CHINA. 



119 



but their opposition was only formal and tern- same syndicate, the British and Chinese Corpora- 



porary, Chang-Chih-Tung, while remaining Vice- tion, formed by the great mercantile and banking 



roy of Wuchang, became Imperial Commissioner concerns in Shanghai, contracted to build the 



of Commerce, an office first bestowed upon Li- line from Canton to Hong-Kong and the one from 



Hung-Chang shortly before his death. When Suchau to Hangchau, and with a German syndi- 



the United States Congress passed the new Chi- cate in the projected trunk line from Tientsin 



nese exclusion act the Chinese Government to Chinkiang; originally also with an American 



against the reenactment of the law, particularly syndicate in the Hankau and Canton Railroad, 



against its extension to Hawaii and the Philip- which last has been begun, but with the aid of 



pines, where the Chinese have acquired large in- Belgian, not British, capital. The Germans are 



terests and are connected by family ties with determined to build the Tientsin-Chinkiang line, 



the population of the islands, for which reasons An Anglo-French syndicate in 1902 obtained 



the repression of free intercourse would result in mining concessions covering a third of the prov- 



peculiar hardships. 



The Imperial Government, in response to a 

 memorial of Yuan-Shih-Kai, issued on Sept. 13 



ince of Yunnan and comprising mines producing 

 coal, copper, nickel, quicksilver, petroleum, tin, 

 and precious metals. An English and a French 



and malversation. Considerable progress was 

 made in this reform in Pechili. The edict an- 



provmce. They have a right to mine coal, etc., 

 within 10 miles on each side of the railroads. 



an edict intended to eradicate official squeezing syndicate in rivalry sought mining concession 



in Szechuen. The Germans have pushed forward 

 the Shantung railroads and have already done 



nounced that salaries would be fixed, and ordered much to develop the mineral resources of that 

 that all fines and other revenues be accounted 

 for and turned into the public treasury, with 



the exception of a certain percentage, until a A German syndicate has obtained rights to mine 



scale of salaries is adopted by the Imperial Gov- diamonds and other precious stones, coal, gold, 



ernment which will render squeezing unnecessary, and other minerals in several districts. The ac- 



Foreign Enterprise. The British and Chi- tivity of German enterprise excited the jealousy 



nese Corporation in 1898 secured a concession for of others, who spread a rumor that Germany 



a railroad from Shanghai to Nankin and mining was pressing the Chinese Government to grant 



and railroad concessions in Shansi and Honan exclusive privileges in Shantung. The German 



and applied for a concession for a trunk line Government denied, in answer to inquiries, that 



between Pekin and Hankau. A Belgian syndi- 

 cate with Russian and French backing secured 



the industrial concessions granted established a 

 German monopoly or were intended to shut the 



the latter, whereupon the British minister de- door to foreign competition in Shantung. A 



manded and obtained as compensation the privi- 

 lege for British syndicates to build lines from 

 Canton to Kaulung, from Shanghai through 

 Nankin and Chinkiang to Sinyang, and from 

 Hangchau to Suchau, with extension to Ningpo. 

 The British held financial control over the Pekin- 



German firm proposed to farm the preparation 

 and sale of opium throughout the empire, offer- 

 ing 50,000,000 taels a year for the monopoly, but 

 the scheme was not favorably received by the 

 Chinese Government. The terms of the last 

 German mining rights in Shantung it is intend- 



Tientsin-Niuchuang system of railroads built for ed to apply to all mining concessions. The con- 



the Chinese Government, and the British and 

 Chinese Corporation possessed a third interest in 



ditions are that the Government shall receive 25 

 per cent, of the profits and also a proportion of 



the Tientsin and Chinkiang Railroad and was the product, which is 25 per cent, for precious 

 half-owner of the coal-mines at Nan-Piao, near stones, 15 per cent, for precious metals and quick- 



Shanhaikwan. In the battle for concessions 

 the British came out ahead. In actual enter- 

 prise they have fallen to the rear. Not a rod 

 of the projected railroads has been built, though 

 the concessions are still held by the British syn- 

 dicates, which have failed to fulfil any part of 

 their engagements. These concessions had no 

 time limit, and when the concessionaires did noth- 



silver. 10 per cent, for copper, lead, and zinc, and 

 5 per cent, for iron and coal, besides a 5-per-cent. 

 duty on exports and 2i per cent, on products 

 consumed in China. 



A Japanese company placed a fleet of steamers 

 on the Yangtse which ascend the river as far 

 as Siangtan. Steamers belonging to European 

 and Chinese companies are increasing in all Chi- 



ing, although Belgian, French, American, and nese waters. A French project for a railroad 

 other British syndicates were willing to under- from Canton to Fatshan was not entertained be- 

 takfe their development, the Chinese Government cause it conflicted with the rights acquired by 

 decided to grant no more until work was begun the American syndicate in 1898. 

 on these and to cede no mines in future except The Manchurian Railroad was near enough to 

 on condition that operations be commenced in a completion to carry freight and passengers from 

 given time. The coal- and iron-mines of Shansi the beginning of 1902. The East Chinese and 



Siberian Railroads afford continuous rail com- 

 munication from Port Arthur, or, by the line 



and northern Honan could not be developed be- 

 cause the Chinese Government would not allow 



the Anglo-Italian company which has the con- that runs through Tientsin. Taku, and Niuchuang 



cession to build a railroad to the Yangtse. The and connects with the East Chinese line at Tash- 



Belgian syndicate which constructed the Lu- chu, from Pekin to St. Petersburg and other Eu- 



han Railroad, as the Pekin and Hankau line is ropean cities. The Russian Railroad i_MiunU in 



called, successfully opposed its construction by Manchuria number about 40.000, distributed in 



the route finally chosen, fearing competition. In fortified posts, 10 or 15 miles apart, along the 



1902 the mining company started to build a rail- line and along the branch that runs from Harbin 

 road from Tsechou to the Grand Canal at Wei- 

 hui, to connect later with the Luhan Railroad 



to Vladivostok. 



Insurrectionary Disturbances. The popu- 



running south to Kaifeng-Fu, and one from the lous and productive provinces of the center and 



- ____ _ - . . ___il_ 1. ? _ 1. 1. _ J .ii 1 I > . .- 



^hingwha coal-fields of Honan to the Wei river, south, which had no part in the Boxer uprising 



The British syndicate that signed the contract and were unaffected by the foreign occupation. 



for the Shanghai and Nankin Railroad in the be- were stirred to the point of rebellion when the 



ginning of 1902 proposed new conditions for that main part of the indemnity was levied on them. 



ind its other railroad contracts which the Chi- The provincial officials endeavored to raise the 



se Government would not even discuss. The amounts assessed on them by whatever method 



