3
+
December 16, 1905.]
What VON
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out a murmur.
419
country is in no position to judge of the conditions prevailing in the great centre, but seldom visited by the stranger. This is, of course, the reason why no two accounta of the present position of the land can be tempered by outbursts of savage repression found to agree; but a policy of vaccillation
from extinction. has never yet in history saved a nation
JAPAN AND RUSSIA.
(Daily Press, 13th December.)
a
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. ful it might be in its immediate effects.- ment makes him pay for it about 130 per could have but one eventual result; and cent, more than it costs. NOVIKOFF's report, that was the still further disintegration to which repeated reference has been mite, of an empire whose solidarity was already describes graphically the utter desolation dangerously affected by the outgrowth of and misery of the average peasant's family. unassimilated accretions on every side.
How this system has affected the well- bow one hundred millions of human beings, Reading his pages it seems, indeed, a miracle being of Russia we may judge from some living under a form of Christianity, and a statistics given before the late war by a uot unfriendly critic, WOLF VON SCHIER-"paternal" can have patiently borne for so Government which prides itself on the term BRAND. Speaking of the advancing im- many years such frightful couditions with- poverishment of the fertile lands in European Russia, he says:-
In the Black-earth belt' Three main mortality has increased at a frightful rate, reasons for it are cited: the lack of all and the population figure remains station- earnings save by agricultural labour; the
If the Daily Telegraph be well informed enforced idleness during one half of the year: Russian peasantry in the
ary." "It is not astonishing that the in a number arriving by yesterday's mail, and the excessive rate of taxation, taking band' of late are emigrating both to Siberia who manufacture their own troubles. Japan's Black earth Russia is wilfully joining the ranks of those away from this district in taxes much more and to the border provinces. than given back by the state in one form thousands they annually leave their villages
By tens of status as a Power of the first magnitude or other. This last point is undeniable. I to settle on virgin land in Western Siberia: America, Germany, and France; and even the has now been recognised by England, In the Central district an annual average of and yet the provinces they leave were TBARiu recent rescript thought it expedient 106.4 roubles is taken from the peasantry endowed by nature with extremely fertile to refer to Japan as great and mighty. Yet in taxes, and only 42.8 millions is returned soil, and the density of population, even in Russia is balking at Japan's desire to in improvements, &c. For the East the these central provinces, is to-day less than exchange representatives of ambassadorial taxes were 80 millions, and the returns half that of Germany. But the peasant in rauk. Count WITTE informed his Govern- 59.2 millions. But in the South we find the Centre is steadily degenerating. The ment from Portsmouth that the future good similar figures, namely, 122.6 millions taken annual recruiting for the army shows that relations of Japan and Russia would be out, and only 64.8 millions returned." plainly. The number of men found unfit fostered in Russia fell into line with the How the political landscape assumes an for military service is large, and constantly other Powers in the matter of paying this entirely different aspect as seen from the increasing. West or the East of the Urals is curiously chest and in lesser height he forms a strik.burg," says the Daily Telegraph, "the Both in deficient width of deserved compliment. "But in St. Peters- shown in a recently published book by an ing contrast with the Russian living under matter was regarded from a different point Englishman who visited the Altris, partly more propitious conditions." on business, partly to enjoy the mountain
of view," from we cannot help adding, a clia.bing, in the winter of 1903.
The reason of this is not far to seek, and pettish, childish point of view. Russia Schierbrand, looking from Central Russia, expansion,
coincides with the recent mania for territorial elected to be represented at Tokyo by
but considered one of the potent reasons of the
territorial expansion,, mere minister" and sent for M. BEEHMI- even by Russia, costs money, and the TIEFF, the Minister at Sofia; and conveyed decay of Russia, Mr. TURNER, the English money has to be raised by foreign loans. this insulting intimation via France. There writer referred to, looked upon as an So long as the advance goes on, the officials was only one answer, and this humiliation example of political wisdom. He tells us : in the East care little for the burdens of she thereby drew upon herself. Russin “ was "The impar.ial reader will perceive that the country, and the feeble avaricious courteously informed, through the same chan- the paternal Russian Government, at whose Government in Europe dare not, even if it nels (French), that Japan would prefer, for methods in our insular complacency we are wished, exercise any control or restrain its the time being, to send a mere Chargé so apt to smile, has already effected much eastern Satraps. So St. Petersburg has to d'Affaires to St. Petersburg, and to havea for the peasantry, and will effect more. As find the coin, and the difficulty has been Russian representative of like rank in a mere matter of fact it has done more for gradually, year by year, increasing. Un Tokyo." This petty exhibition by Russia, in Siberia than our own enlightened Govern- fortunately Russia has few resources, and view of the attitude of the other Powers, ment has done for the sister island, with the wretched peasant in the once productive could not possibly have the effect intended. her glorious agricultural possibilities." "Russia has wisely selected a practical and thrown
Black soil belf" finds all the burden The dignified retort of Japan puts Russia in beneficial method of education and one shoulders, while his more fortunate fellow
his already overweighted the position of the small Power-which is admirably suited to the neces-ities of the in Siberia, where wasteful agriculture has bit of pique. In any case, it does not augur as it should be, after such a small-minded case. She is gradually the Siberian peasant to the means of the land, is momentarily caressed, till he have been looked for and talked of.
