180 THE GROWTH OF RUSSIA 



Russia's dejiendeiicies and those of Great Britain with otlier nations. 

 I mention Great Britain because out of all the powers of the eastern 

 hemisphere she alone in magnitude and strength can be weighed in 

 the same scale with Russia. Russia's gains touch the borders or affect 

 the direct interests of few European states. She ma}' arouse their 

 jealousy or fear, because she casts so stupendous a shadow upon the 

 world-maj), but she seldom comes into perplexing or irritating con- 

 nection with them. She is not near at hand to excite their suspicion, 

 endanger their welfare, or humiliate their pride. Wherever there is a 

 British possession it must impinge ui)on or wound the susceptibilities 

 of somebod}^ else. Hence arises an intinit_v of possil)le comi>lications 

 and troubles whiclronly long-suffering tact and sorely strained com- 

 promise can adjust. But Russia's fingers touch neither North nor 

 South America, Africa nor Oceanica — that is. througliout one of the 

 hemispheres and by far the largest portion of the otlier nowhere does 

 her tread threaten to trample on another's feet. 



Russia's iNACcESSiBiury by sea 



In nothing is the contrast greater between eastern and western 

 Europe than in their accessibilit}' by sea, Russian territory com- 

 prises about eleven-twentieths of Europe, and the non-Russian terri- 

 tory, shared I)}' nineteen states, the remaining nine-twentieths. The 

 nine-twentieths have a coast line of over 15,000 miles. The eleven- 

 twentieths have a coast line of less than 5,000 miles, 2,400 miles of 

 which extend along the inhospitable and frozen shores of the Arctic 

 Ocean and ^Vhite Sea. The remaining 2,600 miles nowhere touch 

 the ocean or any of its immediate waters. They border only on three 

 inland, almost land docked seas— the Baltic, the Black Sea, and the 

 ('as))ian. The White Sea and the Arctic Ocean are navigal)le only 

 from June to Septendjer. altout four months each year. The eastern 

 Baltic is connnonly shut to navigation from the end of November to 

 April. The Casi)ian is an Asiatic lake, connecting with no other 

 water. The Black Sea is shut in b}' Euroi)ean diplomac}' to the 

 navies of Russia. Not a fishing smack can descend the Bosphorus 

 without the special permit of the government of the Sultan. 



The rest of the European world looks out upon — accessible at its 

 door — the chief maritime highways of mankind, the North Sea, the 

 Atlantic Ocean, and the Mediterranean. Russia, with her swelling 

 l)opulation, her tremendous area, and her enormous i)roducts, does 

 not touch upon those highwavs at any point. What the Mississippi 



