The San Francisco call., 1904-03-06

: + little Miss Russia. perhaps more.
commonly known as Manchuria,
lived ~ 10 .he real meaning of her
nalnc. she ought 10 be quiet. staid.
dignifed child rather than such
noisy, turbulent imp that never. seems
quite as happy as when trouble is
brewing on all sides. For properly
speaking the country of the Manchows
vas chosen by the foundela of the dy-
nasty which now rules over China as
an appropriate designation for his fam
lily and the epithet meaning pure
was accordingly given as being partic-
ularly appropriate.
Up TO the time the Russian explorers
began 10 proNl about on the Amur
River the surrounding country was
practically never heard of, but because
they had ventured into strange, un-
known land that pretended TO be moth
lng more or less than a wilderness in
habited by q barbarous people, they
promptly demanded it as their very
own. precisely as Spain claimed Amer
ica because Columbus happened to be
the first man to run flag up on the
red mems shore.
Immediately the troubled pot began
10 boil furiOusly, for both Russia and
China promptly claimed Jurisdiction,
and Chinese soldiers were dispatched
with all possible speed to tell the in
truders that about the wisest thing
they could do would be to go home and
1r=,
and then began the struggle for Man
churia. For q period Of nearly fifty
years the two powers struggled with
all their might and main for suprems
acy and in 1859 d treaty was finally
made that gave all the land north of
the Amur River. extending up to the
middle Of the sea of Okhotsk, to the
Chinese Empire. So. for once in her
life Russia was obliged TO haul down
the flag that she had planted so proud
ly and with SO much arrogance
The people Of Russia are patient and
hard-WOrking, and their home is desc
late and gives them sustenance very
grudgingly, but Notwithstanding this
and the fact that the country as a
whole was gradually expanding and
stretching its greedy arms as far in
every direction as il possibly could the
treaty Of Nertchinsk was faithfully
kept for nearly 200 years, and not the
faintest trace Of Russian influence was
felt in this much sought after basin.
Ana then. by way Of variety, the
Crimean war burst forth and set things
5inglinE at a merry rate. Russia need
cd more ground in order to protect her
self from the French and English, al
without saying by your leave" she
helped herself TO it, and very gener-
pusly at that In fact. what she really
succeeded in doing was 10 change the
geography Of that entire region. The
Governor Of Siberia. one Muravief by
name, sent his soldiers in 1854 down the
Amur River second time, but this was
not all by any manner Of means that he
did.
The exiled convicts that had been
given their liberty were stationed up
and down the river to aid and abet him
when he needed them most, and so
once again Russia gained a foothoId
upon Chinese territory. In fact. Mura-
vief was after honOrs and he didn't
rest until his country gained by clever
negotiations the harbor Of Vladivo-
stok, which is to-day Russias north
ern fortress on the Pacific coast and
OF supreme Importance. The situation
In itself renders il practically secure,
for Il is surrounded by mountains and
can be reached from the front only
by a long channel. so it presents a
most uninviting and inhospitable ap-
pearance- OF harbors, there is no
doubt but that it is more thoroughly
protected than any other naval station
in the world. The process of fortifying
II and making It absolutely safe from
the intruders alone caused Russia to
send over peasants in great numbers.
and later, when the port was opened
FOR commerce, they poured into the
territory by the tens Of thousands and
gladly made permanent settlements.