The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1898-12-29
OPEN DOOR TO ASIA.
John w. Bookwalter Says It Is Through
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. In siberia.


Russia-Observations In siberia.
London, Dec. 2i.-John W. Book
walter. OF Ohio, who has just retained
from three months journey through
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 rail.
way, to the end of the line, reaching
the frontier Of Afghanistan, and to the
end of the one penetrating China
through Manchura. All these are now
practically completed.
Mr.. Bookwalter was allowed to go
everywhere, to sec everything and to
take hundreds of photographs, thanks
to special permits issued to him by tho
minister of the interior on the applica-
tion of the United States ambassador
at st. Petersburg. During his journey
he conversed with the governors Of
provinces and with military and civil
officials of all ranks.
Everywhere l found" Mr.. Book.
walter said, "the kindest and most
friendly feeling toward America and
Americans, and heard many expressions
of satisfaction over Americas success
in our wal with Spain. To this there
was not a single exception.
Americas best open door to Central
Asia and China is through Russia.
Already all the locomotives and rolling
stock on the railways are OF American
manufacture. Central Asia will, in
Il G near future, be the greatest market
in the world for manufactures of all
kinds, and our obtaining the virtual
monopoly 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
themselves. 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
has done in 90 years.
81 travelled over | 200 miles of rail-
way which she has 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
another branch which goes from Merv
to the border of Afghanistan. Then
there are also Russian lines all along
the Persian frontier. and projecting
into that country, either completed or
rapidly approaching completion. All
the work on these lines has been done
by soldiers, who, in this way, are not
in Russia, as elsewhere, non producers.
"All this tremendous Asia:ic railway
system Is owned and operated by the
government. All the lines are admira-
bly, built, and spendidly equipped.
Why, / saw bridge across the Amud-
aria, in Central Asia, at point where
the river is three miles wide, that cost
20, 600, 600 roubles, and is the greatest
piece of engineering work ever accom-
plished. There is nothing like it any
where else in the world.
W HtTcNtT Went 1 SAW ClIlpH ana
towns springing up, such as Askobad,
in Turkomania, for example, which al
ready has $4,000 inhabitants. New
Bokhare, 12 miles from Old Bokhara,
has 1000 inhabitants. Where do tho
people come from to inhabit these
towns? Why, from European Russia.
The government is turning her surplus
European population into Central Asia
just as the United States turned her
surplus population of her Atlantic
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 Goth
century. just as the march Of the
Anglo-Saxon through America has been
the feature of the 10th.
"The United States will be commit.
ting woeful mistake ii she fails to re-
tain the friendship Of this great world
} Ift ~ int