The opening of the Trans-Siberian Mail route promises to accelerate the transmission of European letters to and from the north of China. A letter posted from Tientsin on the 30th August, 1902, and forwarded by this route, was delivered in Liverpool on the 28th September - just 28 days later. The transmission of letters via Brindisi or via Vancouver usually takes from 36 to 40 days. Therefore, the Trans-Siberian Railway saves at least a week, which is a matter of great importance to commercial houses. Delivery is, however, erratic, and no working arrangement has yet been arrived at between the Post Offices of Great Britain and Russia. All that the former does is to forward letters marked "Via Siberia" by the Russian route; all others go by sea.

On Sept. 27th, 1903, the mails to the Far East were despatched from Paris (Nord) for the first time via Berlin and Moscow.

Moscow is the western terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway, the main line of which extends thence to Dalny, a distance of 5,403 miles. The Manchuria-Dalny section, 1,171 miles, embraces the following important junctions: Harbin, for Vladivostok via Grodekovo; Tachitchiao, for Pekin via Inkoo (Newchang), and Nangaline for Port Arthur.

The most direct route from London to Moscow is via Dover, Ostend, Berlin, Alexandrowo, Warsaw, and Brest Litewski. The distance is 1,800 miles, and the through journey occupies 67 hours.

The Coast terminals of the Trans-Siberian Railway, viz., Dalny, Vladivostok, and Port Arthur, are also ports of call with various steamship companies, whose boats are arranged to connect with the train service generally. Thus, the boats of the East China Railway Company ply between Dalny and Shanghai, Dalny and Nagasaki, and Dalny, Port Arthur, and Chifu, and between Vladivostok and Shanghai. The "Oiye" (Japan) Line call at Vladivostok and sail to and from all Japanese ports. The Russian Volunteer fleet has a steamship service between Odessa and Vladivostok, calling at Singapore, Port Arthur, and Nagasaki. The "Nipon. Yusen-Kaisha"Company furnish boats between Kobe, Nagasaki, Fusan, Gensan, and Vladivostok, and between Kobe, Chifu, Dalny, Port Arthur, and Taku. The Hamburg-American Line gives a service between Hongkong and Vladivostok.

Fares from London, via Dover, Ostend, and Alexandrowo:

Trains are ferried across Lake Baikal, but the railway round the south of the lake is being built. The Manchurian Railway itself is in a very bad condition, owing to poor construction. Days and sometimes weeks of delay are common. The Siberian main line, now single, is to be doubled.

New Trans-Canadian Railway

The Grand Trunk Railway Company has secured the assent of the Dominion Parliament to the construction of a new railroad straight across Canada, from New Brunswick in the east te the Pacific Ocean in the west. The Government will themselves be the owners of the whole line from New Brunswick to Winnipeg, but the line is to be leased to and worked by the Grand Trunk Pacific. The Grand Trunk Pacific will be restricted in its possession and ownership of the road west of Winnipeg.

Sahara Railway

A project which is being much discussed in France is a railway across the Sahara. Three routes have been suggested, one from Igli to the Niger, one from Biskra, 214 miles southeast of Algiers, to the west shore of Lake Chad, and the third from Bizerta in Tunis to Lake Chad. M. Paul Bonnard, an expert in African affairs, recommends the latter, as it would connect the French possessions in North Africa with the French Congo, and thus become a trans-African railway.

- Daily Mail Year Book.