The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1904-02-19
CHE SITUATION IN
THE FAR EAST.

Wnllo tue sympdtuJ VI i"i ~
part of the American people is
with Japan in her war with Russia
there are not a few who question
The validity Of her position in the
matter, and the opinion prevails
in some quarters that there is not
much justification on either side
for the positions the belligerents
have assumed. A few over-zealous
partisans of the Hermit Kingdom
have likened the war to the great
American conflict, and Japan to
the Confederacy, but this is wholly
nntenabIe. Russia has had no un-
ion with japan, either of govern
ment or by treaty, and no federal
compact being in existence none
could have been broken, as was
done in the United States. The
Confederacy seeded from the Un
ion because the compact between
the States had been violated, and
she fought to protect her fresides
and to defend the rights which the
constitution guaranteed her. No
euch issue is involved in the Russo.
Japanese imbroglio. On bot h
sides it il virtually a war of expan
sion, at least this IS the view held
by quite number of European
statesmen.
Russia has an unwieldly empire.
Her manufactures are not in con-
dition that allows her to compete
with those of other nations, and in
her own domains American made
goods are sold under those made
in Russia. The Cars government,
and especially Minister Witte, has
foreseen disaster to Russian in
Idustries unless certain lucrative
markets can be controlled abso.
auteIy. This is the impelling mo.
live Of the Far Eastern Invasion,
ia it was with this idea in view
at Witte planned and built the
reat Trans Siberian railway and
That plexus of railroad systems
which radiate from st. Petersburg
and couple all points of the en-
pire to the capital. The next step
was to tax foreign manufacturers
who had established themselves in
Russia so as to bankrupt them or
drive them from the country. This
was only done after the secrets and
processes of their varied industries
had been learned by Russian me-
chanics, who are now enabled to
make the same goods at large
profit under the protection of the
government. Foreign commercial
travellers have to pay q thousand
dollars a year for license to buy
and SELL in Russia, and this, to-
gether with other enormous taxes,
has raised a barrier which protects
the empire against the Invasion of
American and European goods.
So far as this went, although it is
an inequity, it answered the pur
pose of the Gar for building up
the Internal commerce of his peo-
pie, but it speedily became appar-
ent that his subjects alone could
not support these industries and
market was sought for them. Oc-
the nortbern half of Asia,
which is snow bound and ice-clad
half the year, attention
directed itself to the ter
ritory adjacent, which is rich in
resources and profitable field for
The Boxer uprising
a coveted opportunity
'or investing Manchuria, but this
would avail but little unless the
,ontrol of that province was abso-
ute. If it was to be kept open to
he worlds commerce, Russia was
lot in an available position to
with rival nations, and
he plans of the Gar then turned
oward the accomplishment of a
esult which brought on war. In
S96 the control Of Port Arthur
vas forced from Japan by the al
led powers, and two years later
p,4ceia ENnrurnd an indefinitn lease