Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1901-11-07
WAY ACROSS SIBERIA
RAIL LINE FROM MOSCOW TO
vLAplvoSTock
Traus.ssberlae Road lie One OF the
world's Greatsat AchisvsAsnta-ln.
eeptiea, Progress, Purposes aud In
tauenee as a Russian Possession.


In 1901 the FIRST coupons were issued
for the building OF the Trans-Sioerian
railway, In December, 1892, the work
was begun. A highway was to be push
ed from st, Petersburg to the Pacific,
band of steel 5.S5a miles long. binding
the extremitles Of the empire and over
It's polished track affording an unrivai'
ed route for the cOmmlngling OF east
and west and OF their measurcless
products. From Paris TO Nladivostock
the journey by passenger and tratne
was to be made In twelve days, and
later on In ten. From Paris to Pekin In
thirteen days, to Hong Kong In seven
teen days. diminishing the expense In
money and In time by q third or q
half.
This railroad was TO be nnaneiered.
constructed and administered, not by
private enterprise. but by the State.
Hence its object was not by financial
returns 10 swell the revenues OF giant
corporations or Individual capitalists.
The profit and loss account on Its pc
cunlary side was q minor considera-
ton. Its single design and aim was to
strengthen and develop the Russian EN-
pire. the dominion Of the east, the mas
terry OF Asia,
AS the strategic position Of Russia
over against Asia Is unique, so Is this
railroad unique In It's possibilities.
Whatever acquisitions Great Britain or
Germany now hold. or may hereafter
obtain on the Aslatic contingent, those
possessions are remote by thousands OF
miles from their base. and their etfi'
cheney depends upon difficult and pre-
carious connection through those thou
sand miles OF sea and land. Nor can
those possessions be brought into much
more intimate relations with each Other
and with the home empire than they al
ready are. That Is. for Great Britain
or Germany or any other power TO de
wise political or strategic rival to the
Trans Siberian railway is an utter i'm
possibility. 1t remains and must re
main the most stupendous agent In de
termining the destiny OF the globe thai
has yet been conceived by man. 1t Ii
to be maintained. as It was first orig
mated, under the most favorable geo
graphic circumstances which a State
has ever enjoyed.
There is no assertion here that as al
achievement Of engineering skill thli
railway surpasses or even equals
trans American railroad from New
York to San Francisco, or trans-Afri
can railroad from Alexandria to thu
Cape. Viewed merely as railroad, |
may in every respect be inferior t
either; its trains may be less commodl
GUS or less luxurious, its LOCOMOTIVES
less powerful or less swift. It's technica
management less efficient or less 50
gacious; but, regarding simply geo
graphic position. having in mind onl.
where 1t runs. what It connects ant
what 1t must Inevitably effect, nowher
can experience or Imagination sugges
a rival. The nearest approach to rival
ry would be afforded by some lin
crossing China from west to east. Blu
the western terminus of such lin
would of necessity be close upon Rus
sian Siberia or Russian Turkestan;
would traverse only a moribund or dis
integrating Asiatic State; and what
ever might be the governing board o
It's construction and administration,
would indirectly, IL not directly. be sub
ject to Russian lnfuence.-NatiOna
Geographic News.