The Thames Star. Resurrexi MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1904.

Thames Star, Volume XXXXI, Issue 10453, 31 October 1904, Page 2

The Thames Star. Resurrexi MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1904.

—+ — RUSSIA AND BXIGLANDi. The result] of Great Britain's 1 representations to Russia; has been that not only lias Russian officially expressed profound regret at the disco'viery of the facts relating to the outrage on inno'centi trawlers in the North Sea, 'bub a Court of Inquiry will sit at Vigo when that- portion of the fleet concerned, in the incident will be detained as well as the Russian officers |iiinpjlicateici| |and| the material witr nesses- Needless to say that Mr Balfo'ur received a national ovation- when the official pronouncement was made. :H!ia spiefeidlii was 'both manly a-nd straightforward. There was- evident a full appreciation of the gravity of the situation, of the fact that England! and R'Udsia were ready to spring at each others throats, thatf an injudicious act. might precipitatei matters and that though all was possible was to 1 'be done, to avert war, the nation's honour had to be protected. As Mr Balfour 1 truly remarked when the' whole nation was. raising a shout of indignation and clamouring for full reparation that the reparation a«ked for was not the least of Great. Britain's 1 demands- And now that the diplomatic course was followed and the danger averted! the official details show what grim significance is contained in these words- Though, the 'unwarrantable attack on the fishing Moats was to be condemned and the fullest reparation made, the Russian Admiral had praciticaliliy! laicloulsed England of grossly infringing the laws of neutrality—the laws whicih Great Britain was faithfully and scrupulously observing. To ao> unbiassed mind the allegations of tb'e RUssiaiS Admiral are ludUirouS

in the extreme^ To aver that he was | ; surrounded by torpedioersi in the presence, of hundreds of fishing boats of all nationalities, that he could sink one !boat a.nd\ injujre anotihelr, arad that the remainder suddenly disappenired, m-erely lend* color to the belief that the Adtairal and his officers were either mad with fear oi* j drunfc from vodka. There was such an indignanti outcry of proteist from not only Great Britain but all her ' ipiossessions, that the Government- j would have been execrated as in- | capable of preservingi the nation's ' honor if they had failed to take the determined stand they did- It would fapjpeajr !that the 'Czair 1 hasi adted th!ilolu:gjh,o;uiti with commendiabUe tact and frankness, and his far-sighted wisdom was highly conimended by Mr Balfour- The- details cabled "show that Russia, has agreed to all of England's demands. Therei will be three inquiries-—the Coroner's, the Board of Trade, and the International Court. There may be complications' if tho finding of one Cburt stultifies the deeisioin of the other, but that is not probable. Any person, found guilty by this tribunal. Russia has promised, would) be tried and punished adequately. A; guarantee, has also been given against a recurrence of such. an incident, and with Russia's ample apolcgy, promise of compensation and' reparation, agreeing to inquiry and promising to punish, the offend- ; ers, oven the most jingoistic Britisher rmilst surely be satisfied-