The San Francisco call., 1904-03-05

LONDON, March 4. - The Russian
Embassador, Count Benckendorff, who
returned from St. Petersburg, to-day
visited King Edward and presented the
King with an autographic letter from
the Car. This was in answer TO let
ter sent by the King. who, on hearing
that the Count intended going to st.
Petersburg, sent for the ambassador
and asked him to hand the Car an
autograph letter, in which King Ed
ward, in the most friendly terms, en-
phasized Great Britain's complete
neutrality during the war in the Far
East. and said he trusted that the
Car would pay no attention TO the
press reports intimating Great Britain
was not neutral, nor to any unfriendly
comments of the English papers, which
the King regretted.
The Spectator tomorrow viii say, in
a long article on the effect of the
Russo-Japanese war on international
relations, especially relations between
Russia and Great Britain:
I'VE do not want to appear as alarm
lists but we would be doing harm. and
not good. If we tried to conceal the fact
that the present situation in regard to
foreign affairs is one Of considerable
anxiety"
RESENTMENT IN RUSSIA.
The Spectator points out how the
Russian feeling of resentment against
Great Britain is steadily rising, the
Russians being convinced that the
British have been the chief cause of
their difficulties by encouraging the
Japanese to go to war
is any truth in this view," continues
the Spectator, the important fact Is
that it is held by the Russian people
and that public opinion is in such a
state of excitement that war with
Great Britain would be extremely pop
ular."
Proceeding to explain why the mill
tary power should try to escape the
humiliation of a possible defeat by a
small Asiatic power, the Spectator re-
marks:
"A great European war would OBJ
literate all traces of the Japanese war.
A popular war would cover up an un-
popular one and give the Russians an
excuse to make peace or withdraw
from Japan's reach and so staunch the
bleeding in men and money now going
on in Manchuria.'
Further, according to the Spectator,
military men in Russia believe the war
against Great Britain would be con-
Quoted in company with Germany,
whose colonies could be taken in the
event of the British being victorious,
while, as the Russian fleet has already
gone, Great Britain could not infiict
injury to Russia"
WARNING TO THE PRESS.
The Spectator proceeds to warn the
press against giving Russia occasion
for picking a quarrel, especially refer
ring to the "aggressively anti Russian
tone of the Times under the impress
sion of partisanship," which it de-
clares lit is difficult to condone or
even understand" Continuing, the
Spectator says:
THAT the Times should give occa-
sion to those who desire to embroil
Russia and Great Britain is rendered
more remarkable by the fact that the
Times has done much excellent SER
vice in pointing out the trend of Ger
man policy. 1t is to be feared that
the harm done by the want of re-
straint originally shown by the British
press cannot HOW DG uHQOn6y DuL at
least our newspapers should realize
the need of not playing into the hands
of the military party in Russia or pro-
viding material for those who desire
to prove to France that her ally has
been treated in an unfair and hostile
spirit by the British people. While
explosives are lying about there is al
ways need of extra care and circum-
spection."
The Spectator concludes by urging
the Government to be vigilant and
have it's plans prepared for all emer-
gencies, says:
I'VE must look the facts in the face
and prepare to take the consequences
Of the Japanese alliance. One of those
consequences was the activity and bit
ter hostility of Russia and the oppor-
tunity afforded to the German EN-
peror to knock the heads of the Euro
pean powers together and get some-
thing of advantage to his nation"