The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1899-05-13

Russia's new circular to the powers in
connection with the peace conference,
coupled with her efforts IT. the various
capitals of Europe, and even in New
York, to negotiate loan of 500, OOO, 900,
may be accounted for by the fact that
she has cut out for herself a costly policy
of expansion In Eastern ASIA. and that
she is at the same time face to face with
the most terrible and extensive famine
that has ever devastated the Muscovite
empire, either in modern or ancient
tines. Indeed, 1t is estimated that a sum
of no less than 5000, OOO, coo will have to
be disbursed by the government for the
relief Of the starving peasantry between
this time and next May: while it is i'm
possible to form any correct estimate of
the colossal amounts that will be need
ed during the year which has now
opened, for railroad construction in Asia,
for the subventioning of Oriental poten-
tates and statesmen-in one word, for
Rrssia's policy Of expansion east of the
Ural mountains. .
Everything that serves to tighten the
grasp of the czar On China tends to in
jure the commerce of the United States,
Great Britain and of other western
powers in the Monaghan empire, ard by
refusing, therefore, to loan the money
for which Russia has been asking re-
Gently, hnanciers in this country have
helped to obstruct .Muscovite projects that
are calculated to injure American trade
in China
While expansion N Asia and famine in
the European portion of the cars do
minions constitute this year a tremen-
doIs and altogether abnormal drain upon
the resources of Russia, says "Ex-
Attache'' in the New York Tribune the
latter differs from most countries that
appear upon the money market as bor-
rover in: that she possesses an immense
reserve fund in gold, the accumulation of
which has been one of the chief elements
IF disturbance in the financial circles of
Western Europe and of the United States
for several years. Russia's. thirst for
gold has been Unsuitable, and it is cal
culated that at the present moment the
Imperial Bank of Russia ard the imperial
treasury in st. Petersburg, which are
practically one, hold betw cen them q
billion dollars in gold. No one knows ex-
actly the object OF this vast hoard of the
precious metal. Russian government off,
Gals are renowned for their reticence in
all that concerns the plans and projects
of their master, the car But it is gen
gold is destined to serve as a reserve fund
in the event OF war, and this view is
strengthened by the extraordinary reluc-
lance manifested by Count de Witte, the
finance minister, and by his colleagues to
draw upon this fund. In fact, they prefer
to apply to the foreign money markets
for new loans, exposing themselves and
their country to refusals and stipulations,
that are hunliliating when: the grandeur
aid the undeveloped resources of Russia
are taken into consideration ..t.' :
1t is with the object of avoiding recourse
to this vast gold reserve of the imperial
treasury that the car has conceived the
idea of peace congress, the purpose of
which is not so much disarmament as the
avoidance OF further expenditure for in
creased armamel1ts. Indeed the chief
point dwelt upon in the circular issued
last week by Count Muravieff to the for
eign powers is that at the forthcoming
peace conference the gcve :nments taking
part shall agree not to increase naval or
military forces or expenditures for a
stipulated period. AS matters have been
until now it becomes necessary every few
years either to increase the standing army
IN order to maintain ,ae proportion u
enose OF the neighboring powers, or to
equip the entire body of troops with some
new weapon at an enormous cost. No
sooner has one new rifle been perfected
anu ADOPTED than some new kind of small
arm OF still finer quality conrmends itself
to the military authorities, and as often
rs not renders useless not only the gun
so recently adopted but likewise all the
ammunition; sometimes, too, the plant
used for the production of the same,
Thus Germany and France have lust
completed the equipment of their respect.
I've armies with new quick -flring cannon.
the most potentous military advance
since the Introduction of the breech-load-
ing needle-r1he by the Prussians in the
Austrian war of 1865 Up to now a six
gun battery has fired an average Of some
nfteen rounds minute. Each Of the new
F'renchFand German guns Is calculated to
nre n1teen rounds a minute itself, and the
french have even managed to fire twenty
one rounds in a minute with one of their
new guns So marvellous are the proper
tles ,o1 this new quick-fring gun that. ac-
corulng ITO the demonstrations of French
and German, experts, one will hold tts
own against an ordinary battery OF six
guns OF the type now in use by Russia
ana other, foreign powers. Germany and
france have each about five hundred bat
teries, each battery armed with six of
these new quick. firing guns, and as they
may pc thus said to have increased the
strength Of their artillery skiold, it be-
coneS incumbent upon all the other
powers of Europe, particularly Russia
Italy, Austria and Great Britain, to fol-
low suit In order to maintain the military
balance between the powers that has
e el nitherto. It is generally admitted
that artillery plays the chief role in every
great war; Russia could not. therefore
anord to meet Germany, neither could
austria or Italia venture to embark i1arnn
a war with France so long as the nos.
session OF qufck-firing ordnance renders
German and French artillery six times
sIronser9 IMAM that Of the other powers
tod
Germany So, O0O, 900 each to filrndsl, their
respective armies with this new ouick-fir.
ing gun, and the wagons and amrn,1nition
lnat constitute the necessary complement:
ana, inasmuch as the number Of Russia' "a
Datteries IS somewhat larger, about 65O
~ toia, the expense Of arming them with
auick-nrtng guns would be proportionatelv
larger. - - >A 'Ata'pe4iy
Z, incidentally 1t may be stated here that
e these quick-fring guns which ara
@ great extent responsible for fhe
ureyf';s case: At the time when, several
49, y. aso. france hrst resolved upon
ADOPTING the quick-firing cannon. sRnssia
asked for the plans ana draWinen n
THIS request France demurred. She asked
RUSSIA to wait until she herself had o.
pleeed the equipment Of her own arn ,,,,
with these guns ct has only. iu.t hes,
completely, and then insisted that Russia
8, rs oln1 nerself to order In France !.
e Tor the rearming OF her artfiierv
Russia replied that, having excelIent ~,
IactcE1es OF her own she did not - .ha =.
~ 20 spend abroad 3oQOOO 600 81 an
yO.UvO which would stimulate and enrich
- own Industries Il expended al Mons
- tneieupo get TO work 70 obtain 81
means of aecrnt oeenfe ~ ~ ~. -
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