THE BALTIC FLEET.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 1414, 22 November 1904, Page 4

THE BALTIC FLEET.

Nov. 18. A H'.'iitei''.s HI. Petersburg message states that inquiries at the .British Embassy and the Foreign (Jilice show that the text of the North Sea Convention is being discussed in a friendly spirit, and that there is no reason to apprehend that a mutually satisfactory arrangement will not be leached. Count Lamsdorl'f denies 'hat he has had any difference with the Kussian Admiralty, and declares that both have accepted the principle of the draft. The suggestion that the agreement, has been repudiated is untrue. Heutcr adds that considerable importance is attached to the suggested verbal modilirations, which imply that the blame attaching to the ollicers is not to lie considered m accordance with the spirit, of the Commission. Lord Lansdowne's words as to the, "degree of blame" were mistranslated in some quarters as the "degree of punishment." Great resentment resuited, says the Is'ovoe Vremya, owing to Britain trying to transform an inquiry into facts into an inquiry into culpability. Costello, boatswain on the Gull, said he saw a black mass without lights and mistook it for a lorpedoer, but discovered she was the Alpha, a trawlers' mission boat. When he thought she was a lorpedoer, he remarked to a comrade: "There's a lorpedoer." Cross-examined, he said he was quite sure it was not a torpedoer, but he was not sure it was the Alpha. He was not aware what Green had testilied. Smuke, the chief engineer, said he heard shots and a whistle. Green exclaimed: "There's a lorpedoer," but added almost, in the same breath: "Xo, it's a trawler." Other evidence showed that a mysterious ship was. seen on the morning of the 2l!nd, which looked like an ordinary merchantman. This tends to exonerate the Russians from watching the Crane, which was sunk, without assisting. The Tiines's Russian correspondents assert that while Kussian naval men increasingly believe that the Kussians tired on their own vessels on the Dogger Hank, yet the consensus of opinion is that Britain v.ill accept any solution to avert war. The Novoe Vrcmya's London correspondent declares that leading British Admirals justify Koshdesventsky's action.

Nov. It). There is no official declaration, but, apparently the situation is that afier Count BenckendoHT had communicated to Lord I.ansdowne Count l.anisdorl'f'.s acceptance of the British text of the agreement appointing the Commission, the Russian Admiralty refused to communicate Roshdesventsky's reports or authorise officers to testily unless the clause empowering the "Commission to ascertain the responsibility and allot the blame to the oliicers were deleted. A serious crisis continued for several days, but ultimately Count Benckenuorft made it clear that if Russia receded from the engagement, which the Czar hud sanctioned Britain would take lhe matter into her own hands. Count 1.-.uusdorli then induced the Admiralty to agree to a modification of fee agreement, empowering the Commission to determine whether the persons concerned in the incident, of whatever nationality, deserved blame, and could be held responsible, thus excluding a. prima facie I presumption of Russian culpability. The Novoo Yremya, in an inspired statement, announces that the purpose of the North Sea Commission is to determine whether the parties concerned, whatever their nationality, are blamable and responsible for the ifogger Bank occurrence. The Times's Paris correspondent says it is no secret that there have been serious hitches with regard to the scope of the Commission, but it appears that the danger of disagreement has been averted. Renter's St. Petersburg correspondent confirms the 'Novoe VrcyinaV statement that Britain and Russia have agreed to a modification of the text of the Convention.

Rozhjeatvensky lias evidently continued his voyage south as flic ileet is not now at Acre