Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 266, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 November 1914 — BUILT FOR MILITARY PURPOSE [ARTICLE]

BUILT FOR MILITARY PURPOSE

Millions Poured Into Trane-Siberian Railroad Have Had a Very Definite Object. There is a railroad from the North sea to the Japan sea. It was built by a nation to capture nations. It has failed of lts purpose so far. The" TransSiberian, all things considered, is the most gigantic railroad task that ever was performed. $n money it will eat up more than $1,000,000,000. In lives, it has destroyed thousands. Its earnings are practically negligible. Yet, at this time, the Russians .are laying double tracks on it from end to end! Moreover, they are building one branch of it that would reach from New York to Chicago and leave 300 miles for sidings, and that will cost more than $150,000,000. If that were only a railroad, it would be the greatest railroad mystery of the ages; but it is not only a railroad. It is like the army and the navy of Jtussia., It is a national expenditure for the conquest of Asia. Some day, no doubt, when the coffers of Russia are filled again with gold, the rest of the story, of the Trans-Siberian will be written. Probably the men who are doing the dreaming will not live to see the writing.—C. M. Keys in the World’s Works.