Guggenheim, Meyer Robert, Lt.Col.

The Army War College, Washington Barracks, d.c. Course at the Army War College, 1924–25. g — 2. Supplementary document #3e to Report of Committee No. 12, Subject: Communications — China. Prepared by Lt. Col. Robert Guggenheim, a.c. of s.g.2.27 Div., Chairman. Date of Conference, Sept. 29, 1924.

Typescript on paper. Number 2 of 5 copies. 27 x 20.4 cm (27.6 x 23.3 cm). x + 586 pp. + 55 maps, plans and diagrams (3 folding, backed on linen). Yellow card section dividers. Bound in 2 volumes in cloth by Edward f. Gruver Co., Washington d.c., lettered in gilt on upper covers, bookplate of Meyer Robert Guggenheim. The author’s own copy of his report on communications in China, compiled from information gathered as the result of military intelligence. In his foreword, Guggenheim acknowledges the co-operation of various government departments, in particular: the Military Intelligence Division (Far Eastern Section) of the War Department; the Office of Naval Intelligence; the Far Eastern Division of the Department of State; the Far Eastern and Transportation Divisions of the Department of Commerce. The report is divided into 13 sections, devoted to: roads; railroads; waterways; airways; air transportation; motor transportation; human transportation; water transportation; telegraphs; telephones; cables; and radio facilities. Of these, the longest is that relating to the railways, which clearly form the backbone of communications in such a vast country. This section contains technical analysis of the track, rolling-stock and systems and detailed geographical analysis of 35 lines, including: Peking-Mukden, Peking-Hankow, Peking-Suiyuan, Shanghai-Nanking, Shanghai-Hangehow-Ningpo, Canton-Kowloon, Chinese-Eastern and South Manchuria.
Waterways and shipping are also considered in some detail. The section entitled ‘Waterways’ discusses 16 rivers and then details the waterways of each province. That entitled ‘Water transportation’ contains a list of the 317 steamers by operating company, with details of tonnage, and concludes that while China does not have a navy or merchant marine, in case of invasion by a foreign army it would not hesitate to requisition the thousands of river steamers and junks that ply the inland waterways for the transportation of troops and military cargo. It also lists the 49 treaty ports and 33 others ports opened to trade voluntarily, with brief descriptions of the principle treaty ports, including a more detailed description of Hong Kong; and lists the coaling facilites of China.
The roads of China, numerous but poorly-maintained, are considered to be of little military use, “Should military operations be considered in China, a great many miles of road would have to be constructed”. However, the advent of the car has brought about a demand for good roads and a vast programme of road-building and improvement is being undertaken by the Chinese government. Two “sensitive” road routes are highlighted: the 114-mile route from Taku to Peking; and the 199-mile route from Chinwangtao (the only ice-free port of North China) to Peking. Both are considered to be of crucial strategic importance to an invading army and as such would require immediate improvement.
The remaining sections are all brief: airways and air transportation (“There are no airways in China at the present time”); motor transportation (“It is believed that the total number of motor vehicles of all sorts is so small that they need not be considered from a military standpoint”); human transportation (“the part played by human transportation in China is perhaps greater than in any other country in the world. The supply of coolie labor for this purpose is practically inexhaustible, and in many parts of China is the only means available … While the individual coolies work cheaply, and live on what we would consider stravation rations, it requires so many of them to do a given job that the aggregate cost is entirely out of proportion to the cost of similar work handled by modern methods”); animal transportation (“the employment of domesticated animals for transport purposes in China varies largely with the geographic and climatic conditions of the country … the available animals are horses, donkeys, mules, asses, camels, water buffalo, the yak and the zebus. Perhaps the most important of all these is the camel”); telegraphs, with a list of the 23 cities in China where the 942 telegraph offices are located, with details of the miles of wires used; telephones (“With the exception of Shanghai, there are no real telephone systems in China. The systems that are in operation are old and decidedly ineffective”); cables, with a list of the 36 cables in China, detailing the owners and numbers of cables; radio facilities, with a list of the 55 radio stations in China, with brief descriptions. The report concludes with a bibliography.

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