The times., 1899-06-18

purpose Of studying the workings of the
Russian government at short range. 1t
is copiously illustrated from photographs
made by the author.
The subject matter Of this book is ex-
tremely interesting, owing to the prevail
ing interest in the Asiatic question and
Russias part in the Settlement Of this
world problem. The style OF writing is
clear. though slightly slipshod in places,
and the press work of the volume might
be a great deal better without being re-
Inarkably good. The authors views Of
Russian character and government are,
OIL the whole. extremely favorable, and rs
far as possible removed from those OF
KEENAN, and other denouncers of the Siber-
lar exile system; but this might very well
happen, since MIR. Bookwalter Travelled
with an entirely different purpose in mind
from that Of Mr.. Kennan, and came in
contact mainly with the official class Of
people in Siberia. The facts which he
states in regard TO the development OF
civilization and business enterprise IN
Russia are remarkably interesting.
One of the things in which We. as a
commercial people. naturally take an in
terost at this time is the building OF the
Trans-Siberian Railway, and in discussing
this enterprise Mr.. Bookwalter presents
some truly startling facts. He says, writ
ing from the western terminus OF the
road:
The government dor almost all railways here
are by The guve4un-It) Is most active in ifs
preparations for the future operation of the road
was shown a train in course Of preparation that
! 10 he of the many that TO over the
entire length Of the lire when completed. The
scale Of maGnifcence upon which they are TO be
operated Is surprise even 10 one familiar with
The trains will be composed wholly Of sleeping
parlor, and dining ears an elegant saloon occiI-
nying fully one-half Of each car II the middle.
having piano, writing tables, maps, library. cte
Besides the usual toilet room, there Is an elegant
bathroom. where at small cost We can have a
warm OF cold hath. There Is also 10 he a room
fitted up especially for gyuinssttc exercise With
dumbLells frictional apparatus Tor muscular de
yoiopmcnt. and all the newest belongings OF suci;
an establishment The trains viii he OF The Tds-
tiIuie tvpe. with electric lights and signals, air
brakes and other frst-class accessories. In addI-
ticn 10 the general director Of the frain. each
car has for its service porter and special
guard. 50 that train OF seven or eight passenger
coaches will have frops twenty 10 thirty officials
and employes connected with it. In fne. when
once in full operation, they will in luxury and
comfort more resemble q transatlantic steam
shin than a trans Asiatic railway train.
Not least of the inspiring things Of this great
erterl,rise Is the low fare that will be charged,
being less than and one-half cent per mile,
including eNponse OF sleeping car \ the through
lH.ll -
rer hour the trip from Moscow TO Nladigosiok
vii ultimately he made in eight to nine days
This sounds more like a page from the
ARABIAN Nights" than a modern railway
prospectus. and one is almost inclined to
think that the amiable railway officials OF
Russia must have been drawing the long
bow Sill, The combination OF Occidental
enterprise and Oriental luxury in the Rus
sian nature does sometimes produce sur
prising results.
In treating Of the people of Russia. Mr..
Bookwalter speaks at some length OF the
fact that this is a population of land
owners II may not be generally known
that when the Russian government eman-
cipated the serfs in 1861 it carried out IN
part the mythical guarantee that was made
20 the freedmen Of our own Southern
States-"forty acres and mule. The sert
class embraced about Il, 000 families,
nearly half of whom belonged to the no.
bility. Three hundred and twenty million
acres OF land were by the emancipation act
appcrtioned among the freed serfs, and
they have added TO this amount nearly
so 00e. GOO more. so that they now hold over
one-third OF the arabic acreage of Euro
pean Russia. Each peasant, while he may
travel about in search of employment,
tends to cling to his little tract of land.
and eventually returns to II; and the prac-
teal working of the whole system is an
absence of the conflict between capital and
labor.
Mr. Bookwalter's account Of the climatic
and other conditions Of the country
through which he Travelled is extremely
favorable. AS shown from his photo
graphs. the prevailing type of landscape
may be described in one word-iiat. Vast
treeless plains, dotted with villages and cit
les. appear again and again in these views.
he says, however. that these plains are
free from one Of the greatest drawbacks
TO life on our own Western prairies. in
that there are no billiards He was told
that the Tartars gave their herds neither
food nor protection in the winter. leaving
them to shift for themselves. which they
are able to do by scratching away the
snow which covers the grass
One OF the things noted by this traveller
is the close connection and interdepend-
ence OF all parts OF the great Russian EN-
pire. He speaks Of seeing in the Russian
cities OF Central Asia cultivated popu-
lation, evidently in close touch with Euro
pean capitals. He also notes the care
which Russia takes in the Improvement OF
her waterways as contrasted with our
own neglect of this means of communica-
tion. He has great deal to say about
the natural resources of Siberia and Cen
tral Asia, and is OF the opinion that these
are almost limitless. depending largely for
their development upon the establishing
Of lines of communication. To this matter
the Russian Government is paying constant
and great attention, and it may be useful
TO note that in the construction of rail-
ways the Russian takes particular care
that travel shall be safe. To this end he
multiplies officials and uses the best ma
terial in the building OF roads. This is
matter in which the United States might
perhaps proftably initiate Russia.
Indeed Mr.. Bookwalter is of the opinion
that Russia is in all things building for tn,
future rather than the present. Some O
his observations on this subject may b,
interesting all the more because they ar,
evidently not the opinions of diplomat
or a sociologist, or a trained Journals
and explorer, but merely of a wide-awak,
American who is engaged in spying out 4;
new country and getting the most correc
impression he can OF 1t. He says:
The one great national Characteristic Of Russi.
seems % he foresight. She deals not 50 Inucl
with the present a. the future, not with IA,
pT01imate and mmCd diate much as with thi
remote and ultimate; and il TO be a fiNe,
policy 10 commit herself to any scheme o
plan unless the ultimate results well fore
cast as 20 render any retrogressi0n retraoinl
oi her stegs unnccess AIRY.
Moreover, there Is perhaps no nation whose Of
fcisl classes are woll informed, or 50 mnutel-
understand the commercial. industrial, and eyei
the political policies Of other nations and tn
red working and ultimate trend Of their institu
tious. IL was. doubt, this penetrating fore
sight that caused her, long ago, 10 devise be
policy Of territorial acquisition, under which sh
laid aside for future such vast accessible, ant
contiguous areas Of country which 10 the rest o
the world seemed then useless
The pressure Of a redundant population Away
has been. and perhaps will remain. the chief peri
threatening iha stability Of every nation. Thi
a 4