AGITATION FOR PEACE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12818, 18 March 1905, Page 5

AGITATION FOR PEACE.

A PRINCE'S VIEWS.

(Received March 17, 0.20 p.m.)

St. Petersburg, March 17.

Prince Mestchorski has contributed a remarkable article to the Grashdanin newspaper on the war. He insists that since it is hopeless to continue the war successfully, it would be better to conclude it, thereby saving Prussia from internal shipwreck. While Russia possesses Vladivostok and other territory in the Far East, more favourable terms, he says, will be obtainable than when Vladivostok and Saghalien are Japanese.

The article has caused a great sensation in St. Petersburg.

The highest Russian officials in Poland consider the war is practically over, as Russia is without leaders, generals, guns, and money, while it is impossible to transport soldiers to Manchuria quickly enough to in any way improve the situation. They add that if mobilisation is ordered in Poland, there will certainly be a revolt.

THE KNIGHT COMMANDER.

CLAIM BY BRITAIN.

London, March 16.

T he British Ambassador at St. Petersburg has handed to Count Lamsdorff a claim for £100,000, as compensation for the sinking of the steamer Knight Commander, by the Vladivostok squadron, on July 24 last, when off Yokohama.

The Knight Commander was proceeding to Yokohama when seized by the Vladivostok squadron. She was sunk, on the ground that the warships had not time to take her to Vladivostok. * The owners claimed compensation, and it was not paid. On .July 22 the German steamer Arabia, was seized and taken to Vladivostok. Her cargo for Japan was confiscated, but the vessel was released. On July 2A the German steamer Thea was ■seized and sunk, but, the Russian Government paid compensation for her, also for the seizure of the Arabia. A distinction was thus made bi-twop.ii the treatment of German, and of British shipowners. The British Government, supported by tiio United States. then forc?d' upon the Russian Government the makinpr of a distinction between absolute contraband (war stores and material) and conditional contraband (commodities in ordinary use). The Knight Commander was seized merely because she was hound, to Japan, not because she was carrying any poods that might com© under the heading of "absolute contraband."