Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-08-24
Why Russia and Japan Contend
30 Strongly over It.
shared between the Two Nations IN.
I'll 1s75-rhen Baron ROsen's Mas.
terful Coup Brought II under
che C1ar's Flag.

Japan The island of Sakhalin has taken on
the greatest Importance since Nippon
frst realized the part she Is to play in the
FAMILY OF nations in the future. She needs
the island. not only because IL is an in
tegral part of her geographical formation.
ana not only for its rich resources, but
also as n place for her overflow OF
population. a matter that. as soon AS tho
war is ended, will engross the Mikado'S
closed and earliest attention.
| The Island of Sakhalin, or Saghalien, or,
its native name. Taraika, Is u long,
narrow strip of land that extends al
most due north and south "a few miles off
the coast of Asiatic Russia, or what was
once AsiatiC Russia. 1t lies i'm the south
west part of the Sea of Okhotsk, in lat.
" deg. 1t is separated from the main
land only by the six-mile wide Mania
Strait. Cnfertile, mountainous and cold. it
offers little encouragement to agricul-
ture. but Is extremely rich in coal and is
said to possess great deposits of gold and
other precious metals. It's coast line is
bleak and uninyiting. on the western
shores lofty cliffs rise sheer out of the
sea, unbroken by bays of any indenta-
tons of land whatsoever. while the east
ern coast is little better, although here
and there narrow inlets and lagoonS
pierce the barren rocks. Huge forests,
however, abound and will be Il source of
fabulous income to the islands futurd
owner. But its chief value lies in its
fisheries. Its waters are said to be the
finest fishing ground in the world. Japan
is a fishcating nation. 1t 1t at the same
time a growing nation. From the econ
! pIpip StupInpint thiS fishing industry is
all but absolutely essential to its welfare.
The population of Sakhalin is insight
f~icant-always has been. Its aborigincs
were the Anus, the same race of men
as those who sprang forth first in Nip
pom. In 1872 there were 1000 inhabitants,
counting all sorts and conditions, and
to-day there are about 5000. or u little
more than one person to the square
mile.
To tho Russians the island is OF prime
Importance, for the reason that it is about
as far east as they can possibly get. be-
cause it makes them a constant source of
fear TO Japan, because it is not altogether
a bad place to send cxiles and PRISONERS
to. and. finally, because it practically
commonds the sea of Okhotsk and absolu-
toly the mouth of the Amur River, that
swat \ VI ~ '"N
Ru%ssianized Asia.
The one surprising point In the pres
ent contention over its possession is
the fact that it's strategic and intrinsic
Importance seems to have been an ap-
parcntly recent discovery in the part of
the Japanese statesmen. whereas Rus
sia, if her actions are to be considered as
guided by any degree of foresight. had
without doubt realized it years ago when
she made her first enroachment on
Sakhalin's unacceptable shores. That
happened in 1853. when at last the Rus
sian expansion had reached the Pacific.
1t was not. however. until 1876 that any
political cogn!zauce was taken OF what
Japan likes now to call Il trespass. On
February : of that year Admiral Putt
attn, in the name of the Car, signed a
treaty with the Japanese TokuGawa
Shoguns at Shimoda. specifying that in
the Island of Salihalin there was to he
mo dclimitation of boundaries between
japan and Russia and that the con-
ditions that had. hitherto obtained should
continue as they were, which meant that
Russia was to keep the posts that her
ambitious generals had planted on the Is
land by the right no longer of u~surpation,
| DuJ tI treaty.. III w.
had explored Sakhalin and founded the
first Russian settlement at llinsk. on the
southwest coast. with only six Russian in
shabitants as n start. and II year later
Muravicvsk. on the southeast coast. Thus
was n foot-hold gained by the European
monarchy.
1t took the Japanese nearly ten years
to comprehend what n mischief hey had
lone themselves, and when they did
perceive it the best they could do was to
demonstrate and attempt to divide the
island in two, they to take one-half. FOR
the Russians maintained that the status
quo suited them perfectly. Ten years
later the Japanese were told that SAX
hahn was exclusively Russian. and in
1873 they so far acquicsccd to the theory
as to accept in exchange the kuriles,
which Russia presented to the Japanese
without ever having owned them All this.
of course, cannot be forgotten by such
close students of history as the modern
Japanese are believed to be.
There were four principal Russian
settlements on the island at the begin
ming of the present war. namely Alex
androvsk, the seat of Administration
Rykovskoie. Eorsakovsk and Muravie-
vcski According to the Enumeration of
January, 1902, 1858 hard-labor convicts.
9,&5 released c~onvicts and exiles and
IS,7l2 cxiled peasants were confined on
the island. Besides these there were
/, 753 wives. and, as n yearbook gives 1t,
six husbands" the wives and husbands
Having followed the cNilcs with W,H-
Ichildren. OF free settlers there were at
that time 1,3i4.
When the war broke out the seats OF
operations was far to the south of this
barren but invaluable island of punish
mcnt Finally. however. it became IT.
self an objective point of Japanese mil
itary strategy and was captured. Japan
csc troops landed at II village called Morce,
between Chipwan and Korsakovsk. on the
might of July s last. and met with little
resistance, as the Russian force on the is
land was insignificant. Two battleships'
thirty-six Torpedo boats and ten tran
sports, bullying with troops. covered the
historic landing. In the meantime the Rus
slams had blown up their coast defense
guns and the principal Government bull
dings at ~KOrsakovsk. so that the Japs
got little more than the same old bar
|renness. plus II few thousand convicts.
That made little difference. however. for
1t was the actual land itself they were
bound to get and so reprieve the short
sighted policy of the governors that had
let the prize slip from them back in "a.