The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1918-05-16

monuments, one Of which IS in honor
of the last cars visit. There are
numerous churches, Roman Catholic,
Greek Catholic and Lutherans; a
museum is noted for it's collection Of
weapons and costumes of the far East;
and the Orient institute was opened
in 1899 for the study of Asiatic Ion
guageS. The crispness of the air, the
newness of everything and the gen
eral hustle and stir are suggestive of
Alaska rather than the Orient. were 1t
not for the ponies with their Russian
harness and the prevalent Russian
boards.
Piled High With Supplies.
All things consumed in the town and
all the adjacent territory must be I'M
ported, as locally there are only
bricks, matches, lumber and a bad
beer to be had. No risk of seizure be-
ing foreseen, great speculative possi-
bilities being open to traders, and the
port Offering the best means of send
ing provisions and munitions to Rus
STA, combined to produce an eXtraOr-
binary state of affairs in that far
away city. There is a perfect glut Of
coal, kerosene, cotton, -four and mun-
transportation and with no protection.
European express trains could trav-
erse the long distance between Petro-
grad and VladivostOk in less than a
week hut it is not possible to run
trains over the Siberian railway ut
such high speeds. as the road is con-
structed lightly, so the journey re-
qulres nine days, and previous to the
war was done twice weekly by express
trains. The fare was more than 1915,
the difficulties varying from sheets
and soap to pistols and mosquito wells.
The plan to construct this great
Russian railway was started as early
as 1876, but it was not begun until
1891. The VladivOstok station was
opened by the recent car in 1897. 1t
is an excellent building, but has been
used so much for the coming and 60
ing Of troops that its dirt and dilapida
ton make the weary traveller feel as
though he had stepped into an aban-
doned emigration camp. Very light
rails are used on the tracks Of the
Trans Siberian road but Russian en-
gineers believe in very heavy ties;
timber may be had for the asking, so
half deeply embedded In ballast, to
give the tracks the strength Americans
provide with heavier rails.
It 10 q Free Port.
The Importance of Vladivostok lies
in the fact that it is the natural ware
house of this vast region, both from
a commercial and a military point Of
view. Russia, China. Korea and Japan
are all interested in its trade and
connected with it by railroad or ship
port and Russia has been remarkably
liberal in encouraging other nations
in helping her to build up an ever
growing traffic and develop the re-
sources of a rich inland frontier.
Germany is fully alive to the value
of this trade, whose value is ever
growing; and when the war gamble Is
over she would like to possess 1t. The
presence of large Korean agricultural
communities very near, great Chinese
immigration tide surging in the dis
trict, the unceasing activity Of the
Japanese fishing boats that trade
along the coast, the fact that Euro
pean culture is not yet definitely es-
tablished-all these things appeal to
the German mind, with visions Of pos-
sibilities for the future.
Vladivostok is immensely strong as
q naval fortress, being surrounded by
76 forts on the seward side, but at
the rear there is a great open country
that now lies Mt the mercy Of boil,
sheviki sympathizers and German
spies. Russia's chief dread has been
Of nearby Japan; SO her fertilization
of vladivostok has all pointed toward
that power that lies only 40 mileS
across the Japan sea.