The record-union., 1898-12-23
Kindred Feeling Everywhere Ex-
pressed for Our People.
Expressions Of Satisfaction Over Our Sue
cess In the Late War.
observations Of John w. BoOkwa1-
ter Of Ohio, Who Has Just Ar
rived at London After a Three
Months Journey Through the
Cars Empire.

Correspondence of the Associated Press.)
LONDON, Dec. 23.-John w. Book
walter of Ohio, who has just returned
Russia, told the correspondent of the
Associated Press in an interview to-day
that he enjoyed unusual facilities for
observing what is going on in that
country He travelled 1900 miles to
the terminus of the Trans Siberian
Railway, to the end Of the line reaching
the frontier of Afghanistan, and to the
end of the one penetrating China
through Manchuria. All these are now
practically completed.
Everywhere I found" Mr.. Bookwal-
ter said, the kindest and most friendly
feeling toward America and Americans,
and heard many expressions of satisfac-
ton over Americas success in our war
with Spain. To this there was not a
single exception.
"Americas best open door to Central
Asia and China is through Russia. AL
ready all the locomotives and rolling
stock on the railways are of American
manufacture. Central Asia will in the
near future be the greatest market in
kinds, and our obtaining the virtual mo-
nOpoly of this market only depends on
our retaining the friendship Russia now
has for US.
america has very little to gain by an
open door in China. That country is an
industrial one, and whatever we may
now be able to sell to them, the Chinese
will soon be able to make for them
selves. One day-and that day is near
at hand-whatever China buys from the
rest of the world will reach her through
Russia and Central Asia. Russia in
the last three years has done more to
open the doors of China than England
and all the rest of the world have done
in fifty years.
II have Travelled over 900 miles Of
railway which she built from the Cas-
plan Sea to Tashkend, in Turkestan,
over a branch of this line which runs to
the northern frontier Of India, over a
branch which goes from Merv to the
border of Afghanistan. There are also
Russian lines all along the Persian
frontier and penetrating into that coun-
try, either completed or rapidly ap-
preaching completion. All the work on
who, in this way, are not in Russia, as
elsewhere, non-producers.
"All this tremendous Asiatic railway
system is owned and operated by the
Government All the lines are admir-
ably built and splendidly equipped.
Why, I saw a bridge across the ANU
daria, in Central Asia, at a point where
the river is three miles wide, that cost
20,OOO,OO roubles, and it Is the greatest
piece Of engineering work ever accom-
plished There is nothing like it any,
where else in the world
THE Government is turning her sur
plus European population into General
Asia, just as the United States turned
her surplus population of her great At
lantic States into her great Western
Territories. No human power can stay
the onward march of the Slav through
Russia which will be the feature of the
twentieth century, just as the march OF
the AngloSaxon through America has
been the feature Of the nineteenth.
The United States will be committing
a woeful mistake if she fails to retain
the friendship of this great world power
of the future"