The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-10-29
MORE TROUBLE FOR RUSSIA.

While only few yards separate hostile Iegions
III Manchuria and tomorrow way witness re-
newal of the carnage, are turned from Mukclen
to London and, st. Petersburg What is going ON.
or what is about to take, place in those capitals.
arrests the attention of everybody interested in
| international affairs. At the limit it may be a
declaration of against Russia by Great Britain
Within the limit is an AFFECT apology from Russia,
the yielding to which means the infection of pun
ishment upon Russian naval officers through an
alien ultimatum
10 explain the foregoing and find cause for it
all, we must go back tofthe sailing of the Baltic
fleet destined for the relief of Port Arthur Time
and again have accidents to vessels of this SQUAD
ron occurred before single ship left the port on
the Baltic. Some laid these accidents to the in
efficiency of Russian naval officers to the cheap
construction of the vessels by corrupt ring of
contractors, while others maintained that acct
dents were the outcome of nihiist conspiracy The
Russian authorities, better informed through their
splendid detective service, placed the blame upon
Japanese spies and others in the pay of the japan
csc government We know now that Russia had
information of the presence of japanese torpedo
boats somewhere in northern seas, and Admiral
Vlg1laQt
avoid them if possible but to blow them out of the
water wherever they uncovered and showed signs
of attacking the Russian squadron.
So with all these instructions in his head along
with the knowledge that he entered hostile waters
so soon as Russian land faded from view. Admiral
Rojestvensky proceeded without startling incident
until he entered the British channel There he
discovered Japanese torpedo boats, or what he
thought looked very much like them They an
peared to be moving in the direction of the squad
ron Perhaps panic took place aboard the Rus
sian ships and the gunners lost their heads. Per-
haps the order to fire the result of elaboration
Upon this point we yet without clear informa-
ton. AT any rate, fire they did upon the supposed
enemy. 1t turned out that the enemy were onlv
English fishermen, two of whom were killed and
another injured. One of the fishing boats went TO
the bottom.
1he RUSSIAN squadron kept on its way Mean
time the news got to London, and every Briton was
ablaze with fury The Russian minister was
mobbed. The car cabled his regrets to the king.
but this did not alay passion or stife the demand
Tor immediate satisfaction or war To cut a long |
story short, Lord Lansdowne has sent an ultimatun
demanding heavy damages To such Russia is will
ing to concede; money is consideration; but
when England demands along with damages that
Russia shall punish Russian officers for fulfilling
Russian instructions and observing vigilance in
hostile waters, it becomes another matter.
Was the Russian squadron in hostile waters
when it entered the English channel? The answer
might be qualified by saying that the Baltic feet
certainly was not in friendly waters. Everybody
IF A.
tense hatred OF everything Russian burning in the
British breast.
Tonight's (Thursdays) dispatches tell the other
side Of the fshermen's story At st. Petersburg,