Mr. Jon Foorp begins his " Current' Comment" in the February issue of this valuable journal with a violent condemnation of Russia's recent policy in the East, a policy that has been still more effectually condemned by its results. The historian of the future will undoubtedly conclude that no country could have been worse served then Russia has been in the last few years by her representatives in China and Corea unless indeed they have only been carrying out the orders of their superiors at St, Recersburg. Mr, Foord says that American sympathies in the present war are almost universally with Japan. "The effective cause," he says, "of the almost total extinction of pro-Russian feeling here must be sought in the reasons which have combined to mak. Russia despise edend distr usted throughout the civ lised world. A Government without honour, scruple, or common honesty the natural toe of all liberty and all enlightenment; can hardly wonder at the position of isolation in which it finds itself in the present crisis of its affairs, A diplomacy of unblushing falsehood and a policy of brute force are the weapons which Russia has steadily employed in her advance from the Ural Mountains to the Pacific. A frontier that no trea ies could confine, and a lust for territory hat no conces-ion could satisfy, have been the uniform accompaniments of the secular advance of the Empire "f the Czars. It is a perception of the fact that Japan is fighting the battle of civilisation in resisting the farther progress of a Power whose influence falls like a blight on everything it touches, that, apart from all special considerations of trade, or of national interest, has crated a sentiment among the American people which can hardly fail to determine the attitude of their Government during the course and at the conclusion of the impending cor.flict."
Mr. Foord notes that Count Cassini's statement to the American Press that he was assured by Mr.
Hay that the activities of the merican representatives at Antung and Moukden would be strictly confined to trade interests, was not submitted to Mr. Hay, as is usual, before publication, and is not in accordance with' the facts. The choice of Mr: Davidson and Mr. Cheshire for the new ports is in itself an indication of the obvious fact that their functions "will of necessity, be more political or dipplomatic, than commercial." Mr, Foord notes also that the prompt ratification of the Japanese trouty "was equally an event calculated to give the Russian Government cause for reflection." In his last note Mr. Foord cites instances to show that it is the policy of Russia to invite foreign enterprise into the country and then dismiss the foreigners as soon as Russians have learnt to do the work. This is the course she would adopt if she were allowed to keep Manchuria, The following table gives the value staples fom the United States to of the exports of the three principal hina and Hongkong in the last two years, in gold dollars China Cotton Mineral Wheat Cloths.
oils. flour.
16,048,455 8,801,964 To Hongkong.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.