Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-20
SITUATION IN THE FAR EAST.
II. N. Allen. Minister TO Corea, in an
Interview

a dispatch from Colorado Spr ,ngs, Col
yesterday says: Horace y. Allen, United
States minister to Corea. WHO has been in
that country for the last eighteen years and
who is en- route to tie orient Sient today a
Colorado Springs. He left seoul las: sor:re
crossed Russia Ny the Siberian rail
road, and spent the summer n Europe and
the United States. Regarding the political
situation in the east. Nh. Men said:
so far tie negotiations that are now
being carried on by Russia. China and
Japan. /. of course. do not care to he quot
ed. Our position is that Of q neutral friend
to each, and they all three feel very friendly
toward the United States. However tho
matter may be decided, il seems that it will
rot be to the disadvantage of America.
Many of the press kilograms we see here
show unmistakable signs OF inaccuracy and
SenSatlOnal1Sm IN deal nS with the present
oriental situation. and il IL good plan to
await confirmation before forming conclu-
sions upon them.
'Corea is regarded as the storm center Of
Asia. 1t has been under alternate dom zion
of China, Russia and Japan but s nee
Japan waged successful war with China
to secure absolute Independence of Corea,
China has been left out OF the count and
the strife for supremacy has been between
Russia and Japan. During the year pcst
Russia has begun To operate :. timber con-
cession. said to embrace most of the north
frontier of Corca. In the operation of
this concession the Russian concessionares
have run counter 10 the interest of certain
japanese. who held similar agreements with
local magistrates. 1t = thought that this
concession may lead To ser Gus conSe-
quences.
''-As to the port of AiaSamEo. un the south
coast of COrea, near Japan. Which has been
a bone of contention between Russia and
Japan for some time. IL is true that Russia.
has obtained from Corea the allotment oe
ground for IA special Russ;an settlement ana
coaling station. but thus was offset ana
practically nullified later oll by a similar
allotment granted 10 Japan. Any attempt
of either power to occupy these settlements
in a military way would doubtless lead TO
serious difficulty.
Il have been impressed with the fact that
by the expenditure of the S3isl,HO 600 in the
construction of the Siberian railroad and
cities and the suppression OF the Manchu-
rian bandits. who had formerly made II I'M
possible for the people TO market their pro-
duce Russia has brought order into this
immense agricultural region Of Manchuria,
and has thereby made possible an extensive
growing trade a. per cent of which now
comes from the United States. This shows
that Manchuria is a splendid and growing
held for American commerce.
while at Port Arthur, although that is
not commercial port, saw two steamers
unload ding, one a cargo OF American beer
and the other cargo of american flour.
NV observations led me to conclusions that
the imports from Russia We're largely COM
posed of vodka, the native drink. Russia
is not manufacturing country, and they,
therefore, receive their manufactured prod
ucts from other nations. The Russians with
whom l talked all express themselves an
very favorable to American commercial en-
telprSeS.