The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-24
WAY THRU CHINA
OPEN TO RUSSIA
"Back-Door Route Offers Gear
Chance to Regain Port
on Pacific.
SHORT LINE FROM PR
TO PEKING POSSIBLE
It Would Give Russia a Line Thru
the Very Heart of
China.
Spectal to The Journal.

Special to The Journal.
Chicago, March 24.-Walter Wellman,
in Washington special to the Record
Herald, says:
Japan and will Immediately proceed to
outf1anh the victor commercially by
tapping the back door Of China with a
new extension of the trans-Siberian
railway,
This prediction was made today by a
man who is thoroly familiar with the
situation in the far east, and with much
that Is going on behind the scenes at
St. Petersburg. The suggestion which
he makes is both interesting and i'm
portant.
Peace Prospects Bright.
In the opinion of well-informed diplo-
mats here the prospect of bringing the
war to an end was never so bright as
now. All realize that there are diff
culties in the way, an dthat peace can
not be considered assured till the
papers are signed; but there is general
recognition of the important elements
of the problem which / have already
pointed out, to-wit: Japan desires peace
and will make favorable terms; there is
no desire to humiliate Russia no ter
ritory now under the sovereignty Of
the czar need be coded. In lieu of in
demnity the Chinese Eastern railway
may be taken over by Japan and in adj
dition Russia is willing to pay large
sum for the maintenance of her prison
ers held by Japan.
Peace Terms Not Far Apart.
Actually the two schemes of settle
ment, the one outlined by Japan to the
kaiser and to President Roosevelt a
few weeks ago, and the one which now
comes from ST. Petersburg as represent
ing the opinions Of the faction which
favors peace and which at this moment
appears to have the upper hand with the
czar, are not far apart. Once the ear
indicates Willingness to have negotia-
tlons undertaken it should not be diff
ficult matter to reach an accommoda-
ton as to the minor differences.
At this ,juncture comes the sugges-
ton that Russia, instead of wrecking
the empire in vain endeavOr to hold
Manchuria, turn her energies to another
means of accomplishing her principal
object IN the far east. 1t seems writ
ten in the book Of fate that Russia must
lose such rights as she has hitherto
possessed in Manchuria. With surren-
der of those rights goes the railway
from Hardin to Dalney, Port Arthur
and Niuchuang. 1t would seem on the
surface as if Russia s ambition to Sc
cure commercial outlet in the warmer
waters of the Pacific had been forever
thwarted.
Back-Door Route H.
'But such is not the case,' SAYS my
informant. ~ have reason to believe
the Russian government, under the
leadership Of Prince Hilkoff, man
we'll known to me personally, and a
most brilliant and capable Administered.
tor he is, already has in hand project
for outfanking the Japanese and for
reaching the Pacific by a new route
Prince Hill1off Is the manager of the
ans-Siberian railway. Once secure
peace and give him the necessary au.
thority and money and it will not be
long till Russia has a railway to the
Pacific better located and shorter thar
the line which now must be lost thru
the game of war.
From Lake Pr the new line would
run south, west of the Khingan noun
tains, across the plains Of Mongolia
perhaps following the great caravan
route, and, crossing the ALASKAN noun
ta1ns into China proper not far from
the great wall, would arrive at Picking
1t would be about 800 miles shsNte
than the Hardin route So far as the
location of the railway is concerned
the thanking movement would be almost
ideal. 1t would carry the Russian rail
way system to che back door of China
and thence to the very heart of thu
country