At Present
British Goods Are Actually Sent From Hongkong Through French Territory Via
Mengtse To A Point Within Seven Days Of Bhamo In Burmah.
The Lungchow
route, whatever its merits might have been, had the railway line from
Pakhoi to Nanning not been secured by the French government, is now,
according to Mr. Colquhoun, of quite secondary importance.
He concedes
that, unless the West River is at once effectively opened throughout its
course, the Pakhoi-Nanning-Yunnan route is bound to command the largest
share of the trade of south and southwestern China.
Having passed under review the provinces of south and southwestern China
and the great waterways - to wit, the Yangtse and West rivers - we may now
inquire what measures should be adopted to improve the present state of
affairs in the interest of China and of foreign trade. The first step
suggested is the improvement of communication by railways and steam
navigation. So far as railways are concerned, Burmah should be connected
with Tali and Yunnanfoo, Yunnanfoo with Nanning, Canton with Kaulun. This
would thoroughly open the whole of Southern China lying between Burmah and
the British colony of Hongkong. Yunnanfoo should also be connected to the
northeast with Suifoo on the upper Yangtse, the navigation limit of that
waterway. Steam navigation should at once be extended to Nanning and to
Suifoo, and also, wherever it may be practicable, throughout all inland
waters. Next in importance to the creation of proper communication is the
question of taxation. All travelers, in Southern China especially, dwell
on the obstacles to trade resulting from the collection of so many various
imposts.
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Page 687 of 704
Words from 186484 to 186753
of 191255
