The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-10-14

munitions of war have learned incidental-
 ly that Russia purposes becoming a great
 manufacturer of munitions of this kind.
 nc longer-at least after the war is end being dependent upon other nations
 fof war equipment commodities For in
 stance. representatives of Russia recently
 made inquiries in the United States with intent to learn whether they could ob- tam immediately, or within a few
 months, commodities necessary for the
 thorough equipment of several arsenals
 which she is erecting, and in which she
 proposes manufacturing munitions of
 var. An earth slide which temporarily blockaded the Panama canal revealed the
 Tact that Russia was exporting from the United States by way of the canal and the Pacific ocean to her seaport in the Tar east large amounts of munitions of
 war The export of these commodities ana the use of the Panama canal for that
 purpose would have been unknown to the
 pcohc had 1t not been for this slide
 which has served to blockade a number of
 vessels bearing heavy cargoes of war mu-
 nttions to Russia.
 Another incident, apparently trivial in
 itself, has revealed the fact that Russia
 is contemplating not only the cof1strtc-
 ton of a new railroad system, but will
 also make the deep-water terminal of that system harbor north of the Arctic
 circle. which the Russians have dscov- cred is by peculiar phenomenon of the ocean. made free of ice the year round.
 Knowledge of this purpose would not
 have become public in the United States had there not appeared an advertisement for American skilled artisans, and espe- cis fly those skilled in railroad construc-
 tior. This is not the first time that Rus sia has appealed to the United States for aid in railway construction. The em- pire has always purchased in the United States large amount of equipment fSf railroads, such as steel rails, but at the same time Russia made her first appeal to this country with intent to secure some one skilled in railway construction there were no steel rails manufactured in the United States, or in fact, anywhere else
 The Czar of Russia who reigned in the midyears of the past century, decided to construct railroad from St. Petersburg to Moscow, purposing such construction as would make it possible to operate the road substantially in straight line with out appreciable grade. He sent a com mission to the United States to secure a competent engineer, having heard that the<American engineers of that early day had succeeded wonderfully in railroad 
 His commissioners went to Massachu- setts and there were brought in contact with Captain Whistler, graduate of West Point, the engineer who made the first survey for the Baltimore and Ohio railroad and who was at the time of the visit of the Russian commissioners com pletfng a railroad whose construction had involved very difficult original problems or engineering, a road which gave Boston connection with Albany Captain Whist Ter was offered and accepted the post of eng1neer-in-chief for the construction of the first great national railway system of | Russia. His success has always caused 1 Russia to look toward the United States | with favor when railroad construction is | under contemplation.
 Very likely it was the tradition of Cap. | tain Whistlers success as well as tho | fact that the United States is now the | only open market, so to speak, where | competent railroad construction can be | secured, that led Russia to approach the | United States with intent to secure skilled | artisans for the construction of this new | railroad now in operation. Were this rail- | road now in operation, Russia would | have been spared some embarrassment | in the first year of the war. She would have been able to secure munitions, of | which she is so greatly in need. She | would not have been compelled to rely ipon the harbor of Archangel, which is lcebound six or eight months of the year pr the distant port upon the eastern coast where commodities are transported by ner Siberian railroad system.
 In midwinter of this year, Russia placed | ! large amount of orders with American the understanding being that these munitions of war were to be | shipped as soon as possible after news came that the harbor of Archangel was | rrsAa 0f ion efs ,-~ III k-t wait about four months before American essels entered Archangel harbor. There came into the office of an American man. ifacturer who shipped some part of tho munitions dispatch this spring which vas so pleasing to read that it was