The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-03-21

| by the lofty, snow-clad Long White
Mountains, which can be penetrated
from the Korean side by an army only
with the greatest difficulty, sine the
Russians already occupy the only prac-
ticable passes IN the lower portions OF
the range toward it's southwest eX-
tremity. From the mouth Cf the Yalu
river to Mukden a japanese army
would be compelled to fight a continu-
Gus battle along a road that could be
easily fortified for a distance of 1Je
miles.
Everything turns, therefore, upon the
facility with which the Russians can
reach this fertile valley IL Southern
Manchuria, so closely IN the rear Of
| Korea. Bpt supposing that the Japa-
nese should command the sea, and thus
cut off access to the valley from that
side, it is still approachable by a we'll
built railroad in the rear, winch not
only comes all the way from the center
of Russian power. but taps the re-
sources of the vast empire of Eastern
Siberia, which is not far away. In
much of the speculation upon this cam
paign the writer's seem to forget tina.
there is a large population of Cossacks,
the most warlike portion of the Rus
slams, already in Eastern Siberia, so
that the Russians have but to mobilize
the army in that portion of the empire
to more than double the forces already
in the field, for there is already a Rus
sian population of nearly 2.000.Ge0 in
the provinces east of Lake Baikai, of
which men in middle life are the pre-
dominant element. Among these there
are nearly half a million who are sub-
iao 70, +hr
would take to war as naturally as did
the American pioneers in the time of the
revo- -tion. Nor is this railroad in any
special danger of being interrupted
The only point at which it is possibly
accessible to japanese invaders is near
it's terminus on the Liau Tong PENN
sula, while 200 miles of the Port Arthur
end could be cut off and yet leave the
Russians in possession of their most inn
portant vantage ground between New
chwang and Mukden.
Russia's northern fortress on the Pa
cifc coast is Vladivostok. This is of
supreme Importance and is more thor
oughly protected than any other naval
station in the world. Situated on a
bay as magnificent as that of San
Francisco or of Rio Janeiro, it is sur
rounded with mountains and can be
approached only by a long and tortuous
channel, and is therefore practically
inyulnerable from an attack by sea,
while to the north an inhospitable coast
bordered by an abrupt and impossible
mountain chain renders an attack from
the flank or rear entirely out of the
question. Like the interior valley of
Manchuria, also, the one stretching
4Uv miles north of Vladivostok is rich
in agricultural resources and capable of
supplying all the food products that
are necessary. while coal mines render
them independent of foreign nations for
their supply of fuel. The railroad puts
them in easy communication with the
vast commerce of the Amur River in
summer. and at all times of the year
in direct communication, behind mac
cessible mountains. with Central and
Southern Manchuria. and, through its
connection with the Trans Siberian
railroad with all the riches Of Eastern
and Central Siberia.
There is much discussion over the
military value OF the Trans Siberian
railroad. The japanese and some 9TH
ers take the view that If it is so long
a line and so poorly built that it will
not be of much worth in forwarding
troops and supplies. But this is