HOW RUSSIA TREAT'S NEUTRALS

Thames Star, Volume XXXXI, Issue 10457, 4 November 1904, Page 1

HOW RUSSIA TREAT'S NEUTRALS

If the experiences' of the crew of tJie British sbeajm-eLi Cheltenham a.rei .0' be taken :is! a, criterion', the lot of neutral 'Sailors who* have to partake of E'ussian hospitality Avhcn their vessels are seized, is not a ha2>py oiut, remarks the "Press-" '."■'ixtee.n seamen belonging to; the Cheltenham', which, was fjeized by the Vladiv'ostock squadron on July 2nd', recently brought an action against the owners of thel vessel for damage, and costs consequent, by their detention by the Russians- It appears that the sailors- wcra engaged to sail to the East

liidie.?, and the vessel, after making this voyage, iinatlly went .to Yokohama, with rice- On July 2nd she was proceeding! to the seat of war with a Japanese cargo of locomotives, .sleeper.-*, and telegraphic, apparatus, when: she was stopped by the Yladivostock licet. T!ho vessel was put in charge of a, lluissian crow, and mines were taken on board, instructions being given thiiti the vessel wa.s to be blown up if the Japanese attempted its capture- At Vladivostok a, Prize Court was bold, and the .ship and cargo were condemned- The crew were kept for two or three •weeks at MadivkKtoek, and were then sent to St. Petersburg by rail, the journey uccunyinig three weeks owing to the congested .state of the traffic- On the. journey tlio men were only able to get one meal a, day, and were nearly 'Starved. • There .wa« also, no .sleeping" accommodation in the carriages- At St. Petersburg they were lodged' in a; dirty lodging house, had to jiay JVr beds out of thoir own pockets, and were given, meals oonsistiiiig! oif (me ounce of meat, a. small loaf of bread, a, cup of teas and sometimes! soup- The plaintiffs claimed they should have been told that they wei'ci carrying contraband, and (hat in view 1 ol' the dangers and' hardships they bad gone through, they wereen--1 ivied to the £10 damages claimedOn the other side it was contended th.a,fc the seizure of the vessel by the .Russians!- ienilimited the agreement, that (lie captain had the right to carry contraband of ivar, and that the men knew! that they- must take the risk- The Bench found for the sailors on the ground that they had not been told that they were carrying contraband.