The Alamance Gleaner 1
VOL. LV. GRAHAM, N, C., THURSDAY OCTOBER 10, 1929. NO. 36. 1
WHAT'S GOING ON I!
NEWS REVIEW OF
CURRENTEVENTS
Democrats and Radicals of
Senate Defeat Hoover
on Flexible Tariff.
By EDWARD W. PICKARD
THIRTEEN Republican senators,
nearly all classed as "radicals,"
united with the Democrats last week
to administer a decisive defeat to
I'resldent Hoover In the tariff bill
battle. Ily n vote of 47 to 42 the sen
ate adopted the Simmons nmendment
to the measure taking away from the
I'resldent the-power to make changes
11# the duties under the so-called flex
ible tnrlfT provision which has been In
effect for seven yours. Mr. Hoover
had urged that this feature of the bill
be retained, hut the majority of the
senators decided that It represents a
delegation of the taxing power by
congress to the executive and might
lead to further usurpation of the pow
ers of the legislative branch of the
government. Anyhow, that was their
story and they stuck to It, nlthough
nnblnsed observers thought their ac
tion bad more of a political basis.
The President's position In the matter
had Ihe approval of nearly all the big
fltrm organizations, but the radical
Republicans, most of whom claim to
represent agricultural states, disre
garded this fact and took advantage
of the opportunity to hit Mr. Hoover.
The Democrats nrc not nt-nll sure of
keeping a solid front on the rate
schedules, so they made this showing
on an administrative feature, only
four of their menfbers voting against
the Simmons amendment.
Under the amendment adopted, the
President would be required to trans
mit promptly tariff commission re
ports to congress, adding Ills own rec
ommendation If desired. Sole author
ity to make changes In duties would
be vested In congress. To prevent the
opening up of other tariff matters con
gress would be prevented from con
sidering any amendments to bills em
bodying tariff commission recom
mendations which were not germane
to the particular Item. Senator John
son said the tariff would be "Infinitely
more flexible" under the amendment
than under the present low. Of course
the house may reject the amendment.
ONE hundred and seventy-five con
victs In the Colorado state peni
tentiary at Canon City mutinied, mur
dered half a dozen guards and barri
caded themselves In one of the cell
houses, defying the warden's forces
and a detachment of Kutlonnl Guards
men. The convicts had few guns but
plenty of ammunition, and before they
were conquered It was found necessary
to use machine guns, dynamite and j
finally a .75-mllllmcter field piece from
' the rifle range at Golden. During the
fierce battle Warden K. E. Crawford
himself was badly wounded. The
mutineers, who were led hy one Dan
ny Daniels, demanded unrestricted
freedom, threatening the death of
guards they had raptured If I Ills were
refused. The state forces would not
listen to any such proposals. The
warden's men were reinforced not only
by the militia but also by police from
Denver and other cities and hundreds
of armed citizens.
WILLIAM B. SHEA KICK, the "ob
server" for American ship build
ing concerns at the Genera naval con
ference of 1927, was a voluhle and
sensational witness before the senate
committee that Is Investigating prop
agandist activities, and after hearing
him the committee adjourned Its ses
sions until the visit of I'rlme Minister
MarDouald Is concluded. This prob
ably was wise, for Shearer had
brought Into the record and banded to
the committee a document which
would be Internationally startling If It
were genuine. This purports to be ?
letter addressed to David Lloyd George
and was said to be "reeking with hos
tility to the United States." Shearer
attributed It to Sir William Wiseman,
whom he called the chief British spy
In the United States during the war
and who Is now with Kuhn, Loeh &
Co. of New York. He said It was
given him by a Mr. Sumiher* of Los
Angeles, who received It from a Mr.
Wheeler, wild got It from Ben Mc
Lenden, who extracted It from the
flies of the British consulate In New
York during the war; and thnt he
showed It to navy officers and to the J
then Senntor Reed of Missouri, and
It played an Important part In shap
ing the naval policy of the senate.
Sir William Wiseman denounces
the document as n "clumsy, absurd ?
forgery." W. S. Summers of I.os An
geles says he knows Shearer but
.knows nothing of the letter. B. B.
