El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-05-22
.LIBbI. RUSSIAN
NAVAL BASE HAS
iRAPI16 Growth
Is the Pride of the Muscovite
Empire, Is Largely Ger
man in Aspect.
DEFENCE PLANS
ARE ELABORATE

w Iioaa. recently s,,i y reported rel cap
tured by the German invaders
of the Russian Baltic provinces, where
the Russian Kiel or Brooklyn navy
yards are located, is one O. the i'm
portant naval and commercial ports OF
the cars kingdom, and a city whose
rapid growth during the last lew
years has given an earnest OF the re-
markable future in store for the
mighty Muscovite empire. It forms the
subjests of the study in war geography
issued by the National Geographic So
ciety. The sketch of this prosperous
port, as yet little known TO Amerl-
Is strongly Fortified.
"Liabu is one OF the first Of Russlas
naval bases, 4 strongly fortified port
and well-supplied arsenal The Rus
sian government completed the exten-
siVe and powerful defensive works that
enclose the port during 1SS3-1SO6- The
naval harbor is north of the commercial
harbOr, though the 1OruficauOns were
planned to include both harbors- The
port is prepared TO build, equip and
commission naval fleets.
Russians Proud Of 1t.
Russians know and have 2 pride in
Liabu for its military strength and for
its commercial enterprise and progress
It is the metropolis Of Courland, and
with its fleets enjoying Tree passage
Of the Baltic sea. Libau has promise
to become a Russian Bremen, or even,
a Russian Hamburg It is the home port
Of many Atlantic and coast liners, and
its fine breakWater, capacious, haroors
and up-to-date docking facilities give
it splendid advantages in its COMPETE
ton with the other ports Of Russia
Is Great Port
THE annual exports Of Ltbau total
as high as S3O,J0Q,000, while its i'm
ports have scared to Wen beyond SlOs-
1900. The leading articles Of exports
are oats, wheat, rye, butter eggs
spirits, flax linseed, On-cake, pork, tim
Der, horses and petroleum. a great part
OF the vast golden tonnage Of butter
from Siberia and the nearer interior
France and Germany during times OF
peace went through Libau. Libau's
imports are mainly manufactured
goods, and modern Russia, demanding
the conveniences and sanitary neces-
stiles of the festern world, has been
bringing stores of these things IN
through Libau-
Has Large Factories.
side by side with the commercial
strength that the city has developed,
for great industry. The establish
ment Of an important naval station
here has done much to encourage the
Industrial advance. Libau possesses
facturs Of explosives, machinery belts,
sails, ropes and iron products It has
other important factories for the pro-
duction Of cOlOrs, furniture, matches,
agricultural machinery, tin-plate. to
bacco products. as well as soap-WOrks,
sawmills, oil mills, cork and linoleum
factories and flour mills.
In appearance Libau is new and II
is also sOhdly successful. 1t is built Of
stone, with fine gardens, and laid out
wide Tho &c
or AnglO-SaxOn and German in cut
rather than Slav. Too. there are few
evidences to the characteristic Sla-
vonic in its architecture. The steep
gables, the square and diligently-prO-
portiOned lines Of the German building
are everywhere visible, there being lit
tie Of the fanciful Of the SIavOnic
builder, Of the upturned onion-shaped
towers and other maze Of florid COM
plexities OF Slavonic architectural COM
position.
Population Largely Foreign.
"As in the case Of other Baltic cities,
Libau is merely stepdaughter OF Rus
STA not blood descendent. Its pOpula-
ton of some 10000 is German, Jewish,
Lithuanian, with Just a small sprink-
ing Of Russian administrators. Before
the war, the street signs of the city
were IN German, Russian and Lettish.
canals, damned with shipping,
added life to the city Of before the
war. Libau has been popular as a fash
lonaDIe seaside resort among the Rus
slams, and many Germans from the
neighboring German provinces have
followed in increasing numbers here
each summer in the wake Of their
Russian neighbors. The city was held
Dy the Order of the Brethren of the
Sword for long time. In 1901, It was
captured by Charles XII Of Sweden. and
passed to Russia with Courland in
1875"