The San Francisco call., 1904-03-15

Russian Expansion in Asia" was
the subject Of a noteworthy paper read
last night before the Chit-Chat Club by
Eli T. Sheppard. long in the United
States consular service in China and
for many years the adviser Of the Japa-
nese Government IN matters Of interna-
tionaI law. Horace Davis, president OF
the club, presided. and nearly 100 mem
bers listened 10 the address with the
deepest interest Mr.. Sheppard's life
long study OF Oriental questions gave
his utterances the weight Of authority,
and his care il citing established his
torical facts as the basis Of his deduc-
tons marked him as & trustworthy and
conservative guide in 8 field that is
just now much obscured by prejudice
Nevertheless the speaker showed
himself no lover Of Russia While pay
ing due attention 20 the Overmastering
skill Of Russian diplomacy and the un-
faltering determination with which the
agents OF the great White Car have
substituted order for chaos In their
Asiatic conQuests, he pointed out the
long course Of duplcity by which her
diplomats have tightened Russia's grip
upon these dOminions, first established
by ruthless murder and rapine. Accord
ing 70 this expert in international law
there is no crime 50 foul that Russia
has not committed 1t in her progress
into Southern and Eastern Asia, no
pledge she has not repeatedly broken,
no falsehood so base that she has not
Al.
the facts disclosed her treachery to all
the world, when her familiar excuse
had been that honesty is merely rela-
tive'-in other words, that all is fair in
the international game.
THE RUSSIAN ADVANCE
AIr. Sheppard began with a brief re-
view Of the growth Of Russian power
during the last six centuries. Taking
Moscow as a center Of national life,
he said. we find that Russian ex-
pansion has been connected with two
great movements her eastward ad
vance toward China, Manchuria and
Korea. and her southwark advance to-
ward Turkey, Persia and India" This
expansion was explained clearly in its
salient historical facts. especial en-
phasis being laid on the ancient Rus
sian policy OF conQuering and then alb
sorbing the wandering nOmad tribes Of
foes who harassed the Muscovite
power This. the speaker declared, had
continued the Russian method Of eX-
pansion down To the present day and
explained the wonderful success OF the
cars agenJa in winning the loyalty Of
conquered peoples The story Of RUS
sia's progress against the Turks and
Persians was fully told-hOw she had
stirred I'D rebellons in the dominions
of the Sultan and Shah and then in
.tervened on the pretext Of restoring
order, thus fastening her clutch on ter
ritCry never TO be released.
Persia's loss Of the Caspian Sea was
only one Of the many examples cited
~ Russian duplicity. Russia had Of
fered her friendly services to Persia
70 assist in ridding the sea Of pirates.
once fairly established on its waters,
she made ii forever a closed sea, not
only to Persia but to all the rest Of the
world. and at once began to use it as
fulcrum for the conquest Of the sur
rounding regions Of Turkestan and
Northern Persia. She is now at the
Persian Gulf, with treaties which give
her q monopoly Of railway and banking
rights in the Shah's realm and an alb
solute control Of the Persian customs
and internal revenue.
BARBAROUS DUPLICITY.
Russia has had two strings 10 her
bow in these conquests," continued Mr.