Received 30th, 5-55 p.m.

Thames Star, Volume XXXXI, Issue 10453, 31 October 1904, Page 4

Received 30th, 5-55 p.m.

LONDON, October 29. Mr Balfour met. with a tremendous ovation when he announced the prospects of a settlement wholly favourable. • • It was impossible to 1 hare made suchi a statement the previous evenTill Monday the neutrals had never dreamt that they were liable to attack while engaged in peaceful automations 'Under circumstances 1 rendering resistance impossible. It was ludicrous if such an incident were possible'A' belligerent fleet was to be allowed to pasis against which all the neutrals would be. found to com/bine. While the horrified and startled fishermen, bore the news of the tragedy to Hull, the Russians went on silently without sign for four days. Later the admiral's version was recieived- - The- statement of the fishermen contained! much of tragedy but no romance. Though th« two 1 versions were absolutely contradictory it was impossible to doubt which, was substantially correctFVVhem the mat-tor was under inquiry .he ordinarily 'would not attempt i!a prejudice the case. Only the admiral had attacked the national honour, implying that Great Britain was; not doing her duty as a neutral, though, she was "really sctrupulously performing it. Speaking 1 with, intense feeling and merciless irony Mr Balfour recounted the 'conflicting stories of the admiralThe admiral claimed to have sunk one torpedoer and injured 'another. (What 'became of the latter, or by what provision could a hostile torpedoer know that the Russians would go thirty miles out of their course whem their own regulations indicated the Dogger Bank would be crowded with fishermen of all nationalities•Was it possible that the Japanese would lie mi w;ait at a spot where publicity was inevitable. I publicly -express my disbelief in these phantom ships, he said, because the experts allege that the nearest Japanese warships are fourteen thousand milesi away. Also because that if there Were t'orpedoers in the North Sea the admiral believed that we were providing them, withi a baseUnless he suspects France and Holland that is pure fancy, necessitating am emphatic protest. As soon asi the tragedy was known Russia expressed! deep regret* and promised compensationThey also indicated that any wrong doer ought to be; punished. A .special difficulty arose from the fact that the witnesses were vanishing from Europe, and would soon bo fceyond control of national or international courts. That difficulty was overcomeThen another arose, the admiral's apparently holding the theory of the rights and duties of . a belligerent fleet, .which, made the " high seas a place/of puiblic danger to peaceful neutrals. Any*"fleet animated^ with such a ought to be hunted out ef existence if civilised commerce was to be able to pursue its- way pededMr Balfour praised the far sighted wisdom of the Czar. After a day's deep anxiety, when . the Government! had nearly contemplated) the extreme possibilities of war Mr Balfour was; glad to> announce , the seHlement of all differences on term* alike honourable to b'otli. • If the international inquiry shows! very liea.vy blame those responsible will be duly punishedBritish demand® did not go 'beyond .what the 'highest international morality demanded. If they asked les's their countrymen might have «omplained that the honour of "the nation wa» not safe in the Goverooient'f hands-