The  situation  at  Niuchwang  at  the  time  of  the  com-
mencement of  hostilities  has  been  accurately  summed
up  by  Mr  H.  Fulford  Bush,  in  a  paper  read  before
the  Liverpool  Chamber  of  Commerce,  as  follows  :  "A
Russian  administrator,  backed  by  Russian  troops,  in
place  of  the  Chinese  authorities  ;  the  custom-house,
with  the  Russian  administrator  at  its  local  head  ;  the
revenue  paid  into  the  Russo- Chinese  Bank,  pending
Russia's  settlement  with  China ;  the  sanitary  control
Russian,  in  all  matters  affecting  the  Chinese ;  Russian
prestige  and  power  paramount ;  the  province  a  prey
to  the  brigands  and  riffraff  generally ;  the  usual  trade
channels  impeded  and  obstructed  by  the  confusion  and
disruption  prevailing  throughout  the  province ;   and  a


314  THE  EAST  CHINESE  RAILWAY.
