The San Francisco call., 1904-03-01
INSTRUCTIVE JTUDHnc
81 BYINOIEDnMAfEsNlN e. y AND
AkOf1EN

portions Of the range toward it's south
west extremity. From the mouth of
the Yalu. River to Mukden a Japanese
army would be compelled. to fight. a
continuous battle along a road that
could easily be fortified for a distance
of 100 miles.
Everything turns, therefore. upon
the facility with which, the. Russians
can reach this fertile valley in south
ern Manchuria, so closely in the rear
Of Korea. But supposing that the
Japanese 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; which
not only comes all the way from the
center of Russian power, but taps the
resources of the vast empire of East
ern Siberia, which is not far away.
IN much of the speculation upon this
campaign the writer's seem to forget
that there is a large population of
Cossacks. the most warlike portion Of
the Russians, already in Eastern ST.
IBERIA, so that the Russians have but
to mobilize the army i'm that portion
of the empire to more than double the
forces already in the field, for there
is already a Russian population OF
nearly 100000 in the provinces east
OF Lake Baikal, of which men in mid
die life are the predominant element.
Among these there is nearly half a
million who are subject to military
duty. the most Of whom would take
10 war as naturally as did the Ameri-
can pioneers in the time of the revo-
luton. 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
its terminus on the Iiaotung PENN
sula, while 200 miles of the Port Ar
thur end could be cut off. and yet
leave the Russians in possession Of
their most important vantage ground
between NeWchwang and Mukden.
Russia's northern fortress on the Pa
cific 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 long and tortu-
Gus channel, and is. therefore practi-
cably invulnerable from an attack by
sea. While to the north an inhcspitable
coast bOrdered by an abrupt and inn
passible mountain chain renders an. at
tack from the flank or rear entirely out
OF the question. Like the interior val
ley of Manchuria. also, the one stretch.
ing 900 miles north of Vladivostok. is
rich in agricultural resources and ca
pable. Of supplying all the food pro-
ducts that. are necessary. while coal
mines render them independent" of for
eign nations for their supply of fuel.
There is. much discussion. over the
military value of the Trans-S Siberian
Railroad. The JAPANESE and some. 9TH
ers take the view that 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 a great
mistake. Though the read is long and
single track. the sidinSs are ample,
and the gauge is such that any amount
Of rolling stock can be. utilized upon.
il from the other Government roads
When -traversing the road in 1900, at
the time Of the Boxer revolution we
had ample opportunity TO learn much
at first hand Of the capacity for trans
porting troops. Day. after day for sew
eral weeks, as We loitered along this
great highway, we saw very regularly
two military trains day going east
ward. each. carrying a full regiment
OF 1900 men, with a. fair proportion of
horses and military stores; and there
was no visible reason why there should
not have been twice that. number, ex-'
cept that at that time there was only
one steam ferry boat for transporting
trains across Lake BaikaL But upon
that ferry boat I have seen thirty cars
at. one time with 1900 soldiers The.
boat, however. was able TO make only
two trips a day. But later "a second
boat of equal capacity was put on, so
that e000 soldiers q day could easily
be carried across, while in. the winter.
when the lake is frozen over from Jam
uary to May, the track which is laid
across viii make the transit even cas-.
ier than in summer.
Lake Baikal is, however; a serious
interruption to the siberian
Railroad. and for the present greatly
dimifishes its military value. The
lake is 400 miles long and on the aver.
age thirty miles wide. II is surround
ed on every side by PERCEPTIONS noun
tafns several thousand feet in height,
which are penetrated only by two or
three river valleys coming into it from
the cast and. by a single gorge. through
which the Angara River conducts its
waters into the plains about. Irkutsk.
Such is the contour, however, that
from the point where the railroad
reaches it at the head of the kngara'
River to the available terminus of
fhe railroad upon the other side is a
distance of fifty miles, which the
steam ferries have te traverse to make
the connection. To- get around the
south esd OF the lake with a railroad
iiiToives the building of nearly 200.
miles 81 track through one of the. most
difficult regions in which railroad
was eYer constructed.
This. however. the. Russian Govern
nneFTl has set about accomplishing and
before another winter wiH lrave ac-
consplished. so .tirat there will be.
continuous track from St Petersburg
20 V3adivostok and Port Arthur. But
this obstruction Is temporarily over
come. for. the present emergency. bv