Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-16
The Mancl1urian Question
VI-Russia's Future i'm Asia
BY Frederic j. HaSkin


er Canada or Australia, Wheat fields
will be developed, and Harbin will be-
come to the world what it is now to Z
Asia, the greatest flour producing CEN
ter. The 6000-mile railroad to st.
Petersburg will be double tracked, the
road through the Amur will be built.
and the probability is that the railroad
from Peking to Kalgan will be ex-
tended through Mongolia to Lake Bal
kal, thus cutting down the time from
Peking to Moscow by three days and
giving China and Russia a route of
direct communication wholly indepen-
dent of japanese influence or interfer-
ence. When these things come to pass,
as they surely will, Russia will then
be impregnably intrenched. Then the
ambition to own an ice-free port-that
hope which is never dead in the Rus
sian breast-will inspire to action.
The Japanese will lie between the Rus
slams and that goal of all Muscovite
desire.
It is impossible to conceive an in
definite continuation of the present
peaceful and harmonious relations be-
tween Russia and Japan in this coun-
try. Both are here for the purpose of
carving out a new empire Both have
the same desire, both have the same
contempt and disregard for China's
sovereignty and rights. Each under
stands the others limitless and un-
scrupulous ambition. For the time
being they have set a line between
themselves, dividing not the territory,
but that part of China's territory which
they still occupy and control in spite
of their solemn obligations to withdraw
entirely and completely"
Realizing that the eyes of the world
are most attracted now to the Japanese
program, the Russians have adopted
the wise policy OF Br'er Rabbit. They
are lying low. They have proved
themselves much more considerate of
Chinese rights than have the Japanese.
and they have not set any obstacles
whatever in the way of the trade of
other nations in Northern Manchuria.
For these reasons their position is not
so often discussed as that IF the jap
anese. BY comparison the Russian be-
havior appears to be quite altruistic.
But one must not expect unselfish al
truism from st. Petersburg. The Rus
sian ruling classes do not think in
those terms. 1t all means that Russia
is biding it's time and improving the
shining hour by developing it's eastern
resources.
Both Japan and Russia are in Man
churia for the same purpose, but as
they both seek the same prize, q prize
which cannot be divided, their positions
are naturally antagonistiC. Neither
nation has any right in Manchuria, as
both nations admitted when they rati-
fed the treaty of Portsmouth. Both
nations claim rights in utter disregard
of that treaty.
sponsibility and aroused to the neces-
sity of adopting western methods of
government and industry, should have
the right to develop Manchuria. The
only possible ground upon which Rus
STA and Japan may base claim of
right in Manchuria is that they will
develop the country, something which
China would not and could not do. But
now that China is attempting to do
something for Manchuria along modern
lines, 1t finds itself in trouble with the
Japanese fox and the Russian bear.
The Chinese, under a form of gov
ernment older than Christendom, and
without any Of the advantages of mod
ern western civilization at ALL have
maintained the largest nation upon
earth in both area and population.
That nation, even under e-ancient
Oriental conditions, was and is more
prosperous and contented than either
Russia or Japan. There is no class of
Chinese equal to the gentry of Russia
in learning, but neither is there a class
of Chinese so low in the human scale
as the Russian moujik, when relative
values are considered. The Chinese
have not accomplished as much as
have the Japanese in the western arts
of war and high finance, but they are
far superior to the Japanese in the
civilization of their everyday lives.
China, as opposed to Russia and Japan,
had not only the legal but the moral
right to develop its own territory.
In this triangular fight for the con-
troll of Manchuria, this great empire
of the future, China has the right and
Russia and Japan have the might. A
greater Japan, Japan the captain of
Asia leading the titanic struggle
against white supremacy on earth,
means the doom of Russian dreams. A
greater Russia, a Russia with its
warm southern seaport on the Pacific
and a great merchant marine and
navy, means the total and permanent
eclipse of the Rising Sun of Japan as
the light of world empire. A greater
China, China holding its own. planting
and reaping in peace and despising
the barbarity of war, means the re-
straint of the bloody appetites of both
Muscovite and Nipponese ambition,
means a peaceful Asia, end prosper
Gus western world. 1t is to the adj
vantage of the nations of the West,
morally, physically and financially, to
uphold the Chinese rights and pre-
vent by peaceful measures the great
conflict which otherwise, inevitably,
again will turn Manchuria into field
of blood
Tomorrow-The Manchurian Question
VII: The Present Russian Policy.