The acquisition of Manchuria by Russia appears, according to the
Times correspondent in New York, to have caused a good deal of surprise and annoyance in America. At any rate, a good many of the newspapers express indignation at Russia's conduct. Apparently the public in America really believed that Russia wanted the same thing as America,—that is, no territory, but merely the right to trade freely with an independent China. That was of course an entire misunder- standing. We cannot, however, profess to be specially indignant with Russia in the in atter. If the Americans are disillusioned it is their own fault. They should have tried to find out what Russia's real aspirations were, and must be, and not have swallowed her polite professions merely because they seemed to agree with American sentiment. Russia wants and means to have open ports in the Far East, and also the territories through which the Trans.Asian Railway must run, and there- fore any professions inconsistent with these aims should always be ignored. Our own diplomatists are everlastingly making a similar mistake. By persistent protests they induce Russia to make professions which it is clear to all dispassionate observers she cannot and will not keep, and when Russia later fails to act up to those professions they abuse her roundly for her faithlessness. It strikes as that it would be more to the point and more businesslike not to believe auger. tions which a little thought would show them are sure to be repudiated.
