When the Allied Forces occupied Shan haikuan, Russian" detachments only push-' ed on into south-west Manchuria. The last gateway into that fertile province is closed, as they will not now allow anyone else to go beyond the Great Wall.
Recent statistics appearing in the "N.. Daily News? proved that the trade of this province is large. The value of the trade of all Powers (except Russia) with Manchuria is twice the value of Russian trade with all China, and is capable of immense development. in agricultural and mineral industries. The accompanying diagram shows the size of the province compared with Europe.
Military authorities (except Russian) appear utterly unable to realise the commercial situation. Russia is fully entitled to an ice-free port, and a terminus for her great Siberian enterprise, but that is a very thing from preventing other concessions being given, and controlling all enterprise and bu mess in Manchuria. Yet this is what has happened; nota single soldier (except Russian) has entered Manchuria, to protect the interests of trade.
Shanghai is the commercial capital of China, and if one of their lucrative markets, in the first province to be opened up by railways, is not to be utterly lost, it rests with the merchants there to demand the "open door," especially through Shanhaikuan, where it is still possible to have a neutral railway into South Manchuria and the fertile valley of the Liaok'aimén, Newchwang; 16th December.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.