The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-09-20
THE MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
The Matter One Of Little Novelty or lm'
pOrtance in ITSELF
GREAT BRITAIN FIRM And UNDAUNTED.
III Russian War-ships arc to Pass Into thu
Mediterranean English War-ships
Will Appear In tho Black Sea.


Copyright Gable. 1891, by the United Pressl
LONDON, Sept. 19.-The many misleading
reports published regarding the Dardanelles
affair. together with the reported seizure OF
Sigri by England makes it more important
that trustworthy information concerning the
matter should be obtained from some su-
thoritatiye English source, Great Britain
being regarded as the power interested in
the Dardanelles question. An attache of the
British Foreign Office, whose name for obvious
reasons is withheld, said in an interview to-
day: The waters have been ruffled by the
recent passage Of the Dardanelles and more
has been made of the incident than would
have been made Of il at an earlier and buster
period OF the year. Still IL is not without I'M
portance. If only as link in chain fur
ther step in steady process OF encroacn-
ment The vessel in question was the Mos
cow of the Russian volunteer fleet, and II was
stopped because. though It had troops on
board no previous notice of It's desire TO pass
had been received. The Russian answer was
that the customary notice was not In tnat
particular case thought necessary, as the only
troops on board were time expired men.
The Russian Ambassador even went so far
as 10 demand indemnity for the retention of
the vessel. The Porte forwarded an aDJect
apology to the Ambassador, undertook 70
pay the indemnity at once and promised that
the incident shall not recur.
LITTLE NOVELTY OK IMPORTANCE
The Constantinople correspondent of the
London Standard remarked that Russian
diplomacy has therefore, achieved complete
victory on this question. and henceforth the
straits would be open 10 her vessels.
while closed to those of other nations, fool
Il hoe 4raQtad hu
German and Austrian newspapers with a
seriousness altogether disprOpOrtlOnate 10 its
importance The matter IS one that has little
novelty or importance IN ltselt. 1he time
when the Standard should have made this
fuss was in April last when the convention
was drawn up, of which the passage of the
Moscow was MINOR consequence.
Turkey then agreed that Russian ships
with troops on board might pass
the straits on condition Of preliminary notice
being given. That was a real step in advance
for Russia In an annex 10 the treaty of Paris,
confirmed by the treaty Of Berlin IN 1878, and
therefore still the law of Europe, the Sultan
declared his firm resolution to maintain for
the future the principles invariably establish
cd as the ancient rule OF the Empire,
and in virtue of which 1t has at
all times been prohibiting ships of foreign
powers to enter the straits of the Dardeneles
and of the Bosphorus. On their part all
the powers. including Russia engaged ITO
respect this determination Of the Sultan and
10 conform themselves TO the principles above
declared
UNDER RUssIAg INFLUENCE.
Under the expression the ships Of war and
military transports are admittedly included.
and the passage If Russian vessels has of late
years been repeatedly complained OF by the
Porte. Quite recently, however, the Porte
has fallen almost exclusively under the IN
huence of Russia. and by the April conven-
ton Russia succeeded in giving a certain
appearance Of order and regularity 10 a long
| standing encrOachment. OF course that con-
yentiOn has never been recognized by the other
powers The rule that no foreign ships of war
shall pass the stTaltsrecelyedt the adhesion OF all
| the powers in 1881. Russia has never torn up
! that convention as she tore up the treaty OF
Paris in 1870 or rather that part OF it which
prohibited the formation OF Russian
| fleet in the Black aea. But OF course
| the fleet was no sooner formed than the veto
| upon exit in the Mediterranean was found ex-
tremely CALLING and much Russian activity
! has of late years been devoted 10 tOunderminin&
and destroying this prohibition. The policy
was not TO DEFY II sopenly, but 70 encroach
! step bystep till some daY Europe should md IT
! self confronted with an accomplished TACT. One
| of these steps was 20 send transports through
| the straits and when objection was raised 70
/ protest that q transport was not a ship
OF war. andithat, therefore. the treaties had
not been broken. Another was to
make play with the ships of the
Russian volunteer feet. These. it is alleged.
are no more ships OF war than are the Gu
narders on which the British admiralty has q
claim in case OF an outbreak of hOstllitles,
and which will then be used as cruisers. The
Moscow is one of those nondescrpts. and can
be described as u war-ship or mercbantman
according to your point OF view.
WHAT RUSSIA Is AFTER.
The restriction Of Russa's war-shps to the
| one sea in which they can do little or nothing
| TO affect events could not but be irritating TO
| her and any other power similarly placed would
| have worked and intrigued against the pro
| hibitiOn much as she has done. AT the same
time Russia cannot eat her cake and have it.
| If she is bent before all things
on bringing her ships into the
Mediterranean she will probably in the
| long run have her sway. Only if Russian
ships are 10 have free exit 10 the Mediterra-
/ mean, English ships, ana Tor that matter the
| ships OF all powers, must have free entrance
| into the Black sea. That will not suit Russia.
| What she wants IS 10 have the Black sea
| recognized rs q closed domestic sea- where
other war-ships have no right to show them
/ selves; she can come in it as much as she
| pleases but thev must not come in. TO that,
! however, Europe and in particular England
| will never agree. If Turkey Is foolish
enough 10 open the straltS 10 the one pOWerit
| behoOves her to keep ont of them she must un-
| derstand that the ipso facto opens them to all
| the worlds The other powers are no longer
| bound by promise TO respect the Sultan's reso-
| luton when that resolution was that the straits
should he impartially shut against all alike.
Nor can Turkey keep the ships Of other pow
| ers out by force. The English fleet could
| force the passage OF the Dardanelles and
! Bosphorus at any moment and if Russian
war-ships are 70 pass into the Mediterranean
English war-ships will certainly appear in the
| Black sea.