The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-01
RUSSIA AND THE PORTE.
THE DEMANDS RESPECTING TIE
DARDANELLES YIELDED.

The Detention of the Russian Volun-
teer Fleet Bound for Vladvoietok the
Issue - The Rights Claimed 49, The
Porte's Side of the Question-Its Sub
mission in the Most humble Manner
LONDON, Aug 31-The information tele-
graphed to the Standard of this city from
Constantinople to the effect that the porte
had yielded to Russias demands respect ing
the Dsrdanelles would seem to be
founded on fact. The question at
issue between Russia and the porte
referred to the detention at intervals
of the Russian volunteer fleet of steam
ships bound for Vladivostok, the eastern
terminus of the trans-Siberisn railroad On
the Sea Of japan. The most recent case
was tire detention Of the steamer Moscow
Of the Russian volunteer fl et.
RIGHTS CLAIMED BY RUSSIA
Russia claimed that though these ships
were armed they were outside of the cate
CORY Of warships. which are debarre1, by
the treaty of 1871 and confirmed at London
in 1871 and at Berlin in 1878, from passing
through the Dardanelles
The treaty referred to was concluded be-
tween the five great powers and Turkey,
and provides that no ship of war belonging
to any nation save TurkeyS shall pass the
Dardanelless without the express consent of
Turkey, oil merchant ships being also re-
CURED to show their papers to the Ottoman
authorities. Russia, besides, claimed that
the vessels of the volunteer fleet were not
warshipS in the proper sense of the word.
THE PoRTEs SIDE OF THE QUESTION.
Tho porte, on the other baud, replied that
even were this admitted to be q fact, the
vessels detained were war transports, since
they had on board a number of troops in
tended for Vladivostok. To this Russia
replied that the men being conveyed to the
eastern terminus of the trans Siberian
railroad were not soldiers, but re-
servists. who were doing duty as
railroad laborers. To these apparently I'M
answerable arguments from Turkeys pow
full enemy, the porte appears to have been
forced to submit in a most humble manner,
though there is no reason to doubt that
Turkey must first have asked the five
powers IL they were willing to support her
should she still further contest the point
with Russia.
ESTABLISHES A PRECEDENT.
Apparently the powers have not thought
the matter worth troubling about in 1891,
though ten years back such demand
might have led to war, and so it Is that the
porte submits, and besides paying an in
IDENTITY to Russia for the detention of the
steamers, a precedent is established which
will permit of all such vessels, in future,
being allowed to pass the Dardanelles in
, spite Of the treaty of l64l.
4 The frat vessel of the volunteer feet
bound for Vladivostok was stopped on
April IA. She was loaded with railroad
material and had on board a number of
military workmen," according to the
term used by the Russian authorities.
HER COMMANDER APPEALED
to M. De Nelidorff, the Russian ambassador,
and after considerable parleying and ener-
getic protests and threats upon the part of
the Russian ambassador, the vessel was
allowed to proceed. Siuce then there have
been two or more vessels of similar char
acter stopped In the Dardanelle, with the re-
suit that in the case of one of them, the
Moscow, a test case was made and con-
cluded in the submission of the porte and
the payment Of an indemnity.
The So. James Gazette this evening,
referring TO the Moscow affair, holds that
the submission of the porte to Russia's de-
mands establishes precedent which per-
mits Russian warships to use the passage of
the Darnaneles as they please, while war
ships of other nations must not enter those
straits. This news, according to the same
paper, is by far the gravest published
for some time.