Wheeler, formerly a federal secret
service operative, says he never knew
Shearer; and A. C. Merrill, a Navy
department expert, has given an opin
ion that the document Is spurious. All
of which did not 6eem to abash
Shearer. Several well-known news
paper correspondents who/were at the
Geneva conference and whose names
were dragged into Ids story by
Shearer, have declared that gentle
man's statements to be lies.
BltlG. GEN. F. P. CltOZIEK of Eng
land,' right hand man of Lord
Itobert Cecil In disarmament efforts,
sent to Ambassador Dawes ? letter
stating that In 1927 a man calling
himself "Sherman" offered him large
sums of money to cocse his advocacy
of a reduction of the British army
and navy, and that Jn the newspaper
portraits of Shearer he recognised
likenesses of that man. Shearer de
nies having approached General Cro
sier, saying he had not been In Eng
land since 1918 and never heard of
the general.
When the committee resumes Its
hearings It will call Sir William Wise
man, Former Secretary of State Kel
logg and others whose names have
come up In the Inquiry. Under a reso
lution Introduced by Senator Cara
way the senate, through Its Judiciary
committee, also will start an Investi
gation of all lobbies operating In con
gress.
GERMANY lost Its foremost states
man last week when Dr. Gustae
Stresemann, foreign minister, died of
a heart attnck following a stroke of
paralysis. He had been In poor health'
for months but recently had so far re
covered as to be able to take part
In the reparations conference at The
Hague and the session of the I.cngue
of Nations assembly In Geneva. Doc
tor Stresemann, who was born In Ber
lin In 1878, was president of the Ger
man People's party, a -member of the
rclchstag and was several times chan
cellor of both the empire and the re
public. It was he who put Into effect
the policy of reconciliation with Ger
many's former foes nnd who brought
his country Into the League of Na
tions. He was looked upon as the
backbone of the present Mueller cab
inet and Berlin politicians doubted
whether the coalition government
could be held together without bias.
THAT tropical hurricane that swept
westward from the West Indies,
after killing some twenty persons and
doing great damage In the Bahamas,
struck Florida with devastating force,
ten ring Its way upward from Key
West to I'ensacola and then veering
over to the Atlantic coast region and
dissipating Itself In furious rnrn
storms. The Florldlans, helng fore
warned, had taken all possible precau
tions, bdt the property losses were
considerable though the deaths were
few. The rains In the Carolines and
Georgia added to the already serious
flood situation there, the Savannah
and other rivers having risen to stages
unequaled In many years. All tie
way up te Jtew Kngln nd the _ storjn
crippled land and water transporta
tion and wire service. >
n AMSAY MAC DONALD must hare
^ been gratified with the reception
accorded him hy the officiate and peo
ple of the United States. The pritne
minister's ship, the Berengarla, was
escorted Into New York harbor Friday
morning by the cruisers Memphis and
Treqton, and at quarantine he and his
party were.taken In hand by Mapor
Walker's welcoming committee ud
landed at Battery l'oint There they
were met by Secretary of State Stlm
son and British Ambassador Kir Kama
Howard and then a procession was
formed to the city hall, where Mr.
MacDonald was granted the freedom
of the city. JSoon thereafter the party
took train for Washington, where the
prime minister and his daughter Isbbel
went flirt to the British embassy. On
Saturday Mr. MacDonald becnme the
guest of President Hoover at the
White House and the conversations
(Hi Anglo-nrltlsh relations and' naval
reduction, the purpose of the visit, be
trsn. The social program arranged In
the National Capital Included func
tions at whleh Iahhel was the central
Bgure.
While the prime minister was on
the high seas, Arthur Henderson, min
ister for foreign affairs, and Nailer!an
PovgalevFU.v, Soviet ambassador to
Prance, got together and signed nn
agreement for full resumption of dip
lomatic relations between Oreat Brit
ain and litisala, Inelitding an exchange
ef ambassadors, and for the settlement
?f questions outstanding between the
two goyrnments. This agreement Is
subject to the approval of parliament.
