The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-03-12

In the consular reports Of the depart
ment of commerce and labor the follow
ing account of Hardin, Manchuria, is CIV
en- by Henry B. Miller, United States con-
sui at Niu-Chuang, China:
Zone of the greatest achievements in
city construction that the world has ever
witnessed is now going on in the heart
of Manchuria.
In the building Of such cities as Vlad-
ivostOk Dalny and Port Arthur, Russia
has demonstrated her power and purpose
on the Pacific in line with the world S
conception of her character: but in the
construction of this wonderful city Of
Hardin she is displaying an altogether diff
ferent type Of activity from what we are
prone to attribute to her.
'It is in this city more than in all the
others. combined that Russia is asserting
her intentions of becoming an active in
dustrial force in the affairs Of the orient,
and her people are already giving the
place the title Of the Moscow Of ASIA
1.-THE city Is located on the Sungari
river, at the point where the Manchurian
branch of the Siberian railway crosses the
stream, and where the Chinese Eastern
branch starts south to Dalny and Port
Arthur. 1t is about $50 miles west of
Vladivostok and 900 miles north of Port
Arthur. Its location is the geographical
center of Manchuria, and from present
prospects it Is to become the commercial
center as well. The city is surrounded on
, all sides for hundreds Of miles with rich
and productive agricultural country, pro-
ducing corn, wheat, oats, barley, beans,
millet, hemp tobacco, vegetables and
some fruits. Minerals and timber and
great areas of grazing lands also sur
round it.
lat present the place consists of the
old town, three miles from the central
depot; Prestin, or the river town, the
present commercial center, and the ad-
ninistration town, in close proximity to
the railway station. Before the railway
engineers established this as their head
quarters there was no native town In this
vicinity, and the entire place is therefore
Russian product.
ct is as distinctly a Russian city as tho
it were located in the heart of Russia,
and none but Russians and Chinese are
permitted to own land, construct build
ings or engage in any permanent enter
prise. The city has been created by the
Russian government, under the manage
ment of the Manchurian Railway COM
pany The land for many miles in each
direction has been secured so as to make
it impossible for any foreign influence to
secure a profit or foothold close to the
city, and foreigners are not recognized
as having any rights whatever, but. are
permitted there on sufferance. The chief
railway engineer is the administrators OF
the. city, and up to the present time has
had complete control of everything; but
in the new scheme for the government OF
Manchuria some form of municipal or
ganization will be permanently estab-
lished
"In 1900 the place began to assume i'm
portance as center Of railway manage
ment, and in 1901 the population had
grown to 10000 Russians; in 1902, 10000
by May, 1903, $4,000, and in October, 1908
census showed a population Of 100000
/ exclusive Of soldiers Of these, 400 are
panese and 800 Of all other nationalities
including Germans, Austrians, Greeks and
! Turks. All the rest are Russians. There
| are no Americans.