ANGLO-RUSSIAN CRISIS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 254, 31 October 1904, Page 2

ANGLO-RUSSIAN CRISIS.

THE MATTER TO BE ' ; INVESTIGATED AT VIGO SITUATION RELIEVED. Mil HAUOUR'S CRITICISM OF THE ADMIRAL'S ! STORY. ' I STRONG DENUNCIATIONS. '! KING EDWARD'S INFLUENCE' 1 FOR PEACE. Received Oct, 30, 9.22 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 89. Mr Balfour, Prime Minister, addressed a great) mass mooting ait Southampton. In the course of hip epepch he 6aid 'he believed the lamentable tragedy tha't had occurred in the North Sea would not lead to war ; but heiligercntß must never be allowed to forget their duties towards neutrals. "The Russian admiral's version of this affair contained much of romance, and,' .* also that which was equivalent'to an attack on our national honour as neutrals." Hie Premier promised liberal coni,Bensal4on, to. those who had sullerod' by the attack. - That partql the fleet concerned In the incident would be tletainod a t Vigo in order that the naval authorities might ascertain what officers were responsible. Therefore these and' any material witnesses would not accompany tbe fleet to tbe Far East.' Mr Balfour- 'proceeded "We .have, with Russia, agi'opd up|on an International Commission, ifnitlei' the Hague Tribunal." •«'>' In reference to the presence of [Japanese torpedo boats he might mention that these were phantom ships and craituroa of pure ■ /aney.

"Against tiio admiral's statement 1 enter a most emphatic protest. Them will bs three inquiries—the cor Toiler's, Uoanl of Trade, and on International O o urt." H# acjttei that Count HeßCkendorfl Ambassador) haxi auul)o>'lWKl the anaouncoiuent that llussia. expMwqd profound regret on the discovery of thelu.ctß, Any person louiwl guilty by tills tribunal would be ' thereafter tried a n 4 punibhetl adequately. Guarantees had now been given against a recurrence of the incidents.

(Received Oct. SO, 4.47 p.m. ) * LONDON, Oct. 39. 1 Mr lV«lfour received a treuiaad o us ovation when he announced that' prospects of a'settlement were wholly favourable. It had been impossible to make suoh a statement tie previous eveifog. Till Monday neutrals had new dreamt that, tihe?' were liable to an attack while en■Buged. in pettCeCul avocations audunaiy cifcumstitnces .rendering resistance impossible and ludiaqjuar II Huete incidents were to*'. QLYjflg&to then a belllgerent'a against ' which ill ' neutrals were' bound to combtna. While the horrified and startled iistoriaen bore the neus of the tragedy to Hull the Russians had gone on silently and without a sign. Four days later admiral's vertiion was received. Tile tishormen'B statement contained much of tragedy, but nothing ,pf rpmance. Though the two versions wore absolutely contradictory it.wasiwposiiible not to believe tho litter 1 wa a substantially correct. When a mattor was under inquiry! ho oNllrtariljj; would not attempt to prejudlco any i>arty, only in this the admiral hud attacked thie national honour .of the country, .implying .that Britain was not doing bier, duty aS' a neutral ; thougto really she .was scrupu-. lously perlormina it, . „ ypoaking with iatenss fwlittK | and merciless irony MS- Balfour recounted the conflicting storice. admiral," iie said, ilaamed- that'he sank one torpedo boat and injured another. What became ( of the lit-, ter ?i By what jyovdsion 'could a hostile torpedo boat know that 'the Hussions wwW. go thirty miles out of their oourse when iheir' own regulations indicated that the Dogger Dank wus crowded with fishermen of all nationalities.? Was it possible for the Japarstf» to lie in wait at a spot where publicity was inevitable ? 1 puWdcly express my disbelief in the stofy of these phantom ships, because experts allege that tho noareat Japanese warships were fourteen thousand miles uwu.v ; and also because, it torpedo boats <aro in tho North Sea the admiral believear ■'.imt WB -iw providing them with a bafic, unless he suspects France or Holland I That is pure fancy, necessitating an etttI phatic protest. As Bopp J as the tragedy wias kbown Russia »«& expressod her deep regnet, haa promised compensation, and had indicated that uny "wromg-doors ought to be punished. A special difficulty arose from tho fact that witnecats were vanishing from Europe an<| would soon be beyond the control of national or international courts. That was ovorcorae. Then another aroso, tho admirals apparently holding a thepry regarding the righta and duties of a belligerent's fleet which made tho high, seas a i>iace of public danger to peaceful trals. Any fleet animated by such a policy ought to be huntod out of existonco if civilised commiQrte was to be ablo to pursue its way unimpeded."

Mi' Balfour praised the far-sighted wrsdooi of tJue C?.ar. After days of deep anxiety, when the Goivernihoiit had nearly contemplated tho extreme possibility of war, Mr Bailfour said ho was glad to announce a settlement of all diffcronces, on terms honourable to both allkoj If an international inquiry shows very •heavy blame those responsible will bo punishod. Hho British demands old. not go beyond what tho highest international morality dcnxuid- ' h® had aslied less his oountry men might have complained that their honour was not sabs in tfljT (>o>enitnent's honda. ' ~ : : THE FINANCIAL BAROMETER. PEOPLE. OF HULL SATISFIED AT THE RESULT. {Received Oct. 30, 9.22 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 29. Consols are now quoted at 87>J. Tho agreement with Russia, pending a final settlement, ha® given livoly satisfaction in Hull. KINO EDWARD'S INFLUENCE. CREDITED WITH AVOIDANCE OF TROUBLE, LONDON, Oct. 20. Tho Standard's New York i and PaMa correspondents show that' the. credit oI the solution is attributed largely to King Edwaid'a Inflitencfc, and 14a flmf)es» giyj tact In placing law abovo amis, wMlo Consciouß pt ■tl* Juatfpe of tjre cawi„ 01 . ,1

CABLE NEWS?

