ENGLAND AND RUSSIA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13187, 21 January 1905, Page 2

ENGLAND AND RUSSIA.

NEW FEATURE IN THE CASE, FORESHADOWED RUSSO-JAPANESE ALLIANCE. (Fkou Ode Owh Cobresfondext.) LONDON, December 10. 'A .totally W aspect was suddenly and most unexpectedly given on Tuesday last to tho Anglo-Russian dispute touchi tig the Dogger Bank incident. It had been su& peeled from the first* as I Imvc ment-ioned more than once, that the Rmsians did actually believe tliat they liad been attackod, and that oertain of their ships wero actually fired into, tJie chaplain of one vcaol - being ; killed and other Russians wounded. Tho fixed opinion among those people in this country who believed tlid story to bo anything "more than a drunken dolnsion wsa that the Russians, owing to t.lwir state- erf nervous fluster and utter indiscipline, had mistaken somo of their own vessels for hostile craft, and had fired into thorn. la Russia, of course, this theory wits indignantly scouted as absurd, preposterous, and impossible. It was intimated very clearly that Russia possesses abundant proof of ♦ho pre=encc of Japaneo vessels among the British fishermen, and of British complicity in letting these cnomies loose upon Russia io tho North Sea: _ , I may hero observe in passing that one of the most curious features in tho oase does not seem so far to have teen deenwd by Russia worthy of tho slightest explanation—namely, tr.e fact of the Baltic licet ibein? at least 50 miles out of its propnr course. Possibly we may hear more of that when the International Commission., begins its'sittings. .. . : But the new and surprising incident _to which I refer is the issue from the Russian Naval lleadouarters Staff at St. Petersburg of the following communication ing to supplementary information fromAdJniral Ho?.lidnstven?l;y concerning the North Sea incident, of October 21. after tho ICniaz Suvarolf lmd wared firing there suddenly appeared on tho left of tho iron-elnd division tho two searchlights of the- cruisers Dmitri Donskoi and Aurora lighting up the division. Tlic Dmitri Donskoi showed her aiiglit signals, whereupon for fear lest projectiles from the hindmost ships of the division should hit- our own vessels, either directly or hy ricochet, a general signal to cease" tiro was made from the ironclad Kniaz Suveroff. and was at once carried ot:>f. The iwhole of tho firing lasted less than 10 minutes. Communication by wireless telegraph stated that five projectiles had struck the .cruiser Aurora, some ricocheting, and others hitting her dircct. Three wero 75 millimetre, and tv,o 47 millimetre shells. The chaplain was seriously injured, and a petty officer was slightly wounded. The former sulsiCqiiontly succumbed at Tangier." Now this certainly seemed such an entire ' "giving awav' 1 of tho whole Russian case that it profoundly puzzled everybody to make out whv ibis incriminating document should have been published at the present, juncture; why, if published at all, this was 3iot. done when relations wore so severely bJ rained between England and Russia, and ■why,' after lieing withheld so long, it should liavo iieen deliberately published in advance of the sitting of the commission. This riddle still awaits solution. The British feeling undoubtedly is that this so-called "supplementary" information from Admiral Roilidestvensky must certainly have been for a long time in tho possession of the Russian Admiralty: that had it at- once been made publio the British feeling would Lave undergone au immediate change. Tims, had Russia frankly admitted that the 'deplorable tragedy on the Dogger Bank was duo to a lamentjbie mistake, whose fatal consequences wore shared by Russia in tho death of one of her naval chaplains, the whole affair could easily have been amicably arranged on very simple terms without any need of stirring up all the terrific hullabaloo that has been aroused by Russia's shifty action, awl without any need of au international commission at all. People feel that •■while it is no doubt creditable to the. .Russian authorities to have spoken the -truth even at this late hour, the long persistence in a mischievous falsehood does require a good deal of explaining. Tiro ; ]iypolhetieal solutions suggest themselves. One is that Russia was desirous at all coats to keep the matter hanging over until the Baltic Fleet—her only vulnerable point' as against British naval attack—had {rot wifely out of tlie way, or else that the reticence was observed as a part of the Russian Admiralty's suspected tliat of the Grand Ducal Party—of bringing about by some means a rupture with Great Britain as affording Russia au excuse for patching up a peace with Japan. However this may be„ and whichever may be tho triio explanation of Russia's peculiar method, the favourable fact remains that Russia has for once acted straightforwardly, and lias done so spontaneously. This may bo duo to the influent of tho Czan Lei 11s hope sol The alternative seems to bo that this unwonted Russian frankness is fonnocted with some new and as yet undisclosed design 011 the part of the ruling faction in St. Petersburg. It is undcniab'.o that the affair of the Caroline, of which I gave full particulars in a, recent, budget, was peculiarly ill-timed, . and tended 1 to place England in a very awkward position, for naturally it was agreed that if Russia, the enemy of England's ally, could so easily procure secretly in England vessels of war, surely England's ally herself would have infinit-rly greater facilities for doing the same thing, and would almost certainly have excrciwd those facilities to tho utmost, extent. It certainly would appear that the British Admiralty had in this mnttor proved itself worthily associated with tho War Otiice and with the Home Department, and had furnished a worthy parallel for the South African war muddles and the Beck scandal. Messrs Yarrow, ihe builders of the Caroline, have published a very long detailed statement of their portion anil proceedings ill the. matter, making it clear tltat they gave every possible warning to the Admiralty which, true to Britfeh official traditions, followed St. Paul's precept, " Be careful for nothing," and took care not to 1» careful at all until the Caroline had made iter escape. When this was ensured a feeble and futile attempt was made io catch her, and now, as if io emphasise the muddling of the past , the Government authorities'arc proceeding against the two persons concerned in procuring ihe vessel and in effecting her escape. It would bo difficult to imagine a more flagrant case of shutting the stable door after the horse had been stolen. But that seems to bo the way or our rulers. Another belated step has been taken with regard to the wholesale infractions of neutrality which have been going on during the Russo-Japanese war.. South Wales coal' in enormous quaulity and to enormous value has been supplied directly or indirectly to Russia. Indeed, it is a matter of notoriety that, the Baltic fleet never could have gono on its journey at all but for the supply of coal so- freely ufforded by England. It (seems not 11 little astonishing nt first sight that Japan should not liave made a vigorous protest." against, this all-imiiorlant aid which ■was so- lavishly given by her ally to her enemy. But lutherto the Japanese remonstrances hare been of tho mildest and gontlcst character. The explanation no doubt is that Japan could not afford to • alienate or quarrel with England, and therefore was reluctant to make a protest which must of necessity cither be brutu.m (ttlmon or eke involve hacking tip by some Itind of decisive action. Either courso would manifestly have been prejudicial to Japan. But there is another treason-which 110 doubt weighed still more .powerfully with Japan than cither of these considerations, and 1 that is that, although •Russia did get so large a quantity of coat from South Wales, Japan got a good deal more, and wliilo it was urgently important for Russia- to get the coal, it was absolutely vital for Japan to do so. Therefore the Bhrewd. Japanese statesmen weighed the one against tho other, and determined to put up with this departure from strict neutrality on the part of their ally so long as they on their part profited by the lapse. But, without being moved from outside, the British Government, tardily as usual, has at last awakened—or, at anyfate, demonstrated its knowledge of what- is going on,—and has actually gone so far as to Btoß ono vessel that was about to depart •with, another cargo of ooal for one of the Ixjlligcrenls—almost certainly Russia. And it is a ourkras feature of this transaction that the oargo of ooal was shipped by the German Consul at Cardiff "on his own," without tlie knowledge or connivance of his official superiors. The view taken at the German Embassy is-that the Cardiff Cousul , 111 going into this line of business did ,so

