第一部   北方大港

兹 拟建筑不封冻之深水大港于直隶湾中。中国该部必需此港，国人宿昔 ^[4] 感之，无时或忘。向者屡经设计浚渫 ^[5] 大沽口沙，又议筑港于岐河口。秦皇岛港已见小规模的实行，而葫芦岛港亦经筹商兴筑。今余所策，皆在上举诸地以外。盖前两者距深水线过远而淡水过近，隆冬即行结冰，不堪作深水不冻商港用；后两者与户口集中地辽隔，用为商港，不能见利。兹所计划之港，为大沽口、秦皇岛两地之中途，青河、滦河两口之间，沿大沽口、秦皇岛间海岸岬角上。该地为直隶湾中最近深水之一点，若将青河、滦河两淡水远引他去，免就近结冰，使为深水不冻大港，绝 非至难之事。此处与天津相去，方诸天津、秦皇岛间少差七、八十咪 ^[6] 。且此港能借运河以与北部、中部内地水路相连，而秦皇、葫芦两岛则否。以商港论，现时直隶湾中唯一不冻之港，惟有秦皇岛耳。而此港则远胜秦皇、葫芦两岛矣。

由营业上观察，此港筑成，立可获利，以地居中国最大产盐区域之中央故也。在此地所产至廉价之盐，只以日曝法产出；倘能加以近代制盐新法，且可利用附近廉价之煤，则其产额必将大增，而产费必将大减，如此中华全国所用之盐价可更廉。今以本计划遂行之始，仅能成中等商港计之，只此一项实业，已足支持此港而有余。此外直接附近地域，尚有中国现时已开最大之煤矿（开滦矿务公司），计其产额，年约四百万吨。该公司现用自有之港（秦皇岛），借为输出之路。顾吾人所计划之港，距其矿场较近，倘能以运河与矿区相联，则其运费，方诸陆运至秦皇岛者廉省多矣。不特此也，兹港将来必畅销开滦产煤，则该公司势必仰资此港为其运输出口之所。今天津一处在北方为最大商业之中枢，既无深水海港可言，每岁冬期，封冻数月，亦必全赖此港以为世界贸易之通路。此虽局部需要，然仅以此计，已足为此港之利矣。

But my idea is to develop this port as large as New York in a reasonable limit of time. Now, let us survey the hinterland to see whether the possibility justifies my ideal or not. To the southwest are the provinces of Chihli and Shansi, and the Hoangho valley with a population of nearly a hundred millions. To the northwest are the undeveloped Jehol district and the vast Mongolian Prairie with their virgin soil waiting for development, Chihli with its dense population and Shansi with its rich mineral resources have to depend upon this port as their only outlet to the sea. And if the future Dolon Nor and Urga Railway is completed with connection to the Siberian line then Central Siberia will also have to use this as its nearest seaport. Thus its contributing or rather distributing area will be larger than that of New York. Finally, this port will become the true terminus of the future Eurasian Railway System, which will connect the two continents. The land which we select to be the site of our projected port is now almost worth next to nothing. Let us say two or three hundred square miles be taken up as national property absolutely for our future city building. If within forty years we could develop a city as large as Philadelphia, not to say New York, the land value alone will be sufficient to pay off the capital invested in its development.

顾吾人之 理想，将欲于有限时期中发达此港，使与纽约等大。试观此港所襟带 ^[7] 控负之地，即足证明吾人之理想能否实现矣。此地西南为直隶、山西两省与夫黄河流域，人口之众约一万万。西北为 热河特别区域及蒙古游牧之原，土旷人稀，急待开发。夫以直隶生齿 ^[8] 之繁，山西矿源之富，必赖此港为其唯一输出之途。倘将来多伦诺尔、库伦间铁路完成，以与西伯利亚铁路联络，则中央西伯利亚一带皆视此为最近之海港。由是言之，其供给分配区域，当较纽约为大。穷其究竟，必成将来欧亚路线之确实终点，而两大陆于以连为一气。今余所计划之地，现时毫无价值可言。假令于此选地二三百方咪置诸国有，以为建筑将 来都市之用，而四十年后，发达程度即令不如纽约，仅等于美国费府 ^[9] ，吾敢信地值所涨，已足偿所投建筑资金矣。