, it will prove of great advantage to China that the length should be once and for all definitely fixed. 1815 feet or 330 pu of 54 feet English would perhaps fit in most
We have so recently spoken at length on the present policy of the reactionary party in China, and of the manner in which it is taking advantage of the natural desire of the Chinese Government and people to finance their own undertakings, that it is only necessary to draw attention to these wilful obstacles thrown in the way of deve- lopment as an evidence of the lengths to which that party is prepared to go.
Mean- while the present unfinished state of the railway can only be attributed to an inten- tion to deliberately wreck not only this, but all the other industrial efforts of the progressists, who are anxious to raise the position of China amongst the greater nations of the world.
able readjustinent of existing conditions to imagine Britain fighting single-handed two or more European nations. The possibility of having to wage war against one might be considered, and in such an unhappy con- tingency the prospects of success are not against her. On the other hand should she find herself drawn into war with two or more Powers it is just as probable that some other Power will decide that it is advantageous to
his Report for 1908, that "the cost of the tunnel-driving was very much reduced during 1908, due to better organis ation made possible by coolies getting more trained to the work." That is the only ex- planation given by Mr. EvEs in his 1908 Report of the great difference in cost per foot.
If it is only just to the engineers who began the tunnel work in 1907 under extreme difficulties with insufficient staff and plant and much sickness" that it should be clearly stated now that the cost in 1908 was, -pot very much reduced," as the Chief Resident Engineer bad reported, but “ very much greater" according to the Governor's
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