GIPE-PUNE-OIIOI2 - DSpace@GIPE

220 .THE RAILWAY:lNDUSTRY AND COMMERCE OF INDIA
great power a people inQSt pcssess. at least to many kilometres
of railroads per 10,000 inhabitants. Besides.
itS we have seen, in the. rate of technical progress also
there is no uniformity among the great powers, Euri,pean
or Asian. Finally in regard to. pioneering activities
there is no equality either. France begins in 1828, Italy
in 1839 and Japan in 1874. Even with diverse conditions
of technical efficiency or progress and railway or
other industrialism it is possible for different countries to
rank as political powers of the same class. The ~ua-:
tions of international railway statistics should leave n9
doubt in this re·gard while examining the present niveau
of railway developments in India. While it is important
always to remember that from the' standpoint of world.
economy railway. India .in 1925 is where Italy was
in 1869, France in 1858, or Germany in 1853, it is at
the same time no less necessary tQ observe that in the
interest of political ambitions or other problell1s of applied
sociology the people of India does not necessarily have. to
attain to the German, French. Italian or even Japanese
standard of railway or other industrialism.