The leader., 1904-10-29
scoFFs Plea oF IGNORANCE.
Hull Correspondent Of the Times Says
Horror Was Deliberate,


London, Oct. ga special CORE.
spuhdent of the Times in telegram
from Hull SCOTS at the idea that the
North Sea horror was due to mis-.
take on the part Of the Russians. He
says that he has no doubt that the out
rage was committed deliberately.
Against the theory that the officers
Of the feet were in such state of ex.
IRENE nervousness that they were un.
able to remain like reasonable human
beings, he cites the fact that the first
squadron of the feet sailed calmly by
the trawlers and took no notice Of
them and states that it is more likely
that the officers were in blue funk
than those who had gone on before.
But whatever their condition they
must have obtained knowledge
through torpedo boat what sort of
people were on the trawlers.
1t is nonsense, the correspondent
says to pretend that the men on the
torpedo boat did not recognize the
character of these fishing boats.
There was no possibility Of mistaking
these boats for vessels of some other
sort,
The plea of ignorance on the part
of the Russians is dismissed as ridicu-
lous. The officer commanding the
squadron must have known that he
was sailing past fleet of fishing
boats and must have known it when
he gave the order to fire on the fleet.
The correspondent declines to accept
the theory that some nervous gunner
let off his piece without orders and so
set the gunnefs of four ships to work.
The firing, he holds, was started by an
order from the admiral. He describes
the condition of the vessels, which
were under fire, showing that they
were literally riddled with shot from
machine guns, and badly torn by
shells.
The Russians, he said, made first
rate practice, which he considers a
square denial of the theory of gunners
paralyzed with terror and also of the
suggestion that in a night SO dark
they could not distinguish the vessels
they were firing at.
Finally" says the correspondent,
I'VE have the fact that they steamed
away and have kept silence about the
escapade. That is incompatible with
the idea of a genuine blunder made in
good faith, but it is quite in keeping
with the conduct of a drunken COM
mander who had yielded to the temp
tation of having little fun among
the English fishermen.
II notice that the suggestion Of
drunkenness has come from Berlin,
where they know Russian ways very
well. It will occur to every one who
has seen Russian official full of yod-
ka or champagne that this exploit is
the very thing that would occur to a
man in that no uncommon condition.
He would think no more of it than of
peppering heaters out shooting. and if
one of the poor brutes died he would
laugh and settle the matter with a
handful of roubles.
Fishermen are no more than peas
ants in the eyes of the we'll born Rus
sian, and when drunk he would not be
troubled by a sense of responsibility.
This may seem incredible to many
people, but the Russian cannot be
judged by western standards, especial
ly in their relations with persons Of
no Importance, like fishermen.
"It would be polite to accept the
theory of nervous mistake, but it
would be blunder to be taken in by
it. Nothing will persuade the seafar-
ing population here that it is true, and
secretly every one thinks the same.
"A gentleman holding a position of
Importance admitted to me today that
it was all nonsense about mistake,
and to be plain, the exact reverse is
the truth. The boats were fired upon
because they were known to be Eng
fish fishing craft. The fishermen,
though excessively sore and indignant,
are not vindictive. They excuse the
seamen of the feet, who merely
obeyed orders, and lay all the blame
on the admiral, or whoever was in
command. They think he deserves
hanging, and nothing less than most
condign punishment will appease their
feelings"