The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-26
RUSSIA WOULD SHUT
OUT OTHER NATIONS
Cars Government Plans Bio
Commercial Power i'm CHI.
nese Empire.
Globe Special Washington Service,

Globe Special Washington Service,
1417 G Street.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 25.-If
Russia Is not playing the hypocrite in
regard to the open door in China, her
attitude Is misunderstood by leading
members of the Washington admins
tration, and she is allowing herself to
appear in a position that is utterly
false and unjust. Every day brings
fresh signs that the cars government
is not only bent on sovereignty over
part of China, but means to make 1t
as hard as possible for other nations
to trade with the Chinese. Russian
bad faith, in short, sticks out all over
the international situation in the far
East.
1t was told in these dispatches the
other day how Russia is trying to
build UP great commercial and in
dustrial metropolis in the very heart
Of Manchuria. Subsequent events In
the Orient, where the campaign be-
tween Russia and Japan Is developing
rapidly, make it appear that the Rus
slams are planning to make their most
desperate stand at this young metrop-
oils Of the East. Hardin has already,
during its short life, become a great
mart of trade-and it is Russian trade.
AS Consul Miller said, Hardin is as
much Russian town as If it were In
Russia itself and not in China.
Since Mr.. Miller was last heard from
by the state department new adyices
have come from others of our consuis
in that part of the world throwing more
light OF the same kind on the Man
churian situation. The Russian govern
ment is not only taking extreme meas
ures through the direct expenditure of
money on public works ia build up a
Russian empire in the heart Of North
China, but in many other ways 1t is
seeking to give Russian subjects an
advantage over other foreigners in the
far East
Tells of Russia's Methods.
The United States consul at Vladi-
vostok, who happens to be a negro,
but who has written many reports Civ
ing the most obvious facts in regard to
commercial events in Eastern Siberia
and Manchurta, tells in his latest letter
OF the system Of subsidies offered by
Russia. Nearly all the internal COM
merce of the Russians is subsidized in
one way or another, and the foreign
commerce is also subsidized TO a great
lue 81.
government dominates the ports at
several places on the coast, and makes
such regulations as it sees fit. These
regulations always apply to foreigners,
but they dc not always apply to Rus
slams. American or British or German
or other foreign ships entering the
harbor of Port Arthur. for instance. are
under disadvantage. Heavy tonnage
charges are collected. Russian ships
also ~ hut
are not as heavy.
Russian steamers plying between ports
In Eastern Russia and those in the far
East receive from the government a
subsidy equal to the duties paid by the
steamer for passage through the Suez
canal on the outward and inward voy-
age. Liberal as the home government
has been. several Russian boards of
trade have applied for subsidies for
other lines of marine commerce, and
the prospect is that they will get them.
The government intends to distribute
large sum next year in the form of
subsidies to steamers on the rivers
Amur, Plethora and Lena for the
transportation Of mails at regular in
teTYalS.
There is much wonder as to how
Russia Is able to pay the price Of this
magnificent system of paternalism. The
drain on the imperial treasury must be
enormous. For several years the home
government has been disbursing ire
mendous sums for improvements at
Port Arthur, Vladivostok, Dalny, Har-
bin and other places, and many Of these
expenditures are such as no national
treasury is often expected to authorize.
The government Of Russia has done In
Eastern Siberia and in Manchuria what
is usually left to private enterprise,
and this emphasizes the belief that
Russia's programme is not only COM
merce, but permanent empire.
Walter E. Clark.