Press, Shanghai. $660.
Mr. Cheng Lin has compiled a valuable record of the growth of railway construction in China and hho sets out in convenient form the Felevant information regarding the the construction and different Vines, the story of the administfatfon of the railways and the fulure lying before that form of communication, In the appendices, the occupation of Manchuria and the subsequent trans-for of the CER. to Manchoukuo are duly examined from the point of view of the Chinese Government.
Railway building in China first started asa private undertaking. When the Government decided to take a hand in the railway administration, no special body was created take charge and it is interest ug to note that in the beginning the railways were under the Board Navy. This regime lasted from 1885 to 1898, when the Imperial Railway and Mining Administration yme into being. In 1903 the Board fof Commerce took over the railways and from that organization they were transferred to the Board Posts in October, 1900. After the Revolution and the formation of the Republic the Ministry of Communi cations was. created in May, 1912, and It functioned until October, 1928. On November 1, the present regime came into force, when a duly constituted Ministry of Railways was created.
author is very frank in con-Jdemning the corruption, dishonesty, Incompetency and nepotism which Jmarked the administration of the railways in pre-Republican days. Nevertheless, he considers that the railway administrators themselves were not mainly to blame. They could not prevent the consequences of frequent civil wars. Even now he considers the demands of the Strength. "She quietly sips ner tea and miles on, and in her smile T detect at times a mere laziness to change and at others conservatism that savours of haughtiness. Laziness or haughness, which? 1 do net know." But Somevehere in her sou} turks the cun= ming of an old dog. and It is a cunning that ig strangely impressive. What Hanae old aouit" What 0 creat old To interpret this China, he asks:
Can China be understood merely through "pidgin English? Is. the China Hand to pick up an Understand= {ng of the soul of China from his cook and amah?" Or shall it be. from is Number One" Boy? Or shall from his compradore and shroff, or by position Is manifestly untatr.
Yet, "he argues, the " sinologues and the librarians from the West are. no more reliable guides, because they see China only through the reflection of the Confucian classics. As for the Old China Hand:
He miy be the son of 2 mis-of a captain ereiary in the consul he may be a merchant whom China just a market for selling sardines and. "sunkist" oranges. He Is. not always tinedueated; in fact, he' may be 2 brilliant Journalist, with one eve a political advisership and the other to loan commission. He may Seven Be very well Informed within his military unduly strain the resources of the railways and he points out that In 1932 the total operating rev= ennes amounted to $137,000,000, out of which $8,000,000, (in round figures) was on account of military transportation, for which the railways received no cash payment. Over and above this, in that year the railways made the military authorities a-present of '$5,500,000 in the way of subsidies. Thus over 10 per cent. of the total operating revenues, of the year were absorbed by the "military depart-
The Kemmerer Commission's recommendations are duly nolod and the need for financial reorganization ig recognized. Br. Lin thinks that the Government should take meas-tures along the lines recommended by the Kemmerer Commission to raise as much money as possible for the physical and financial rehabilitation of the railways. He also suggests that the Chinese Government [should move for a new agreement with its creditors in order to bring the outstanding debt to figure within the ability of the Chinese Railways to pay, while assuring ereditors of due receipt of payments on their loan services. His argument is that the bondholder would prefer to have some payment which is sure, no matter how small in relation to Jhis original investment, rather than. complete default, and he' cites the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.