The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-02-05

President Mckinley has announced his
intention Of appointing commission TO in
vestgate the question OF American trade
with the Far East a reply as 10 the open
door In China favorable to American in
terests has been received from the various
European Powers. But it is important to
understand existing conditions in the Far
East and precisely what has been accom-
plished hitherto.
To this end an interview has been OBJ
tanned with a gentleman who understands
the situation fully and has done yeoman
work in pushing American machinery aud
manufactures to the front. He has been
20 China four times within the last three
years. and IL is due to him alone that the
Manehurian Railway. now being built by
the Russian Government under the con-
cessions received from the Tsung- Yamen,
uses American locomotives rails. machin-
cry. tools, and nails. Up TO three years
ago there we're only three hundred miles
Of railway in all China. but the Manchu-
rian branch OF the Trans Siberian Railway
will extend for 600 miles before it is COM
peted
When Mr.. VI. Sergey Friede went to
Manchuria in 1897. in order to have an in
terview with the chief engineer OF the rail-
way, then engaged in surveying the route
he found little o. nothing Of what We call
civilization.
Today there has been complete meta
moTphoss Of all Manchuria. Some Of the
towns are lighted by electricity. Their are
large. well provided machine shops, ice
machines, Hour mills-and all Of this ma
chinery is American. The boilers. engines
picks, shovels, and nails come from the
United States.
Americans Did Nothing.
Asked what American manufacturers had
done 20 secure this important market. Mr.
Friede said: Il am sorry TO state they
have done absolutely nothing to gain a
foothold In Manchuria.
1 was somewhat amused" he contin-
ued, TO read that Lord Beresford stated
when he was here that unless we joined
hands with England we would be excluded
from the markets of the world. The fact
is that wherever England is in control
neither Americans nor anyone else can sell
anything l am free to admit that Eng
land does civiliZe hut it is Tor the profit
Of her own merchants and manufacturers
only l cannot see much difference be-
tween the methods OF civilization employ
I'd by Great Britain and Russia. The for
mer CTiticises Russia for using the knOut;
she uses the rife and the Calling gun.
do not wish TO stand forth as a special ad-
vocate for Russia. The Chinaman cannot
be handled with hid gloves; Russia does
not try to do so. But ] zee that England
Is not more gentle.
Il have tried 10 sell American machin-
cry IN British settlements and az the first
mention Of the subject il was poohpoohed.
What, American machinery; it's all trash
We don't want any OF it,
THE fact is that the only places in
which Americans are really encouraged TO
introduce their goods is i'm the tracts un-
der Russian control or in Russia itself
rels aud ESQ locomotives IRON American
manufacturers for the Nauchurian Rail
way.
Suppose for instance. that Great Bril-
tain had taken possession Of Port Arthur
instead Of Russia. Would not the Cana
dian railways naturally be chosen as the
carriers connecting with the steamers to
that port2 But now that 30 is in the pos
session OF Russia. al thuugh 10 is really
a naval port 10 has been opened to the
commerce OF the world. As one Of the
termini OF the Trans siberian Railway the
IiNuuflN f@IIltN over IllI IhdN may now
be carried in American ships 10 San Fran
cisco and thence over American railways
10 the East
There is no doubt Of The Importance
and value Of the Russian market 10 all
manufacturers. and every European nation
recognizes his fact and rs striving strcnu-
ously to capture Dr.. Belgium. Of course.
the most wide-aWako manufacturing ma
ton in the world is doing its share. Ger
many Is doing the largest amount of the
business with Russia. especially through
her H,mburg houses. France too has no
iucor .derahle part in Russian commerce.
Why ire American manufacturers so back
ward in attempting 10 reach out for this
valuable patronage Il seems that preju-
dice has much TO DO with it False re-
ports regarding Siberia have had great in
huence ] have been all through there
and. to tell the truth. ] found the conyicts
working with FAR lighter chains on theil
bodies than I have seen in the city of De-
trolt The ball and chain Of American
convlcts are far heavier than those Of th,
Siberian convicts.
Russian should Re Learned.
There is another reason why the Frer h
and Germans do business more easily in
Russia than an Englishman or an Ameri.
can-and that is on account of the Ian
guage, All the cultured Russians speal
French and German. but they have just
about begun 10 study English. The fact
is that the Russian Ia Juage would be
most valuable to young American boys be-
Ing trained for a commercial career. With
all the talk OF expansion why not train
the coming merchant for expansion by
teaching him Russian. opening his eyes Il
great, almost inexhaustible, market? i
seems to me that il would be a good ides
for the United States TO have a NatiOna
Commercial Academy. just as il has a Ma
val Academy at Annapolis and a Military
Academy at West Point
There are vacancies today in New Yorl
Offices for American young men who speal
Bussian-places in which they could carr
salaries Of from 81 900 TO s. 900 a year In
Manchuria the Russian does not learn Chi
nese: the Chinaman learns Russian. The
millions Of inhabitants OF Russia and Man.
churia are open TO the American merchan
who speaks the Russian language The
introduction Of the railroad has stimulated
the needs OF the people already.
The natives have even learned how I,
strike upon the introduction Of machinery
The only strike on the Manchurian Rail
way was caused by my Introduction OF IN,
steam power rock drill.
How many Of us in this country evel
stop TO think Of the extent and phenome-
nal resources Of ManchuTia now opened e
the worlds commerce by the Russian rail
way? Most OF US know very little about
It. In fact. this railway, in conjunction
with the TransSiberian Railway. with
which il connects. opens not only all Man.
oil aF l. -