It is announced, as we expected, that Russia and the
United States have come, to an agreement about Manchuria, under which something like Free-trade through certain ports will be allowed to the whole world. The refusal of China to consent to this was 'made before the final decision had been taken at Bt. Petersburg. This resolve to give up the idea of monopoly• does not, however, mean either that Russia evacuates Man- churia, or that there is no chance of a war between her and Japan. That chance, as we have tried to explain elsewhere, depends rather upon the wishes of the Japanese, who can undoubtedly, if they please, compel the Russians to declare war. We doubt if they will please, but neither we nor any one else can speak positively as to, the secret motives which Iovern the statesmen of Tokio. The Russians evidently are perplexed, and are accumulating all the force they can to be ready for any event. We would caution our readers, how- ever, not to trust the figures reported, many of which are probably exaggerated for the benefit of the Japanese. Russia .bas any number of soldiers,• bat the accumulation of a .hindxed and :fifty thousand on the shores of the Pacific implies very large expenditure
