The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-04-12


A sketch of the two belligersnl powers ma
place In the war that which has not been
known before in the annals OF history, AT
least in modern times, that Is a european
army of about equal numbers constantly pc
army of the Mongolian rase.
We, in ~treRtipg The 1ubjset OF the evening"
will take a brief view OF the history OF ths
two belligerent powers. Secondly, tae cause
main of Japanese success, and fourth. me po.-
siblc ultimate results as TO victory, ana nitn,
what effect Will japanese success nave Oh
public relations and dsstlpiss Of the nations
of the earth, and what effect will Russian
success have thereon.
First Four hundred years ago the Domin,
ion ofRussia was confined TO the Isaroom o.
.Muscoyy, which contained only 37.UU square
miles, an area not very much larger 1han
the State OF South Carolina, while today II
contains 8, $50, 2S2 square miles, or ~ OF tne
ulatien OF 1913. SSS. 9l4, and extends from Prus'
ala, in Europe, into A sla. and through North
eastern Asia to The Pacific ocean.
Ofthis area 3,1S6, 1862 square miles are In En-,
rops and contain a population OF lIH: 44V s ;1a9
a population of only Is, AS TIA, or about Two 10
the square mile. Tn inhabitants OF Asiatlc
Russia are for the most part wlld ana ulei'-
main strength of the Russian Empire Is ID
European Russia, In wealth, population anu
civilization.
The Russian Empire since the days OF the
small Tsardom Of Muscovy has extendeo lts
domiuions by sonquerIng the Wild and un.
civilized nations around 1t, and establishing
II sway over them.
century Russia was comparatively an unciv.
iltzed country even In Europe. ABOUT the
year 100, Peter the Great, Car OF Russia, De-
came awakened TO a sense OF bis responsloll-
ity TO his people az absolute Sovereign, and
~ a a ofranDnnQ pff0rta IN Introduce among
them q knowledge OF the more useful auu
ssentia arts OF civilized life, such az o
knowledge OF shipbuildipg, OF com merse, OF
medicine, OF letters toa limited extent, and
also Improvement in agricultural and stock
raising, but still more than one-half OF the
population OF Russia remained serls, or slaves
until 1861, at which time they were set free,
Wandering at that time 50,OOO.0O0 persons, and
tiou Of Russia can read and write.
The govern ment is strictly an Absolute
Monarchy, all legislative authority and exc
outlve power being cantered In the Car. ne
distributes his executive authority amoug his
nobles, and Grand Dukes, making them Gov
errors Of provinces, but the power or enactlng
Law remains with him alone. -.
The religion Of the country estaollshea
by law, IL that of tbs Greek Church., OF which
the Gear ia head, but other religions are now
tolerated, except the Catholic and Jew, pol
some portions of Asiastio Russia are sui "a
gan.
The government Of the Gear Is preserved by
force, q large and pow erful police force oeing
psrpetually maintained, every man In Russia
being compelled 10 serve In the army SIX
years, and the peace footing being about GOO.-
0O while the war footing is $500 Q0) men.
It Is about 5000 miles from 81. Petersburg TO
Port Arthur, aud about 200 miles from the
European frontier OF Russia. Port Arth r
previous to the war, could be reached by the
great Siberian Railway and lakes interVen
lag. Troops travelling from European Russia
TO the scene OF the war travel over this route,
q distance Of about four thousand miles, taxi
Ing them about thirty days TO make the trip.
Japan, the other belligerent, was unknown
to Europeans until visited by Marco PoIoin
1912. and while some efforts we're made by
missionaries TO introduce the Christian re
ligion, and by the Dutch, Portuguese and some
others to introduce Trade relations these were
for the most part unsuccessful, and Japan re-
manned u hermit Kingdom until ABOUT the
year 1850. Commodore Perry having first Wis.
tied that country in 1853, and a treaty looking
to trade relations WAS made with them 10
1855. Until this time the country remains q
stranger to civilization and western ideas, but
In 1868 the present Mikado was restored TO bis
ancestral throne, aud embraced western Ideas
and western civilization with great earnest
ness, and sought TO introduce them among
his people, and foreigners were invited from
the west to come and teach western ideas,
and civilization, in their schools and untvsr.
stiles and in 1884 a free. public school system
was established throughout Japan, the En-
giish language being made a part OF the
course OF study. and thereafter every child be
tween the ages of 6 to l6 years was com pelled
by law to attend those schools, and are still
compelled to do 80. In this respect Japan Is
more progressive than the Legislature OF
South Carolina.
Up to 1884 the Japanese had used the Syla-
bic System OF China, and all her literature
was written In these characters. but upon In.
vestigatiou 1t was discovered that every pos
slble sound In the Japanese vocabulary could
be e. expressed by % Roman characters and II
wasthen discovered that a child could learn
to read thelJapanese language written In Ro-
man characters In one.tenth OF the time that
IL could be written In the cid Syllable charac
ters. Hence all school books were thereafter
printed in Roman characters.
The Japanese also introduced reforms In
their System OF government, making 1t a linn
tied monarchy with a written constitution.
modelled very much on the plan OF the mon
archy and constitution OF England. The Par
lament consists OF two houses, the Upper
and Lower. The Upper House Is partly her.
editary, and partly appointive. The Mikado
invited 230 men OF letters to sit IN the Upper
House with the hereditary mobiles.
The Lower House Is elective. Each voter
must pay as much as five dollars taxes annu.
ally.
ton the Mikado appeared in public with his
wife, the Empress, for the first time In the
This county, differing from all other Asiat-
ton of their own. laid aside all prejudice and
adopted within the space OF forty years that
which was most useful and helpful In west.
ern civilization.
1t is comparatively small country. having
an area OF only l6l, M5 square miles, hut hav.
ing a population OF a, 10000. It's peace foot
ing is about 2OO.0 men, and It's war footing Is
about COZ, 900. It's capitol is not exceeding
1000 from Port Arthur, and ia not more than
from three to five hundred miles. from the
coasts OF its main island to Vladovostock, q
city occupied by Russia on the Pacific coast
Its first contest or war after adopting west
ern civilization was with China In 1894. The
fighting In this was commenced In Corea. the
Japanese being there commanded by Mar.
nese in every battle. On November %, 1904,
The Japanese, under Marshal Oyama, now
field marshal, made an attack on Port Arthur
and with a loss Of Is killed and ESQ wounded.
! took the city and forts on which s20, DOC, 900
had been spent, and FASTENED on and captur-
OF peace, and by the terms thereof Port Ar.
thur was surrendered to the Japanese, and
their ships were to be admitted to all the
lakes and rivers OF China, and also the PENN
sula on which Port Arthur is situated was
surrendered to Japan.
When Russia heard Of these terms OF peace,
she va very much offended. Port Arthur
wAs the only port free from ice all the year,
through which she could enter the Pacific,
and she wished the free and unrestricted use
Of this port for her Trans-Siberian rail-
road.
Russia, Germany and France wrote to ia.
pan q note OF remonstrance demanding q re.
accession OF Port Arthur, and the Peninsula.
japan hesitated, but getting no support from
England, she at length yielded, getting an ad.
d~itional sum OF $50, 0O0, 900, whereup0n Wei.
hai-Wei was coded to Great Britain by China
in 1898. and Kloo Chou to Germany and the
- b~.k A .NL... 1N@ - D.--