The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-07-21
RUssIA's POSITION.
Illegal Traffic Cannot be Stopped
Without Search.

W4lADAt 0Ed1GA.
St. Petersburg. July 20.-The Russ to-
day publishes an editorial statement Of
Russia's position relative to the stop
ping OF neutral ships in the Red sea by
vessels of the volunteer feet. There is
great interest IN the statement because
II is believed to reflect directly the
views Of the foreign Office:
The operations OF the converted
cruisers Smolensk and St. Petersburg
are causing tremendous excitement in
England. Questions are being asked in
parliament. the newspapers are ap-
pealing to the public, and there is a
panic among ship owners. There also
IS good deal Of talk in Germany be-
cause Of the seizure of mails on the
steamer Prinz Heinrich. but the most
noise there is being made by extremist
organs, the others treating the matter
eoolly. II is a pity the English do not
display the same TeutOnic caimness.
Search is Necessary.
1T is easy to understand that the
British merchant marine feels these re-
strictiOns severely. AS a result of the
stopping and searching OF vessels Eng
lish ships either must give up trans
porting cOntTaband of war or run at
their own risk the peril in time Of war
between two powers. others are bound
To suffer more or less. as il is imDOssf-
BILE TO check cOntraband traffic without
search.
In regard to the detention Of the
PrinZ Heinrichs mails. details have nOJ
Yet reached st. Petersburg. Compre-
hensfve discussion of this incident is.
therefore, impossible But, it must be
pointed out, the official correspondence
OF belligerent Is contraband- COnse-
Quently If the Prinz Heinrich carried
japanese diplomatic and consular rs-
ports she was liable to seizure. or
course. whether she did or not, CORE
spoEdence can be inspected to deter
mine this fact.
The English. in their excitement.
even rs ised the question as to whether
We were justified in converting the
volunteer fleet steamers into warships
after they had passed the DardaneIes
under the commercial flag This is
strange. Every government has a right
either 10 build warships and finally to
convert merchant vessels into war
ships. The volunteer fleet. at its very
inception. was intended to be con-
verted into a military feet upon the
declaration Of war.
Perfunctory Protest.
EThe English should not feel incensed
over the passage OF the St. Petersburg
and Smolensk through the Dardan-
Giles. The British embassy at Constan-
TtHDpEe nanQS IN a protest. 10 tiit urn
Ssh government every time a volunteer
feet vessel passes the straits For
many years elese protests have been
entirely disregarded. and. therefore.
long agO lost their Importance. Before
the war the Dardanelles were repeated
Is passed by volunteer ships on the way
10 the far east. even with troops arms
and ammunition aboard If this were
possible before the war il is possible
now. and there has been no change
in our relations with Turkey as a re-
suit OF the war with Japan.
When the st. Petersburg and Smo-
lensk passed through the straits under
the merchant flag their destination was
correctly given as being the far east
in fact. the vessels. upon entering the
Red sea, armed and hoisted the mill
taTs- flag.
a fundamental principle OF inter
national law that q neutral flag covers
<1leutral goods VIII not, OF course, be
violated by our cruisers Consequently.
cargOes aboard the ships of neutral
powers containing no contra band OF
war win remain as free as ever