HOW RUSSIA BEGAN BUSINESS IN CENTRAL ASIA.

Inangahua Times, Volume III, Issue 83, 28 February 1877, Page 2

HOW RUSSIA BEGAN BUSINESS IN CENTRAL ASIA.

In 1866, the Russian Government sett what was called a scientific expedition under the charge of M. Mitcba into Cen« tral Asia. Hating heard of the gold mines of Mantchuria, the Russians con* eeived the bold plan of acquiring them. Money probably was wanted for the Muscovite propaganda in Bulgaria, and wherever Russia had selfish interests to serve. It would not have suited the Russian reputation for humanity to invade Central Asia, and take possession without provo» cation. It was therefore necessary to provoke a provocation, and Russian ingenuity found the means. The Imperial Government sent a band of armed adventurers to the mines, just after the fashion of the present Russian invasion of Servia. Boused to indignation the Mantchurians attacked the freebooting Russians and killed every one of them they could lay hands on. This was exactly what the St. Petersburg Government wanted— a pretext for an open invasion and ultimate annexation of the peacebreaking country. It is curious that the Muscovite propagandists regard every land on which Russian myrmidons ever set foot as a Russian province. In 1868, the Imperial Government openly sent an armed expedition under the command of Major Tchmenieff to avenge the slaughter of the quasi -scientific thieves, to punish the rebellious owners of the gold mines for defending their own. The unarmed Mantchurians, of coarse, were easily beaten; they ran away to save their lives, and the Muscovite took quiet possession of the mines. It was singular— too singular not to have been premeditated—that just at this time the Russian Governor of jtforth Siberia, General Korsakoff, received orders to " postrasbate** (that is to frighten) the Chinese, and that in consequence five columns of the White Czar were put in motion* It is also singular that these columns, instead of fright* ening the Chinese, found their way — probably by mistake —to Mant* churia and Mongolia, whose peo< pie — perhaps also by mistake— had never heard of the massacre of the Russian scientific explorers. Wherever KorsakofTs columns went, a line of blood and fire marked the track behind them. Their humanity took such a questionable shape that, hearing of the Russian talent for rapine and ravishing, the villagers fled to the forests and the mountain passes, and took refuge in the nnhealty marshes 6000 of the frightened people (men, women, and children) hid themselves. The chivalrous soldiers surrounded them, opened a brisk artillery and musketry fire on the unarmed fngidves, and in the name and glory of Muscovite humanity and civilisation, slaughtered a couple of thousand of them. Korsakoff was as thorough-going a propagandist as Kauff* nan, who later proved his humanity in the against the Yomudi.