"WHO GOES THERE?" "RUSSIA."

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12394, 2 July 1902, Page 6

"WHO GOES THERE?" "RUSSIA."

-fr MR HENRY NORMAN'S NEW BOOK. Mr Henry Norman's new book, entitled " All, the. Russias" (Heinsonann), is extraordinarily picturesque and incisive, and will greatly add to his growing reputation in and out of the House of Commons' as a very able and a'.ert publicist. . As he hears the word " Russia," he exclaims, "What a flock of thoughts take wing rus the word strikes the car! Does any word in any language, cxcept the dear name of one's own land,mean as much to-day? "In world affairs wherever you turn you see Russia; whenever you listen you hear her. She moves in every path: she is mining in every claim. The ' creeping murmur' of the world is her footfall—the ' poring dark' is her veil —to the challenge,of the nations, as tliey peer from their borders, comes ever the same rep'y: " 'Who goes there?i "'Ruena!'" Mr Norman himself is like a vigilant sentinel, watching where Russia impinges pn other countries, and challenging the future to reveal the probable courto of events. He lia3 made four journeys in [Russia, totalling 30,000 miles, under the most favourable conditions for seeing and hearing, and the dominant superficial impressions on his mind are these: A V/'alrable EMPIP.F.. " Vastncsa of 'area, of course, to begin with. Tho extent of • the Russian Empire is almost terrifying. The British Empire is enormous, tdo; but though one may have seen most of it, a similar . impression of totality is never produoed, for-it is scattered over the world and divided by great seas. Russia is a whole—you oonld walk from Archangel to Kushk, and from He'.ringfors to Vladivostok. The great Russian /mystery is how all this is, governed from the city on the Neva. The world has never known such centralisation." * Then there is tho apparently inexhaustible variety of races and Rus-ia's massive strength. '"Russia is indescribably strong. Her strength makes you nervous. It .is like being in tho next field, with a goll jacket on, to an angry young hull. The bull ..does not realise that tho gate is there to slop him—therefore, it will not stop him. Russia walks roughshod over and through obstr.c'ei that an older, a more civilised, a more pelf-conscious country would manconvrc around for half a century. She want.' •Siberia—she takes it, Sh?, wants Central Asia—she takes it. She wants Port Arthur —she takes it. She wants Manchuria—she is taking it. She wants Persia—wo ' shall see. A constitutional Finland is in her way—constitutional Finland must become a Russian provir.eo." KTSSIXG EXTIUOItDINABV. But social changes are coming in Russia. Tho labour question has _ been born. "Hitherto there was no artisan class—no great social stratum below tho. nobility: except the illiterate, stupid, kindly, super' stiffens peasantry. The growth of uidustrj is producing such a class—a proletariat. As soeiation iu large numbers, the discussion ol affairs, the influence of the fluent sneaker the circulation of tho newspaper, the use of machinery, residence in towns—nil thes< combine to confer a certain education. . . When two or throe thousand men demanc a change in hours of labour, and not in on< town only, but in half a dozen towns simul taucously, their demand' must 1» ceusiderct on its merits. This means a new class, ani a new era, iu Russia. "Russian life abounds in incidents whicl illustrate a personal sympathy between higl and low existing in no other society. " read, for instance, that one day a miserablj ragged man begged an alms at a railwa; station from a prosperous-looking passenger At that moment a general, with his pretti young wife, catno upon the platform. '] will give you five roubles,' said the man heartlessly, 'if you will kiss iha general': wife.' The beggar wont straight to tin lady, Ml upon his knees, and told her o: Ins plight. Sho listened, and then, gcttin; her husband's permission, held out hei chock for him to kiss. "One day I remarked to a Russian friem with whom I was dining what an oxcellon swvant he had. 'Yes,' ho said, 'am thorn is also something remarkable abor. him that yon don't sen. That man h'ns beei kissctl by a. Czar.' .'When—why?' I asked in astonishment. 'Some years ago,' replio( my friend, 'ho was on sentry duly in tin gardons of an imperial palace, anil in th< early Easter morning the Emperor ramc ou alone. " Yoskross Christos!" (Christ i; risen!) said the sentry, as custom prescribes: and it is' also nreseribed that you shall salnU with a kiss the first parson who tells yoi the. good news. Such customs iu Russi: are binding upon Emperor and peasant alike."' Overland to India via 'Russia. Mr Norman realises very vividly the mean itig of Russian expansion in Central Asi; and tho ultimate effect of tho Trans-Cau casion railway. Russia, ho says, "'desire; to connect her European railway system witl tho railways of British India, across Centra Asia and Afghanistan. And slio desires tlii for two reasons: First, that she may enjoj the groat advantages of the. futuro owner ship of the great international railway ronli to tho Exit; and, second, by depriv ing any prospective- railway to the Persia) Gulf of much of its raison d'etre, sho ma; prevent it being' built,, and thus block tin creation of what would undoubted!}' be ni almost insuperable obstaelo to her protector ate over Persia and her own railway to thi Persian Gulf." Such a railway, ho says, is hound to come "If Kushkinslii Post and New Cham,an Tver connected by railway to-day, a distance , o only 438 miles . . ; (ho distance fror London to Karachi (iu India) by'rail i calculated by Mv Paul Lessar at 4716 railo? and tlio timc of the journey as 174£ hours.' If Russia were successful in a war a gains Englan.* l such a railway would be ono o

the conditions of poa.cc. It would givo equal advantages to Russia and England; it would remove international misunderstandings. " Will not- the -moment soon, come/' lie asks, " when two civilised nationG will refuse lo allow- an uncivilised regime [Afghanistan], friendly at heart to neither, and only fricridly in action to one of them so long as self-interest dictates such a course, to stand in t-h-n way of one of thoso great advance of intercommunication, which are Ihe chief signs and promoters of civilisation? In.. view of these considerations it can ■hardly he thought unreasonable for Russia to plan her Central Asian communications with a view to thoir ultimato extension to Central India!" , A.t the same time Mr Norman believes that " the colossal and perilous undertaking of an armed invasion of India, with a view to conquest, is not part of the plan of any really responsible Russian, either slatesittan or soldier. "If you would understand Russia, and interpret and forecast aright the march of great events, never forget . that for her eastward the course of empire takes its way; that as.the sap rises, »3 the spnvlts liv upward, as the tides follow the moon, so Russia goes to tho sunrise and the warm water." A Tragic Room. Mp Norman docs not only or mainly discuss high, politics in his hook. It is a fascinating record of travels on the great Siberian railway, in tho fi.ucasus, in Central Asia, and in Finland, and of a visit to Count Tolstoi—a cinematograph showing how,people live in "All tho Russias." He visited the room in the Stl Petersburg., Winter Palnce of the murdered Czai Alexander 11. On tho morning of the murder "the Czar "laid his half-smoked cigarette upon an ash-tray, picked up a loasely-fo'ded clean handkerchief from 'the table, slipped his little silver-plated, ivorv-han<llcd revolver into his pocket, buckled on his sword, and loft the room. An hour later he was carried back, fast bleeding; to death, one leg shattered to the thigh, the other to the hr.eo",'and placcd upon the narrow iron bed in the rccese, and there he breathed his last. ■ ■ "As the room was, so it remains. The half-smoked cigarette lies upon the ash-tray in ft glass ■ tube. Tho little revolver lies before'the mirror. Upon each of the tables and. several of the chairs is a loosely-folded clean handkerchief, for it was tho Czar's wish; to have o.ne of these always within reatli of his hand. Hero are his toilet articles—a plain, set of bottles and brushes. .... It is all modest beyond belief, and the brushes are half worn."—Daily Mail, ■ .