The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-05-04
THE "CIMBRIA."

The rumOrs about the steamer Cimbrja o
the New York and Hamburg line, having
been secured for the Russian service have
been verified by the appearance of that vessel
at Southwest Harbor, on the coast of Maine
in charge of Count Griefenberg, a com mander
in the Russian navy, and having aboard, be-
sides her regular crew, sixty Russian naval
officers and six hundred warrant officers and
seamen. According to the statement of Capt
Badenheussen, the master of the vessel, as re-
ported in the Chicago Times press dispatches
She is chartered by an agent of the Russian
| government She proceeded to Port Baltic,
| in Russia, and there took on board 600 men,
mostly Firms, as Storage passengers, and
Sixty-threo men Us cabin passengers. She
sailed from Port Baltic April 20, and passed
around the north of Scotland. Capt. Baden
heussen was under the orders of one of the
cabin passengers and when off Cape Sable, as
he shaped his course for Cape Cod, he was di-
rected to lay his course for Southwest Har-
Dor. lie has no cargo only the ships stores.
He is now here waiting orders. He processes
sci or men. No person has been ashore OK
cept Capt; Badcnheussen and the gen
tIeman in charge. The latter has the bearing
OF naval officer, and is a Russian.
This gentleman with the bearing" of a
naval officer "avows himself to be Count
Griefcnberg, a Russian naval commander,
and the men under his charge, officers and
seamen in the Russian service"
The arrival Of the Cimbria has been re-
ported to the government at Washington
but nothing Is known as to her destination or
the object of her presence in American
waters. One supposition is that she has con
coaled aboard a complete armament, and will
develop into a Russian cruiser in reg ular com
mission Immediately upon declaration of
war with England. The treaty of Paris has
pronounced against privatoers, but she would
not be privateer, but a shi p-of-war in regu-
lar commission and manned by naval officers
and seamen. 1t is suspected that many YES
sells, in all parts of the globe, which are not
now suspected, will develop into cruisers of
the same character. Should this prove true,
the British commerce can be swept from the
seas almost before any effort can be made to
protect it. A war of this kind would be the
most formidable that could be waged against
England and there is no telling what its re-
suits might be.
Our dispatches yesterday stated that Rus
sian agents have complete lists OF all the fast
3 dling and substantial American vessels, and
that the presence of the Cimbria is for the
purpose of manning such cruisers as may be
secured by Russia from among the American
shipping.
Very serious complications with England
might very easily result from the fitting out
OF Russian cruisers in the ports of the United
States. But the recollection of the Alabama
claims should make the government exceed
ingly cautious in this respect. There is a
silly rumor telegraphed In the special of a
contemporary to the effect that England is
advised OF the actions of the Russian
agents, and has notified the State De
partment that she will regard the fitting out
of Russian cruisers In American waters as
hostile act. This is. of course, more nonsense,
Tor there are certainly no treaty obligations
which forbid the fitting out of cruisers, pur-
chasing of arms, building Of vessels or any
thing else in American ports by any nation
not actually at war with another nation with |
which we have treaty relations. Immedi- |
ately upon the inauguration of hostilites or
the formal declaration of war, however, the |
duties OF the administration would be ma
terially changed. Now it has no right to in
terfere with any contracts our citizens |