The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-23
COMMERCE IN THE FAR EAST.
MARKET FOR MILLIONS OF AMER
ICAN TRADE.

neer VI. Sergey Friedc Tells How
He Introduced American Goods to
the Manchurinn Market. which
VIII Make Possible the Compile
ton of the TranS-Siberian Rail
read several Years Ahead of the
Estimated Time-St. Petersburg to
Pckin for S1O0-''N ankec" RUS
sian word.
WASHINGTON. oct 20.-The Trans-Siberian
Railroad viii be completed within one year
TO all practical purposes-by the time
navigation opens in the spring severai
years in advance OF the expectation of Oh
Europe. save Russia. Travellers may take
an uubroken railway journey which win
b. more than tWo-hfths of the distance
around the earth. Russia will have line
of steel through her vast territories: SHE
win have accomplished one OF the greatest
victories OF oil time. Great are the bat
lies that are fought in time of peace" is
the keynote OF Russian policy as expressed
by the car. and this great railroad is
double triumph, commercial, in which
America shares. and political, in which
China Is vitality interested.
Without doubt the much discussed East
ern question is solved. The Russians hold
The key. Her policy in Asia is distinctly
TO preserve the independence ana integ-
ri'y of China. Meantime Russia helps
herself 90 what she wishes; the gaining
of Manchuria now makes her domain eN>
Ct ed in extent that of England The new
railroad. extend ne as ~ will soon TO the
very wallis of Pekin, will make much more
possible for the Northern empire. 1t is a
significant fact that wherever Russia
builds railroad the country surrounding
becomes Russian.
II is to American skill and ingenuity that
a large share of credit for this commer-
cal triumph should go. Three years ago
America was not represented in the ST.
berian railway construction market; she
has since displaced all other nations. Early
in 81. NJ. Sergey Friede prominent mem
her OF the Engineers Club of New York
became convinced that American nipple
ments and railway supplies could be sold
in Eastern Siberia He was thoroughly
familiar with conditions there. and had
as he said, perfect confidence in the pos
sibilities of America" The story Of Amer
ica's commercial conquest in Manchuria
and Siberia is one of the most interesting
chapters in the history of the railroad.
when / reached Vladvostok said Mr.
Friede. ] found that the local engineers
would not listen to what they regarded as
wild stories of what America could do in
the line of manufacture OF tools and ma
chnery. The great Russian engineer,
lugowitch, was off in Manchuria on his
way to Sungari river. So / executed a
flank movement, went TO Newchwang, and
by going north intercepted the Russian
party near the Sungari river. l found these
men Were willing 10 hear what l had to
say. At that time everything was being
supplied by England and Germany. Eng
lish manufacturers thought Russia had 10
~.
could compete; and Russia would have
gone TO them, as she had before, if I had
rot gone there and told OF the possibilities
of America
1t is curious 10 note that before this
time Americas export trade with Russia
amounted 10 a very little.
II remember when l first told the en-
gineers that America could supply nails
cheaper than England could" Mr.. Friede
went on, they laughed at me. At the
present time there are no other nails there
except the American. Then there was the
question Of England's supplying the com
mercial iron. As a matter Of fact, this
iron was ordered by me in this country
afterwards. In the case of rails. Russia
intended 10 supply these herself, but found
that her own mills could not turn them
out as quickly as they We're needed-and
America came in again. The first order
was for 10000 tons. The joke of il was
liiht Lilt bthtA was ltoNOA WIN az 3AtiiNiA-
can firm through an English agency"
How did you succeed in turning Rus
sian attention our way2'
"Wen. / took with me catalogues of
American material in railroad construc-
don l first told them what we could do.
They were not willing to believe me.
They would ask How much is so and
SOP and Can you compete with England?'
They had no idea of America as an ex-
porting nation. 1t was, therefore, not al
ways a question of price, but is there
such a place as America where they can
really do these things? The Russian idea
was that Americans were buffers. They
thought we Dragged a lot, but could do
little. To a Russian, America was known
AS Yankeeland,' Even the word Yankee
is adopted into the Russian language and
il is the name by which an enterprising
man goes. They connected enterprise with
Yankee because they knew of us as in
Ventors of sewing machines, telephones,
Photographs, and wonders of delicate
mechanism In the regular way of indus
try, machinery of heavy and powerful
kind they did not think it possible that
America knew anything about manutac-
ture. When l offered them American boil
ors. they laughed al the idea of America
making boilers. They were importing
boilers from ENGLAND. and thought that
boilers made outside Of England were not
worth anything. The English, by the way
took advantage of this idea by charging
"a good big price. When / came into the
market l offered boilers for about half of
what the English manufacturers were de-
handing.
So strong prejudice did Mr. Friede find
against American tools and machinery
that when he offered our goods 20 the en-
gineers he had to duplicate English or
German machines In fact. much Of the
machinery was known only as English
or German. American machines were said
10 be light-they looked well-and could
do strange tricks, but We're not massive.
What better proof" said Mr.. Friede.
so emphatcally that one could not help
sharing his enthusiasm and conviction
what better proof Is there for the supe-
noritY Of American machinery than the
fact that an American machinery plant
is now being set up with complete equip
meut in the capital of Germany? The
facts speak for themselves.
Before Mr. tricde opened up to our
country the vast possibilities of trade in
the far East few American machines
fo1ttH thefr xyav fnto Russian Territory