The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-09-30

Murghab and the Afghan frontier was
projected and put IN execution. AS also
under his direction the survey was made
for the extension OF the line to Herat the
key of india. -
PERSIA a VICTIM
Ko,rapatkin's efforts as to Persia were
equally successful. It was through him
tEuss:as gained the concession virtually
giving her the monopoly of about all the
available railway routes through the shan $
domain More than this, as later Will pc
demonstrated when Russfa' S frontier makes
big leap to the south and runs on the
southeriy side of the hopet Dag noun
tains instead of on the northerly side as
now, thus Transforming the famous Col
den khorasan country from Persian to
Russian territory; and the port Of Astra-
bad on the Caspian VIII go with it.
With the pushing forward of the Rus
sian border on the south and the south
east SO assured, it would not be at all in
consistent with the Muscovite manner of
advantasins by the opportunity for a
wholesale annexation on the southeast
In a word Mongolia. Should the final OUT
come be the establishing of the Russian
Chinese border practically on the 10th paral-
lei, which IS by no means unlikely, the
Murscovite will be right down at the scene
of Chinese activity, who or whatever may
be its handspring. The Russian railway
the -Siberian-toe a. connection with
the European Russian lines will all be
well within Muscovite territory; as VIII
also the projected rail route due west TO
kashgar, where Junction will be effected
With the Russian Central Asian system
The latter is q pet scheme of hourapat-
kin's, who, had he early turned his atten-
ton to railway instead of to military
affairs, would have become the Tom Scott
of Russia.
His guest for sometime when he was
Governor General of the Trans-CaSpia,
enabled personal opportunities for appre-
ciating the ability of the man in grasplns
situations, particularly those in which
transportation and the opening up Of coun-
tries through modern means of commune
cation entered. With Grodelzor as WELL
such advantages through personal inter
course were enjoyed, he beng the host at
Habberofsf. the capital of Eastern Siberia
where at the time he was the Vice and
acting Governor General
Between Grodekoff and kourapatkin the
closest personal relations exist. Old COM
rades under the intrepid Skobelef in the
Central Asia campaign, and in their young
er days classmates at the military acade-
my, each knows the others endoWments,
and, therefore, in position for the most
periaI Minister OF War, in st. Petersburg,
to plan, and Grodekoff upon the scene of
action, as ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, to execute.
it would be more than passing strange If
with two such men in thorough accord,
Russia does not get all there is in it for
her out of the existing situation.
THE FATE OF CHINA.
Whatsoever the inception of the dis
patches relative to the advance upon Pc
kin from the North, that, insofar as the
world at large is concerned, nothing is
known to have come out of it, does not
signify the failure of the Russians TO ac-
compiish what in reality was the purpose
in view. There has not appeared to have
been any uprising of the Mongols in SYM
patty with the Boxers, or the Chinese
office-holding class, and the probabilities
are that the people as a whole know moth
ing whatever Of the exciting events Of the
past months. The caravan route from
Pekin to Irkutsk traverses something like
thousand miles of Mongolia, bisecting
the Eastern end OF the Dependency from
South 10 North. il is about the only
means the Mongols OF the North have Of
communicating with Pekin, and the mails
which come and so over the great Cobb
desert are entirely under Russian control.
Are in fact, wholly Russian, as all having
to do with the maintenance of the service
are Cossacks under the direct authority Of
the post officials at IrkutSk. There is the
light, or letter, mail, which goes through
horseback from Kiakhta, on the Russian
frontier, to Pekin-eleven hundred miles
in ten days, and the heavy mail. trans
| ported by camels and carts the greater
part of the way, and requiring twenty
days, or whereabouts, in transit The reg
uar caravan, with teas, and such other
| commodities as so in this manner, occu-
| pies, as a rule, the larger part OF two
months to cover the distance from Pei;in
! to Irkutsk 1t has been done, and without
relays Of camels, the same animals making
the entire journey, in less than six weeks,
but this is exceptional. Russia receives q
large proportion of the tea she consumes
by this overland route, ten millions of dol
lars worth annually. Not only in Mongo-
la, but in the populous sections OF. North
China through which the caravan route
passes, has it come to be regarded as a
source of prosperity. The caravan trade,
in its ramiflcations, affords opportunities
for revenue IN one way another to all
classes. Mongols and Chinese have so
long been accustomed TO the Russian mer-
chant, the Russian Consul and the Rus
sian COssacks. that the chances are that
had the Muscovite wanted to go on to
Pekin from the North, there would have
been practically none to nave said him
sition of the much vexed Chinese ques-
ton; however the Empire may be sphered
as to European influence or prOtectorated
by the Powers, all north of PeAn, on the
West as on the East, viii naturally become
Russianized in name, as it already is in
fact. The possession of the existing rail-
way from Pekin 10 Tien Tsin, and thence
to -hai-quan, means direct connec-
ton with the Russian Railway system at
Nieu-chang. Thus domination on the
East. The caravan route insures it on
the West, until more modern facilities can
be perfected.
THE RUSSIAN SOLDIER
The Russian soldier who has been any
appreciable time in the service is Injured
to long marches. The dong away with
the necessity for such in changing base,
by the construction of railways, not hay
ing been deemed sufficient excuse for per
hitting troops to become soft and cut OF
condition, through the lack Of he harden
ing process which has ever been q feature
OF russian military discipline. The Mus
covite infantrymen can walk the legs