The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1904-01-18

war with Russia.
WASHINGTON, Jan. l8.--Korea is a
wedge separating the two great Russian
ports on the Vladivostock and
Port Arthur. OF course, the Russians say
it must be removed.
Korea is an arrow pointed at the heart
of Japan. So say the Japanese, and they
insist upon having possession of it.
Russia must control Korea to complete
her grasp of Northern Asia and make her
the dominating force in China.
Japan must get Korea or see her power
decay.
With Russia, to acquire Korea means
conquest; with Japan it means existence.
Korea is the one great prize in all the
far eastern struggle for land and power.
1t is the only one of sufficient Importance
to cause war.
Manchuria has been for three years the
subject of profound negotiations, protests,
explanations, promises and even threats
of war. Diplomats are still talking about
it and demanding the open door, but for
all practical considerations Manchuria has
passed from the stage. 1t has been alb
sorbed by Russia. Russian officials admin
lister it's civil affairs, Russian soldiers gar
rison every town and guard every port and
the powerful Russo-Chinese bank practi-
cally controls its finances. Traders, in
Guiding some important American inter-
ests, have been so harassed that they are
leaving the country Foreign missions
have been practically suppressed. lmmi-
grafton, especially of Japanese, has been
forbidden. Manchuria belongs to Rus
STA.
Mongolia, which lies to the west of Man
churia, and, like it, is bounded on the
north by Siberia, is also under Russian
control. Its affairs are not administered
by Russians in the same degree as those
of Manchuria, but Russian influence gov
erns the country. Nominally it still be-
longs to China. In fact the dominant au-
thority is Russia.
Korea, alone, of all the territory in
volved in the aggressions upon China that
began 10 years ago, seems now to be de-
batable. 1t has brought Japan and Rus
STA to the verge of war that if it oc-
ours, may involve the greater part Of the
civilized world.
Russia's expansion policy is at the bot
tom of all the trouble. Like huge gla-
cier her dominion has been extended.
slowly but irresistibly, from the north. In
1858 the border of Siberia was pushed
southwark, by treaty with China, to the
Amur river. China also granted to the
car long strip on the Pacific, extend
ing south from the mouth of the Amur.
At the southern point of this strip was es-
tablished Vladivostock. That was reall-
zation, in a degree, of the Russian am
bition to secure port on the Pacific.
1t was soon found to be unsatisfactory,
however, because Vladivostock is blocked
during large part of the year by ice;
In 1896 Russia first secured toothold
in Manchuria. This was a master stroke
I'D II
sian ambassador to this country. 1t was
a concession by China for the construc-
ton, in Manchuria, of almost 1000 miles
of Siberian railway. Cassni, then min
lister of the car to Picking. asked the
privilege on the ground that by building
part of the railroad in Manchuria the
distance to the Pacific would be shortened
some 300 miles and that the engineering
difficulties were less than on the Siberian
side of the Amur river. The powers as
sented to this arrangement. They saw no
danger in Russia's request.
In 1898 Russia acquired possession OF
Port Arthur, located at the southerly end
of the Liao-Tung peninsula, and the
greatest stronghold in the east. 1t COM
mands the gulf of Pechili, the entrance
from the sea to Picking. Russia has since
transformed it into a naval and military
base OF extraordinary strength, regular
Gibraltar.
Port Arthur has been occupied by Japan
in the war with China and when the
peace treaty was signed. in 1895, claimed
it as one of the fruits of victory. 1t was,
in fact, Japan's greatest prize. Russia
France and Germany entered a protest
They declared that occupation of Port
Arthur by Japan was a menace to China
and disturbed the balance of power in
the east. Japan reluctantly abandoned
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