This is the starting-point of any Snyestigation into conditions pre-ailing on the Peking-Mukden line. When 1 apprised certain railway officials with these facts, I found them ignorant of, or blind to, the situation, I would say that they fare not aware of certain aspects of the milit At the Mukden is not wallowing in the tame bog as. the Tientsin-Pukou ne perhaps to the ci ofthe railway agreement. soldiers had had. their way, railway would now have be pletely in their hands. That what the foreign officials have been fighting. since last September—the wresting of the vestige of control "out of their hands. The possessive lovement on the part of the military is, still in progress, but of course is not allowed to undermine Those clauses in the agreement: which afford a certain measure of protection to the bondholders, Abnormal Shortage of Wagons Tn_common with the remainder of Chins's railways, the Peking-Mukden is suffering from an abnormal shortage of wagons in consequence of retentions on other Yines and the requirements of the military. No fewer than 1,500 goods wagons and passenger coaches fare in use on foreign lines, mainly' en' the southern section "of the Tientsin-Pukou, where they are in the hands of various military leaders, The absentee wagons form about one-third of the total Peking-'Mukden complement before September of last year. Seeing that comparatively few wagons from. other ines are on the Peking-Mukden, it will be appreciated how complete the, breakdown in goods services. Everything is.djslocated except the main train schedule, and this is. the least important from the viewpoint of trade and financial returns. Due to the fact that the Blue Express is }from 10 to 25 hours late on arriving at Tientsing even this service is thrown out of gear. For trains could not be despatched. It is hopeless to try to regain the pre-[war schedule for local trains.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.