Questioning of the menu*? of
flie federal furm hoard wag con
tinued by the senate committee on ag
riculture and the board wns subjected
to further criticism for not usfng huge
sums of money to force up Ute prices
of this season's wheat crop. Samnel
R. McKelvte, of Nebraska, the wheut
member of the board, had a sharp
clash with Senator Ilrookhart on the
question of whether or not the board
was authorized to flx prices, the Iowa
solon Insisting It was.
Mr. McKelvIe said that the board
members hope that the new grain mar
keting corporation which Is In process
of organization at Chicago,' will be
ready to operate In such a manner as
to stabilize wheat prices next year. l(
was the opinion of the board, he said,
that It was not feasible to commence
stabilization operations this year.. In
Chicago William II. Settle, chairman
of the organization committee, said the
grain marketing corporation Would be
completed within a week. AI the call
of the farm board the wool growers of
the nation held a meeting In Chicago
to discuss plans for a simile* central
marketing and financing agency for
their Industry.
THE American Legion, In annual
session In Louisville, held the
greatest parade In Its history and
then got down to business, adopting
a lot of resolutions most of which
concerned the care of disabled vet
erans and like matters. Woodlnwn
poet of Chicago won first place In the
drill team competition and Electric
post of Milwaukee won the bhnd con
test Boston and Los Angeles sought
next year's convention and It was
awnrded to the Massachusetts city on
the first ballot.
O. L. Bodenhnmer of El Dorado, Ark.,
was elected commander unanimously.
He was a school teacher who' enlisted
ns a private In 1017 and was dis
charged two years later as a major.
Mrs. Donald Macrea of Council Bluffs,
Iowa, was chosen natlonnl president
of the American Legion auxiliary.
LEADERS Id the prohibition cause
to the nntnber of a score met In
Washington and organized the "co
operative committee for prohibition
enforcement" which Is Intended to co
ordinate the activities of the country's
numerous dry organizations. The
headquarters will be In Washington
and the chairman Is Tatrick 11. Calla
han of I.oulsvllle. The committee
proposes to lay a scientific ground
work for a campaign of education as
to the benefits of prohibition.
Tresldent floorer appointed John
R. UcNnb of San Kntnclsco as head
of a special body which will study
and formulate changes In federal ad
ministration and Judicial machinery.
In announcing the appointment the
Tresldent said the recommendations
of this group would be sunmltted to
congress for the more effective en
forcement of the laws under the
Eighteenth amendment.
FKWZ VON OPEL of Germany,
wealthy automobile builder and
race driver, made the Brat flight to
a plane propelled by roeketa aa waa
the car be recently tried ont. He
flew for about all ml lea at terrlflc
apeed and then, the roeketa being uaed,
came down In a craah that wrecked
the plane though be escaped unin
jured.
Coete and Bellonte, the French
pilots who started from Parts east
ward on an endurance flight, were
believed, toward the end of the week,
to have landed In some remote Si
berian forest.
(ft ItSS. Vffftfra Htwsptpv Colon.)
Fear Hawaiian Volcano
May Resume Activities
Hunlalal. the Hnwa'lan volcano for
which J)r. T. A. Jnggar, noted vol
ranologlst, baa predicted possible erup
tive activity within a month. Is nor
mally one of the quietest of all vol
canoes known to he active. In a
statement which wes Issued to Science
Service Dr. Harry Washington of
the geophysical labratory of the Cap
. negle Institution of Washlngtoa, D.
flU himself a leading authority an
the ware of volcanoes, called at
tention to the fact that during the
knows history of the Hawaiian Islands
Hualalaf has had only one lava flow
of major proportions, and that Jras
ovef i century and a quarter ajk In
lflfti. Then the lava broke forth from
a secondary vent on the side of the
mountain and flowed In a widening
fan-shaped stream to the sea.
Hnalalal lies at a considerable dis
tance from Kllanea. It Is situated
In the western part of the Island of
Hawaii, about sixty miles from
Kllanead which (land* la th? south
western part. It la a boat twice aa
high aa Kllanea. rising to go deration
of some &200 feet and bearing several
well-marked cones on Its' summit, aa
wdl aa a number of craters on Its
spolea.
Manna Loe, which Doctor Jaggar
has warned may join Hnalalal and Kl
laoea In a great triple eruption to
relieve the swelling lava tide now
rising beneath tjie Island, lb the high
est of the active volcawms In the
Pacific area, rising to 13^00 feet.
