February 26.
Six months ago in discussing the lately signed Commercial Treaty and ery Convention between Rassia and Japan we expressed a hope that Rassia might be entering organization in For Asiatic posses-apon a new path of colonial
sions which would prove more profitable than the political schemes to which hitherto she had devoted herself so largely. M. Shipoff's subsequent travels through Siberia and the Far East, began within a month of the signing of the Treaty, lent colour to this hope, which is farther supported by an extremely interesting statement of Prince Vasilchikoff, Minister of Agricul-tare, recently made before the Dama Committee on migration. According to Prince Vasilchikoff's report clear that not only is there an increasing tendency among Rassian peasants to regard Siberia as a land of promise and refuge from the hardships of life in
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.