Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-17
RUSSIA SITUATION
Review of International At
fairs by a Diplomat.
DANGEROUS CONDITIONS
CoURTED DISASTER IN THE PRES
EMIT TERRIFIC WAR.
Menace From Surrounding Countries
and From China-Breach of Faith
in Manchuria.

The greatest war raging today in the
extreme orient since time immemoria1 has
long ceased to be of a local character. 1t
is the war of two races, one, nomnally
and apparently covering one-fourth of the
inhabited EARTH but in reality torn asunder
by racial differences and political. as well
as social classes tending apart. the other
a closely united political fragment of the
great Mongol race, of one mind and Of
compact national structure. to shake China
from her somnoent condition.
Whoever considers all the Russas as
one empire makes the greatest historical
error, for he does not realize that the
cars government requires more military
forces in peace to garrison her subjected
and deeply diSaffected natiOnalities than
the requirement of the open warfare in
the far east. The western frontiers Dor
dering upon Sweden-Norway, Germany. and
Austria are as much of latent camp as
are the Amur provinces and Manchuria.
AS matters stand in the west so 1t Is
in the south. Two hundred and fifty mil
lions MahometanS are at striking diS-
lance. awaiting but the signal from their
spiritual head in Constantinople, who,
weak and wretched in his own empire, yet
yields more immense political power in
the MahOmetan world outside of his own
country than the pope over the more en-
lightened and organically patriotic Roman
Catholics who are strongly attached to
their respective native countries.
Sweden is openly sheltering Japanese
agents. She received cordially the Japan
csc envoy after his departure from Rus
sia when he found Germany quite uncon-
genial. Norway is fortifying her northern
most border. and purging herself Of the
Russian agents, who have infested the
country and tried to drive wedge between
her and Sweden. but the complications be-
tween the two sister states have been skill
fully adjusted, owing to the statesmanlike
concessions by King Oscar.
trio 10
Russia in Turkey and the Danube states
she is certainly not doing it "for the beau
tiful eyes, Ito use a French phrase) of
the car. but to separate those Greek
orthodox states, and rule herself. while
at the same time extending her grip from
Bosnia and Herzegovina over Turkish Al
bania. The absolute freedom of nationality
which Austria permits her Polish king
dom of Galicia must be bitter thorn
in the side Of Russia, who is suppressing
her Polish people with barbarous violence,
but sees her Vaccinations constantly
thwarted from behind the Austrian Cali
clan frontier.
Sc far as her army Is concerned Turkey
Is prepared for all eventualities, and mil
lions of Mahometans in Russian domains
are ready to receive their brothers in Allah
whenever fate DEGREES. The mutlation of
the Koran, the sacred and inviolable book
of Islam by the Russian authorities has
exasperated the Russian Moslenis beyond
endurance.
Weakness In Persia.
A most glaring confession of Russia s
present weakness has been demonstrated
in Persia, a country which seemed. for
all intents and purposes. Russian prov
ince. But English agitation has brought
to a standstill the further building of Rus
sian railroads to, open for the latter power
the Indian sea. since the Dardanelles are
very inconvenientIy stopped up for Russia
At g. =.
operations of the Persian customs in the
Russian interest and those Of the Russo
Persian Bank have suffered significant
relapse. Lord Curzon knocked rather I'M
tremendously at the door of the Persian
gulf and had Persian governor dismissed
for not having paid proper royal honors
to the British yiceroy. The Grand ViZter
Atabeg Azam. who swan too strenuously
in the Russian tide, was stripped of his
honors and sent a-traveling to Mecca ria
Japan and the United States. 1t is incon-
ceivable why Russia did not force a strong
stand and position in the Persian gulf
while England was in her predicament in
South Africa. 1t is possible that German
pressure from the Bagdad railroad, whose
terminus and goal is the Persian gulf. pre-
vented Russia from settling herself def
nitely those waters.
But the most unceremoniouS and CALLING
treatment accorded to Russia by Great
Britain was the Thibetan expedition to the
holy city of Lhassa. which without any in
Russia an effective object lesson that her
supremacy in the Buddhist regions was at
an end. and to discredit her prestige in the
eyes of that fanatic semi Chinese hierarchy.
The meek submission by Russia to this
humilating blow is the best proof of how
impotent and weak the Russian govern
ment feels itself to be.
1t is not even necessary to hint here at
the unassailable position of the Indian EN-
pire and its paramount influence in Afghan
iStan after Russian Influence is once
broken all around its immense northern
semi-circle of the Himalayas. The long
Chinese boundary will undoubtedly become
barrier to Russia against which the Rus
sian bear will break his teeth and his
claws soon as Japan will find the time
to marshal the undoubtedly unlimited Chi
nese forces, dormant though they be, and
complete the armament of the Chinese army
within the empire, task which Japanese
officers are now accomplishing with a will
Chances Taken.
Certain as the Russian government must
have been that all these external condi-
tons would be unclaimed with mathemati-
cal precision as soon as Russia should get
entangled In a great war in the far east
it was nevertheless struck with blindness
when 1t courted the present war. or, not
believing In Japans earnest will to fight
played with the fire The press of the
civilized world was filled with grave inter-
national questions, raised by Japan's al
legged breach of neutrality, especially the
attack of the Russian ships in the Korean
port of Chemulpo, and the cutting out OF
the Ryeshitelnik from neutral" Chinese
port. as If International questions came in
this war; International law was finally
and decsively eliminated when-in spite of
the most sacred treaties and pleigeS-with
a breach of oaths rare even 3ih her own
history. Russia remained In Ma nchuria at
large after she had succeeded ii obtaining