Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-07-15
SCENES IN VLADIVOSTOK
Former Resident Tells of Terror
When War Broke Out.
CORNERS IN WHEAT AND OIL.

These are but early days in the his
tory Of the great racial struggle now
being waged for supremacy in the ORR
ent. Hitherto the story has been main
~ told through the medium of the sub
marine cables, says a writer in the
London News, but the other day had
the privilege of an interview with an
Englishman who has spent several
months within the troubled area and
from which he recently returned.
He was in Vladivostok before the out
break Of hostilities and has told me Of
the serenity which possessed men when
war was deemed impossible, of the con-
sternation when il appeared imminent
and of the absolute terror when it
actually broke out. Not the least inter
esting part of his story was that which
shows how the love Of money tran
sends even that Of human life, how
corners" were made in wheat and
kerosene and famine stared the people
in the face. This latter commodity was
bought up in large quantities by the
Chinese traders and retailed in eight
gallon cases at . rubIes each, little
more than $3.50. The commandant of
the NladiVOstok forces, however, spoil
ed this little artiiice of fixing the price
of meat, wheat. kerosene and various
other necessaries of life, standard
from which no deviation was allowed.
How did the populace receive the
proclamation of war; l asked.
stricken. They fed in all directions
from the coast. Some went 10 Har-
Darovsk, others 10 Blagovestchensk,
and not few 10 NikolskCssuriski, but
the hardships were many, and most Of
them soon returned. The chief diff
ficulty was with regard to food. At
first all was right. Then the government
took all the meat, save small quantity
OF pork, for the troops, and we had to
live on almost vegetarian diet. Sheep
will not live in NladivOstok. 1t is
strange, but quite true. You may i'm
agine how short we We're running when
l say that the Dalni-VOstok. one of the
two Vladivostok papers. came out
printed on brown paper, all the white
paper being used up.
ment. which commenced on March 6.
About o'clock in the day Japanese
shells came raining into the town.
Many of them went high and struck
the hills ut the back of the town. Others
fell in the streets. but failed to explode.
One did strike house 200 yards from
where lived; this killed an old woman
who lay Ill in bed. The town was
saved. l think, by high sighting on the
part of the Japanese gunners and TO
the bad ammunition. During the bonn
bardmcnt number Of ladies ran about
the streets weeping and wrlnging their
hands, but the real damage done was
very slight
And how ran public opinion at this
period:"
The people pinned their faith TO the
Russian army. Never once do l re-
member their accepting u report Of
Russian defeat, official or otherwise.
Kuropatkin was hero; he was exceed
ingly popular. AleXeief they would
not have at all. Poor Makaroff; he
was a man after their own heart. l
shall never forget the real grief which
was exhibited when the news OF his
death arrived Russian officials were
very busy just about that time too.
l was in restaurant on more than one
occasion when n Russian officer babe
us stop conversing in English. Con
versing IN public had 10 be in the Rus
sian language or not at all. One queer
thing l ought To mention was that the
Chinese coolies resident in the town
We're refused railway tickets. As the
only other way out was 10 walk many
thousands of miles in an inhoSpitable
country il was a capital scheme for
keeping them in the place. The bulk
of the manual labor in Nladivostok is
carried on by the Chinese"
Had you any difficulty in getting
away"
None, except that they would not
book me through TO Moscow. My first
ticket took me TO Pogranichni: from
there l renewed 10 Hardin. thence TO
Manchuria station, where l finally got
a through ticket 10 Moscow.
Il left Vladivostok ut SID a. IN. on
May Is. and we went slow TO Irutsk:
from there. however. the express trains
are again running TO Moscow. l ar
rived at IrkutSk ut about p. III. on
May %. When about a days journey
from Tanhoi. the station at which pas
senCcrS diSembark in order 10 cross
Lake Baikal. we stopped at Il station.
the name of which l forget. Standing
in II was n train consisting OF ten
wagons. upon which were being con
veyed five boats, which were. as far
as l could see. Russian submarines.
Each boat was loaded upon two trucks.
and was. think. about sixty feet long.
AmidShips was Il manhole, just as you
see in q British submarine. with a
hand rail around il; forward was hood
with an appliance which might have
been a periSCope.
"All the boats are exactly alike. fitted
with one torpedo tube only Gn the bow
and a propeller with two blades. Each
boat was painted bright red. \ Rus
sian marine was on guard with fixed