Arizona republican., 1904-01-29
CURRENT COMMENT
THE MARCH OF RUSSIA.

In the Russian expansion movement
 which has been attracting so much at
 tention recently. there seems to be two
 powerful motiyes-the ideal and he
 materialistic. Russia is expanding not
 alone under the impulse of desire for
 commercial or military aggrandize-
 ment, but also at the dictates of Slav-
 Cphilism, a philosophical system ac-
 cording to which everything Russian
 is of divine orign. The Slavic religion.
 government, institutions and chara cter
 are regarded as the ultimate type, es-
 pecially sanctioned from on high. The
 Russians, according to the Slavic patri-
 ots. are the chosen people, the modern ! Israel. Therefore it is their solemn ob- | ligation to spread the light and to
 bring the world eventually under an
 all-embracing Russian empire. There
 is no reason to doubt that many intelli- gentRussians are imbued with an al- most fanatlcal belief in the empires manifest destiny. before which all 1 heathendom at least is to succumb.
 | At the same time there is a strong materialistic party which favors this idealistic expansion programme be-
 cause 1t will make the country great and will furnish it new markets. { These practical spirits are really in ! control, although they are always , ready to enlist the help of the church and the idealists generally. The ad- vance across Siberia has been chiefly the blindly inevitable result of the march of trade into semi-civilized re- gions. So far as the movement in re- l cent years has been intelligibly direct ed, both parties have been enlisted in it's support. The theoretical Slavophils have been glad to extend Russia's re- ligion and institutions The practical men have sought seaports. They have been convinced of the need of harbors 1 if the empire is to get its share of the worlds trade. Therefore. they have tried to secure Constantinople. they have opened Vladivostock, Port Arthur and Dalny on the Pacific, and they are now striking out for the Persian gulf. It is necessary to understand the motives animating Russian expansion before it is possible to make intelligent guesses as to its future Guesses they
 must be. for nobody knows. Two such well informed English observers as Wirt Gerrare and Henry Norman agree
 that Russia has no designs on India. | at least for the present. But they be-
 lieve that the control of north China is aimed at, and probably the annexation
 of the whole Chinese empire, provided
 the rest of the world should not offer too determined resistance. There are
 others who lock forward to a final con- fiict between Slav and Anglo Saxon for the worlds supremacy But a prophecy
 of this transcendental nature is too
 high for the average person. He can not attain unto it.
 Certain inferences, however. seem
 possible without an abandonment to the mysteries which frequently attend
 the predictions of world conflict be- side which the Arma geddon of the Rev. elation should prove a mere jest. It
 seems quite probable that the practi- cal Russian expansionists may aim at the control of northern China. But the world empire of the idealists need not concern this generation. Russia has several problems of its own to settle
 before 1t can think of serious contest for the earth's supremacy. A popula- tlcn of 1C0,000,000 ignorant peasants with little individual deveIopment is
 not sure foundation for empire build ing Nor is it safe to depend upon the lasting qualities of an autocracy in the twentieth century A Russian officer