BRINGING H
DOWN THE
11 HAWK j
? S Uv D. J. Walsh )
L1xdy hand heard ? chicken
squawk. Almost Instantly u hawk
whistled triumphantly. She leaped
to the tlqor. The children. Jack
and Elsie, ran to her, screaming at tWe
top of their voices: "He got ItP
Against the blue afternoon sky sailed
a great bird with a half grown yellow
chicken clutched In Ills talons.
"We were keeping watch, mother,
honest!" Six-year-old Jack said ear
nestly. "Hut he Just swooped right
down I*
"It was the chicken with the droopy
wing, mother!" said flve-year-old
Elsie, half crying.
"He'll be back after more," l.ludy
sighed. She was almost overwhelmed
by this new difficulty. A woman alone
'with two small children, she had to
light more than hawks.
The hawk hnd perched on the
branch of a tree within plain sight
of the house and was coolly mnktng
a meal. When he hnd finished he
came back for more. Itound ttnd
round above the chicken yard he cir
cled.
Mndy watched him anxiously. She
was desperate. Every chicken meant
money. She needed money as never
before.
Suddenly she turned and went mtn
the house, ller husband's shotgun
rested npon wooden pegs against the
kitchen wall. It had never been
touched since the last time'he put It
there;. It was loaded. I.lndy knew
how to shoot, although she had a hor
ror of firearms. She took the gun
down and went out of doors again.
"Mother: mother! The hawk I l.ook.
the hawk I" shrieked Jack and Elsie.
Llndy hnd a glimpse of gleaming
wings, low to the ground. As the
bird lifted Into the air with another
chicken In his talons she rnlsed the
gun to her shoulder and fired. The
weapon kicked so violently Hint she
was clmosi thrown over backward.
"MotherI You got him!" shouted
Jack.
Breathless, shocked, l.lndy sow the
bird floundering before her. The shot
had broken lilt wing. She laid down
the gun, grabbed nn empty chicken
coop and put It over the bird.
Down the durty rond from town
came a powerful car driven by the
one person In the world whom Llndy
feared and distrusted. This wot Alio
Akroyd, the man who had sold the
place to her husband. I'nyment and
Interest were due that dn.v, and she
knew Hint Abe had come to see
shout It.
The car stopped under the great
spruce tree that shaded the shabby
house nnd Abe stepped out. lie was
a heavily built man with n gray-bris
tled Jaw and small linrd eyes. He
had a gold tooth that gleamed hugply
when he spoke. Somehow In that mo
ment he made l.lndy Ihlnk of the
hawk, potent, relentless, predatory
But she hnd worsted Ihe hawk. That
knowledge gave her courage to face
the man.
"Well, l.lndy, how are you coin
Ing?" he began. "You know wlmt
day this Is, I suppose?" lie took s
small black book from his pocket and
consulted II. "I'nyment and Interest ?
$.130.".*
"I enn pay only the Interest." I.lndv
looked pleadingly Into Hie coarse face.
"My chickens came on stow. In Ihe
fall?"
"Now, now I I expected better than
that of you, l.lndy. You've hnd a
whole year In which to gel righted
since John died."
"A whole year I" l.lndy's lips quiv
ered.
Abe consulted the book again and
shook his head.
"Business Is business. You know
that, Mndy. I'd like to accommodate
everybody, nut If I begin with you
the rest of 'em will he on thy back.
I've got a good bit of properly trust
ed out around the country. And I lire
by what folks owe me. I got to treat
all alike; It don't pay to get too soft
hearted."
"I don't expect anything but fair
treatment. Mr. Akroyd. I am doing
tbe beat I can. A year Im't Very long
for a woman that's working alone with
two small children to earn *.>*) or
1000 outside her living expenses. All
I ask Is an extension of time. ilr.
AJiroyd."
Abe squinted npwnrd at the roof ot
tbe small house. A corner of the
loosely sblogled roof had blown off In
a recent high wind. When Abe sold
a piece of property he always demand
ed that the buildings be kept In good
condition.
"That looks bad." he commented.
Llndy knew It. She bit ber Hps.
