Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-10-28
PEACE FAvoRS RUSSIA.
Commercial and Industrial Develop.
ment of Empire Goes on Rapidly.

| oept. 1I.-t w Wliildm Il
Curtis in the Chicago Record Her.
ld.)-St. Petersburg is the political
and social capital of Russia. Mos.
COW is the Industrial and commercial
center 1t is the policy of the gov.
efhment not to develop the frontier.
travellers who enter Russia will be
forcibly impressed with this fact as
they cross the border from Austria
ana Germany from the west. On the
| RUSSIAN side OF the boundary line
Is belt of almost desolate country;
very few settlements, and those of
the most primitive character; very
small portion of the land under cul-
tlvation. and that with the most
primitive implements. This belt
seems to have been abandoned and
offers a striking contrast to the well
titled fields, the neatly trimmed
hedges, the glowing gardens and the
inviting looking farmhouses on the
frontier of Germany.
The purposes of this policy, they
tell me, is military protection. If
any army should invade Russia from
Germany or Austria it would not be
able to sustain itself by foraging for
several days. That seems a queer
proposition i'll this day of commits
Sarles and courts OF arbitration, but
we Will take the story for what it is
worth and discuss the interior of the
empire where the manufactures are
numerous and have increased with
marvellous rapidity during the last
ten or twelve years.
Cotton mills. woolen mills, silk
mills, factories of all kinds. have
sprung up in every direction. There
Is one cotton mill near Moscow at
which 5000 people are employed,
1t is run by electricity and is said to
have one OF the most perfect plants
ever set up A party OF Massachu-
sets cotton manufacturers have
been over this summer to inspect
1t, and they say that it surpasses any
thing they have ever seen. There
are other mills of large extent. for
when Russian goes in for anything
he likes to be expansive.
At one time the people of Russia
used nothing but prints and sheetings
from Manchester Then cheaper
German goods came in for while.
and, with the careful pains which
the German manufacturers always
take TO please their customers, they
We're more closely adapted to Rus
sian tastes and requirements, and
hence they soon suppanted the Eng
lish fabrics entirely. Then the Rus
sian began to reflect and inquire of
himself why he could not build fac
tories and utilize the vast amount of
labor that was partially idle through
out the interior of the empire. The
government encouraged him to un-
dertake manufacturing enterprises.
Men and machinery were brought
from England. At first all the fore
men and engineers were English, but
the Germans, who will work for low
er wages. gradually elbOwed them
out, and the government started tech
nical schools for the education of it's
own people 10 handle machinery and
engines
This work of training is going on
very rapidly. Young men who un-
dergo a theoretical education for
three years in a school of technology
are easily able to adapt themselves
TO the responsibilities of manufact-
uring establishment. Now Russia
imports very few cotton fabrics, but
brings the raw material from the
United States and Egypt and is be-
ginning to grow cotton in its 4own
southern zones. The next step you
l. . I'll. o.,tee
cottoh goods, similar to that which
has recently been imposed upon ma
chinery, tools and other articles of
iron and steel.
No country has studied political
economy to more practical purposes
than Russia, and her statesmen have
seen how well protective tariff has
worked in the United States. They
recognize that the advanced condi-
ton of our working classes their in
telligence, ingenuity and skill have
been developed under protective
policy; that their wages have been
advanced far beyond those of any
other workingmen in the world, and
their capital has shared in the pros
perity and has extended its invest
ment until we now control practical
ly the great markets of the world.
The Russian statesmen propose to
apply the same principles to their
own country and will adopt the same
aggressive policy in domestic as in
foreign affairs. 1t is their ambition
to dominate the world but they rea-
lize that they must first be able to
feed and clothe their own people. to
supply their own wants, and to this
end the development of the agricul-
tura resources of Siberia and the
manufacturing industries of Euro
pean Russia are the fundamental
steps.
Thoughtful people VINO visit Russia
and observe the domestic conditions
and developments find 1t easier to
understand the peculiar tactics of the
czar and to appreciate his motives
in advocating general disarmament
in Europe and the settlement of in
ternationai disDutps nv arbitration