The Portland daily press., 1898-12-23
OUR BEST OPEN DOOR.
We Should Find Entrance To China
Through Russia.
so DECLARES MIR. JOHN w. BOOK
WALTER OF OHIO.

Russia Is Perfectly Friendly To Amer
lea and We Make Mistake If We
Fail To Retain This Friendship
MIR. Bookwalter Has Travelled En-
tire Length of siberian Railway.
Correspondence of the Associated Press. J
London, December 13.--John W, Book
walter of Ohio, who has just returned
from three months journey through
Russia, told the correspondent of the AS
ISOLATED Press in an interview today
that he enjoyed unusual facilities for OBJ
erving 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 front of Afghan
istan and to the end of the one penetrat-
ing China through Manchuria. All these
are now practically completed.
Everywhere found" said Mr. Book.
walter, ssthe kindest and most friendly
feeling towards America and Americans
and heard many expressions of satisfac-
tion over Americas success in our war
with Spain. To this there was not u
single exception. Wherever I went
everything was thrown open to me simp-
" because was an American.
"America's 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 the
world for goods of all kinds andss our
obtaining the virtual monopoly of this
market depends on our retaining the
friendship Russia now has for us. The
great surprise to the world Is in prepara-
tion in that part OF the earth, and it will
come, I believe, very soon. Not many
years will elapse before the world will
see Russia, England and China cornbin-
ing for the partition of Asia. The very
force of circumstances will bring this
about.
"The alliance of England, Russia and
China, or two thirds of the human race,
will be such an alliance as history has
ever yet seen, and 1t will be one which
will give peace to the world for centuries.
All its interests will make for peace and
it will be able to dictate terms to the rest
of the world.
America naS very lltblo uo gain ny
an open door to China. That country is
an industrial one; and whatever we may
now be able to sell to them the Chinese
will be able to make for themselves. One
day, and that day is near at hand, what
ever China buys from the rest of the
world will reach her through Russia and
Central Asia.
Russia in the last three years has done
M ore to open the doors to China than
England and all the rest of the world
has done in so years. No one who has
not seen it with his own eyes can have
the faintest conception of what Russia
has done and is still doing in Central
Asia.
ssI have travelled over 1900 miles of rail-
way which she has built from the Caspian
sea to Tashkend in Turkestan, over a
branch of this line, which runs to the
northern frontier of India, over another
branch which goes from Merry to the
border of Afghanistan. This last branch
was not completed when was there. but
it will be open to traffic next week.
There are also Russian lines all along the
Persian frontier and penetrating into
that country, either completed or rapid
ly approaching completion. All the work
on these lines has been done by soldiers
who, i'll their way, are not in Russia as
elsewhere, non-producers.
All this tremendous Aslatic railway
ernment. All the lines are admirably
built and splendidly equipped. Why,
saw bridge across the Amudaria in
Central Asia, at a point where the river
is three miles wide, that cost 20, 600, 900
roubles and is the greatest piece OF engi-
neering work ever accomplished There
is nothing like it anywhere else in the
wolrd, the celebrated Forth bridge, near
Edinburgh, not excepted.
wherever I went I saw cities and
towns springing up. such as Askobad, In
Turkomania, for example, which already
has 25, 600 inhabitants. Near Merry the
Gear is building a magnificent palace
New Bokhara, 13 miles from old Box
hara, has 1900 inhabitants. The Rus
sian policy in Central Asia is not to bring
the new and old into too close contrast
and she builds her railway stations q
few miles away from the old centres or
population, thus forming new and entire
ly modern centres. Where do the people
come from to inha bit these townss Why,
from European Russia. The government
is turning her surplus European popula-
tion into Central Asia, just as the United
States turned the surplus OF her Atlantic
states into her great western territories.
What I have just seen in Central Asia
Is almost an exact reproduction OF what
l witnessed years ago In Illinois, Indiana
and Missouri, when the emlgrantS from
the East were pouring into the West.
No human power can stay the onward
march of the Slav through Russia which
will be the feature of the 10th century,
Just as the march of the Anglo-Saxon
through America has been the feature of
the 10Th century.
ALREADY, thanks to the railways, Rus
sia can at any time pour her armies
across the frontiers of India by the same
routes that Alexander, Tamerlain and
Kubla Khan marched to the conquest
of Eastern Asia.
."Russia today has $4,000, 600 reserves,
all of whom have served In the army
| from three to five years. One-fifth of her
population has been drilled and disci-
plined to military work.
"The United States will be committing
woeful mistake it she fails to retain
the friendship of this. great world power
of the future.