"I.lndy," said Abe, patting tbe black
book back Into his pocket, "III tell yon
what yon better do. Ton better give
np this place and move Into loon.
Yoall llod work there. Tou're never
going to get this place paid for, that's
I fair and square. l-lndy."
Llndy went white. She clutched at
her throbbing ihront. The place was
home to Iter and Die children", It had
been John's home while he lived, lie
had brought her there a bride. They
had planned to pay for It and Im
prove It and continue there In their
old age. She couldn't give It up.
Krom her pocket ajie look a purse,
opened It and with trembling lingers
counted out KM In worn bills. The
Interest. She held nut the money to
Abe, hut he refused It with a gesture.
"All or nothing. I.lndy. I Imte to
do It. hut J got to be firm. I'll pay
you back cash for every cent due you.
The money will give you a start some
where else. I'm nITcred more for the
place this minute thun I asked when
I sold II to John Hand, lid llolmes
wantg It, I.lndy, I rau't turn down a
good cash offer for It, you know."
"Kd Holmes!" Unity's fine was
scarlet now. "I've seen him snooping
'round on my hill yonder. I don't
know wlint he's looking for. Ibit he's
going to keep off the premises as long
as I occupy them or?or I'll drive lilui
off with a shotgun!"
"What's this?" Abe looked In nston
ment at the palpitating little figure of
the young woman.
I.lndy pointed toward the chicken
coop within which the hawk was glow
ering.
"I Just shot him." she said. ?
"Yes, mother did. tool" cried loyal
Jack.
Abe looked at the hnwk, which be
hadu't noticed before.
'Guess I'll hare to warn F.d to stay
away," he said. Then as I.lndy again
held out the money to him pleadingly
he turned from her and went to his
car. Stepping In. he drove swiftly
away.
Weak nnd fnlnl I.lndy sat down on
the doorstep. Abe bad refused the In
terest. That meant lie was deter
mined to get rid if her. Me wanted
to let Ed Molmes linvc the place. What
did Eil want to for? What was he
doing up there In thai stone, patch?
"Jack and Elsie," she called. "Von
sln.v here nnd wntch the chickens. I'm
going up on the hill for n Utile while."
She hadn't been on the bill since
John died. It was nothing but an old
rock pile anyway; no good land. John
had pnld much uiore than the place
was worth nnd now Abe Akroyd was
squeezing her for the payments.
She climbed up to where she had
seen Ed Holmes s few'days before.
Just Inside the woods she stopped
aghnst. Ilefore her some freshly dug
earth nnd chlpplngs of rock. Ed
llolmes had been digging Into her
land. What for? What did he hope
to hnd In a barren place like this?
I.lndy run all the way hack to the
house.
Ten minutes later she was racing
toward town, the two children bob
bing on the hack sent of the old
flivver.
Down Main street she drove, past
all the lawyers' ofllres until she came
to n shabby house, where on the porch,
sat nn obi man rending n hlg book.
"Mr. While!" I.lndy said, going up
to him. "Vou've rend Just slwiut ev
erything. John nlwnys snld you were
the best Informed man In these parts.
I've got s mystery to solve. Vou
know what my land Is. Vou know
wlinl I hat hill back of the bouse Is.
What would n man like Ed Holmes
Am] there to Interest Mm?"
"Keen snooping round there, hns
be?" Inquired the old man.
"Hlgglng dirt, chipping o(T pieces of
rock."
"I'll I Inline*, you know. l.lndy, hn*
mnde a great study of tlie rocka here
about*. lie prhle* hlmnelt on being a
genuine geologist. Yea, yea. Guesj
I'll go home with, you, l.lndy, onil
*oe what I nuike out."
Buck toward home raced l.lndjr with
l he one peraon ahe fell alie could ab
solutely irtial. She helped llie old
man up the hill; ahc boosled lilm up.
lie knell ilotvn. Me picked up a bit
of rock, lie held (he aperlnien cloae
to Ida eye*. The light fcnd life of
youth tlreamed Into Id* old face.
"Blue granite I" he anbL "Yea, ye*.
I.lmly, diuil yoo breathe a word of
tlila lo anyone. There'* a plot on fool
lo rob you. Ilul you'll fool 'em, I.lmly,
If you Just keep your mouth abut."
