The San Francisco call., 1904-02-09
CAUSES WHICH HAVE STIRRED IRE
AND IMPERILED A WORLDS PEACE
Clash Between the Japanese and the MuScovte Is
Based Upon Disagreements Extending
Far Back Into History

,
lied the prohibitive power Of England
in the matter Of her egress from the
Baltic and her pent-up condition on the
Atlantic side Of the Eurasian Cent?
nent, she has with steady and persist
ent purpose been reaching for always
open water on the Pacific side Of her
vast stretch Of dominion
shut OF from free paths to the west
ern ocean by Baltic ice and the grim
suns Of the Danish Notifications at
Elsinore and other places on the mar
row "Sunc." D" as well as the wOeful
welcome on her emerging from the
S1ager Rack, always ready 10 be ex-
tended b. British men-of-war; exclud-
ed from the Mediterranean by the
Peace OF Paris at the close Of the Cri-
mean War: stopped in her approach to
The Persian Gulf by Britain's concern
for the integrity OF her Indian Empire.
Russia has with incredible labor and
at enormous expense made connected
way on modern lines across the whole
breadth Of Siberia 10 the Pacific Ocean.
Under the circumstances il was her
last and best chance for maritime free
dom. She has attained the first half Of
her purpose and is now about to make
"a final stroke for the full achievement
Of her hereditary purpose
RUSsIA's EXPLORATIONS
The Cossack Khabaroff in l642 sail
ing from the mouth Of the Kolvuna
River around the northeastern end Of
The continent and through the straits.
rediscovered and named by Bering
eighty years later. entered and ex-
plored the Yalu River for some dis
tance from its mouth St Petersburg.
made cognizsnt Ct this. at once saw
the strategic Importance Of the move
and proceeded TO make good the title
Within The next two decades the Amur
was explored from Lake Baikal down
10 the mouth and the valley of the
river was occupied by Cossack posts.
anxiety 10 keep peace with China and
hGl 10 encanger the tea trade via
hlatcha- caused Russia in 1859. by the
treaty II Nertchinsk. TO abandon for
The time, the extension Of her occups-
ton
In 1851 the Russian ship Baiki1 en-
tered the estuary Of the Anur from the
ocean and established the port Of Nix
alaieFosky near the mouth Of the riv-
er From that foothold Russia pushed
south on the Pacific shores 10 Vladivos-
tok' which in the last quarter Of the
past century she made an important
port commercially, as well as strate-
glcaly Closed, as it is during the best
halt OF the year il did not suit her ul-
innate purposes and she watched for
the opportunity Of securing q better
situation farther south on water open
al The year round. This came in the
wake OF the Chinese-Japanese War.
when for certain services to China.
not yet fully discovered. but which oD-
Grated 10 divest Japan Of the fruits
of her victory in the shape Of occu-
pancy OF Msnchuria and domination
Of Korea, she acquired. through the late
Il Hung Chang and the Empress
Dowager, under a 99-year lease.
possession Of the strongly fortified sea
ports Of Port Arthur and Talienwan. a
The lower extremity OF the Liaotung
Peninsula. This concession was coupled
with railway franchises in Man
churia and later the building Of the
branch Of the trans-Siberian Railroad
across that province to Vladivostok
and branch from Harbin on that road
south via Mullden and Newchwang to
the newly acquired stronghold at the
mouth Of the Gulf Of Pechili.
EXTENDING HER DOMAIN.
In the few years that have inter
vened she has added greatly to the
strength Of Port Arthur, made it her
naval and military base in the Far
East and built Up a grand city near by
-Dalny-as the commercial terminus
OF her great transcontinental railroad
system and by virtue Of these port
leases and concessions she has strung
her columns Of troops through Man
churia and the adjoining province Of
Mongolia and taken virtual possession
Of every strategic point.
The other great European powers
We're satisfied 10 get concessions of
equal commercial value in other parts
Of China, but Japan was not. Sore
from being thrust out Of Manchuria
after her victory over China. to
give place TO Russia, she has ever since
watched every move of the latter power
with an anxiously jealous eye and at
tempted, by diplomatic deals with
ether European powers and at the
court Of Korea 10 stop the Bear" at
The falu River, separating Korea from
Manchuria. Lately she has seen that
Russia regards the actual possession
Of Korea as Indispensable to ultimate
contamination Of her purposes in the
Far East and realizes at the same time
the menace 10 her own safety and in
dependence in that possession.
Both countries have had for MANY
years strong diplomatic corps at Seoul.
the Korean capital, and have been
struggling 10 gain favor and material
concessions from the Hermit King
dom" one intrigue followed close
upon the heels OF another, Russ and
Jap IN turn promoting. until the Gov
ernnent was practically helpless and
the country in a state Of anarchy.
In 1893, following a riotous collision
between the Independent Club, repre-
senting the reform party. and their
opponents. the King Of Korea asked
Japan to send troops to Seoul to pre-
serve order On the protest of Russia