134 The National Geographic Magazine 



The Russian Advance. By Albert J. 

 Beveridge. With two maps. Pp.486. 

 5}4 hy 8*4 inches. New York : Har- 

 per Bros. 1903. $2.50 net. 

 Senator Beveridge made an extended 

 journey through Manchuria and the Far 

 East in 1901, preceded by a visit to Rus- 

 sia and Siberia. The present volume 

 describes the impressions he derived on 

 that journey, as well as the results of 

 special studies he has made for a num- 

 ber of years of the Russian people and 

 Russian history. His book is one of 

 unusual power and foresight and is writ- 

 ten in the characteristic eloquent and 

 graphic style of the statesman author. 

 He is a great admirer of Russian states- 

 manship, that " far-sighted and patient 

 policy which has always looked ahead 

 and considered the needs of the Russian 

 people a century bej^ond the immediate 

 moment." 



The present war is the inevitable con- 

 flict of the Japanese conception of the 

 Oriental ' ' destiny ' ' of Japan and the 

 Russian conception of the Oriental 

 " destiny " of Russia. But it is a con- 

 flict ' ' not only of opposing interests, but 

 of singularly acute race antipathies. 

 Tolerant as the Russians are of other 

 races, their hatred of the Japanese is 

 pronounced and apparently instinctive." 

 Mr Beveridge tried to discover whether 

 the Chinese in Manchuria objected to 

 Russian control. The unanimous re- 

 ply of every Chinaman, of high or low 

 degree, seemed to be as follows : "I 

 don't care who governs us, and I don't 

 know a single Chinese merchant who 

 does care. All we want is an opportu- 

 nity to do business and make money." 

 Though it was only a year after the 

 Boxer outbreaks when Mr Beveridge 

 was in Manchuria, he found peace and 

 quiet everywhere. Hundreds of thou- 

 sands of Chinese laborers were working 

 on the railroad, on the new towns of 

 Dalny, Harbin, etc., contented and 

 happy. The secret of Russian success 

 in bringing tranquillity so quickly is 

 the Russian method. " It is the simple 



and traditional method of Russia to 

 strike when you strike, and to spare not 

 when you are striking. It is to wage 

 war while war exists, and to employ the 

 methods of peace only when war is 

 over. ' ' 



Russia waged no ' ' milk-and-water ' ' 

 war in Manchuria in 1900 ; she waged 

 a war of blood. But as soon as the fight- 

 ing ended her soldiers stacked their guns 

 and bayonets and started building cities 

 and railroads. They employed thou- 

 sands of Chinese laborers, paid them 

 good wages, and kept them busy. An- 

 other cause of Russian success is the 

 entire lack of race prejudice of the Rus- 

 sian. Superior to all the world, as he 

 believes himself, he shows no offensive 

 manner toward the other races with 

 which he mingles ; he fraternizes with 

 the Chinaman, instead of rubbing in his 

 superiority. 



The volume deals almost entirely with 

 the Russian advance in eastern Asia 

 during the past few years. The closing 

 chapters, however, discuss Russian cap- 

 ital and labor, the Russian workingman, 

 priest, people, and church, Russian na- 

 tional ideals, the Russian common school 

 and countrj r hospital. There is a notable 

 chapter on three Russians of world 

 fame — Tolstoi, Witte, and Pobyedon- 

 ostseff , procurator of the Holy Synod. 

 Tolstoi is a noble by birth and a peasant 

 by choice ; Witte and Pobyedonostseff 

 of the common people by birth, but of 

 the autocracy by virtue of their very 

 natures. 



Witte has made Russia the largest 

 owner and operator of railways in the 

 world, the largest dealer in alcoholic 

 liquors in the world, and soon will make 

 her the greatest buyer and seller of tea. 

 Should this process of giving the na- 

 tional government monopoly of the great 

 industries continue, Russia will develop 

 into a communistic state. It is said that 

 the profits from the sale of vodka prac- 

 tically support the army and navy. Sen- 

 ator Beveridge states that the govern- 

 ment control of the liquor business has 