(Unitod Press Association—By Uft»* trie Telegraph—Copyright).

NEWSPAPER COMMENT, THE STANDARD MAINTAINS BTHONQ TONE. f LONDON. Oct. 36. The Standard, in further diseasing the position, dwlorea tivalt "tlie compromise is profoundly disappointing, and protests vehemently agftllWt u justly aggrieved party and the aggressor going to an al—and mainly foreign—tribunjal on u footing o' ajuality. The puniiiknicnt of tin* guKty will bo in' soy WW doubtful, and though it bo shown that the Czar had givapritiKtructions to prevent a catastrophe incompetent navigator* were not c.ontrollable a thousand miles distant. The 'limes says Mr BalfourI.*. 1 .*. Announcement will'be received by the whole Empire and Uiq civilised' world with a ffwUng of deep relief. and earnest approval. The Daily News and Daily Td»> graph are equally congratulatory. The 'Morning Post says it is ,4he natural conclusion to Mr Bolfour'k promises' of action ; but Britain It | debarred from all aciiioimry'{MaBures, , , , -

• A DENIAL. FROM JAPAN., NO TORPEDO BOATS ORDER*® i. IN ENOLANI*. (Received, Oct. 80. 6.9 p.m,) , • • LONDON, Oct. 30. It is. offlatejlly declared at ,Tofcto that tho .Jayaaeae have witter P»rchdsednor. ondenad a tingle torpedo boat In England during. Mm war, and the presence of torpedo boat*" aiwnifl tbe Ashing (ban U d»> nied and ridiculed.' .... ,i ' SAFEGUARDING GIBRALTAR; ' MOBILISING THE TOHPEDQ' (BeceiMed Oct. 81, 0.47 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 80. Thfe entrances t<) ' tbe : Gtbrilt«r harbour are closed nightly by boboi dances,, hundred and ten torpedo bqpM' were ordered on Thursday to amm. ble at Portland and Gibraltar." » '• J ■■■■■'- . • ;!i THE VIQO-REFUGEES..' RUSSIA ASKS PERMISSION. FOB THEM TO STAY. . „.i LONDON, Opt. | It is officially announced iha.t Rtt»Ilia, reiqueatod permission for Utt w&rahips anchored at Vigo to r»» Wain there until the iaquiiy ' ku» ended.

, Spain, after she liad consulted' ih|D. foreign repirosentativos, approved' of th* raqucnt. ' . OTHER NEWS EPITOMISES) LONDON, Oct. 38. The Tokio press is *ataml«h*d at the coaling faollitiW"'granted 'the Hidtlo Fleet in C'o>)Ufl«iUU pofcti, and. claims that . Jaßun is not ri», ceivlug fair play, , <'Russian officers at Vigo assert Urat on ,50 ,boats continuing to ad.vance.defii.jtte signals to retire, tin admiral signalled tHai 'Qiey wW-at-taoke<ii..ajJGlttie th£»(lrtd. An outlying member of the traVl- , inc ttoet reports that Who lost Russian wsisbip flr«l .atj Jjer at seven o'clock oin Saturday morning, that shut passing Ijetween the funne) awl torernnqt, /' . -The at the Norwegian stealncr I. Bka«tw States that on Sunday, when in the English Channel, a RuWlaa I warship fired, ceasing when 'tiw ItoKtogian flag was h«»tod. The SonoUg, a German ' trawler, which w«f> flr«l upon, reports that It was aubteted to searchlight, and then the worships fired in all: 41-' rations at the rate of 80 shot* i bursting all round her. , -i .j The firing at Swedish, OwnMllk and Norwegiftn' vessels' is consider* od ia refutation of Admiral Rohle* .(JOMU-8 statements that he acted in self-defence a£a3nst supposed Jtorpedo boats, inasmuch «g it itisclSe a!', diplomatic plan to interfere with neutrals' ocean rights. • < At the Swedish Oovernnient's in.', stance thp captain anc| crew of Uw ■ vessel Aldebriron were examined Ihey swore that the Russian* flrui shot and shell, which burst near. Ab. i WSPtly aijickfirers worn used at « dfotknoe of half' a' milk All ata convinced that the warships distinct? Swedish flag. >• ' There hhs Wii an outbreak of violence by the Russian* press Tkw admiral's . report, is fully belief In St. Petersburg, and is ilkeli to impede a settlement. Be static that some of'the 1 Ruufans «M< wounded sad one of the Alps 18* ' jurad during the attack oti the tri#» lera. .Re(it«f ragprts that Britain aft* Russia will refer the dispute io a court of inquiry, probably in term* of Article 9, of the Hague TVibua«fW3b- S3r«rr^lowed for the inquiry, • . The Mayor of Tokio has cabled to tie Mayor of Mull Japan's pr<(. found sympathy with tlie victims of |he, Russian outrage. j.-> tard Charles lloresford's BSfnt fc.j Rt'artcd towards Vigo, Hie 'ltehQa , W 1 destroyers of; the new typi, • have been conjmlssWned for tfo;' MflpHwranpafl Fleot. ;

I CABLE NEWS. (United Press Association.—By Elmtrie Telegraph.—Copyright.)