THE CONFUSED BALTIC FLEET.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 107, 2 November 1904, Page 5

THE CONFUSED BALTIC FLEET.

FEARS OF 1 FLOATING MINES. CREWS MOSTLY BOYS. TSAR'S FEELINGS STUDIED. LONDON, Ist November. German pilots narrate the Baltic Fleet's fears of floating mines. The fleet, they slate, fired indiscrimately at" shipping in the Great Belt of the Baltic Sea, and they fired two shots at a small skiff in the Little Belt because it came within a danger radius. The crews of the warships, the' pilots state, aro mostly boys, who have had littlo training. , It is reported that one Danish torpedo boat was fired upon, but the circumstances were concealed out of regard for the Tsar's feelings. While voyaging to Tangiers the Russians fired on a collier which was not showing lights. The Vigo correspondent of the Daily Mail says that a Kussian officer declares that the authorities at St. Petersburg will not recede from the standpoint that torpedo boats, under cover of thb fishing fleet, attacked the squadron. Whatever may be the finding of the Commission, Russia will be unable to censure or punish the officers for doing their duty. The correspondent adds that the Rtissians are all the more united on the torpedo boat story since they feel the strong accusations of nervousness. Russia, it is asserted, intends to emerge from the incident with all honours. OPINION IN NAVAL CIRCLES. THEORIES REGARDING THE CONFUSION. SIGNALS PROBABLY MISREAD. (Received November 2, 7.40 a.m.) LONDON, Ist November. The opinion in British naval circles regarding the confusion among the Baltic Fleet ships is tuat the squadron misread the new signals. The two rearmost vessels oi the port line ships probably got to the starboard side of the starboard line, and moving quickly they excited alarm and attracted their own consorts' fire. Then perceiving the mistake they hastened to return to their places, and the movement strengthened the belief that they were the enemy. The investigation is already eliciting some facts not reported by the Admiral in the first instance.