The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-12
RUSSIA WILL STAY
IN MANCHURIAN PROVINCE, SAYS
w. c. PARTRIDGE.
AMERICA VITALLYINTERESTEI
IN EASTERN QUESTION IF WE ARE
TO RANK AS A GREAT POWER.

zap and Their Dress and Customs.
King O'Keefe's Residence De-
scribed by Mr.. Hartridge in His
Lecture at c. L. A. Hall.
A large audience gathered at Cath
/ Ole Library Hall last night to listen
to the lecture of Mr.. W. c. Hartridge
I on observations in the Far East"
/ The lecture was a brilliant one and
some of the questions which are now
attracting the attention of the world
were touched upon. In speaking of
/ the Russo-Japan trouble Mr.. Hartridge
| said:
so inflated have the Japanese be-
come with their Importance as
world power that when the Manchu-
rian crisis had reached an acute stage
a Toxic paper announced with no ap-
probation of its unconscious humor
! that a declaration of war by Russia
would be the signal for the dismem-
1 berment of the Russian empire by ia
/ pan. Evidently the editor of the jour-
| nal had forgotten, if he ever knew it,
the lesson the great Napoleon so pain
! fully learned, that the Russian is one
| of the worlds great fighters.
1T is only due to the Jap to gay,
however, that he is willing to under
take the ACKNOWLEDGMENT. He will
find, though, that a sea conquest of
| Chinese is an entirely different matter
| from the subjugation of a Russian
! army, led by the ablest soldiers in Eu-
rope and backed by the most far
reaching diplomacy in the world to-
! day.
If 1 have correcently read the signs
in the East as they exist to-day, the
struggle must come. Russia no more
| intends to give up her Manchurian
! policy as it has been developed in the
last few months, than she intends to
| free Poland. And yet If Russia is al
loved to carry that policy to its logical
| conclusion she will be completely and
absolutely the master of the commerce
of the Far East, and the Russian flag
will predominant on the waters of the
Pacific.
Will Remain in Manchuria.
Russia to-day is the only European
power with fixed purpose. Steady,
patient, far-seeing, far-reaching, Rus
sian diplomacy realized when the right
moment had arrived and down came
|
entire world will not bulge it one inch.
England might muster her navy of
magnificent engines of war, Japan
might buster, our strenuous President
might address polite inquiry and ex-
press surprise, but the paw is still
there, and there it will remain until
the efforts of all interested are united
ITO American commercial interests
the question is of the utmost impor-
lance, because Russian supremacy
means the closing of the open door
and the shutting out of American
goods This is the great problem of the
| East to-day and if this country is to
become one of the powers of the world,
it is Vitally interested in any ques-
ton that effects the worlds interes is.
If we are to withdraw from competi-
tion for the markets of the world, then
we are not concerned with the out
! come"
"In the land Of the Rising Sun the
American banner is raised in pride
and sustained in honor and there trade,
following the currents of commerce,
. has gone out from our Western coast,
to challenge, in new competition, the
other civilized nations of the earth.
Its trade seems naturally to belong
to us. Seattle, Portland, and San
Francisco are leaving nothing undOne
to make good the oft-repeated boast
, that American methods and American
enterprise are the best in the world.
ITO us the opening of the Panama
canal will bring the mills of Japan
) and China in close touch with the
, cotton fields of the South. To make
. these markets ours is the opportunity
, afforded us. Should we neglect our
chance, active competitors stand ready
, to press rival claims"
! Tribute to Admiral Evans.
Several beautiful descriptions of ia
( panese cities followed and then the lee
! ture took up Hong Kong, with its
myriad ships of all nations In speak
ing of the American ships there, he
said:
Hong Kong's bay is hardly ever
without the presence of an American
vessel, though our mercantile fleet is
the smallest that visits her waters
| Small though that fleet may be- 1t is
a matter of pride that no finer YES
sells ply the Pacific than the new boats
of the Pacific Mail, which equal in
their superbness the greyhounds of the
Atlantic.
mo more magnificent war vessels ever
visit the East than that which bears
the name of the grand old state OF
Kentucky and that other named fol
! the younger commonwealth. Oregon
Starting from the Pacific slope, the
; Oregon at full speed rounded Cape
, | Horn and, traversing the entire length
| OF south America, reported at Santl-
ago without screw out of place, and
, was in at the destruction of the Span
ish fleet.
THE commander of the American
Asiatic fleet is the grizzled old fighter
who is entitled to all the praise he has
received at the hands of American
: newspapermen, Admiral Robley Evans
To the guilelessness of a child he unites
the heart of a lion. His belief in the
destiny of the American people is sim
pie in it's touching faith. 1t may be
e that my judgment is biased by the rec
objection of kindnesses received at his
hands, but should American rights ever
need a defender, l trust that this vet
I eran may be present to demonstrate
/ that the spirit of John Paul Jones, and
/ Barry, and Tattnall, and Semmes, still
lives in the American navy.
/ Justice Not Done the Chinese.
In speaking of the Chinese, Mr.. Hart
ridge said:
: Justice has never been done the
Chinese in this country. Their indus
try is something marvellous. No task
is too difficult for them to accom-
plish Honest, No where in the East
. will you find the teller of a bank or
the cashier of a mercantile house to
be of any nationality save Chinese.
Japanese, English. American, or Ger
man though the firm may be, yet the
man behind the money is the China
man. His obligation is a yoke to be
discharged at the earliest moment.
1T doubtless is true that his faults
/ -