Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-18
SHIP PASSES
RUSSIAN WARSHP LEAVES THE
BLACK SEA.
Russia Claims She is Acting Within
Her Rights in Searching YES
sells in Red Sea.

A ca telegram from London last night
says: The Constantinople correspondent of
the Standard, in a dispatch dated July IT,
says:
The Russian guardship Chernomoretz
passed through the Bosphorus from the
Black sea this morning"
The Chernomoretz is a gun vessel belong
ms to the Black sea fleet and carries two
eight-inch guns, one six-inch gun and seven
ouick-firing and machine guns. She is
equipped with two torpedo tubes and car
ries a crew of 100.
The Standards Tokyo correspondent,
cabling under date of July II, says the
Jiji Shimpo, in an editorial expresses the
hope that Great Britain will see that Tur-
key lends Russia no assistance by allow
ing steamers of the volunteer fleet to PASS
the DardanelleS. The Jill Shimpo declares
that Great Britain is bound under the
terms Of the Anglo-Japanese alliance to
prevent such assistance being given.
Almost without exception the newspa pers
this morning, in editorials or otherwise,
comment upon the Russian volunteer fleet
steamers passing the Dardanelles. and the
government is urged to take action esDe-
cially for the protection of British Cum
merce in the Red sea and neignboring
waters.
The Daily Telegraph, concluding an out
spoken protest written with traces of
government INSPIRATION, says:
There Is a limit to complalsance when
neutral commerce under the British flag
Is molested In way to which we hava
been for century and a half unused"
Russia Claims Right Of Search.
a cablegram from st. Petersburg last
night says: The news that the Russian
volunteer steamships Smolensk and st.
Petersburg now cruising in the Red sea,
are stopping ships of neutral nations and
searching them for contraband Of war is
Causing the livelest interest in all circles.
Russia has evidently weighed the question.
believes herself TO be within her rights, and
neither fears nor anticipates international
computations. Indeed, some of the powers
may have been sounded by Russia on the
subject. Nevertheless, foreign opinion Is
awaited eagerly. and more or less criticism
Is expected.
Members Of the diplomatic CORPS are
keenly anxious to ascertain the views their
governments will take OF the passage
through the Dardanelles OF these vessels
or the volunteer fleet as merchantmen and
their subsequent conversion into ships of
war The general view in diplomatic cir
cles, even where sentiment is not partcu-
larry friendly to Russia, is that while the
passage of the Dardanelles might be con-
Sldered piece of sharp practice on the
part of Russia it is an accepted fact and
the powers will not now regard 1t as a
violation of the treaty of Paris, but will
guar u against us repetition Inc diplomats
think that some of the powers might insist
that henceforth all volunteer vessels shall
be considered warships within the mean
ing of the treaty.
Coal as Contraband Of War.
One of the most interesting questions
in this connection, the diplomats believe
Will arise out of Russia's declaration that
coal Is contraband of war. With prize
crews on board the captured ships could
be sent to Russian Baltic ports, but If
short of coal they could not put In at
neutral ports to replenish their bunkers
This same question may embarrass Russia
when the Baltic fleet sails for the far
east.
In view of the protest made by Ger
many In the case of the stoppage of the
steamer Bendezrath (seized in Delagoa
bay December % 1880, during the South
African war, as the result of which Great
Britain had to pay damages. much cu1ios-
ity exists to what Germany will do in
the case of the confiscation by the >Smo-
lensk of the mail sacks on board the North
German Lloyd steamer PrinZ Heinrich, es-
pecially as large portion Of the mail
seized undoubtedly of commercial
character.