The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-02-19
61,463 Copies.
The Unpreparedness Of Russia.

One of the most recent books CIV
ing relia Die information about Asian.
Russia is Writ Gerrare's Greater
Russia" Mr.. Gerrare is an English !
man who twice crossed the Russian
empire in 1901. Three years have
ELAPSED since then, and in that time,
doubtless, considerable changes have
been wrought inaSiberia and Manchu-
ria and in the Trans-Siberian railway.
But unless the improvement in the
railway has been very great there is
every reason to infer from what Mr..
Gerrare says about it that it will
break down between the damage the
Japanese raiders are likely to do it
and the pressure it will be sub
jected to.
The whole of the Trans-Siberian
and Manchurian railways has been
so lightly built that subsidences of the
track, falls of loose earth in the cuts
and spreading of the rails are COM
mon. Trains. are frequently ditched.
Thru long stretches Of country the
trains have to haul water for the loco
motives. The rails run from forty
two to forty-eight pounds to the yard,
and are too light for the heavy en-
gines and rolling stock of the state
RAILWAYS This statement is especially
significant in view of the fact that $50
locomotives from the railways Of Rus
STA proper have just been sent to the
east to handle war traffic. The east
ern section, however, has seventy
four-pound rails. Some of the rails
are of soft steel, and it is said that
on one curve a certain rail is crushed
every time the express passes. Gen
orally the rails are just able to sustain
the weight at slow speed. The en-
bankments are too narrow and too
steep and the cuts the same. The
speed of trains can never be great on
these roads. Short passenger trains
may average twenty miles an hour;
"the heavier ordinary trains do not
exceed twelve miles an hour, while
freight trains barely creep along
AS it is $500 miles from st. Peters
burg to Port Arthur, it would take
freight at this rate $40 hours, OF
twenty-four days, to reach the front
even if it were not delayed. But be-
tween snow blockades, accidents an6
congestion, it will be fortunate il
shipments from st. Petersburg or Mos.
COW reach Port Arthur or VladivO.
stok in two months. During the win
ter months there will be still farther
delay from the fact that all good:
have to be hauled on sleds across thu
ice of Lake Baikal.
If Mr.. Gerrare is right, Russia ha
really been taken by surprise in thi
war, it not being her intention t,
fight, but rather bluff, to gain he
ends. Japan has suddenly called tn
bluff and Russia finds herself com
PEELED to resort to force without bein
ready. On this point Mr.. Gerrar
says:
advance has been such as to endange
her existence, has withdrawn withor
risking so weighty an issue in actus
conflict. 1t is merely matter of nations
policy, personal bravery of the ndivid
ual is not in questionable Individual Rus
sian will advance to certain death q
boldly and fearlessly as the best Of othe
races.
Taking advantage of this known polio
Of Russia, it is apparent from this req
son, if for no other she will not attac
a strongly defended India If Persia
Afghanistan, weakly supported, is at he
mercy; that strongly opposed in the fe
east and allowed a free hand with refel