THE Waihi Daily Telegraph WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE WAIHI MINER THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1904

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1136, 3 November 1904, Page 2

THE Waihi Daily Telegraph WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE WAIHI MINER

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1904

Iloro iliall tlit L'rm tlio I'oople'a Ilieht mmnlain UmnoJ bj lalluonoo ami unbribo'l by gain; Horo [utri'it Truth her nloruras prceaats ilr»»> I'lciluod to Jlolitfion I.ibottj. ind Uw

A SURPRISE in referenco to the Baltic float episode was received yesterday in tho cablegram announc ing that the whole of the Russian vessels in the port of Vigo had taken tlioir departure. According to tho cables trj-ilay it is Herai-olficklly declared in London that tho departure of the ships was in accordance with the speech delivered by Mr Balfour at Southampton, and that, tho situation is rather improved than otherwise. As against this there is the cabled report of the speech published only tho day before, which stated that "that part of the fleet concerned in tho incident ivonld bo detained at Vigo in order that the naval authorities initdil ascoi'tam what oflicers were responsible. Therefore, those and any material witnessos could not. accompany tho Hoot to tho Far East." Tho speech was an outline of the agreement between tho two Powers anenl tin- Conrf of Inquiry, and endorsed previous cablegrams to the effect that the ships ware to stay at Vigo so that as much evidence at possible could be obtained. It is now stated that four witnesses only have been detained at Vigo. We shall probably hear next that these also have With the departure of tho ships and men the evidence of the Russians would be lost, and the Commission would have to accept one side only of the story, or poit-

pone the inquiry indefinitely, fl| or simply collapsi. But the \\ greatest surprise of all is that the el ships were allowed to go. It was previously cabled that a British war- * ship was patrolling the harbour, and p that a squadron was waiting outside to intercept-theni if they tried to „ escape. It h, apparent that the ad- o miral is opposed 1 to the Commission, ( . and feels that a clean pair of heels ia the only way of evading it. H« < knows that the evidence to be I brought against him is impartial and J overwhelming, and that any attempt f to justify the outrage, means shame < to himself and his country. It is , impossible to think that his flight from Vigo was prompted by himself, but rather that the Hussian Admiralty, or even the Czar himself, was.at the bottom of it. From the beginning the whole matter ■savours of a scheme on the part of Russia to force the British nation into the present war. Challenge 1 after challenge has been thrown at her, and this is the latest and plainest of the lot. by two I foes, Item would liu-l an -xcuse forceasing operations in :hi:l!\ir lvist with a better show of honour liuu if beaten single-handed by the Japan ■ , ese, a hitherto insignificant nation, How much longer will Britain stand the humiliation of these taunts 5 and challenges? This will be a pertinent''.question if the taunts i are much longer nnres'inted and the * challenges anheeded- Would Palmerston, Beaconsrield, or Salisbury ' have stood them t'S meekly as the present Premier? Their firmness in foreign matters made the nation respected; whether Mr Balfour's attitude will do this remains to bo seen.