New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-08-11
CHIN A.
a JOURNEY TO PICKING BY WAY OF
SIBERIA.

known writer on analrS III the Last his
China in Transformation is among the best
of recent authoritative works on the changes
occurring in the Empire. Overland to China"
describing travels in 1S9S-'99. is less inn
portant but stiu very useful contribution to the
literature which every one, at this time. is
anxious to read. 1t may lack the exciting IN
terest which will attach TO new books taking
the present crisis their point of departure,
but it is we'll worth reading for the sake of It's
pictures of the scenes of action and for the llsnt
which it throws on the reference Of the differ
ent Powers to the unwieldy section of the glope
now causing so much trouble When Mr.. Col
ouhoun wrote these pages the Trans-Sibe.an
Railway was much in his mind. He has some in
teresting things to say about the enterprise and
about the country across which Russia has laid
her magical steel rails. That there is magic IN
the road Mr.. Colquhoun is convinced for not
only is the linking of the Baltic and the China
Sea together destined TO have far reaching eject
upon Asian history, and. incidentally. upon the
history of the world. but Siberia is already be-
ginning to be transformed. and with every step
that it takes toward a richer prosperity the
hands of Russia are strengthened.
Mr. Colquhoun is not in agreement with those
who fancy that the political future Of Siberia
will involve something like separation from Rus
STA. He says: NO graft but an actual grown
OF Russia. Siberia has a continental solidtty
which should enable her to defy all attack
There seems now no likelihood that she may
prove to have outgrown her strength and that she
NAV split I'D from sheer bulk. that the Eastern
CIongolian) Siberia may throw off allegiance to
the Salv. Those who hold this theory and
sneak Of the possibility of a Siberian republic do
not appreciate the power of the iron road TO
Russianize Siberia. and have small conception
of the absolute solidarity that YIELDS all Rus
slams from autOcrat 10 mOujik. The peo-
pie speak of the expansion CT Russia with hearty
enthusiasm. and are in this respect at least in
thorough sympathy with the aims OF the bureau
cracy Russia, Mistress of the World is a
motto which unites all Russians from Archangel
10 Port Arthur" For thing, the Govern
nlent is doing everything 10 encourage and facil-
itate immigration. Not convicts alone are in
The land. Millions of the subjects of the Gar
are pouring into the fertile tracts, which are
distributed terms made comparatively easy
for the newcomers. Whether these eager set
tiers viii be forever satisfied with their choice
remains TO be seen. Mr.. Colquhoun mentions
that doubts have been expressed concerning the
ultimate value of much of the soil. But by the
time farming begins 10 feel the pinch of sterity
the other resources Of Siberia will have been so
far developed that the population will never be
without the means of support to say nothing
of opportunity attain positive wealth. The
mineral treasure Of Siberia is vast, she has
equally imposing reserves OF timber and in time
the manufactures of the country will play a
large part in the commerce of nations. In the
mean time Mr. Colquhoun, though enthusiastic
over the significance of the great railway, is
critical of the execution of the project He has
seen new locomotives lying neglected and rust
ing uncased along the line he has seen twisted
rails and ties rotting long before the time had
come to use them. Already the rails have been
found too light for the traffic and they must
be replaced at enormous cost by heavier
metal. But even the journey from London
10 Central China has been shortened TO fifteen
DAYS by the Trans Siberian line, as compared
with a minimum Of month and a half by sea.
and the cost, Of course, has also been greatly
reduced.
Most inviting of all among the fields of spec
ulation Just now is the effect which Russia's
colossal railway scheme may have upon China.
Mr. Colquhoun passes abruptly from the
sideration of a railway to discussion Of Pc
king The city he remarks, stands "incom-
parable and apart; typifying what is, when we
come to think of it, the most astounding piece
Of antiquity that yet survives-the Chinese EN-
pire! In it we have no mere fossil remains, to
be reconstructed and labelled for by the
archaeoogist: We need pore over cuneforms
and ransack no musty libraries in order to ap-
preciate it. The Past itself confronts us-no
mere dry bones but the breathing fesh-in the
city walls. still guarded by bow and arrow and
painted cannon: in the ruins, still inhabited;
and in the language. literature, dress and man
ners of the citizens. practically unaltered since
the period when woad stained British fore
fathers yet ran naked in the woods" There is a
certain grimness in the reflection that as we
read these lines written scarcely more than a
year ago. the Oriental Past is shutting off to
the museum. the West is arrayed against the
East, and a new order Of things is at last on the
verge Of replacing the old The turn of the
wheel bring surprises to the author Of
this book. He the forces at work that have
largely helped 10 precipitate the existing situa-
ton. If any date may be fixed as that from
which the troubles in Picking became acute. Mr..
Colquhoun would choose that Of the Franco
Russian entente" The diplomats began then
10 work along new lines
The happy family circle was broken up into
cliques; mines and countermines were sprung; in
trigues Of all sorts spread bitterness and jealousy.
The old fashioned chronic questions of transit
and audience gave way to fierce threats and de-
mands for territory and special concessions. The
French and Russian Ministers alternated their
daily visits TO the Tsung-li- Yamen. and bullied
storned and threatened until the Chinese-who
looked in vain for help from England-were
completely cowed. A rude awakening. indeed,
from the old days of Sleepy Hollow diplomacy.
Concession hunters, syndicates and adventures
f7ocked 10 Picking vultures TO a carcass. d.
Every annoyance. petty otherwise, that the
two allied Ministers could contrive to spite the
hated Britisher scT@pes of good taste or
good manners held them from putting into eX
ecution
The unpleasant record is enlivened by gossip
touching Of the obscurer. more private
phases Of the quarrel. When the French Min
lister resigned from the Picking Club because he
not elected 10 a committee which he
thought he had a right 10 serve. ne expected
the institution to collapse 1t endured. Then