The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-23

Japan Nagasaki line and trans-shpped
right into Siberia.
Forty LOCOMOTIVES are now on their WAY
and sixty moro win soon follow. Amert-
can steel rails 20 the extent Of $4,000 tons
will be laid in Manchuria, and large or
ders are being filled here for electric sup
plies and material for equipment of cars
and stations. Railroad cross ties from
oregon, tools from Ohio, steel rails and
locomotives from Pennsylvania will make
parts of this great railroad and its fun
nishiugs
ITO what extent has America been able
to overcome the English and German mar
kot?"
In everything" exclaimed Mr. Friedo
everything from a nail to anything you
can think Of in railway construc ion. we
have been able to sell i'm Siberia. We nave
driven an competitors from the field. Why
what else could they do? We had the
b,st machinery and building material
could sell IT cheaper. and get il there
quicker than any other country. Does
THAI not speak well for American skill
and Industry? But 1 had absolute couh-
dence in our ability. / was confident OF
success before I started and ] was not
b'i disappointed.
"A great change of feeling toward
America. as an industrial nation, took
place after the introduction Of American
tools and methods and not a few odd re-
into operation, the coolies went on a strike.
1t was an American characteristic which
might better have not been introduced. The
natives thought dynamite a work of the
devil. The Cossack guard. however not
belonging 10 the coOlie union perhaps re-
fused to join the strike and after tying
up The road for three days the frightened
natives went back to work"
IL is difficult to estimate even CONNER
ciaIy the effect of this great railroad.
Millions of acres Of the most productive
" wheat land in the world is being opened up
for cultivation. The vast territory of ST.
IBERIA has almost boundless resources. 4
shorl time ago. Car Nicholas II annouuc-
ed his plan to abolish che Siberian exile
system. Australia was once England's pc
nal colony. ana great as are the capacities
Of Australia. they are not 10 be compared
with those Of Siberia. Russia hui DIS towns
along the line of her great railroad and
then populates them. Mancnuria is being
settled in just this way now. The other
nations are waking up to the fact that
Russia is the most active power in the
world. With the aid of American methods
and implements. she is completing her road
years ahead of the time estimated by the
imperial engineers. Great are the battles
that are fought in time of peace" and
Russia is winning great battles now. Sac
is settling the Chinese question in a new
and energetic way. She is civiliZing Chi
ma by industries. Wherever Russia goes
rapid change takes place. Manchuria IS
awakening from a sleep of centuries, and
the whistle of steam engines on railway
and in shops is a good alarm clock. 1t IS
plain that England does not clearly appre-
ciate how rapidly the Russians are NOV
ing As late as August of the pres
ent year. Il prominent London weekly, re-
ferring 20 M5uchuIia and he trans-conu-
mental railway. makes this statement:
Those who knew this corner of Manchu-
ria IN the sleepy days when the mandarins
he'd uncontested sway, will probably be
very much astonished when the curtain IS
rung up by The present acting managers,
and the world is invited to send its ships
and merchandise into the new Russian
ports The English evidently believe that
they still have four or five years before
they need TO worry about keeping Russia
out of Mongolia and Korea. The United
States is not striving for a political foot
hold in China, but in mechanical and mer-
camille affairs our peOpe are gaining a
strong place in the far East. Less than
three years ago not a single American pro-
duct was sent direct into Siberia. To-day
American locomotives Dull American cars
overladen with American machinery,
American rails which American tools have
put into place. The United States has
be n far seeing enough, through the energy
OF her industrial forces. to get what Lord
Curzon calls an intelligent appreciation
OF events before they occur. We have
been able TO participate in one of the big
battles Of peace. What civli3ing force can
be compared to the railroad? And where
is civilization more needed than in the
countries now being opened up?
Russia is working night and day TO CON-
plete the link which Will place her Pacific
coast within ten days of st. Petersburs'
and has been pushing the work with fe-
NfrTaa- Han n
war exposed TO the world the internal
weakness Of the Chinese empire. Port Ar
thus was the price of Russian interference
then. 1t was the one point Russia want
ed.
within three weeks after Port Arthur
was taken by the Russians I had orders
to ship railway construction material
there" said Mr.. Friede.
1t was an astonishing statement. and
showed clearly Russia's attitude. Port Ar
thur was q point which had to be con-
nected with civilized Russia. How, or
when or where, the route should go
through was not thought of. The cir
cumstance recalls the Old story of the first
Car Nicholas. Moscow and st. Peters
burg he wanted joined by rail Engineers
went out, and, after months of labor,
made a careful survey. When the chief
engineer came up before Nicholas he be-
gan 10 explain from his diagram, There
- q mountain mere which we want 70 ~
around here is river to be bridged, here
rights of way are in question etc.
Enough of this" cried the Gar. 'Where
is the map?"
A map was given him, and. taking a
ruler and a pencil. the Car drew straight
line between the two cities.
"Thcre, build it there" and there the
road was built.
The second Nicholas evidently has some
of the chara ctoristics of his famous ances-
tor for to-day he is pursuing the same
policy of doing the important things
easily, perhaps, If possible-but doing IT,,
anyway in spite OF any obstacle. Russia
can work wonders with Americas help.
She has discovered thar we can deliver
better material al a cheaper price months
before any of the European nations. There
in is Americas triumph, and yet what
has already been done is only a small
thing compared to what Will come when
the civiiztng forces of factories and mills
shall be spread through the newly opened
countries. Such an awakening no one dar-