The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-12-26
THROUGH MANCHURIA
WHAT IT MEANS TO GO THERE
 AT THE PRESENT TIME.
Russia's New Eldorado-The Story of How a New Baedeker Was Com piled-And No English or
 Japanese Allowed.

| information concerning the new route. | Little was known of the Manchurian section of the line, and soon after I made
 inquiries concerning it here, 1 received a hint that 1t would be well for me to communicate with the Russian embassy If thought of visiting Manchuria. Trac- l ing this suggestion to its source. ] found that 1t came from one of the many we'll | paid secret agents of Russia who moved | in London society. | had nothing to fear. My object was innocent. Russian officials would help
 me to attain it. The always courteous | kin, informed me that 'an application t should be made to the Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs through the British ambassador at the imperial court After all, that seemed to be merely | matter of form: but when, in May last, l left London for Vladivostok I took d personal recommendation to our ambas- | sador in St. Petersburg.
 l One sunny forenoon l went to the pal ace quay. The English embassy was 1 stately and somnolent. His eXcellency slept; his private secretary had not yet | risen. None of the secretaries or at taches had arrived. l was too early5 it | wanted a few minutes of midday. I l called later. His >excellency had gone fly | fishing. Many times during the next ten l days I repaired to his official residence, 1 but not once was I fortunate enough to see Sir Charles Scott. A secretary fixe1 | up an appointment week ahead; but 1 when the Qay ana hour arrived ms eX- | cellency was too busy to receive. That was my luck. In summer the town is un- | inhabitahle. All who can, get away to the islands, the, country. or the suburbs | There is no darkness; the white nights" 1 are delightful. It Is then people live. In the day they make their rooms dark | and sleep.
 The Russian ministers cannot escape 50 easily; the business of the state must be | carried on. Promptly at II o'clock one
 morning I sent in. my card to the Minis 1 ter of Ways and Communications. Five minutes later was sitting alone with i Prince Hilkov, chatting about guide books, Russian railways, sport and pho | tography.
 As to Manchuria, the minister had lit- tie to say. The lines were not complet- ed and had not been handed over to his | department. But his son was in. Man churia he hoped that I would see him
 when there. And his nephew was in either Harbin or Vladivostok; if l could find him, he would be pleased to help
 me So would the chief engineer-and
 everyone else. A letter asking all eni- ployes of the department to assist me
 would be sent to my hotel that same | day. Two hours later I received it.
 The secretaries of our legation were | quite capable of making the formal ap- | plication I desired They did so, but ex- | pressed themselves as not sanguine as to the result. However. could go as far | as Irkutsk
 I went to Irkutsk. I went further. l l reacneu Nla01NOStOk, on the LdI-dWdy Pacific, and from the day I left Moscow no one had ever asked to see my pass | port.
 By taking the river route I skirted | Manchuria, but did not enter the coun- | try. That journey inclined me to return l by the railway route. l sought the re- | quired permission of the local authorities and was by each referred to some one else or discreetly refused. It seemed that I was not to be allowed to enter. Manchuria. When I mentioned my dif-' faculties to any one the common eNciao mation was: Then you must De an Englishman" All there knew that only to English and Japanese is permission to enter Manchuria absolutely refused
 To be passed through the territory two things were necessary-the fiat Of the military authority and a frank over the 1 line by some credited official of the Eas- tern-Chinese Railway. From the minor officials I could not beg, buy. or cheat any paper whatever, try hoV Would. Nor were those persons whom l persuad- ed to act for me more successful
 Uncrowned King of Manchuria-
 had received a circular letter of in troduction to fellow-members of the Anglo Russian Literary Society resldeHC in Siberia. That letter was of more value to me than many passports and all official recommsnda tions. RusslahS are proverbially hospitable, and these Russians were favorably disposed to- ward England. and they never failed to do all that they could and sometimes did '' more than they ought, to forward my interests For instance. it was from them I obtained an introduction to Cnlel Engineer YugOvich, who IS pracucally the uncrowned king of Manchurla. took a long journey to see him, expect ing much. for he Is personally acqualnt- ed with Mir. Cazalet the President or the society, Is said to favor the English; ana was himself educated at Kings CoHege' London MT. Yugovich can build rall- ways and he can talk; but could not 19 would not stretch a point. but simply re- ferred me to the Governor General al Khabarovsk. two days distant by ran.
 Governor General Grodekov received me affably-he thought l was an Amerleah' said he had heard of me, affected an ln- terest in my work, admitted guide DOCK was needed, and appreciated tully thtt without the Manchurian section It T4ul5 be iHcomplete and misleading. If had any paper that showed what 1t was wanted to do, it would save him taking long note had that paper, an open letter of introduction from members or Inc Anglo Russian Society to an engi- necr in Manchuria He borrowed IT, promising that it should be returned the same day, and l left expecting that n" ong-tried- for permit would come at last; Instead I received the letter back, ana scribbled upon the reverse of my own card was curt refusal lie couiu mIt sanction my proposed Journey ,tttni, throuSn Manchuria. I returned to NladlVostok' There ] learned. but not from them +bat tbe signatories to the letter had receive1 a telegram from the Governor General directing them to attend to thet own business and not concern them selves with foreigners who wished to go into Manchuria. l asked no more faVors of Russian friends, and never WILL
 No English Admitted
 wired to St Petersburg to learn the result of the application made by our ambassador Tho answer to an urgent telegram arrived within fortnight:
 Authorities. while granting you every assistarce on Trans Baikal Railway re- fuse you permission to travel In Man churia." e.-t.,.-
 This answer was equivalent to refusing an application to see over henslngton palace by granting permission to pass thrnngh the gardens by the Broad walk
 I wired again, also urgent:
 "Hard -kcr's business necessttates wis itinp Manchuria therefore must await permit here. As foreigners are now en- icrinp the country hope you may soon obtain for E,ngiishmcn the same privilege granted to Americans and others
 In due course came the reply
 "Appllcation again refused.
 was di-guStcd. In NladiVostok l met Russi9n French, German and American rorrrnercfal tr2veIers who had been nassfd through Manchuria. l saw on their way thther Russian peaSah,S hl ion boots ard mujiks in bast shoes' tvred coated clerks. shopmen and tour ists, real gypSi"s in faded fancy cos turnes. officers wives in European gowns American girls in sailor hats ana shlri waists: baref 10ted village women ana maids from Little Russia swathed m uI,ited shawls l saw, too, the English officer Colonel Powell, who mas peeh turned out of Manchuria ..,..4
 ,.. ..,i,,ad tn obtain false papers, adopt