entirely at his own risk, and that his action -involyed'no responsibility on tlio part of his Government.

But if Japan has refrained from anything likp vigorous protestation, and Ims contented herself with mere gentle hints that- England's conduct lias not heen so friendly as rnight liavo been hoped from an sl.ly, there is 110 doubt, that the matter is rankling a good deal in the breasts of the Japanese people, anil it is equally .certain that both Russia and Germany am doing their best, hy indirect means," to impress upon ilib Japanese mind how entirely vain lifts been Japan's, alliance with Britain; how utterly broken a reed "Britain has proved as an ally, mid how very much more prudent it would be for Japan 1o rceogniso at onco and thoroughly that the Russian and Gorman Codlius arc the true friends, and not tho British Short. llow far these efforts have heeir successful it is impossible as yet to judge. The Japanese possess a very full share of flw habitual Oriental seorotiveness, and take very good care not. to allow tho slightest hint its to future possibilities to transpire prematurely. But, on the Russian side, it is tolerablv certain that unjess the fortune of war should suddenly execute, a volte faro and declare definitely on the' part of Russia, a strenuous effort will be ntadn by (hat country to arrive at a friendly understanding with .hipnn 011 such a basis as to render a future alliance feasible. This is one danger looming ahead for which England would have to prepare. Russia and Japan as allies, with China under their tutelage, and with the virtual backing—or, at lea«t, benevolent, neutrality —of Germany and France, would practically dominate tho l''ar East- as against Clreat Britain.: Some of the highest, authorities on such matters declare openly that this scheme is in contemplation, and has, .so far as Russia is concerned, assumed a fairly concrete shape. It. is at auyrato a future possibility which will need to be most »'.riously contemplated and adequately prepared for. I need hardly point out how intimately it would affect: the future of New Zealand.