The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-04-22

VICEROY OF
NIANCHURIA
BY CHARLES JOHNSTON.


Admiral E. I. Alexief is a master
mind, a master will, altogether master
full man. in the apt phrase of Senator
Beverage, who met him three years age
at Port Arthur. Admiral Alexeief has
toiied for years at the building of a new
region of Russian influence. region
neuriy as large as the combined area OF
France and Germany, and with a fringe
of possible future acquisitions many
times greater, only to see the whole OF
his lifework threatened with dissclu-
tion. In this hfework he has accom-
p1ished miracles almost, facing condi-
ton of great and unexpected difficulty,
amid surroundings alternately pictrr-
esque with the glamour Of the East, and
squa1id with intrigue and physical
Hretchedness. Through all these din
culties Admiral AIexeief has acted with
constant resolution, force, rapidity and
constructive power He has only once
made serious rniscalculation and been
caught off his guard; yet that one fall
nre menaces with dire consequences all
that went before.
Admiral Alexeieff first comes into
prominence in the years following the
China japanese war of ten years ago,
when Japan invaded and effectively oc-
cupied southern Manchuria, including
the Liao-tung peninsula, wildly called
IN Chinese "The Regents Sword. Ja-
pan demanded from China the whole OF
Manchuria, as well as Fornosa and the
adjacent Pescadores Islands, and heavy
cash indemnity. China consented
to the cession OF southern Manchuria
and Formosa, but asked for remission
az part of the cash. Then Russia
came into the story, with Germany on
The one arm, and France on the other
Iapan was forced off the Asian main |
land. but took large payment from
China IN lieu of Aanchuria. with Rus
sian guarantee for its LIQUIDATION At
that point, with the signing of the
treaty, the present quarrel
IN the Far East began Japan's ti1warted
hopes turned to steady hatred OF Russia,
and a desire to be revenged, soon or
ate. She at once began to take meas
ares for that revenge and faced the
,robiem with thoroughness and inlaeir-
five breadth Japan arranged to have
nil in England, as first among naval
,owers, four of the heaviest and strong
ST battle-ships the world had yet seen,
With two somewhat smaller ories, and six
,owerfui armored cruisers Russia saw
hat tines preparations were aimed at
er, and began to build Up Pacific
ee1 Admiral Alexeief first cons,s into
rorId history as commander OF Russias
Get in the ar-Eastern waters Z
He was made governor of the new
.ussian province in Manchuria, which :
ras called the province of Quan-tung, t
nd also continued in command OF the t
.ussian Pacific fleet. He had his head
uarters at Port Arthur, and immediate :
! threw himself heart and soul into the q
rduous and vexafious work OF building 4
o this new region OF Russian life. Tn +
, in OR frontier towns in the West have 4
e ANYTHING to compare with the rapid f .
v of Russia's constructive work. New +:
ties. altogether European, grew up at 3
any points, notably at Hardin and Dali E
!.
On June 90, 1900, at the time of the 4
oxer uprising, Afexeief was made a
oslnander-if-cllief in time of war OF +
'e Russian force detached for service !,
China. admiral Alexeieff was al r
adv at Port arthur by that time, SUI n
.Tvising in person the disposition of the '
.sssian fleet and army He held a coun- q
| of war with Admiral Seymour. Ad- y
irai Kernpff, and others, and decided n
at it would be impossible to relieve Il
e beleaguered legations at Peking
itliout much larger force, though h
ere were already 10000 soldiers of all e
atoms at Tallu and the neighborhood- n