The San Francisco call., 1904-04-16
Alexieff Raises
Unique War
Issue.
Neutral Nations
Nav Not Ac-
quiesce.

WASHINGTON, April 15.-The Rus
sian Government has given notice that
newspaper correspondents using wire
less telegraph will be treated as spies
and shot. This notice was served upon
the State Department by Count Cas-
sini, the Russian ambassador, to-day,
and it is understood that similar COM
munications were made to all foreign
Offices. The text of the communica-
ton is as follows:
II am charged by my Government,
in order to avoid all possible misun-
derstanding, to communicate to your
Excellency that the lieutenant of his
imperial Majesty In the Far East has
just made the following declaration:
In case in which neutral steam
ers having on board correspondents
who might communicate war news to
the enemy by means of perfected ap
paratlus not being yet foreseen by ex-
listing conventions, would be arrested
near the coast of Kuantong or in the
zone of operations of the Russian fleet,
the corresponding will be looked
upon as spies. and the steamers fur
nished with wireless telegraphy seized
as prizes of war;
OPENS A NEW PROBLEM.
The notice opens up an entirely new
line of treatment of correspondents.
The reference to existing conventions
is taken to express the belief of the
Russian Government that if wireless
to1o
The Hague declaration concerning i'm
plements and practices of war it would
surely have been prohibited, even in
neutral hands. 1t happens that some
of the leading British newspaper cor
respondents are making free use of
the wireless telegraph in transmission
of their war news, and it is possible
that they will appeal to their Govern
ment to define their own status, and
to secure an official determination of
the question as to whether a neutral
on his own ship outside the territorial
waters of belligerent power and with
out contraband of war aboard can be
treated as spy.
Among the subjects considered to-
day at the Cabinet meeting was the
substance of the communication re-
ceived from the Russian ambassador.
In addition to this communication, the
President called attention to the mes
sages he had received from resident
ambassadors regarding the accident on
the battleship Missouri. One of these
was received last evening from Count
Cassini. incidentally it refers to the
loss of the Russian battleship Petro-
payloVsk off Port Arthur
EXCHANGE OF CONDOLENCES.
Count Cassinis note is as follows:
Mr.. President-Having received the
sad news of the loss of the battleship
Petropavlovsk, which has cost so
many lives to our brave navy, / stimuli
taneously am informed of the disaster
which occurred on board your battle
ship, the Missouri, which took away so
many lives of your gallant sailors.
Permit me to express to you. Mr..
President. my deep sympathy, in the
name of my Government and my own,
on this sad occurrence, which has deep
ly moved US all at a time when with
grief we are mourning our own loss.
Believe me, Mr. President, yours
very truly. CASSINI."
ITO Count Cassini personally the re-
gret of this Government has been ex-
pressed at the death of Admiral Maka-
rolf and the officers and crew of the
Petropavlovsk AS the loss of the ship
and its crew was an accident of war
the expression Of this Governments re-
gret was simply one of humanity,
without. reference to the differences
which are being fought out between
Russia and Japan.
NEW YORK, April 15.-The Ameri-
can De Forest Wireless Telegraph Com
pany has telegraphed to Secretary Hay
at Washington a protest against the
attitude of the Russian Government
relative to the use of wireless telegra-
ply by correspondents in the zone of
war The protestants say:
I'VE claim the right under all inter-
national laws to use the high seas for
peaceful purposes, and demand for our
operators, who are American citizens,
and for our property the full protection
Of the United States Government"