The Savannah morning news., 1904-07-21
TALK OF BRITONS
GROWS WARLIKE
NOT PLEASED WITH RUSSIA
AND THE HOLD-UP OF BRITISH
VESSELS IN RED SEA.

Talk of ReprisaIs Is InduIged in,
and the Action of the Russian
Vessels Is Described as PiraticaI.
Men in High Places Are InHamed
Against Russia-Japan May Get a ii
Active Ally in the Aroused Brit
ish Nation.
London, July 2O.-The Associated
Press tonight interviewed many
prominent persons connected and in
close touch with the government rela-
tive to the seizure of British vessels
by steamers of the Russian volunteer
fleet in the Red sea.
As a result of these inquiries there
is shown to be a remarkably hostile
feeling against Russia of a strength
and a bitterness almost without pre-
cedent since the Crimean War. Even
the most conservative. who have been
in the service of the government for
many years and who openly deplored
the haste with which they thought
Great Britain had plunged into the
Transvaal war, tonight frankly de-
clared for a policy of reprisal against
what is regarded here as Russia's vio-
lation of treaties and her piratical at
tack on British commerce.
The warlike tone of such papers as
the Times, the Standard, the Morning
Post and the Daily Telegraph, which
in national crises hitherto almost in
varably advised caution, has had it's
inevitable effect. There has been
stirred up a storm of indignation
among all classes in the United King
dom, the strength of which the gov
ernment itself can scarcely gauge.
Those who deplored the outbreak of
the war between Japan and Russia
and insisted publicly and privately
that Great Britain, crippled financial
ly after her South African expert
enceS, must not at all costs be drawn
into the Far Eastern struggle, are now
amongst the most outspoken cham
pions of physical force that will pre-
vent the repetition of the Malacca in
cident in the Red sea.
Russia Must Withdraw.
Lord Lansdowne," says the Daily
Telegraph, voicing the views of the
government, has faced the situation
created by the abuse of the right of
0CdA III Al LiAI OAAy WOIluy Oh d
British minister compelled to defend
the interests of British commerce and
the honor of the flag and, acting with
unhesitating firmness and promptitude,
which recall the strongest days of the
national policy, he has justified the
trust of the country.
while not one rash word should be
said which could have the effect of in
creasing the tension of an anxious and
Npan ff0f i
to disguise the character or to mini
mize the risks of the situation which
has arisen. We hope and believe that
a solution of the difficulty may still be
found in the withdrawal of the Rus
sian government from its false posi-
ton"
The Telegraph goes on to say that
the stores of the Malacca were plainly
marked with the broad arrow, showing
that they belonged to the British gov
ernment and were destined only for
British depot. 1T would be impossi-
Bile to conceive a more remarkable ac-
emulation of illegality and error than
has attended the present case" the
paper says, "if this country were ca
pable under any circumstances OF
tamely enduring so grave an injury to
the most vital of its interests, and so
great an insult to it's honor, we should
nation. In any circumstances, we
think it may be assumed that the Ma
lacca will never be navigated by a
prize crew to any Russian port. She
is watched, If not actually stopped, by
British warships and she will. in any
case. be restored to her owners long
before she can be taken through the
Dardanelles or navigated to Libau.
Look for n DisavOwal.
This emergency In some respects is
the most critical that has marked our
relations with Russia in the last twen-
ty years and in face of the inhamed
state of public opinion in St. Peters,
burg 1t would be unwise to blind our
selves to the existence of possibilities
that would otherwise be unthinkaIble.
This country has adopted with decis-
ion and composure an attitude from
which there can be no retreat or
finching. We seek a simple redress
for a violent and unprovoked injury.
and where the peace OF the west de-.
pends upon the Will OF the Car we
cannot believe that civilization Will
look to him during the next forty
eight hours IN vain"
The foregoing pronouncement, from
an organ so notoriously inspired. with
ita omen reference 10 a possibility of