Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-16
TOBETAKEN IN CUSTODY
THE RUSSIAN SHIP LENA TO RE-
MAIN AT SAN FRANCISCO.
Permanent Disposition of the Officers
and Crew Not Settled-Mr.
Adee's Statement.

Inc acting secretary of state made the
IoAoWlng statement yesterday afternoon
regarding the Russian ship Lena, now at
San Francisco:
The President has today issued an order
through his acting secretary of state. d.
recting that the Russian armed TRANSPORT
Lena, now at San Francisco. be taken in
custody by the naval authorities of the
United States and disarmed. The main
features of the conditions prescribed are
that the Lena be taken to the Mare Island
navy yard and there disarmed by removal
OF small guns, breech locks of large
guns, small arms, ammunition and
ordnance stores and such other dismantle-
ment as may be prescribed by the com
n,andant of the navy yard that the captain
give a written guarantee that the Lena
shall not leave San Francisco until peace
shall have been concluded; that the officers
and crew shall be paroled not to leave San
Francisco until some other understanding
as to their disposal may be reached between
the United States government and both the
peillgerentS; that after disarmament the
veSsei may be removed to private dock
Tor such reasonable repairs will make
her seaworthy and preserve her in good
condition during her detention, or may be
so repaired at the navy yard, If the Russian
commander should SO elect; that while at
pIlNdlS doCk the COMMANDMENT Oh the navy
yard al Mare Island shall have custody Of
the ship and the repairs shall be overseen
by an engineer officer to be detailed by the
commandant, and that. when so repaired, If
peace shall not then have been concluded,
the vessel shall be taken back to the Mare
Island navy yard and be there held in
custody until the end of the war.
This action has been taken upon the
written request of the commander of the
Lena, addressed to Rear Admiral Goodrich
setting forth that as the vessel is incapable
of putting to sea without needful repairs
she must disarm, and asking that needful
repairs be permitted after disarmament
1.-The Secretary of the Navy has tele-
graped the Presidents order to San Fran
cisco, and given instructions to Admiral
Goodrich and to Admiral McCalla the COM
mandant of the Mare Island navy yard to
carry out its provisions"
The main question regarding the Rus
sian transport Lena having been settled
officials of the administration and of the
two belligerent governments now will de-
vote themselves to reaching an understand
ing regarding the officers and crew of the
vessel. AS indicated in the statement made
by the State Department, the present ar
rangement is but temporary one designed
to meet the question as 1t Immediately pre-
Sents itself. 1t is not likely that the officers
and crew of the Lena will be allowed again
to participate in the war unless the gov
eminent of Japan should waive its prerog-
to be at all probable. An arrangement will
be effected whereby the men either will be
permitted to return to Russia or be In
termed in the United States as the trans
port is to be, until the close of hostilities
at the expense Of the Russian government
Presumably some members of the crew will
remain In charge of the vessel as care-tak-
.ers, privilege to which the United States
is not likely to raise any objection
Capt. Berlinsky Acquiesces.
Announcement that Captain Berlinsky,
commanding the Russian transport Lena,
at San Francisco, acquiesced in all the de-
tails of the process of disarmament pre-
scrShed by this government reached the
Navy Department overnight in telegram