Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-05-27
DESTINY OF RUSSIA
To Be Great Empire on the Shores
of the Pacific.
HAS WISHED TO GAIN PEARL HARBOR
Immense Importance of Obtaining
Hawai-.
y Fed FOR EARLY ACTION


Special Correspondence of The Evening Star
HONOLULU. Hawaii May TO- 1888
year ago Hawaii was Iaboring under
the most serious fears owing to a DISPOSE
ton manifested by Japan to assert undue
influence here. All that ground of appre-
hensipn may be said to have disappeared
at least for a time. For some months past
Japan has been supremacy engrossed by
the very menacing aspects of Russian ag-
gressivc movements on the Yellow sea
She now has strenuously to assert her
rights in CO-ea and her influence in China
which the European powers seem to ig-
Eore- Consequently she has thought or
strength to spare for reaching out into the
mld-Pacihc If it is true that there is
mutual approach for alliance between ia
pan and England. that is additional reason
for abstaining from any aggression upon
Hawaii. which would he distasteful to the
british Hence. by means of this formid-
able Russian diversion. Hawaii is set free
from anxiety about Japanese aggression
1t seems needful, however. to pay special
attention to the not remote future of this
formidable apparitiOn of Russia as a great
Pacific state 1t is Il subject of the deep
est concern to the United States as we'll
as to Hawaii Is It too much to say that
a day is close at hand when Russia and
the United States are to become the two
opposite continent fronts of this great
ocean? From Europe Russia's one hundred
and twenty millions are stretching in force
across Siberia TO dominate the orient upon
the Pacific In still more formidable
strength the seventy-five millions of the
United States from the Atlantic are
spreading across the American continent
to rule the Pacific Five thousand miles of
ocean roll between what will be the two
colossal Pacific empires. That will be an
arena for a vast peaceful commerce-for
a strenuous omn.ercial rivalry-possibly
for fnternecine conflict
Russia is now on the eve of taking DOS
session Of her Pacific coasts in full force
Already she has large army there, and
powerful fleet But the one critical fact is
that her Siberian railway is to be entire
ly open clear through TO the Pacific in a
few months. Russia will then be planted
upon this OCEAN in a solid and supported
strength with which other European
power can hope to compete. She will hold
massive section of the best part of Asid's
Pacific coast, united To her European CEN
ter by unimpeded and rapid land commune
cation 1t Is only ten days run from ST
Petersburg to Vladivostock or Port Arthur
by a route which no enemy can disturb
say only fifty per cent farther than from
New York To San Francisco. Military
forces can be transported swiftly in I'M
limited strength for hostile operations
against China and Japan
Manchuria mt Russia's Feet.
w nat IElS runway connection now makes
Of enormous Importance is the lately de-
yeloped fact that the magnificent domain
of Manchuria has already begun to be oc-
cupied. and lies a helpless prey at Russia's
feet She il already established in Man
churiaS chief ports Of Talienwan and Port
Arthur. 20 which will soon be in operation
a branch of the Siberian railway travers-
ing the heart of Manchuria. In this ex-
tenSivt. well-peopled and productive coun-
try Russia at once comes into possession
on the Pacific of an imperial dominion. 1t
has hitherto been supposed that she had
to colOnlze and gradually develop a Pacific
state IN the bleak Amoor territory This
IS not so to be. Russia now enters into
possession of a grand imperial province
which viii speedily make her the foremost
power either side of the Pacific in ma
terial strength. 1t seems to be an indubit-
able fact that within twenty. perhaps ten
years Russia will have become the leading
power the Pacific. both commercial
naval and military; and this by reason of
her possession of Manchuria, supported by
the Siberian railway.
Resources of Manchuria.
The natural resources OF Manchuria are
enormous. with a population capable, I'm
der European direction, of Immediately de-
yeloping those resources into a vast pro-
duction OF wealth. with naval and military
strength. l confess that l had no idea of
the resources of Manchuria before reading
d recent dI l4tlt III tIit -NlitiGtDtn century,
by Captain +. f. y ounghusband who trav-
eled throughout that country in 1855 when
the interior was nearly unknown to Euro
peanS. From that article it clearly ap-
pears that Manchuria is noble country
much resembling, in climate and surface.
the eastern half of the United States and
Canada, leaving cut the southern states
It's area is IoDOG0 square miles, the north
ern portion mountainous. and covered with
splendid forests. largely of hard woods. The
soil of the southern half is highly fertile.
The land is extensively intersected by nav
igable rivers Its mineral wealth has been
little explored There are great quantities
of gold. There are certainly abundant
mines of coal and iron At Kirin. in the
center of the region. is an arsenal, fed by
the native coal and iron. and turning out
breech leaders and machine guns. The
Chinese government permits private
mining.
The population o. Manchuria is estimat-
ed at twenty millions. of j. superior class
of Chinese. Captain Younghusband ODE
heves that under Russia they will double
In numbers in less than half a century.
The Russian soldier will doubtless displace
the Manchurian, but the Russian peasant
will be match for the other in thrift and
industry. Russia is thought to have a spe-
cial gift for cCnciliating and ruling
Asiatics. 1t seems probable that she would
find no special difficulty In establishing
her empire over these people. nor even in
creating efficient armies from among them.
The abundance of coal and iron indicates
that when in possession OF Manchurla Rus
STA Will at once construct powerful navy
on the Pacific. Neither army navy Will
tax her European finances. for the indus
tr!Ous millions Of the country will easily
pay for the outlay, especially when the
natural resources of the country are de-
veloped and labor is employed under en-
lgLtened direction Manchuria will be a
new empire of enormous strength added to
the already colossal empire of Russia, and
firmly united thereto by the railway. 1t
will become the colossus of the Baltic re
duplicated on the Yellow sea. And the
Atlantic powers of Europe cannot possibly
be present in sufficient naval force to hold
this Pacific colossus in check No power
In the orient is likely to stand before the
developed strength of Russianized Man
churia.
One may, however. speculate upon the
possibility of British. French or German
states being carved out of the remainder
of the Chinese empire. the native resources
of whose mines and populations may be so
developed as successfully to compete with
Russian power. 1t would seem that they
would lack the facility Of communication
and military control which Russia enjoys
through her Siberian railway The prob
lens are complicated. A great upturning