New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-26
BRITAIN INVESTIGATES.
NO H4STY ACTION TAKEN.
Knight Commanders SiraIeing-Mr.
BaLfour|s Statement.


y,,,don July 25-The Foreign Office has re-
,,,,ea news OF the sinking Of the British steam
~ Rn.eAt Commander. and has instructed the
s-4t,sh Consul at Yokohama TO make fun in
y.stigation OF the case and report at once to
r,owning Street. Until his report is received no
.c+ion viii be taken. The Foreign Office regrets
the incident as coming al unfortunate time
=, connection with public opinion here. but the
o-scsals refrain from I'll comment pending
ceipt Of details
There ts practically no eXcitsr1ent here over
she sinking Of the Knight Commander, the Rus
s,sr action having been taken by regular war
shin ana within the zone OF hosrilities The
r,-ter criticism evoked over the action OF the
vessels of the Russian volunteer feet and the
,assses Of the Dardanelles is more or less dis
armed. The Foreign Office for the moment takes
~ as merely another strong argument in favor
Of an International conference relative 10 con-
traoand.
II = pointed our IN shipping circles at Liver
-,oo, that Russ1a's contention that railroad ma
tsr,aI is contra5and Of war and the presence of
h-iEgework for Japan IN her cargo would
co,n- ,or the sinking of the Knight Commander
Yer crew numbered sixty-eighI. including
,.yss she was insured against war risks
Answering half q dozen questions based on
80 seizure OF the Peninsular and Oriental Com
-,s7,-s steamer AaIacca and other ships by
T,,,ssfan volunteer feet steamers, Premier Bal
four in the House Of Commons. to-day. after
,sfa-riag 10 the diverse character Of the ques-
tons went OF 10 say:
The Gifculties-I may say great difficulties
40 not wish 10 minimize uhem-arisinE from
these captures deal with problem which has
given and IS still giving. the government great
anxiety but of which. may say the signs por-
tend Z fayors bic issue. More than that I think
Il would be lLexpeclent 10 say.
With reference to the question whether Great
Britain was bound under the Suez Canal con
vsntion TO allow British vessel taken a
prize 70 pass through rae canal against the will
Of the owners, the Premier said:
No act Of war. so lar ss am aware. has been
committed in the SueZ Canal, and the conVen-
ton expressly provides that a prize shall be
treated as nlan-of-war, and men-of-war are
70 have free right OF passage Therefore l 90
not think any particular difficulty attaches 10
thar branch OF the question or gives rise 10 q
subject Tor controversy between the TWO powers.
I think there can be no doubt that We are
bound 10 allow q prize OF war 10 traverse the
canal The Suez Canal IS under iDterCa tlona-
management and Il is not for al individual
power 70 say what the rule binding the Egyptian
government ought 10 be. but n the British gov
erlmeCt's view q legitimate prize may traverse
the EUeZ Canal without breach CT the interna-
tional arrangement
Dealing with other features OF the questions
Mr. BaIfour said he did not believe that the re-
rnoval OF = portion OF the cargo OF seized ships
II the discretion OF the captain OF a visiting
varship without the adjudication Of a prize
court was sanctioned by the practices Of inter
national LAW.
Touching upon The question which has been
raised OF the subject OF the status OF the yes
sels OF the Russian volunteer feet, M Bal
four said he must regard this for the present
as forbidden ground, adding:
L gives rise 10 a controversy which VIII bet
ter be settled Il the House viii for the moment
be content with what I have said
The Premier received a deputation OF the
House Shipping Committee to-day with refer
ence 10 the seizure OF the British steamer AL
lanton. The members allege that the grounds
for her seizure were untenable. and that her
immediate release might fairly be demanded
After hearing the arguments. MI. Belfour said
the facts laid before him seemed 10 constitute
good grounds for representations 10 the Rus
sian government, but whether there was a right
10 demand the instant release OF the Allanton
was another matter. There no analogy
with the case OF the Malacca, which seized
by al unauthorized vessel. Mr.. Balfour prom
ised 10 make representations through Sir Charles
Eardinge the British Ambassador a. St Peters
burg, 70 hasten Russian action IN the Allan
tons case
While no protest has yet been made against
the action OF the Russian volunteer feet steamer
Smolensk IN firing two shells over the British
steamer Ardova. II the official report bears out
press dispatches a strong protest VIII probably
De entered against The Snaolensk endang ertng
the lives Of the Ardova's passengers by the
irregular procedure Of the captain, custom re-
curing when a vessel al sea refuses 10 obey
the signal Of d warship 10 stop 10 follow IL Up
with solid shot across her bows. The captain
OF he Slaoiersk, II IS added, might be liable 20
2 severe penalty for his act and also for the
transfer 81 The Arcova,s crew or board the
smoensk There collateral questions viii be
the subject Of nlUtua! negotiations when Great
Britain presents her bill for damages The
main thing IS that far as The volunteer feet
steamers are concerned, the acute stage OF the
diplomatic crisis has passed
L has been decided. az the reques- OF Great
Britain, IN order 70 avoid further loss Of time
not 10 send the Pentnsular and Oriental steamer
Malacca 70 Suda Bay, Crete, but TO release her
at Alglers The Associated Press is informed
thai IL IS possio Die there viii be no formal in
Epsct!cn q ner cargo by the British and Russian
cClsUls. but merely a declaration by the British
Consul IN behalf Of the British government that
the munitions on board the Malacca belong TO
Great Britain.