Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-24

of one of the fishing vessels. the loss of
two lives and the wounding of several fish
| ermen he added no details whatever to the
| extended press reports published in the
morning papers.
Apprehension Excited.
The news of this unfortunate incident was
received here with something like dismay,
for it excited apprehension that the result
/ might be worldwide entanglements If the
best of tact is not shown on the part of
both the British and Russian government
officials in dealing with the affair. In Off
cial circles here there is the strongest pos
| sible desire to prevent any extension OF
| the present dreadful struggle In the east.
| Arbitrary and unreasonable demands on the
| one hand and naughty and uncompromis-
| ing spirit on the other might, 1T is believed
| backed by an excited press. easily involve
| the two great European nations in hostili-
| ties, the result of which would be to call
| to Russian support her ally, France, and
perhaps develop an English alliance so far
undiscovered to European politicians. But
| as the unfortunate incident was more care
| fully considered here, the impression
strengthened that it was not one which
| would defy diplomatic treatment, partfcu-
larly in view of the fact that it is the con-
| SenSuS of opinion here that the affair was
| by no means a premeditsted attack upon
neutral power. but rather a blunder-terri-
| ble-but not beyond reparation by peaceful
| methods.
| Nearly to a man the naval officers here
| high and low in rank. accept the view that
| the whole affair a mistake, and the
| wiser and more experienced of these off,
GERS are inclined to be very lenent in pass
| ing judgment adverse to the Russians. The
view is best set out by one of the ranking
officers, who said:
A Naval officers Lenient View.
"The affair is deplorable but explainable.
| In the first place, the nerves of the Rus
| sian officers charged with responsibility for
| this great fleet, Russias last naval main
| stay, had been strained almost beyond en-
| durance by the vexatious perplexities and
| blunders incident to the three or four false
| starts made by the Baltic fleet before the
vessels could be made seaworthy, and it
| is certain that the fleet was not what we
| call in the navy shaken down and disci-
| plne had not been thoroughly established
| In these conditions came repeated warn
| ings and rumors of the presence OF Japan
| ese spies in Russian ports and OF japanese
| torpedo experts disguished as North Sea
| fishermen. Worse than all, was the re-
| peated story that submarine boats had
| been smugged from America on Inc decks
| of tramp steamers, launched In the mar
| bors OF some of the lonely Scotch islands
| and sent into the North sea TO lie in wait
| for the Baltic feet and perhaps even to
creep into the very harbor of St Peters
| burg Now, in this state of mind, In a
| misty night, 200 miles off shore and directly
| in the path of the fleet seeking to reach
! and pass through the English channel, are
| seen some little steamers about the size
| of torpedo boats using rockets and burning
| lights strange to Russian eyes. 1t is easy
| to understand how an officer with his nerves
| under these strains would resolve any
| doubt as to the character of such strange
| craft by shooting first and inquiring after
| ward.
One of the Risks of War.
| of <ba III sIo oF xx,Ji
val officer must take If IL turns out to
have been an enemy which he has repulsed
or sunk he has done brilliant deed. If he
| has sent fishing smack to the bottom,
| then he has made a terrible blunder, and
| must make reparation best he can.
/ These things are not unusual any more,
and during our struggle with Spain we had
| some very narrow escapes from similar
| blunders especially during the blockade of
| Havana Fortunately, the neutral charac-
ter of the suspicious craft was discovered
| just in the nick of time. In fact there
We're cases where our own naval SHIPS hred
| upon each other, as did the converted
| cruiser Yankee or the Prairie, fire upon
the cruiser Detroit off Cape Maisi, Cuba.
/ because of a slight delay on the part of
| the latter ship in responding to chal-
| lenging signal Yet all of these vessels
| were under command of experienced naval
| officers and II was mere good luck that the
consequences of the meeting were not very
|
| of life than this North sea incident. Then,
| too, every one had notice of the blockade
of the Cuban coast, and the difficulties OF
| the American naval officers were not near
| ly as great in distinguishing between friend
and foe as were those of the Russian Off
GERS, trying to find their way to the Eng
lish channel through the misty waters of
| the North sea- dotted with the lights of
myriad shipping and constantly running
up with craft ignorant of the meaning OF
the Russian signals, and consequently be-
| tharphV objects of SuSDiciOn.''
The suggestion that the Russian ships
| were at target practice and that their pro-
jectiles caused the damage by gong wide
OF their mark finds little support here, even
though the scene of the incident was on
the high seas for no prudent naval COM
nander would undertake such dangerous
! practice in the night in waters so crowded
The Russian Ambassadors View.
| Count Cassini, the Russian ambassador l.;
| as yet without advices from his government
relative to the matter. The ambassador Is
| extremely concerned over the affair and
while In the absence OF official information
he is unable to arrive at an understanding
| of the circumstances connected with the
night attack he said frankly this morning
| that IL the facts were subs tantiaily as re-
| ported In press dispatches from Hull he
felt assured that a prompt apology and am
| pie reparation would be Immediately forth
| coming from his government.
The ambassador is inclined to believe
| from the newspaper accounts of the affair
that the sudden and deadly attack by the
| Russian feet on the unarmed and defense
less fishing fleet was the result of terri
BILE mistake. growing out of the belief or
the part of the Russian commanders thai
| the British trawlers were not what they
seemed, and that they threatened an at.
tack by mine or submarine on The Russian
warships
Fleet Officers Warned.
From what was said by the ambassador