A LAND OF PROMISE 



1081 



of 258 miles to Dairen (formerly Dalny), 

 Port Arthur, while another light Jap- 

 anese military railway, now in course of 

 reconstruction, extends from Mukden to 

 Antung, there connecting with the Kor- 

 ean road to Seoul and Fusan. Especially 

 interesting, however, is the Chinese ex- 

 tension, over which one travels comfort- 

 ably 756 miles via Peking to Hankau 

 whence via weekly steamers down the 

 Yang-tse-kiang to Nanking and over 

 another railway 196 miles in length, 

 Shanghai is reached (see map, p. 1076). 



p;xce;i.le;nt accommodations 



These railways have brought Peking 

 within 14 days' travel of London, the 

 fare, including sleeping car, being about 

 $150 for second-class and $230 for first- 

 class passengers. 



The following information is of prac- 

 tical value regarding fares, distances, and 

 time. The distance from Vladivostok to 

 Moscow is 5,426 miles, which were trav- 

 ersed in 9 days and 21 hours. There are 

 three through trains each week — an ordi- 

 nary express, the state express, and the 

 international train dc luxe. On the last 

 our journey was made. Except a trans- 

 fer at Irkutsk, 3,425 miles east of Mos- 

 cow, there is no change of cars. 



The international is a steam-heated, 

 electric-lighted, well-ventilated corridor 

 train with an attached dining car. There 

 are no ordinary passenger coaches, but 

 there are first-class and second-class 

 sleeping cars, divided into state-rooms 

 for two and for four persons, the fare 

 for each person being, respectively, 

 328.50 roubles (about $165) and 213.82 

 roubles (about $107). 



Breakfast (bread and coffee, chocolate, 

 or tea) cost 0.55, lunch 1.25, and dinner 

 1.50 roubles. The food is plain but well 

 cooked, the service good, and the cars 

 clean. 



There is practically no difference be- 

 tween second and first-class accommoda- 

 tions except better upholstery and an in- 

 different toilet for the latter. Each com- 

 partment has leather-lined fittings (easily 

 washed), a small table with a movable 

 electric light, and very ample room for 

 all baggage that can be needed in the 

 ten days' journey. The free registered 



baggage is strictly limited and charges 

 are high for extra weights. 



While each compartment is private, 

 there are no curtains to insure privacy of 

 the separate berths. Other notable de- 

 fects are scarcity of towels, lack of good 

 drinking water, and the indifferent toilet 

 conveniences, there being no separate 

 provision for women. Bathing was pos- 

 sible in a section of the baggage car. 

 The road being broad gauge and the 

 speed low made night travel most com- 

 fortable. 



East of Manchuria there are excellent 

 buffets at the larger stations, and at every 

 stop during daylight there were present 

 venders of bread, butter, fruit, milk, 

 chickens, etc., all of excellent quality and 

 at moderate prices. 



MANCHURIA IS RICH BE;yOND CALCULA- 

 TIONS 



The slow-moving train and long stops 

 enable one to form clear opinions as 

 to the physical characteristics of Man- 

 churia during the travel of 926 miles 

 which bisects this great region. There 

 can be but one conclusion — that its agri- 

 cultural, mineral, and other possibili- 

 ties are valuable beyond present compu- 

 tation. It resembles in appearance and 

 approximates both in area and fertility 

 that part of the United States which lies 

 between the Mississippi River and the 

 Rocky Mountains. Although in the main 

 a level, disforested, and agricultural 

 country, Manchuria presents in its north- 

 western section, in the valleys of the 

 upper Sungari and Yalo rivers, not only 

 valuable virgin forests, but also vast min- 

 eral deposits, of which the most valuable,, 

 coal, is already in process of utilization 

 by the railway. 



Whatever opinions may be held re- 

 garding the past policy and conduct of 

 Russia as regards Manchuria, it is evi- 

 dent to any observant traveler that its 

 railway construction and attendant de- 

 velopments have vastly benefited this 

 Chinese province. Brigandage has been, 

 largely suppressed, life and property 

 made more secure, local industries stimu- 

 lated, and distant markets made acces- 

 sible. With settled conditions since the 

 war, the trade in agricultural products 



