The Alaska daily empire., 1922-10-25
COL. JAMES G. STEESE

COL JAMES G. STEESE
When the name Siberia is men
toned to the average cftizen of the
United States, if any reaction results
at all, ii is usually vague recol-
lection of some story of a Nihilist
being banished to Siberia by the
cruel Tsar, there to suffer unspeak-
able misery. in the rich state mines.
The shipping of prisoners, a large
proportion Of whom were out and out
criminals, to Siberia has been an es-
tablished custom since the 18th cen
fury. These prisoners established set
Elements around the fortresses, work
ed in the mines and guarded the fur
trade routes. Except for being sent
to strange land they lived about
as other people in the country lived;
and, in the average case, were prob
f, ably better off than they had been
, at home Just as in the American
colonies or in Australia, they estab-
/ lished homes and many Of them
were the forebears of the prominent
citizens of later years.
| Since President Wilson's mistaken
zeal over oppressed peoples wrecked
! the peace treaty, suspicion Is
growing that most so-called "op-
pressed peoples" jolly we'll deserve to
! be oppressed and are undesira BILE
citizens generally This applies with
especial force to the Armenians. At
any rate. our immigration service is
becoming alive to the fact that OPP
preston in itself, political or eco
nomic. should no longer be taken as
recommendation of the oppressed,
and that a little investigation as to
! the reasons for the oppression might
we'll be in order with at least an
even chance that the alleged Cypress
ing government was using at least
little intelligence in trying to han
die a really difficult situation. Also.
| after five years of the Soviets and
| Boisheviki. the old Tsaristic regime
would look pretty good both to out
siders and to the Russians them
selves.
Policy Of Colonization
! The shipping of prisoners to 81
IBERIA. however, was only one phase
OF a general colonization policy
which has resulted in there being
| 9. 900 900 Russians among Siberia
population of 100000 today. The
prisoners never numbered more than
800 900. About IL of these i3.000,ooO
80 nh aikq1 Nat.
urally the lands nearer to Russia
filled up more rapidly. This coloniz-
ation was speeded up during the
past two generations, and since the
5000 mile TranslSiberian Railway
| was completed in 1904. the popula
ton of Siberia has nearly doubled.
Russia seized the Amur in 1888. In
| 1893 came the expedition OF Berlns
and Chirikov which resulted in the
discovery of the mainland OF North
| America. Alaska, and the kuriles
There followed great activity in
trade and trapping. Just before
1900 the Russian American Com
pany was organized. with enormous
privileges, corresponding to the Hud
sons Bay Company on this slde
Just before the World War great
trading companies had started reg
ular fleet of about 80 steamers OF
the Siberian rivers and had demon
strated the possibilities Of the Arctic
route to Siberia.
Breaks Up Into Groups
| ION nf 141I II
Russia, =, Siberia broke up intf
groups. With the coming into power
of the Bolshevists. Eastern Siberia
fell into disorder until the coming
of the military expedition OF the AL
lies. With the defeat, of Kolchal
late in 1919 and the withdrawal o
the Allies. disorder again became
general. The Far Eastern Repub
lie. or Chfta government, is a loose
w organized buffer state betweei
Soviet Russia and Japan. to dat
largely upheld by the latter. I'M
yladivostok government, or Maritim'
l,Proyince Insurrection. now on II
last legs due to Japan's withdrawal
never effectively controlled Tn
coast provinces.
In European Russia the land ques
tion had been one of the bases
revolutionary agitation for man
years. and with the passing OF In
old regime, the reform OF the Ian
tenure system became part OF TN
Soviet program. In contrast VIII
this situation is the absence OF
land question in Siberia. Hence tn
i,Soviet government was able TO Of
ganize in Siberia local government
sympathetic towards itself. not 10
the usual reasons, but for the reasn
that Siberia is composed OF frontie
ueoples who had always striyen &c
! local self-government of the zemstv
, type. as promised by the Tsar
, 1905. :,
Siberia is without leaders. II
neople are interested in the discu
!, sion OF theories of government. b
! only a few are sufficiently educate
: TO work out practical measures, an
q there Is also large proportion
lawless people who make the o
ganization of life and governmel
n still more difficult.