For (lie aecond time that day l.lndy
raced lo town. It waa near innaet
when *he located Abe Akroyd. Mr.
White had lent her the money,to uiake
the tail payment, and Abe reluctantly
received It.
Kd llolme* had not let Abe know
why he wanted the Rand place. When
he found nut that he couldn't hare ll
be waa furious, but not fin If so furi
ous a* Ahe hlmaelf.
As for l.lndy. who had outwitted
them both and who found herself
obout to become a rich woman, ahe
went home nnd commiserated with the
captive hawk.
"Keep up your courage, old boy,"
she said. "Your wing I* going to
mend nicely. And then you'll be able
to fly again. I owe you something and
I always pay my debts."
Love'* Dnaadi
We ran sometimes lovp what we do
not understand, but It Is Impossible
completely lo understand what we do
oof lore.?Mrs. Jameson.
Trans-Siberian
Railway^
UL'I J""
Part of tho Harbor of Vladivostok.
(Prepared by the National (Jeographlc
Society. Waahlugton. D. C->
RUSSIA'S Far ICnstern problem
Ilea nl the end of the world's
longest railway, the Trnno Si
berian. It was a tremendous
task to build this rnllwny, and It has
heen equally a great task at times to
keep It In efficient operation.
The distance from the I'aclflc ter
minus at Vladivostok to Moscow Is 0.
1501 miles, and to I'etrogrnd ft,481
Much of the road Is still single track,
and the tremendously heavy traffic ol
the war years levied a heavy toll on
both equipment and roadbed. While
In the main grades are fair, yet It Is
not to he expected that on a road ol
such length these could he compared
to the grades obtaining on our own
principal lines. The result Is com
paratively short trains, many engines,
and slow progress. Fast trains noyr
require about ten days for the trip
from Moscow to the Pnctflc, when they
traverse the Chinese ICnstern tracks
through Mnnchurtn.
On leaving Moscow, the Trans Si
berian road runs through about 3U0
miles of the great western plnln of
ICuropean Itussln to the city of Ufa
at the foot of Hie Ural mountains.
Some 520 inllcs east of Moscow Is a
pyramid on the one side of which Is
Inscribed the word "Kurope," and on
the opposite side the word "Asia.1*
This pyramid stands on the very apes
of the Urals. The railroad at this
point Is 1,850 feet above sen level. He
tween Ufa and Tchelyhlnsk the rood
rises from 810 feet elevation to 1,850
feet and drops back again to 700 feet..
At the latter plnce are huge wooden
barracks where Immigrants entering
Siberia were quartered In prewar
times, walling for railroad trnnspor.
tat Ion.
Across the vast stretches of western
Siberia the Trans-Siberian railroad
passes grassy steppes Inhabited by
horse-breeding Klrghlves, through long
reaches of virgin forest, and through
many Important agricultural regions.
Crossing out of the Tomsk government
Into Hint of Yeniseisk, the rond short
ly reaches Alchlnsk, the northernmost
town on the railroad. Its latitude Is
the same as that of the middle const
of l.nbrn<b>r. Indeed, at no time after
It leaves Moscow until It enters Man
chnrln docs the Trnns-Slherinn ever
tonch further south than the northern
coast of Newfoundland.
Many Tunnels and Bridges.
By (lie time It reaches Lake Baikal,
It has climbed again to 1,900 feet, and
In skirting that body of water has to
pan through forty tunnels, through
numerous giant cuts and over many
bridges. It continues to climb until It
reaches Sokhondo, 8,TOO feet, where It
penetrates a tunnel bearing on Its
western entrance the Inscription "To
the Great Ocean," and on Its eastern
entrance the Inscription "To the At
lantic Ocean." After passing the
Junction of the road to Uukden, the
Trans-Slbcrlan drops down to TOO feet,
then climbs again to 2,100, and thence
back to sea level at Vladivostok.
