The Bourbon news., 1904-07-22
THE BRITISH |NCENSED
The Seizure of English Ships by
Russia Condemned.
Warlke Tone of Such Papers as the
Times, Standard, Morning Post
and the Daily Telegraph Has
Had Its Effect.

London, July 21.-A press repre-
sentative Wednesday night interview
ed many prominent persons connected
n close touch with the government rel
ative to the seizure of British vessels
by the steamers of the Russian volun-
teer feet in the Red Sea. AS result
Of these inquiries there is shown to be
remarkable hostile feeling against
Russia of a strength and bitterness
almost without precendent since the
Crimean war. Even the most conserv-
ative who have been in the service OF
the government for many years, and
who openly deplored the haste with
which they though Great Britain mad
plunged into the Transvaal war, We'd
nesday night frankly declared for a
garded here as Russia's violation Of
treaty and her piratical attack on
British commerce.
The warlike tone of such papers as
the Times, the Standard, the Morning
Post and the Daily Telegraph, while
in national crisis hitherto almost in
yaribly advised caution, has had its
inevitable effect. There has been STIR
red up storm of indignation among
all classes in the United Kingdom,
and the strength of which the govern
ment itself can scarcely guage.
Those who deplored the outbreak of
the war between Japan and Russia are
now among the most outspoken cham
pions of a physical force that will
prevent the repetition of the Malacca
incident in the Red Sea.
Those few officials at the foreign
Office who are in full possession of all
the details of Great Britain's desire to
arrive at an entente with Russia are
in despair. They realize that the pol
icy so carefully fostered by King Ed
ward and Foreign Minister Lsnsdowne
will now be Indignantly repudiated by
all parties in the house or commons
and involve with the public the down
fall of any ministry advocating it.
Every nerve will be strained, how
ever, by the foreign Office, to secure
from Russia an explanation that will
pacify the aggrieved feelings of the
British public, and no step will be
taken officially that will tend to pre-
judice subsequent diplomatic negotia-
tions. looking to the settlement of all
questions now outstanding between
Russia and Great Britain.
However there is expressed at the for
eign Office and elsewhere almost poig-
nant regret that Russia rightly or
wrongly should have taken up the po-
sition evinced by the action of her
volunteer cruisers in the Red Sea.
Special dispatches from Malta give
alarmist accounts of the hurried de-
parture from that port of the British
cruiser and torpedo squadrons.
The captain of the Malacca asserts
that the capture was made within the
three mile limit
The midshipman commanding this
prize, which has set Europe by the
ears and almost threatens conse-
auenees more serious than the actual
war in the far east, ordered 400 tons of
coal at Port Said, but the officials re-
fused to supply the coal on the
ground that the vessel had a supply
p sufficiently ample to take her to the
Black Sea.
St. Petersburg, July 21.-The news
that Great Britain has delivered to
Russia a protest against the capture
of the peninsular and Oriental steam
er Malacca in terms which are believed
TO be almost tantamount to a demand
for the immediate release of the vessel,
as well as a general protest against
the action of the Russian volunteer
fleet steamers in stopping ships in the
Red sea, was not generally known here
Wednesday night, but Wednesday
mornings editorial broadside from the
London newspapers reprinted here
Wednesday afternoon was sufficient
warning of the state of the British
mind and the public became greatly
excited.
In the hotels and restaurants the
war was temporarily forgotten and
nothing excepting the possibility Of
complications with Great Britain was
talked Of
Provided blunder has not been
made by the captain of the st. Peters
burg in mistaking British government
stores for contraband of war, Russia
will probably be prepared to maintain
the justice of the seizure, but if a
mistake has been made. the govern
ment doubtless will order the Malacca
TO be set at liberty and pay the bill
for her illegal detention.