New-York tribune., 1910-09-04

The rnost engaging quality Of Mr.. Bates's
look on subject about which good sized Ii
hrs-y Of books has been written within the last
ten years Is its reaGa blity. its conlpanionablty
He travelled for pleasure he informs US; he GER
tainIy found il, and as cer-ainly shares it with
his readers. He writes currente calamo as he
goes along interested in the chance companions
II the Grawingroorn car OF the Trans-Siberian
train interested in what they told him, intent
upon giving Russia credit for what she has
adhered while keeping in mind the heavy in
Gictment Of civilization against her He does
not set UP as an authority, Yet what he says Is
vel worth listening 10. He looks around him
among Buriats, Mongols and Cinnamon with ob-
servant eyes and il. though merely an idle tour
IS he cannot refrain from approaching the
greet Eastern uroblens that the twentieth cen
ru-y VIII 10 called upon 10 solve he does SO ten
fa'trely. driven by his OWL interest, not by
conscious termination 10 inform his readers
II. has an eye for the picturesque, and the
ahfI-.- u give that quality TO his writing His
.-.4-.rz chapter relating anew the conquest OF
Slse--a with Eermak well in the foreground, IS
. rush cf romance suggesting material Tor ne
-olc historical fiction as rich as that from Whlch
Sierkieuicz drew his Polish trilogy. Surely
sorae Russian novelist must We utilized stun
like that and surely his tales must be worth
trarz-atIas.
NJ Bates has, moreover, the trained corre-
sfonderts gift Of summing up His statement
e what the Trans-Siberian railroad VIII mean
q Siberia politically and socially as wen as
economically. Is a capital piece OF work
Sta-iz-lcalfv Informed bankers sometimes shrus
their saouIde-s at the mention Of the Trans-Slpe-
-E-very year a de1iclt Ihey say. +he
Tier statistics are correct But II - - :, t.s
create honor OF the road that much "hlch IL iIs
accom- sed VIII never appear N G creoII7 on I'd 1t 70
q ang-rs rlser system such that Of the Mlssls-
turned 4 dollar or the millions that have gone 70
nalta nng its IeTees and "a 80 .as aI1Ie l1.-
asset 70 me American people, are Se pos
or n -eIaf16r 70 the cul1ivable land and the in
t.-lo- water COURSES Of Central Siberia
t. H1sslan railway is an empire bulIoer as ltii-
portzIt = been the Nile
i Is 81 rnonUtonous country through which
one travels On the Siberian line in winter,
and one IS driven TO companionship with his
fellow travellers Thus the author came TO near
rlanv a. story q the old days Of Siberia from d
poteal exile who was sent there nearly forty
year 4go and is prosperous and honoreo cl'l-
zen today In the cities he found the 1roiltiei
= different one from that Of our own early trsAiis
continental railroad days, but fully as inter
estlug The cosmopoitan culture OF uppef-cl~i'S
Russia IS brought into direct contrast Win D-ai
ta-isru. and everywhere the democratic ieANeN
q ne., countries Is working below the surface
"Eany- ceted i the life in q Siberian CITY! III
numerous N.3.s il seems feverish and abnormal
-or il relresents the young blood CT calapie
r4oe struggling upward and knowing lhaI III
naagh 5rs hattie Is desperate There are tales
q reles and abortive revolutions, Of the snort
Lsed republic Of Chita. One anecdote OF 'ie
building ,f The line IS 50 typical that it DEMANDS
quoting
Before -.e railroad came. sad the go. so..i 10
The biggest lIieSt -A-.
Nea--tee- ~ our cities Ste was the capta1 %
tie a,-es- Torysk (5oterIa. The Tom brought me
llE rlser steamers her NtarNes She Lit1e 49, 49,.
IutalltaurS. increasing every year Inc NJ .L.
chants the miners came Gown lioiii %
Aital al rAIngs prosperIn8 Hii'il ,, IN 70
rpac Ur1enec the engineers caiiis ~
locate lie line All they asked was lee-ooe r.
But how stinsyv were the people OF Tonsh- lIies
WOULD give 100000 rublts- tIlfe Hits' So
even forty thousand, said the engineers but -
people Tofnsk said, Are we not 'le ST. 80 "
government for all Western Siberia Gu nus
bring lie railway here anyway Snt IL - ~ -
E1n-erS had siofse thai, who coulc Soy wiz
would nave ended? All the other cltles !" "ouisi ~.
gn 10 make excuses. SO the grades 10 1oih>h -,
came suddenly bad that the line flad 10 De i.-
a"ay south here. eighty-two Fersts- lile - 20
chants legged the engineers 10 come ydeh
Ionsk They offered All that had been ISM - -
much more But how can Il professloiiaI i
Change ms plans and sacrifice nus :epuLa ~,
vie cannot DO such things. SO ToInSk !" d. -
ana heT rraCe fails behind That OF tile oN4f
Ctles, Dnlsk and Grkutsk-
A. Eernheudinsk Mr.. Bates took the CID sieose
route 10 The Chinese frontier, through Trans
aalkala, travelling by troika sedge OF three
horses through d cold that prevents long TRIPS