Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-09-12
50 FAR IS AN INTERNAL AFFAIR.
May Become External at Any Moment,
Requiring Action By State
Department.
NEUTRALITY LAWS ARE INVOLVED
UnIted States viii Probably Pursue
Same Course that Germany, France
And China Have.

Washington Sept l2--Admlrsl
Goodrch's report Of tho presence Of
the Russian transport Lena caused
great stir In official circles here The
entry of the ship was entirely unex-
pected and was a disagreeabIe event
for II had been hoped by the officials
that America would escape being
drawn into the necessity Of making
close decisions regarding the rights OF
beligercnt countries iu our ports,
MORTON SEEKS ADVICE.
Secy Morton promptly sought The
advice Of the state department send
Ing Capt pilsbury. acting ch'tf of tie
navigation bureau, over to see Acting
Secy Adec The latter IN turn, called
ON Benjamin Field. the departments
solicitor aud conference resulted be.
tween the three men lasting half an
hour Then the statement was made
that after all this was not n matter
which OF this stage concerned the
state department but rather &c is With
IN the jurisdiction Of the treasury de-
parument The presence Of the Rus
sian transport s0-called In San Franz
cisco harbOr involves the application
of the United States neutrality laws
aud 1t was said ut the state department
that II was the duty. under the presi-
dents proclamation OF neutrality. for
the treasury officials there, the collector
of customs and surveyor OF the port
and United States district attorney IN
San Francisco, 10 take any action neC-
essary IN this matter In other words,
the case Is purely internal as II stands.
though IL may become external at any
moment and thus require action by the
state department In the event that am
other nation Japan for instance OH
cially calls attention 60 the l.enas
presence In San Francisco harbor
Il is said at the state department
that in international law there Is no
difference recognized between trans
port aud a battleshp though there
seemed TO be am intimatlon conveyed
I'm the San Francisco dispatches that
the captain OF the Russian ship thought
otherwise and was disposed to claim
exemption from the rules Of war APP
plying to naval ships.
COURSE TO BIZ PURSUED
That being the case, IL is probable
that the government here will follow
closely the course pursued by Germany
France and China in cases where Rus
sian naval vessels sought shelter In
their harbors The first thing to be
done rs 20 ind out the exact condition
Of the Lena and whether or not there
actually exists need for repairs.
If VESSEL Is sEAWoRTHY.
II It should appear that the vessel
is really seaworthy. she must go 10 sea
at once or at least within "A hours of
notice to our officials Of her arrival In
port She may take on a supply Of
coal but only sufficient to move her
TO the nearest home port, and It viii
be part OF the understanding upon
which this coal Is furnished that Il Is
10 be- used for no other purpose; Amer
lean ports must not be made tho basis
of hostile operations against either Of
the belllgerents.
Nladivostok and Port Arthur are the
nearest Russian ports 20 San Francis
co, but ID Is possible that our govern
ment would recognize the fact that
AN'N NNi NVENtAA'lN NlNNlN w UlNNhNAN
20 the Lena, and thus sanction the de-
parturc Of ship for Russia south
ward by way of the west coast OF South
America Cane Horn and the Atlantic
ocean,
IF REPAIRS ARE NECESSARY,
IN the event that repairs are found
90 be- actually necessary, the time al
oil on trU Ia ~.
government experts, and when they aro
complete though It Is understood
that they must not proceed beyond IL
point just slnicieut 60 make the vessel
seaWorthy. she viii be allowed 10 de-
part foN Russia II she takes coal at
san Francisco or whence she pleases
n she goes out under her own coal sup
ply.
LENA MAY BE TIED UP.
II Is believed at the navy department
that the conditions win not be allowed
to shape themselves SO that the Lena
can go out of SAN Francisco harhor
10 prey on American commerce, even
though this Is carried I'm Japanese bot
toms M fact. the impression pre-
walls that the Lena win be- tied up ~
San Francisco until the end OF the war.
the crew remaining aboard n the Jap
anese government does not object. aud
this Is not likely I'm view of the preCe-
dent established recently IN the case Of
the Ask0ld, on they may be fayorably
chartered az the training station ON
Eryba Buena islaud In the middle OF
the harbor Il is believed that the
Russian capu In will not De adverse 20
this arrangement. az he is probably
refugee and without OF hope Of being
able TO keep the seas and escape the
penalties Of neutrality laws until some
opportunity affords for him 90 carry
the Lena safely through the japanese
blockade into Vladivostok
Minister Takahlra is not expected to
return TO Washington until this after
noon. Meanwhile a telegram has been
received a the japanese legation by
Mr. Hiokl first secretary from Klsabu.
70 Ureno the japanese consul genera
at San Francisco. reporting the arrival
Of the Lena and giving substantially
the same explanation of her presence as
was contained In the news dispatches
printed this morning, Il Is expected
that Minister Takahra win make this
statement the basis Of representations
10 the state department
ADMIRAL GOODRICH TAKES
ACTION,
Washington. Sept. l2.-The navy de-
partment todey received a dispatch