The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-29
WHILE CONGRESS SLEEPS.

/ the "open door" in China. Recent ad-
| vices show that the question of Ameri-
| can trade and influence IN China has gone
| far beyond the condition of mere aeadem-
lc discussion. The way Is now open for
| American commerce and energy in at
| least one of the most Important and
richest sections Of the Orient.
The current number of lIarper'S Week
| ly contains an article contributed by
writer who Is familiar with the progress
now being made in the Russian-Chtnese
| possession of Manchuria, and his recital
! Of the conditions prevailing in that vast
region in their application to the spread
| of American trade in that country must
| be regarded as absolutely astonishing.
| We are disposed, in our ignorance, to
lcok upon that entire section Of the wo;li,
/, including Siberia, as wilderness, the de-
| velopment Of which Is a matter with
which only future generations will be
, called on to deal. The truth is that Amer
lean energy and enterprise have already
| found an immensely profit table and prom
isng field in Manchuria and Siberia; that
| American manufactures have found there
a firm footho!d, and that there are many
Americans engaged in trade in those
countries who are fast amassing fortunes
L. is not entirely to American energy
| that these results are due. Russia APP
| pears to have done more during the pas
! two years to open up the country to
! American enterprise than we ourselves
| have ever done. Today, we are told, the
Russians are openly expressing their de-
sire to bring Siberia and cur Pacific coast
into close trade relationship, and their
government Is backing their friendly eX-
preston in a most substantial manner
commercially. Cities have sprung up in
Manchuria, as by miracle. Completed
| railroads now run through territory
which was unexpored two summers ago,
and these railroads, from cross ties to
locomotives, are of American make, the
very rails being put down by Yankee
track-laying machinery and tools.
Our policy of non-intarvention has been
productive of the best results. The dis
lance from our Pacific ports to Manchu
ria is less than 5000 miles, while the
Amur river Is navigable TO almost every
part of the interior
One gets, perhaps, clearer idea of
what is being done in Northern China
through the initiative of the Russian gov
eminent by reading the following extract
from the contribution In question than
can be had from any other available
source:
Over 10000, coo people have been brought
Under the disouieting influences of c:vili-
cation, and their wants of today will
become their necessities Of tomorrow.
Wheatfields are springing up everywhere,
and American flour mills are beng
erected. From European Russia a steady
flow of population is being poured into
the country by the government Whole
villages arrive and are located, school
its work. In Hardin, the center OF the
entire railway system, from VIII CHI point
the iron rails run through Manchuria in
every direction, American steam-rolers
crush the rock for asphalting the streets,
and Yankee ice plants provide comfort
for the workers, while this city Of
thousands, which was a barren waste less
than year ago, is today brilliantly
lighted by electric lamps
Here, then, is a field for American en-
terprse which is in no sense visionary.
The Russian government IS anxious to
turn over the trade of this country to us
if we avail ourselves Of the cpportuni y
She recognizes that she cannot compete
with lis in her own territory. She Is con-
fronted by a 6,000-mile overland haul for
manufactured products, while we have
a clear waterway of 1000 or 500 miles
less. We have demons rated to Russian
satisfaction that cur manufactures of
toos and machinery al bett cheap
err than anything that any Eu.opean pep
pie can bring into competition with u.s.
at least for the present There IS every
possible inducemcnt offered to the es alb
lishment Of a steamship Inc from enc of
cur Pacific ports to Talien-wan, the port
Of entry within thirty miles of Port Ar
thur, the new terminus of the t,ans-Sf-
be1ian railway system. That grea> trans-
cCHllHeilldl system Will De competed
within a year, and we have the control Of
the manufactured proGucts needful in tn,
marvellous growth which is going on If
we but reach out our hama
There can be no question as to TIE
readiness of cur mere hants AMI manu"ac
turers to avail themselves of these wen
Gerfully favorable conditions But 1t il
absurd to expect them to do 50 to the
extent that is possible unless something
is Gone to aid them. What is fairly sure
to happen in tLat vast reg.on within tha
next few years, in case cur national au-
thorities continue their Rip Van Wrinkle
slumbers, is that some enterprising and
intelligent European people, like the Ger
mans or English, will, with government
aid, take complete possession Of the
trade of the country, to our exclusion.
FRENCH PRIZE FIGHTS.
The oddities of the French people ex-
tend ito all their activities of life. Re-
cent events have acquainted the world