RUSSIA IN THE EAST.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 5 October 1901, Page 4

RUSSIA IN THE EAST.

Mr C. F. Davis, a Pacific Coast journal list, who has just returned from Siberia, says that the opening of Siberia : by its great railway, while attracting the attention of the entire civilised world, is a matter of special interest to our Pacific slope, its greatest natural market. Eastern Siberia is but sparsely settled, having a population of perhaps 1,200,000, but the railroad also traverses Manchuria, rich in many parts both in agriculture and minerals, and with a population variously estimated at from 11,000,000 to 20,000,000. The two principal Eastern termini of the railway are Port Arthur, in Manchuria, and Vladivostock, in Eastern Siberia, and, though the former naval stronghold is nominally held on a twentyfive years’ lease from the Chinese Government, no one can for an instant doubt Russia’s intention to obtain the control o£ all Manchuria for all time. Evennow, almost every large town in it is garrisoned w.th Russian troops ; the laws, whether relating !o foreigners or Chinese are admir-strated by Russian officials ; the Gove nm nt is building a commercial

city (some forty miles from Port Arthur, and to be called Dalny) capable it is said, of housing 1,000,000 inhabitants, and, to my certain knowledge, a Russian engin-er-in-chief in the interior recently sent word to the Custom House in "Vladivostock that certain foreign goo is would no longer be admitted to the province. Are all the other Powers too much engrossed with the situation at Pekin to heed what is going on, or will they without remonstrance permit Russia to “annex’ this vast region on the threadbare plea of “sphere of influence?” Be this at it may, the entire region, and more especially the two ports referred to is now in a state of unwonted activity, and though there is little to be seen, on any hand, in the line or private enterprise tbe expenditure of the “paternal” Government on its many undertakings of money borrowed from Franco 1 are simply enormous. Tho Russian Government is certainly tho most despotic and suspicious—ii not tbe most officially corrupt in the world, and for some time after reaching Port Arthur (even cautioned upon entering the harbor not to closely inspect the fortifications with my field glass 1) I hardly dared look crosseyed at anybody or any-thing—-it moaning imprisonment for a civilian to even speak of a war with .1 apan then believed to bo imminent. When at last (finding myself still at liberty) I mustered up courage and looked about raa I discovered much that was interesting for its novelty, but little to please or amuse. It might at present perhaps be best described at an Oriental “boom town,” its narrow, dirty streets being thronged chiefly with Russian soldiery and Chinese coolies and a sprinkling of almost every nationality under the sun.