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Show RUSSIA lil II Deep Laid Plot to Gain i a New Outlet to I the Pacific ft Victoria, B. C, March 17. That I Russia's nctlvliy in Mongolia is the t beginning of a long planned scheme 5 to -etrieve the position lost when Port Arthur fell, by forcing a way F to an outlet on the Gulf of Pcchlll, was C the news brought b the Sado Maru f which arrived today" from the Orient, Fnr from being simply a military dem- i' onstratlon against China for not ac- I ceding to Russian demands in Monol- a la, the occupation of 111, and encroach- i ment in Mongolia is part of fl long I cherished Idea, according to steamer M advices. p3 The Russian plans, It is asserted, $ were made immediately after the Rus- tl so-Japanese war, and, nlmost slmul- tnneous with the evacuation of Man- churia, a powerful expedition led by I staff officers marched to Gobi, via Inkutslr, without attracting attention, ; , and another party attempted to nr-j nr-j ; rive at Klmngsu "via. Ila, The two f. . expeditions experienced mnny hard-l hard-l ships but finally attained their ob-j ob-j '. jects. Then Russia It is declared, set about the execution of her plans to open Mongolia. A railroad from 1 Western Siberia to southeastern Asia A was projected, and the plan to invade l the Fnr East from Manchuria was $ charged. In consequence the military J arsenal was removed from Baikal to 1 Irkutsk. When all preparations had ! been completed, the standing army In it the Far East and Siberia was inereas- jf cd and dispatched under the guise of ?1 caravans to Gobi districts to subju- gate the natives and secure trade 't r rights. By these measures Russia Is snjd to be gaining ground. i According to a military authority ;' who has just returned to Japan from i i Pekin, the ultimate object in view is ' to acquire an extended sphere of !n-: !n-: fluence which, in time, will force the wny to an outlet on the Gulf of Pechill ; ' Russia has tliroo army corps be- tween Klakta and III, It is stated, and ' In the event of war they -could bo , inarched Into China by four'roules. II The Hochi Shlmhun says Russia chose an opportune moment, being un-if un-if fettered from opposition by Japan, ,f England or France, and; whllo seeking to avail herself to recover the position ; ! logf, Is approaching Pekin from outside out-side the Japanese sphere of influence In order to avoid complications with Japan ' Meanwhile China s not inactive. Tlie Chinese authorities are reported to have decided to lose no time in dividing di-viding Mongolia Into flo provinces for jurisdiction and to station troops in each, to build railroads and establish mercantile companies under subsidy to promote commerce and develop industries. indus-tries. The Mongolian Exploitation ', company has been organized at Pe-' Pe-' kin capitalized at a million taels and backed by several leading princes and politicians, to operate in Mongolia. |