War Was Very Near

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 669, 22 May 1929, Page 9

War Was Very Near

RUSSIA AND BRITAIN IN 1904 Terse Orders to Gibraltar Fleet HOW Britain and Russia nearly went to war in 1904 is revealed by documents now published. The nearness of conflict may be judged from the fact that orders were sent to the British vice-admiral at Gibraltar to stop the Russian Baltic Fleet on its way to the Far Fast. “by persuasion if possible, by force if necessary.” Russia yielded. (Australian and K.Z. Press Assoi-iation) Times Cable

Reed. 9 a.m

LONDON. Tuesday

fourth volume of the British documents on the origins of the war has been published by the Stationery Office. It deals almost entirely with AngloRussian relations, and tells fully and frankly the story of the negotiations culminating in the Anglo-Russian Convention of August. 1907, which was the turning-point of European history. It had come to be regarded as inevitable that Britain and Russia should be found in opposing camps. There was no place in Asia in which their interests did not collide. The volume reveals the nearness of an Anglo-Russian war. following the Dogger Bank incident in October, 1904. Britain insisted on a preliminary inquiry before the Russian fleet passed Gibraltar. Russia demurred.

whereupon the Marquess of Lansdowne, then Foreign Secretary, warned the Russian Ambassador that “if the fleet were allowed to continue without calling at Vigo, we might find ourselves at war before a week is over.’* Instructions were sent to the viceadmiral at Gibraltar to stop the Baltic Fleet “by persuasion if possible, by force if necessary.’* Fortunately, Russia yielded. The Dogger Bank incident of 1904 was that on October 21, during the Russo-Japanese War r a Russian Baltic fleet on its way to the Far East fired on some British fishing trawlers, sinking one and damaging others, killing two members of the crews and wounding others. The Tsar of Russia expressed regret at the •‘accident.” which was inquired into by an international commission, and compensation was duly made by the Russian Government.