The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1904-03-19
HOW SHB D0ES IT.

HOW SHB DOES 1T.
Russians Method of Getting new Terri
tory-Harbin and why she Built it.
Walter ]. Pollard of Schenectady
N. Y, contributes the following in
teresting information concerning the
Manchurian city selected asthe Rus
sian base of war operations:
cit is a new city in the heart of
Manchuria, built by Russia, and is
one of the world sIgreatest achieve
ments in city construction. Harbin
is located on the Sungari river, at
the point where the Manchurian
branch of the Siberian railway eros
ses the stream, and where the Chi
nese Eastern branch starts south to
Dalny and Port Arthur. It is
about $50 miles west of Vladivo-
stok and $50 miles north of Port
Arthur. Its location is the geogra-
phical center of Manchuria and
promises, says United States Consul
Miller of New Chwang, to become
the commercial center as well. The
city is surrounded on all sides for
hundreds of miles with rich and
productive agricultural country pro-
ducing corn, wheat, oats, barley,
beans, millet, hemp, tobacco, veget-
bales and some fruits. Minerals and
timber and great areas of grazing
land also surround it.
The entire city is a Russian pro-
duct just as much as though it were
located in the heart of Russia. Only
Russians and Chinese are permitted
to own land, construct buildings,
or engage in any permanent enter
prise. The city was constructed
under the management of the Man
churian Railway company by the
Russian government. The land
for many miles in each direction has
been secured so as to make it i'm
possible for any foreign influence to
obtain a foothold close to the city,
and foreigners are not recognized
as having any rights whatever but
are permitted there by sufferance.
Here is an object lesson as to the
way in which Russia will shut out
foreign trade, foreign capital and
foreign rights from all Manchuria
and China, and all of the far east
which she has, or can get in her
grasp. In the present war, Japan
is really fighting for all the world
outside of Russia, to checkmate and
destroy this inordinate Russian
greed.
''It was in 1900 that Harbin be-
gan to assume importance as a, rail
road center. One year later the
population was $4,000 Russians.
By October, 1903 the census showed
70, 900, exclusive of soldiers. Ali
are Russians, except 700 Of japanese
and other nationalities. There are
no Americans there.
"The total administration expen-
diture on the city has been 3o,ooo,-
600 rubles [$15,45o].
"The Sungari river is navigable
for 200 miles above the city, up
both branches.
"The railroads running from
Harbin connect with seagoing ships
at New Chwang, Dalny and Port
Arthur.
"The Russo Chinese bank makes
point of giving preferential advan-
tages to Russian and Chinese mer-
chants, but its treatment of foreign
ers is quite the contrary.
"Harbin's leading industry is the
manufacture of -four. Eight mills
are now in operation, but only the
smallest one has American machin-
cry. The other industries are brick
manufacturing, vodka breweries,
meat packing confectionery and saw
mills.
"And all this Russia wants to
bottle up for its own use and profit,
in utter disregard of the legal and
moral claims of nation upon nation
in the progress of the world"