Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-22

Russia out of Mongolia and Korea The
United States is not striving for a political
foothold in China, but in mechanical and
mercantile affairs our people are gaining
strong place in the far east Less than three
years ago not single American product was
sent direct into Siberia. Today American
locomotives pull American cars laden with
American machinery which American tools
have put into place. The United States has
been farseeing enough, through the energy
of her industrial forces. to get what Lord
Curzon calls IAN intelligent appreciation
of events before they occur" We have been
able to participate in one Of the big battles
of peace What civilizing force can be COM
pared to the railroad? And where is civil
ization more needed than in the countries
now being opened up?
Pushing Contraction.
Russia is working night and day to COM
pete the line which will place her Pacific
coast within ten days of St. Petersburg, and
has been pushing the work with feverish
haste ever since the China-Japan war ex
posed to the world the internal weakness
OF the Chinese empire. Port Arthur was
the price of Russian interference then. 1t
was the one point Russia wanted.
within three weeks after Port Arthur
was taken by the Russians | had orders to
ship railway construction material there"
said Mr.. Friede.
1t was an astonishing statement and
showed clearly Russia's attitude. Port
Arthur was 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 circumstance recalls
the old story of the first Gear Nicholas. Mos
COW and St. Petersburg he wanted Joined
by rail. Engineers went out and, after
months of labor, made careful survey.
When the chief engineer came up before
Nicholas he began to explain from his
diagrams. "There is mountain here
which we want to go around, here is a
river to be bridged, here rights of way are
in question:" etc, Enough of ths" cried
the czar. where is the map?"
map was given him and taking ruler
and pencil, the car drew straight line
between the two cities
There, build it there" and there the road
was built.
| The second Nicholas evidently has some
of the characteristics of his famous ancestor,
for today he is pursuing the same policy OF
doing the important things-easily, perhaps,
! II possible-but doing it anyway, in spite of
| any obstacle. Russia can work wonders
1 a
| that we can deliver better material at a
/ cheaper price months before any OF the
| European nations. Therein is America s
| triumph and yet what has already been
| done is only a small thing compared to
what will come when the civilized forces OF
factories and mills shall be spread through
| the newly opened countries. Such an
| awakening no one dared dream OF a few
years ago The first railroad built in China
| was torn up and destroyed by the natives
| Now everything is changed and progress is
! no longer impeded. Thousands of coolies
work on the railroads in China and Man
| churia; 10000 work in and about Port Ar
| thur on the fortiications while an army OF
! Cossacks keeps guard. Commercial progress
is the order OF the day. But a few hundred
miles OF the road remain to be built and
100 miles are built every month. The work
goes on from many centers, coolies work
ing and Cossacks guarding all along the line
American machinery is used everywhere
Towns are being built, trainload after train.
load OF supplies brought into Siberia ant
Manchuria Development, cultivation ant
manufacture go on constantly. BY mex
summer the whole OF the country will bt
open. For 800 one will be able to go frs
class from ST. Petersburg to Port Arthur
perhaps even to Pekin. Then will come
new era for Siberia, a new history for Rus
sia and a wonderful field for American
energy and Industry.