The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-07-29

the Koreans have always been i'll
treated by. the Japanese, see Angus
Hamilton in the April Edinburgh Re-
view. quoting Lord Cnrzon.
In their zeal TO prove a particular
point some of the wspap and
magazines have shown some amusing
inconsistencies The other day one OF
the periodicals which has had a great
zeal to say about the censorship of the
press and the suppression of free
speech in Russia, quoted at length from
Russian newspapers in an effort to
prove mat the war is unpopular and is
not supported by the Russian people.
1t Is in nearly all the news
and discussions that Russia is the ag-
gressor, that she is trying to annex
Korea and that var was actually be-
gun ~ her. The facts are that Russia
had made no preparation for war,
While Japan desired it and has been
preparing for it for more than five
years. In the midst of the negotiations
during which Russia conceded point
AFTER point and yielded every demand
concerning Korea. Japan broke off and
began war in the fear that Russia
would concede all her demands and
thu remove the cause for war.
Great stress is always laid upon Rus
sias 1aliure to keep her promise to
~eNacuate Manchuria. The fact is that
RUSSIA never made an unconditional
promise to evacuate Manchuria, but in
most of the discussions these con-
al'lohs are always carefully overlooked.
How came Russia In Manchuria and
What are her rights and interests there?
IN the April number Of the Review of
reviews, Prof. G. Frederick Wright has
an interesting and dispassionate article
on "Russia's Civilizing Work in Asia
winch should be read by every fair
minded person before he proceeds to
condemn Russia and everything Rus
sian 70 the Japanese %perdition. Prof.
Wright points out that the Russians
We're the pioneers In Siberia and Asia,
as the English and French We're the
pioneers In America. and as in Amer
lea the highest civilization has fol-
lowed in their wake. That beginning
as early as the 18th century. her post
roads In Siberia We're models. and for
one hundred and fifty years she has
mad the cheapest postage In III world.
That in Siberia She has established
universities. libraries. and museums
Mhlch me best In Europe might covet.
That lrkutz, 1000 miles east of ST.
petersburg, a city Of 10000 inhabitants,
mas a large museum, an elegant opera
house, and a public library and reading
room containing books and magazines
an the leading languages Of Europe.
That Tomsk has three universities, two
libraries n a publishing house. That.
- liz ulIeCllOH
of the government, scientific eNplora-
tons and surveys in natural history,
geology and climatoiogy nave been con-
Quoted throughout Siberia, accompany
Ing the building of the railroad. and the
results published by the government in
f1nely Illustrated volumes.
In shor he shows that the Russian
advance through Siberia is the old
story Of the march of civilization repeat
ing In Asia what is SO familiar to Amer
leans in The West. On the border Of
the Russian settlements, established
Two hundred years ago. which have
never ~encrcached upon Chinese terri
tory, is Manchuria. surrounded on three
SIDES by Russian territory, belonging
nominally to China but over which
CHINA has never been able to exercise
control. How long would England. O.
even This country nave waited before
finding an excuse for annexIng 1t? But
as the professor points out. Russia
made no attempt to enter by force or
intimidation. With the knowledge and
taclt approval of the European govern
ments and Japan, in time of profound
peace, by open treaty with China. she
built the railway through Manchuria,
paying good prices for every concession,
respecting at expense to her
self the Chinese g%raveyards. spending
200 million dollars In building the road
and other institutions of civilization.
the country, establishing order,
transforming it from a wilderness in
rested by robber bands into a prosper
Gus and peaceful country.
After the boxer war, Russia promised
TO Withdraw her troops upon condition
That her rights and property were pro-
tected. Who will say that these con
ditions were not reasonable? Would
we have evacuated Cube on any other
conditions? Ask England to get out of
l.pNnt and what u-nn11 No No., ,-...
On the date fixed for the evacuation
was powerless to enforce order
or protect property. Japan armed to
the teeth and backed up by England,
at the door. ready to step in, and
Russia refused 10 go. Prof. Wright
almost the same way that England is in
Egypt" In he light OF this informa-
ton from such a reliable source, how
foolish is the popular talk about Rus
sia's grab of Manchuria.
we hear much of Russian despotism,
it is true that the Russian central
government Is despotic in form. But
She has been fortunate in having for
fifty years the most enlightened and
progressive rulers in Europe. This
seem an extreme statement, but |
investigation will bear it out. We
revere Lincoln as the great Emanci-
pator, but Russia has her Alexander II.
the gradfather of the present emperor,
who. in 1861, under no pressure from a
necessity, liberated twenty
serfs, paid their owners for
them and provided them with lands,
houses and tools. The highest tax in
"taX-ridden Russia" Is for the payment
of these lands. His successor, Alexan-
der I'LL, was a worthy son of such a
father and carried on the work of re-
generation to the day of his death, and
the character of Nicholas II. is best
by his establishment of the
Hague Peace Tribunal. In most of
the functions Of government, Russia
has, in the Community or Mir, the
most democratic institutions in Europe.
quote from w. I. Stead's book. Truth
About Russia" page III, on the as
sumption that when an Englishman
speaks in Russia's praise it may be
true:
Here in Russia we have the true
peasant republic, the most democratic
and socialistic of any institution in all
Europe. They are free to manage all
their economical concerns in |
the land, the forests, the census, the
public houses. They distribute among
themselves as they choose the taxes
They elect the rural executive admins /
tration and the judges of the district.
Women are treated in all respects the
as men. By it the conscripts for
army are selected. This is the onIy
government of which the majority Of
the Russians have any experience. For
the peasants it is the government"
r oy,,t ~,,A H. - 80. \