The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-15
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RUssiu in Asia.

Commissioner. Burma. Administrator o!
Mashonaland, and special correspondent OF
the London Times" in the Far East. Mr.
Colquhoun deals with international affairs
in a clear. practical, and convincing style
which cannot fail to impress his reader;
with the idea that he knows his ground
thoroughly. This impression viii be dec
ened by a glance at the portrsit whics
forms the frontispiece OF the book. Il h
the face of man not prone to nasty Coz
illusions. neither optimistic nor pessimis ic
and given to Sitting a subject to the bot
tom before undertaking 10 talk about it.
j; is OF the utmost importance that tbs
reading and intelligent people OF AmeTi,s
should understand exactly what Russia Is
about in Asia, and the character of the ma
teral which she has been p:act.,aii!
Obliged TO choose for her imperialis ic werk
in that continent. But little is known IN
This country about the Eastern peoples
cornpared with the extent and accuracy OF
popular information on the 'ouI;tries OF
Europe: and, the basis of international OPP
erations having shifted the breadth OF a
continent TO the eas.wa.d--charged IRON
Constantinopie to Pekin-sinee the days OF
the Crimean War, the students OF the
worlds politics must occupy himself with
the Tartar-Mongul character and the his
tory of Russia in Asia, IL he would nnder>
stand the forces which are now at work
In such study Mr.. Colquhoua's look VIII
he most valuable. He has made many
Journeys in China, both north and south.
during the past twenty years; served as
correspondent of the London Times dur
ing the French campaign in Tongkins and
has within the last two years made the
overland journey from st. Petersburg to
Pekin. He is thus fresh from study OF the
present conditions in Siberia and China,
and his long acquaintance with the Chinese
character, and with Russian influences in
Eastern Asia, makes it impossible to crit
fcise his view as either that OF "g-obe-
frotter'' or a prejudiced memb-r OF mar
row circle. He speaks from acquaintance
with both official and private life among
the Europeans resident liz CANA, and has
also been in touch with home sentiment.
The introduction to his latest wofk is
worth quoting as summing up, more COM
pletely than has been done before, the at
;itude of the outside world toward Russia
and her doings. He says:
Unil quite recently Siberia" TO the idle con-
sideraiion of the man in the street. represented
merely a vast, untraversable waste, vaguely at
tached 10 the outskirts OF Russia; grey wilder.
beyond" where the few hours Of struggling light
in the twenty -four but served 10 deepen the numb
despair OF the succeeding darkness, and gieaIn
Of inferred warmth in August represented all OF
summer the inhabitants were ever To know; re-
gion where there were ''mines, and therefore
must be mineral wealth; eternal snow and ice, and
therefore ''furs.'' But chiefly, perhaps, he would
picture if the horrible oubiiette where the few
free spirits who dared to express the general
thought in Russia might be dropped out OF the
world-to languish until death brought the ner-
ciful ukase of release
But new era is upon US, and even the average
member II the general public amid the eternal
reecho of Other questions OF the day. begins to
realize that Siberia Is being transformed into as
essential part Of Russia as is St Petersburg; q
huge limb hitherto inert, but to which even
now muscle and nerve being supplied, and
which, when the last section of the great Siberian
Railway is laid, will be ready to strike out with
she lusty vigor Of youth.
1t is curious how invariably these slavonic
achievements have come as surprise TO the
world. For years, even for centuries, Russia pur-
sues hes way by parallel routes 10 many goals
unheard and out of sight. The world, unsus-
picious AID Indifferent, at most vaguely supposes
that Russia is busy at something" in Central
Asia Intriguing again. toward the East, until
the day when, after the accomplished fact, she
energies, illling benevolently at the worlds
simplicity, on the frontiers of Afshanstan and
the shorts Of the Pacific, with Herat and Teheran,
Port Arthur and Pekin alike in the hollow OF Ter
hand. In the very year, for instance, that the
worlds attention was focused on Sebastopol, and
the British people were iondly imagining that
Russian power lay stunned at their feet, two OF
the most pregnant achievements in Asian his
tory were communicative defiant seizure by
Russia Of the Arnur River, and the occupation of
the Zailusk Altai s,opes-giving, on the one hand,
Access 10 the open SEA, and, the other, com
p,ete commend Of Central Asia. Bloodicss and
unapplauded victories these, but further reaching,
in their probable influence the worlds history
than ten campaigns of Inkerrans and Almas.
This faculty Of ours for chronic surprise is in
Itself astonishing, for Russian aims and methods
sre neither new, disguised difficult Of oonprche1i-
sion. nor liable 70 change. They follow in in
fallible sequence.
Even now. while the average man in the States
and in Europe, in his efforts TO be ..up to date
IS bit by bit digestirg the situaton-Russia on
the Pacific; Russia practically mistress at Con-
stsntinople, Teher3D, and Pekin; Russia over
hanging Afghanis,as, and with Kashsaria at her
mercy-shat situation is changing he muses..
Siberia, TO take one instance-and Russians make
no recret of it-has already fulfilled her ra!son
d'ctre, in opening the way to the ocean; and
from the rich valleys Of Mapchuria il is no
longer toward the Arnur that Russians now look
but toward the British sphere, the rangtse. The
Siberian stage lasted three hundred years, and
terminated at Port Arthur; the stage com
xnencng will last how long? Will end where2
Never in the history OF the world were such
areas as those Of Siberia brought under
pire's rule at SO ridieulousy small COT. OF
men and treasure, at least, the Russian erpendi-
cure has been insignificant: practically, time and
patience-two essentially Eastern qualities--have
Il is that has been thus quietly and unosten;a-
tiously subiugated Magnificent enough if itself
the crown and summit Of countrys ambition,
but how significant when regarded merely a
stage on the road TO greater ends; as but ante
chamber, desert threshold TO the promised land
OF Russian destiny-;he Golden SOUTH
This presents with sufficient force
situation scarcely as yet understood by
even intelligent Americans. AS Mr.. Col
quhoun goes on TO say, the overflow of
the Russian people into Siberia has been
rather natural than q premeditated and
calculated movement. Cut off from advance
to the south and vest, the great Slav ma
ton has taken the only road open to her
The eastward.
After this preliminary summing up OF
the political situation, the author goes on
to describe, In detail the country, eli
mate, and Inhabitants of Siberia, with the
history q the Russian occupation Of that
country. The skeleton of this history may
be fouad in the encyclopedias: but this
narrative clothes the bare bones with
fesf.
Tie account here given of the Siberian
pekFant is not very attractive. Two things
initiate against his attaining high state
Of civilization-the uncertainty of the eli
mate and the ease OF migration. The set
tler Is, as rule, man OF primitive tastes
and habits, and, since he can most easily
mako living as an innkeeper or other
hanger-on of the great Siberian road, that
Is what he generally does. All French
travellers picture the Siberian as an invet-
crate liar. lying from habit and love Of
the art" and the author adds:
This does not prevent him from being like the
Boor extremely ford of quotations from Holy
Writ, when iudiciously applied. As might be ex-
pected, however, the texts hanging in pious pro-
kusion from ais walls usually exhort TO selfdenal
and aLs.entisn rather than 10 enterprise and e.