THE GREAT SIBERIAX RAILWAY. 263 



new position of coramercial intercourse between European Russia and Siberia on the one 



* 

 hand, and within the l)orders of Siberia on the other hand. In order, however, to grasp the 



whole extent of the actual importance of the Great Siberian Railway for Russian trade, the 

 scope of vision must be enlarg((d and the probable consequcncos of this enterprise musf be 

 examined in coimection with the fact that uninterrupted railroad communication will be 

 establislK^d between Europe and the Pacific and the Far East. Thus the Siberian railway opens 

 a new route, and new horizons for universal, as well as for Russian trade. This was clearly 

 understood by the Russian merchants, whose representatives at the fair of Nizhni-Xovgorod 

 in 1889 expressed Iheir hopes connecting the Russian merchant class with the realization of 

 this enterprise in an address on the Siberian railway in the following terms: <:This railroad 

 will be of immense economic importance to Russia, and will give a great impulse to Russian 

 industry; it will connect 400 million Chinese and 35 million Japanese with Europe tlirough 

 Russia. The strenuous endeavours made by Germany to gain possession of the markets of the 

 Pacific, and llie ett'orts which have been made to complete the Panama Canal visibly sh<iw that 

 the economic struggle already commenced will end on the Pacific Oc<.'an. The Canadian rail- 

 road has now appropriated part of the freights of silk, tea and furs which previously reached 

 Europe through the Suez. Tiidoubtedly part of these goods will pass tlirough Russia as the 

 joui-iiry from Europe through Vladivostok to Shanghai will be made in 18 or 20 days, 

 instead of 45 through Suez or 35 days at present by the Canadian railway». 



It is particularly important for Russia that this change in the direction of the trattic 

 between Europe and the east of Asia should be to its advantage, and taking part in this 

 communication with a contiimous railroad more than 10 thousand versts long it can reap 

 all the advantages not only in the conveyance of goods from the east of Asia and west of 

 Europe, but also those of a large producer and consumer more closely coiniecied than all 

 others with the people of the east of Asia. The Siberian line will therefore not only have 

 the ett'ect of increasing the importance of Russia in the universal markets but new sources 

 of national wealth will abundantly open around her. 



It may be added that China, Japan and Corea, whose uuitcij populations anioiuit tn uvei' 

 4G0 millions and whose international trade turnover exceeds 500 million roubles in gold, have 

 not reached by far the limit of development of their commercial intercourse with Europe, 

 but are rather undergoing the elementary stage of it. The internal provinces of China, being 

 further removed from the shore ai'e but little accessible to Europeans: but when once China has 

 opened its ports to international trade, the provinces which have as yet l)een but little fre- 

 ({uentod by Europeans, will in the natural course of events sooner or later enter the inter- 

 national markets and carry on intermitional commerce. In any case the commercial intercourse 

 between Europe and China has every reascni to extend, and it is therefore not sui'pising that 

 the nations of Europe are making strenuous endeavours to gain possession of the eastein 

 nuirkets of Asia and do not hesitate before any expenditure likely to lead to this object. But 

 in this respect, owing to its contiguity to these above lucMlioned rich countries, Russia 

 possesses important advantages over all tbe other nations of I'liirope. Thus, at a distance of 

 (udy 1 to 4'/i thousand versts from the Volga, the Siberian I'ailway approaches so near to 

 the Chinese fronliei', llial it would he ([iiile possihle. iiy iueau> ol a lirancli liue running into 



