The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-21
HISTORY OF PORT ARTHUR

, strongest port in the eastern seas.
Vladivostok, the other great Russian port
on the Japan sea is ice bound a largo
part of the year. The possession of
Port Arthur gives the navy of the car
port which is never frozen. Moreover.
1t is port which commands the ap-
proach to Pekin. the Chinese capital
Never since the Russian occupancy has
there. been any cessation of activity In
and about Port Arthur. In miserable
novels on the hillsides swarm thousands
of coolies, who at a word can be hired
for 20 cents a day to do any kind of hard
and adventuresome work. Last year a
Russian contractor at Port Arthur offered
to bet that within half hour he could
hire 10000 men outside of his regular
large force These regular forces are
extrmely large and are kept steadily at
work both by land and sea. Any time
within the last five or six years one
could find In the outer harbor fleet from
800 to 1000 Chinese junks, all loaded with
railroad ties. lumber, and other building
| material They, of course, are all work.
ing for the Russia government
One important result of the Russian oe-
eupancy of Port Arthur has been ire
mendous increase in the imports from the
United States. During several weeks In
1902 American goods to the value of more
than $2,0o0050 weekly were landed at Port
Arthur and the yearly commerce of the
United States with that and the adjacent
ports has been estimated at nearly s1OO-
| 600. 600
But the Russian plan has been from
the first to make Port Arthur a purely
military and naval center. With that
plan in view the Russians several years
ago began the construction Of the wonder
! full city of Dalny, thirty miles north and
ten miles east of Port Arthur, which they
hope to make the commercial capital of
the far east. The plant contemplates that
| all commercial ships shall be barred out
| OF Port Arthur and sent to Dalny and
that the former fortress shall be barred
to civilians where, indeed, they are now
allowed only on sufferance, property be-
ing held on merely temporary leases.
Dalny an Open Roadstead.
| Dalny-or rather the site of the present
! city-was located on an open roadstead.
where the navies of all nations might
ride. In order to make there a safe har-
Dor, an immense breakwater. costing mill
lions was built and is now completed,
projecting into the sea for great dis
tance and ineloslng a splendid anchorage.
At Dalny also great administration
buildings were erected and even--that rare
thing in the far east-a first class COM
Portable hotel
Eventually as planned, Dalny is to be
the final terminus of the great Siberian
raidroad by means of which Russia has
tied together her widely scattered empire
Visitors to Port Arthur within the last
few years have been vastly impressed by
the spirit of boundless energy which pre-
walls there. Life in the fortress city is in.
great contrast to that in most of the set
Elements hq r-t.z
streets have been thronged with Russian
soldiers and with gangs of coolies, all
busy on some important errand.
me Russian soldier, as seen at Port
arthur, impresses the visitor as being in
deadly earnest. Before them all. from
the lowest private to the ranks of the
highest officer, shines the hope of win
ming the little cross of st. George for
valor In the face of the enemy And OF,
the day of st. George the brave men who
wear his cross have the honor of break
ing bread with the great white czar him
SER In his palace at st. Petersburg If
they be stationed there or, IL they arc
quartered at Port Arthur they eat break
fast at the table of the czar's vicerov
Admiral Alexieff-and how can greater
honor come into the life of one of these
wlry Cossaeks, wrapped in skins and furs
and mounted on little shaggy pony
even tougher and harder than his mas
ter?
So strangely, in the passing of the
years and in the working out of the policy
or the nations, has the little Chinese Junk
harbor Of forty years ago. named by the
English fortified by the French. for the
Chinese. won by the Japanese at a great
cost of blood and finally leased and turn
ed into Pacific Gibraltar by the Rus
slams. come to be the center Of the worlds
interest