CONDEMNATORY COMMENTS,

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 101, 26 October 1904, Page 5

CONDEMNATORY COMMENTS,

PANIC, INCOMPETENCE, OR VODKA? . A CROWNING ACT OF FOLLY. (Received October 26, 8.9 a.m.) LONDON, 25th. October. • The American and Continental press is unanimously condemnatory of the outrage. * The German journals attribute the panic to incompetence or vodka, (drink distilled from rye). The French newspapers consider Russia is certain to apologise and compensate the fishers. The American press holds that the tragedy fairly staggers the world and forms Russia's crowning act of folly. WHAT THE NATION EXPECTS. LONDON, 25th October. Tie Times demands instant satisfaction, and says that unless regret is expi'arsed and 1 apologies are tendered and signal reparation promised within twenty-four hours, the nation will expect its rulers to do something more than **alk. The Times adds:— "The Channel fleet lies across the course of the Baltic fleet, and so is able to inflict speedy punishment. We have the right to a clear pledge* that the guilty officers will be severely and publicly punished. Indemnities and apologies will not suffice for this murderous attack. The London Star says that if the whole ocean-borne commerce must be suspended while the panic-stricken Baltic fleet proceeds to the Far East, the question is one for Europe as a whole and not for Britain only. PANIC-STRICKEN OFFICERS. i (Received October 26, 8.45 a.m.) LONDON, 25th October. The Pall Mall Gazette assumes that an apology 1 and compensation will be immediate, but this will not suffice. Russia must stop the fleet and bring the panic-stricken and probably drunken officers to book. THE DUTY OF THE PUBLIC. ♦ (Received October 26, 8.30 a.m.) LONDON, 25th October. Mr. Lloyd George, member for Carnarvon, in an interview, declared that the affair was "insolent and unjustifiable," and it was the duty of the public to back up the Government in demand-, ing the fittest public action. The sinking of the steamer Knight Commander was, he says, bad, but this is worse.

Foreign Affairs, are strained as the ou4>come of the incident when* the Russian Volunteer cruisers Snuflemsk and St. Petersburg were ordered to the Red Sea, Count Lamsdorff not haying been consulted in the matter. EMPEROR NICHOLAS SHOCKED. VIEWS IN OFFICIAL CIRCLES. LONDON, 25th October. The Tsar is much shocked at the attack on English fishing boats by the Baltic fleet. Count Lamsdorff, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, is reported to have declared that Russia will promptly give full reparation if the facts are as stated in connection with the attack on British trawlers. Lesser officials declare that it ig impossible to believe the stories of ignorant and prejudiced English fishermen, who are nervouj and excited. An officer on a Russian destroyer which put into Cherbourg, is reported to have stated that he would have been glad if more trawler* had been sunk. Other officers state that it was not their part of the fleet, but possibly some other division, which did the shooting. THE ADMIRAL'S REPORT. MUTILATED DETADLS PUBLISHED. LONDON, 25th October. It is reported that Admiral Rozhdestvenaky, commander of the Baltic fleet, has telegraphed to the Tsar regarding the attack on the trawlers. The Russian censor, however, only permitted the St. Petersburg evening papers to state that a collision had occurred in the North Sea, with some casualties. The officials, who are cognisant of the truth, are horrified and amazed at the mishap. DEMONSTRATION AGAINST A MINISTER. LONDON, 28th October. Upon his arrival at Victoria Station from the Continent, a crowd of juveniles hooted Count Benckendorff, Russian Ambassador in London. In the course of an interview subsequently, Count Benckendorff said he was absolutely certain the "firing on the trawlers was only a deplorable accident. AN UNCONFIRMED STATEMENT. WERE SIGNALS DISREGARDED? LONDON. 25th October. The Paris newspaper Le Temps learns authoritatively that signals -were made to the trawlers to keep off, but the signals were disregarded. Then several blank shots were fired. Neither proving effective, shells were used: (Received October 26, 8.45 a.m.) LONDON, kisth October. The statement by Le Temps that tha . warships signalled to (he trawlers to keep off has not been confirmed. The trawlers' nets were all down when the warships crossed asknt of the fishing ground ; some of the .boats stopped before the firing commenced. OTHER RUMOURS. LONDON, 25th October. The commander of a Danish gunboat states that several days "prior to the departure of the Baltic fleet it \va6 rumoured at Copenhagen that Japanese agents had purchased and chartered trawlers to place mines in the track of the Russian tieet.