introducing not as yet destroyed the productiveness of well for the future amicable relations that obtaining a better livelihood, and so achiev in turn has to pay toll for some new ad- however, probable that Russia will yet ing all and more than our western methods vance. A few statistics will show how real find it have accomplished in the case, say, of the is the decay. This rests on unquestionable what she would have done better to do expedient to yield ungracefully half-educated, intellectually misdirected authority. products of our Board School system. 1898 contained a full report, hased entirely
The Moscow Fyedomosti in gracefully, These subsidised co-operative dairies manu- facture an article of very uniform quality, ceeding exhaustion of the soil in the huge upon official sources, of the rapidly pro- while the quantity fluctuates between 15 and Volga district, a couple of decades previously 20 cwts. per week, representing the amount virgin soil, but already, under the "robber of cream supplied by from five to ten skim- system" of the Russian farmer, become wing stations." We do not belong to that deficient in nutritive elements. From 1883 extreme wing of the free trade faddists to 1892 the average yield of winter wheat who would scent a crime in tàue fostering had fallen from 31 pood per dessyatiue to an infant industry; and the picture drawn 26.6; spring wheat from 34.7 to 25.5; rye is a very pretty and instructive one. however, has a reverse: VON SCHIERBRAND tion; or an average decrease in the produc- It, from 41.7 to 30.4, and all others in propor- shall be our guide again. Describing the tions of the soil of no less than 30 per cent; condition of the peasantry in Central Russia and the annual decrease is still continuous. he draws a fearful picture. Encouraged by Nor, and herein lies, perhaps, the most dis- the general management of the liquor heartening portion of the decrease, is it to be monopoly in the hands of his Government, altogether attributed to the defects of the almost the whole of the miserable earnings peasant himself: the mistaken policy of the he can call his own after paying his taxes Government which, in order to stimulate are spent on vidka. "To get an idea of this the most readily saleable export-wheat it is but necessary to remark that the cost has practically compelled the farmer to per head to the peasant for the liquor that confine himself to the production of this he consumes means an annual outlay of one crop, year in year out. three roubles sixty five kopeks, and that is by no means so great a fool as many of The Russian the Government takes of this sum, in his most fervid admirers would make out. the form of taxes, two roubles twenty- He does not, at all events, present his fire kopeks. Therefore while the pens int inquisitive visitors with It apends over one tenth of the total earnings apparatus to view the skeleton within; and ROENTGEN of himself and family on l'quor, the Govern- the man who only sees one side of the
On
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THE NEW CABINET.
It is,
may members of
(Daily Press 13th December).
British Cabinet, which we
We believe the composition of the new announce in our mid-day Shipping Extra were able to
greater confidence in the stability of a on Monday, will command a feeling of Liberal Administration than the public speculations on generally were led to expect from previous years since the collapse of the last Liberal the subject. It is ten
Adininistration, but previous Liberal Cabinets figure in the new Cabinet which, moreover, is strengthened by the inclusion of other names which will command world-wide confidence and respect. That Sir EDWARD GREY would be the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs was Administration Sir EDWARD was Under a foregone conclusion. In the last Liberal
afterwards to the Earl of KIMBERLEY. Secretary first to Lord ROSEBERY and
shades of opposition iso one among them While the Liberals have sat in the cold
on questions of foreign policy than Sir has commanded a more respectful hearing EDWARD GREY. His public speeches have
F