Arizona republican., 1899-06-02

1 to VladlYOStOk. It is also actively a
 work preparing to construct a lint i through Manchuria to its recently
 leased ports of Talienwan and Por
 Arthur. in China
 The total length Of the Trans Siber- ian line is 4,950 miles and the date
 originally set for it's completion 1905 It is expected however that through transit will be had much earlier than that date by utilization of the rivers already named. and that the shorter line connecting the system with the ice-free ports cG Port Arthur and Tal- ienwan may also be completed earlier than the original date of 1905. Traf- fic over the road is now in progress from European Russia eastward as far
 as Lake Baikal and across this by
 steamer, leaving at the present mo ment only 600 niles for transporta- tion by wagons or sledges. Construc-
 ton is now going on at the rate of
 about 330 miles per year, though th;s naturally varies according to the
 character of the territory through
 which the work is in progress. Pass
 cngers and malls from St. Petersburg
 to Vladivostok now require 45 days by
 the usually travelled route of the Suez
 Canal, Indian Ccean and Pacific. while
 by way of Naw York, San Francisco
 and across the Pacific the time occu-
 pied is 35 days It is estimated that
 when the Trans-SLberian road is com pleted the time occupied from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok or Port Arthur, in China. will be about 10 days The distance from St. Peters, burg to VladiYostok or Port Arthur by the completed Trans-Siberian line will be in round terms 6.5OO miles. or about twice the distance from New York to San Francisco.
 Two other routes to the commerce of the orient appear also to be the subject od active consideration by the Russian government at the pres ent moment One of these is an ex- tension of the trans-Caspian rail sys- tenn to the western border of China where it will touch the great caravan tOulC CAlO1A01AS cS1Ooo OLA-AOoC l LII tA- estan into the dense1y populated sec- tion of China proper, route along which Chinese telegraph lines are al ready in operation and over the east ern end of which a Chinese railway system to the very western border of China midway ibetwen the Trans road and the Indian ocean. and the Chinese government pushing railway and telegraph lines eastward toward that same point, a second great inter-continental line to connect central Europe and central China from the Atlantic to the Pacific is at least suggested by these recent de- 
 The third route of direct comnuni- cation from Russia to China Is by way of Russian railway connecting It's system in the south of Russia across Persia with the Persian gulf and the waters of the Indian ocean. Two railway routes are, according to recent reports. projected across Per- sia by the Russian government which. 1t is said, has obtained from the Persian government a concession of certain ports on the Persian gulf and privilags di railway construction from the borders of Russia through eastern Persia to those ports. One of these lines. according to the pulp I:shed reports, connects Russia's trans-Caspian system with the port of p q 1,r1o A1AhoC while the other, upon which it is said the surveyors are now at work, runs through western Persia, also connect ng the trans-Caspian railway system with the head of the Persian gulf If .hese reports be true 1t would appear hat Russia is about to realize her ong cherished ambition of a direct | outlet to the Indian ocean connecting here With a water transportation sys- em to the orient.
 TheSe three great systems If con and put into actual opera i III classes to the markets of the orient | y three distinct routes: One across | Siberia by an all-rail system owned i md operated by the Russian govern nent; second, a rail and water system through Persia and the Indian ocean, i Ilso controlled by the Russian govern nent; and third, rail system tap 'ing China's trade on the western bord- 1T by way of the caravan routes which tretch through a country whose pos abilities of railway construction pre- ent no greater obstacles than those which confronted the Russians when hey entered at the beginning of the resent decade upon the now almost Ompleted task of the trans-S Siberian ystem.
 It is thus apparent that the develop nents n Russia, both as relate to manufacturing industries and the ex- ension of railways and opening of -ew areas of production, are impor-