Russia's Designs on the Colonies: The Hoax on the Age.

Otago Witness, Issue 1585, 8 April 1882, Page 24

Russia's Designs on the Colonies: The Hoax on the Age.

,' Melbourne, March 28th, On Thursday last, the 23rd, the Melbourne Eublic was startled by a long article in the Age eaded ' ' Russian Designs on Melbourne. Important Disclosures." It was at first thought that it was another hoax on the part of the Age, but a' careful perusal showed that it was intended as a genuine announcement. It was stated thai a Mr Henry Bryant, who was in the confidence and pay of the Russian Admiral Aslaubegoff, had, in consequence of a quarrel with that officer, communicated the designs of the Russian Government to the Age. Bryant represented that he had been a paHy with the Admiral and his flag-lieutonant to {.lie drawing up of | a cypher despatch to the Russian MinisVer of .^rirje,, in wfyich the Admiral forwarded

all the important information he could glean about the Colonies arid the weakness of the defences, stating that the Colonies possessed unlimited resources in money and produce, and stores incalculable, and asking that orders be sent to the commander at Vladivostock to ]oin the squadron at Shanghai next April. # The despatch of the Minister of Marine was still more remarkable. By it the Admiral was ordered to ascertain the exact amount of.pecuniary resources the Colonies can be despoiled of if put to contribution, and if any reliance or trust could be put on the Irish population of the Colonies in the event of any serious rebellion being fostered at the same time mlreland. After, the Australian cruise was completed, the Admiral was ordered to rendezvous 'at'Shang-' hai/to take 1 command of the whole fleet, numbering some 15 Vessels,, to goal at Fiji, then to swoop down' on the Australian Colonies before there iwas time to be 'aware 'of' any aggressive movement, as by that time war will have been declared. Contributions of five millions sterling were then to be levied from Melbourne and Sydney, two millions from Adelaide, and a million and a-half from Queensland. Allr this was so circumstantially told { with names and dates, that it excited # belief in the minds of many j but a close inspection of 'Bryant's cypher dispatches showed an' extra-, ordinary resemblance to the fictitious dispatches not long since published as a hoax by the Age. Lieutenant Fredricks, first flaglieutehant of the Af rika, had been left behind sick, [and he was naturally appealed to. His* statement and, that of M. Oamyon, Russian 'consular, agent, elicited the, fact, that Bryaiit had riot, as he alleged, been sent out •by the' Russian Government,' but had been' living! here, for the past nine weeks ; .that he only law the' Admiral five days before the depa'rtuVe of the squadron; that he then sub mitteH'tb him an 'invention of his own for a Bubadueb'us torpedo, which the, Admiral submitted to, the ' Russian Government by a telegraphic'despatch'! arid received a reply r on his amvll at Adelaide •' arid that the Gbve'rnmeht declined' to entertain the proposal. This was communicated ' to : ' Bryant by, the Russian consul, arid he thereupon expressed his disappointment. Bit; by bit the cypher despatch'es'and statements, were ascertained to be purely fictitious, and then it appeared that the Age had been most egr'egfously hoaxed. This jview was taken by the entire Press of the Colony, merely upon the face of the documents asthey'appeared' arid without evidence. The Government, however", telegraphed the substandb of the affair to England, and received! replyjfrom Earl K^mberley that the relations wfth 'Russia were friendly, arid that 1 the statements were incredible. , ' ' ' , , Bryant^ who is stated to' be a Frenchman, has since disappeared.'; The statement made a greafsensatipn for a' time,' but soon subsided. The jAg'e^ ' h6weVer,V still 'Has ' faith' m the t genumeness of Bryant's story.' ' ' /