New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-23
THESLAV'SMARCH EASTWARD
AMAZING DEVELOPMENT OF ASIATIC
RUSSIA
OBSERVATIONS OF JOHN W. BooKwALTER IN
THE VAST REGIONS BEYOND THE URAL
MOUNTAINS - OPENING A
DOOR TO CHINA

MOUNTAINS - OPENING
DOOR TO CHINA.
London, Dec 13.-John W. Bookwalter, Of
Ohio who has just returned from three
months Journey through Russia. told the corre-
spondent OF The Associated Press in an Inter
view to-day that he enjoyed unusual facilities
for observing what is going on in that country.
He travelled 1000 miles to the terminus or 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 Man.
chura- All these are now practically completed
Mr.. Bookwalter was allowed to go every
where. to see everything. and to take hundreds
Of photographs. thanks to special permits issued
to him by the Minister Of the Interior on the ap-
pcation OF the United States Ambassador at
st. Petersburg. During his journey he con-
versed with the Governors OF provinces and with
military and civil officials Of all ranks.
FRIENDLY TO AMERICA
Everywhere found" said Mr.. Bookwater.
'the kindest and most friendly feeling toward
America and Americans, and heard many ex-
pressons OF satisfaction over Americas success
in our with Spain. To this there was not a
single exception. Wherever I went everything
thrown open to simply because was an
American.
Americas best open door to Central Asia and
China is through Russia. Already all the loco
motives 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 manufactures Of all kinds and obtaining
the virtual monopoly of this market only de-
pends on our retaining the friendship Russia
now has for us. great surprise to the world
is in preparation in that part of the earth, and
/ ,t- 7 halt Nnf
years will elapse before the world will see Rus
sia. England and China combining for the par
tition Of Asia The very force Of circumstances
will bring this about. England and Russia will
never be able to agree partition Of China
between themselves. Still less will they allow
the other Powers 10 share with them In the
spois Of that Empire They will be forced to
defend China which alone is helpless. against
the rest of the world and to share with her the
dominion Of Asia.
THE alliance Of England, Russia and China
OF two-thrds Of the human race-will be such
an alliance as history has never yet seen. and 4
will be one which Will give peace to the world
for centuries. All its interests will make for
peace and II will be able to dictate terms To the
rest Of the world. America has very little to
gain by an open door to China. That country Is
an Industrial one, al / whatever we may now be
able to sell to them the Chinese VIII SODn D9
able TO make for themselves. One day, anc
that day is at hand. whatever emma buys
from the rest Of the world will reach her
through Russia and Central Asia
RUssrAs OPEN DOOR TO CHINA
"Russ,a in the last three years has done more
TO open the doors OF China than England ana
all the rest Of the world has done In nifty years
No one who has not seen It with his own eyes
can have the raintest conception of what Russia
Sas done and Is still doing In Central Asia- /
have travelled over twelve hundred miles or
railway which she has bull. from the Caspian
Sea TO Tashksn in Turkestan; over branch
Of this line which runs to the northerh ntonr uoe
of India and another brancf WHICH -. -
from, Merv to the border Of Afghanistan rms
las: branch was not completed when was
there but II will be oren to tratic next weeN'
There are also Russian lines all along the Per
sian frontier and penetrating into that country
either completed or rapidly approaching com
pletioa All tha work on these lines has peeh
done by soldiers who in this way are not III
Russia as elsewhere, non-producers
"All this tremendous Asiatic railway system
is owned and operated by the oove.iil.el.,
the lines are admirably built and splendldly
equipped Why n bridge across the ANU
Daria in Central Asia, at point where @ tne
river IA three miles wide. that cost 2oOooooo
rubles and is the greatest piece of engineering
work ever accomplished. There is nothing Ike
II anywhere else IN the world the celebrated
Forth bridge. near Edinburgh. not excepted
CITIES AND TOWNS SfklNblNb "
wherever I went I cities and towns
spr,nging up-such as Askobad, In Turkomania
for example which already has 2oOOO nhabi-
tants Near Merv the Gar is building a mag
nihcent palace New BOkhara, twelve miles
from, Old Bokhara has 1900 Inhabitants. The
Russian policy in Central Asia is not to bring
the new and the old into too close a contrast
and so she builds her railway stations leW
miles away from the old centres OF populatlon
thus forming new and entirely modern centres
Where do the people come from 70 inhablt these
towns? Why. from European Russia Ihe TOW
ernment is turning her surplus European popu-
Iation into Central Asia. just the United
States turned the surplus population Of her At
lantic States into her great western territories.
What have lust seen In Central Asa Is almost
an exact reproduction Of what ! witnessed years
ago in Illinois Indiana and Missouri, when the
enierants 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 twentieth century. just as
the march of the Anglo Saxon through America
has been the feature OF the nineteenth.
"Already thanks to her railways, Russia can
nj anv time pour her armies across the frontiers
~ India by the same routes that Alexander,
Tamerlane and Kubla Khan marched to the
CONQUEST Of Eastern Asia. Russia to-day has
2i 600 600 reserves all Of whom have served in
the army from three to five years. One-ffth OF
her population has been drilled and disciplined
military work.
"The United States will be committing a woful
mistake II she fails 10 retain the friendship OF
this great world power Of the future"
PROSPECTS or AGREEMENT BRIGHT.