The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-11-03
SOMETHING OF
RUSSIAN RULE
WHAT SHE HAS DONE IN MAN.
CHURIA AND WHAT SHE PROB
ABLY WILL DO.

In spite of the latest official denials,
the danger of Manchuria' ceasing IN
name, as it has long ceased in fact to
form part of the Chinese Empire has
not passed away. Rich in minerals
and precious stones, a white mans
land, wheat-srowing country Man
churia is a valuable possession. 1t was
Chinas, ana, possession being nine
tenths of the law, is Russias. DO we
in England understand what this
means? After all" as l heard re-
marked the other day, 1--WE can't help
it; Russia is geogra phicaliy too strong,
and the country is at least passing
from an uncivili2ed to a civilized rule"
1t is not necessary 80 repeat here the
tale OF the horrors o. Blagovestchensk,
but a personal friend of mine is a wit
ness to their reality. On his way TO
that city while two days journey down
the river he saw floating on the water
the corpse of a Ch1naman. Then he
passed another and another then two
together tied by Their pgtails; then
more, until as he drew near the city
the drowned bodies lay so thiclly to-
gether that the whole broad sweep of
the river was one dark mass of float
ing dead. Tied together by their pig
tails, and many of them horribly mutt
| lated, the dead Chinese in their hun
| dTeds, in their thousands stretched
| from bank to bank, a moving river of
the dead In the sprlng of 1901 another
friend of mine was travelling in Man
churia. He was accompanied by his
| Chinese "comprador." When they left
the railway line and struck across
country in carts, the land became sud-
denly dead, each village as they ell
tered it was deserted Signs of life,
recent life, were there In plenty, loaves
! of bread in the ovens, pigs in the
yards, fires in the houses, but no peo-
pie, not sign OF man, woman, or
child. He had come on business, to
buy pigs bristles and in order to buy
! it was necessary to find someone to
sell, but no one was there The first
DAY they wondered, the second they
consulted, and then the "comprador"
said he had plan. Would the master
stay a long way outside the next viii
lage quite hidden, and let him go on
alone? The master could and did. The
"comprador' went on by himself, AZ
ter while he returned smiling and
they drove into a populated village in
triumph. The explanation was simple,
but sufficient. The Russians had occu-
pied Manchuria for a year, and the
Chinese We're acquainted with their
rule. Seeing a white man coming to-
wards the village, they naturally mis-
took him for a Russian, and fled, man,
woman, and child, leaving all their
earthly possessions behind them hop
ing perhaps that h would be content
with look, and leave life alone.
After several weeks of travels and
adventure, my frisnd completed his
business and started back, leaving his
purchases-worth a large sum of mon
ley-piled together in ct Chinese village.
covered with tarpaulin and guarded
only by Chinese Waterman whom he
hdd hired for the purpose. L should
mention that all this while he had car
ried about with him the necessary
money in silver dollars. He was tray-
cling alone, among the Chinese with a
chinese servant and he said it was on
~ While he was on the railway, and
under the special escort of a guard OF
RUSSIAN soldiers, that he had any fear
Tor his money or his life. Once back
in Siberia, he went to the manager of
the railway to inquire about the trans
portation of his purchases and the
RUSSIAN manager of the Russian rail-
way advised him 'as a friend" not to
nave the goods sent by rail, because
they would probably be stolen. So thew
came by boat, by Chinese boat, and not
SO much as dollars worth was miss.
ing.
Vladivostock is a Russian town. IF
IS not inhabited by criminals, whether
polltlcal or otherwise, but the Govern
ment ohlcials, soldiers, merchants and
cooiles. And the same conditions of
life and trade which exist there will
no doubt repeat themselves in Man
churia, when Russia has civilized"
the Chinese into a state of complete
subsection. By the grace of the Gear,
foreigners are allowed to live and trade
IN VladiVostock, but the Governor can
deport any person or persons he thinks
| mt at twenty-four hours notice. no
reasons given. This power, which is
absolute, has some curious results, and
proves large source of income to the
Governor. l was much surprised one
evening at the serious effect produced
by what L thought an item of mere
local gossip. The Governor had been
losing heavily at cards" But I alter
ed my opinion a little while after when
a Russian official came into the office.
and remarked, in substance, if not in
actual words. You're Jones and Co.
Ah! turning to a list in HIS hand.
Inc governor is raising a subscrip-
ton for bust of the Car; you are
down FOR 1000 roubles. Pay up" The
money was paid and promptly. But
the bust has not yet arrived
After all, the Governors actions are
understandable. No Russian official
receives an adequate salary, and he is
therefore forced to make it 10 in brides
or blackmail-in exactly the same man
ner as the uncivilized Chinese official
cannot deport foreign settlers at TWEEN
ty-four hours notice, no reasons given,
without involving his country in diff
culties with the Embassy of the for
eigner.
The whole question of a neaceful, not
to say successful, life in Siberia is one
of knowing how to bride: and failure