Japanese Plan to Eclipse Shanghai: General Scheme From Ov Own Tokyo, July 8. scheme, looking forward to) amoking Tsingtao the greatest port in North China, on completion of which Shanghai' will be reduced to 8 secondary position, is, according to the vernacular press here, under consideration of the talk (that Office) and_ the authorit Foreign Office. The plan also. embraces projects for the political and economic development of North China with Tsingtao as the converging centre of the entire design. 'What is of especial significance is that the scheme does not emanate from, or originate through, the China authorities. but is a pet project of the Army with the Foreign' Office here yielding with gentle submission, The plan, in. nutshell, is to make Tsingtao the greatest port. bar none, in North China aswell
region, thereby eclipsing Shanglai to make it the gateway, of this Which, to-day, occupies this proud position. In order, that trade may swing towards Tsingtao as focal point that it may becense the commercial centre of North China, sponsors of this project plan extending the Shantung railway: (the line which runs from Kiaochao, to Tsinan) to Sian inthe province of Shanghai, which will constitute the first stage of the design. On completion of this the railway is to be extended to Kaolan, in Kansu pro-Vince, In order to realise this plan, the brains behind this scheme envision. utilising the existing lines built by British and Belgian capi tal and opening negotiations which the Governments of these two coun tries for that Te" the the Joint one between Great Belgium and Japan. The, construc tion of the proposed trans-North China railway will, it is estimated here, take a period of five years.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.