Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-08-27
Russ1a - TEE PacIpIc.


The Etliabayh Rerie,c for July has an
interesting article on Naval Forces in the
Pacific, which exhibits the surprising ad-
vances made by Russia of late years in
securing firm foothold on this side of the
world, and at the same time contains many
very suggestive and important observations
in regard 10 the status OF other powers in
the Pacific. 1t is shown that Russia has
been quietly but uninterruptedly working
on several good ports about the Amoor
country, and particularly those lodged SO
conveniently behind the screen of that
Island OF Saghalien which she purchased
from Japan few years age. There are
here several quite valuable harbors, bat
one OF them, named Vladivostock, " lies in
:" the deep blight formed in the coast line
% some 20 or so miles from the mouth Of
the Tuner river. We speak from per-
sonal experience when we say that this
''harbor Is one OF the finest in the
" world There is an outer anchorage,
which is fairly snug roadstead,
"called the Eastern Bosphorus. From
this runs direct to the right the
main harbor, called the Golden Horn
This is about three miles long, and not
" much above half mile wide. The
largest ships can ride within few yards
of the shore. The peculiar form of the
port makes its defense by batteries aud
g torpedoes easy" The Russians fully
appreciate the Importance of this harbor,
and have for some time been foTtifying it,
and preparing it for a regular naval station
They contemplate the establishment OF a
large navy yard there. They have already
a considerable garrison living on the spot,
and work is proceeding steadily. They
possess the great advantage OF being in coz
slant land communication with their own
Government. For example, the mail takes
about two months to reach st. Petersburg
from Nlkolayovsch, while the voyage from
Odessa to Vlsdiycstok has been made by
water in fifty-two days. The plan CT Rus
STA is to fit out swift steamers from Viali.
vostok, after the fashion of the Shenandoah.
She has already gathered several
such vessels there, and at the
same time she has been steadily increasing
her regular navy in the Pacific. The gen.
eral result OF the information given by the
reviewer is the conclusion that in the event
OF a war between Russia and England the
former would be in position to strike tre-
inendous blows at the commerce OF her
enemy in these waters, and that the En-
glish resistance would probably be, at least
for some time, Ineffective A war between
Russia and China would also expose the
commerce Of the latter to great risks, and
it is further evident that if Russia goes on
increasing her power in the Pacific, the
time is not distant when she must become
a menace to the United States. In that
case it must be realized that port
like Vladivostok would dominate the
coast, unless the Washington Govern
ment had been wise in time, and had
provided feet capable OF defending San
Francisco from the sea. As for the fortif-
cations of that city, they are perfectly
worthless. An enemy can lie of the Cliff
House beach and pitch his shells into
Montgomery street without the least
trouble, and therefore Fort Point and
Alcatraz and all the rest OF the batteries
might as well be a hundred miles away.
The question OF the rise OF Russia as a naval
power in the Pacific is one which deeply
concerns California, aud her growth in that
direction ought to be watched vigilantly,
for it is inevitable that with her ambition
and Oriental want of principle and scra-
pulousness, collision must some day occur
between the republic and the empire.