From this It will be seen that wheth
er viewed from the standpoint of dis
tance, which Is one and ooe-half times
that across the American continent by
some of the longer routes from sea
board to seaboard; whether from (hat
of latitude nod climate, which places
It at limes TOO miles north of the main
coast of Newfoundland and gives It
at some points an average tempera
turs In Japuary of live degrees below
zero; whether from that of elevation
which gives it three mountain ranges to
cross; or whether from that of track
age facilities and rolling stock supply,
no other natloo has ever had such a
railroad problem to deal with In times
of great crises as Russia has In con
nection with (he operation of the
Trans Siberian line.
To guard against difficulties with
China, such as those of recent months,
Russia tire pa red two railway strings
to her transportation bow: the shorter
Chinese Eastern line, built by Chinese
consent on Chinees soil; and the loos
er Amur river branch, entirely oa it on
Ian territory. Tills branch form* ?
tow north of Uuncliiirla nntl meets th? |
,'hlnese Huslern tine again before
caching Vladivostok.
Across the Amur to the south lies
,'hlnn, or rather Manchuria, which, be
'ore the World wur. was being rapidly
tusslanlzed. Still, the river there ts
ruly an InternalInnnl line, and this
vns proved, M hy nothing else, by the
?xtenslve smuggling that went on
icross It.
When the Siberian railway was
pushed through at the end ot the
S'lncteenlh century and the gigantic
?cut-off" was made through Mao
:liurln. It set things hack on the Amur
hir a while. I'.III after the llusso-Jap
inese war, Itussla's hold on Manchuria
was weakened and the empire begun
building the western half of the great
railroad Just north of the Amur where
It would lie entirely on Muscovite ter
ritory. Tremendous hardships were
encountered In traversing bogs and
forests and crossing great rivers; bat
the Job was about completed when Ibe
World wof broke out. This long
stretch of railway paralleling the
Amur from ho to 73 miles north of
It. Is a valuable asset to the Amur
region.
Blagoveshchensk, on the middle
Amur, aud connected wltb the Amur
railway by s branch line. Is the me
tropolis of the province, a town of
about 43,000 Inhabitants. Spread out
along the river bank, with Its spires
and domes showing against the sky
line. It makes an Imposing appearance
to the traveler on the river especially
since It contrasts so noticeably with
the little river towns. Acrors the rtv.
er Is a Chinese town known locally as
Saknlln, but appearing under numer
ous aliases on the maps.
At the eastern end of the Trana-SI
berlnn railway, by whichever route one
goes, lies Vladivostok, "Mistress of the
Bast." In some ways It can be com
pared to San Francisco, at the end of
our "Trans-American" lines, more par
ticularly In the toiler's earlier Bar
bar7 const days.
Vladivostok Is younger than the city
by the Colden Gate. It was founded
In 18C0. Ilad Its normal development
not been Interrupted by the World war
and the unsettled conditions that have
followed, Vladivostok might soon have
rlvnled our own const city In popula
tion and beauty.
Lift In Vladivostok.
A tongue of bill; land tbrnst out In
to ? landlocked bay constitute* the
site of tbe city. The architecture
maintains the European note struck
by the station; nltlch makes the pres.
ence of Oriental people, conreyances
and customs all the more exotic. Too
no sooner accustomed yourself to the
dreary routine of bazaar buying, flour
ishing lotteries and babel of tongues
than you encountered the more famil
iar telegraph ofllce, motion picture the
ater, museum, club and unlreralty.i
Ton might dodge a European racing
car, under an American electric light,
and run plump Into a coolie burden
bearer despite the warning cries of a
Russian policeman. The "Golden Horn"
restaurant was the rendezTous of boa
rlrnnts of the world. The life of
Vladivostok has changed greatly since
those days, and none of the old pros
perity Is apparent
Small wonder living was extremely
dear In the old days and Is dearer
now, since the city subsisted formerly
on supplies from China and Japan,
Europe, and erau America, fts growth
seems due to some Inexplicable excep
tion that proves the rule that a city,
to succeed, should be self-sustaining.
Interchange products with the country
around It be thrifty, cultivate civic
consciousness, be well governed, and
possess some racial, cultural, or pa
triotic unity. It owed Its commerce to
the fact that It was the most nearly
Ice-free port of Siberia, by which vir
tue It became the terminus of the
Trans-Siberian railway, and to the
military and naval establishments
maintained by the government of UN
Tsar.
~ liMB