KAISER'S PLOT FAILED.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 1413, 19 November 1904, Page 3

KAISER'S PLOT FAILED.

A cable message recently slated thai an iiujViiry had revealed the fuel lh a t when Admiral Withoeft was killed four flags wlvc living, indicating the order ''Follow the" llagship.'' A. shell destroyed u Mag, making the message read, "Return to l'ort Arthur." Those ships sighting the lirst order ran to neutral ports. (hv ng to this explanation Admiral Ukhtomsky was not court-martiallcd, though lie was lemoved from his command. The following throws some further light on the message :—A very startling communication from an '.'occasional" Paris correspondent appears in 'Vanity Fair,' a paper published in London. The correspondent speaks first of the frank amotions of the t'er man Emperor; he desires colonies. Early in his reign he found, however, that his country started too late in the race for colonial power. America France, and Great Britain, had torestalled Germany, and held all tin.' colonisable parts of the world. France with her African possessions, ho regarded as his natural prey; -but France with a Russian alliance was too strong, so the Kmperor's task was the weaning of Russia from her ally. Idissian disasters and the increased friendship of Franco and F.ngland save him his chance. The tierman Press became strongly oro-itus-sian. Imperial telegrams and 'speeches were to the same end. The existence of a complete understanding was reached ; Germany was to receive a portion of the I'reneh colonies, and, in return, Russia was 1o be supported in her repudiation of her vast French debts. Then Kiao-cV.au was offered iby the German Fniperor us a harbor of refuge for the l'ort Arthur licet, a spot from which the blockade of Port Arthur could have been tendered inoperative, and from which raids on Japanese shipping could have been organised. On the morning that the Russian fleet left Port Arthur Admiral Withoeft hoisted the signal, "Remember the Czar's orders. The fleet must not return to Port Arthur." Admiral Withoeft was killed, Admiral Prince IJkhtomskv lost his nerve, and the fleet went'back to l'ort Arthur. His conduct is about to be inquired into. probably before a court-martial. Admiral Wireniu/ is said to have slated that this return to Port Arthur was Russia's greatest misfortune daring the war. Why ? The answer is that at Kiao-chau lay German ships cleared for action, but only the pounded Czarevitch came halting home into port, and £ho plot had failed.