The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-26
British Cruisers Look For
 Volunteers.
WILL DELIVER DISPATCHES
Balf0ur Makes Statement t(
 Business Men.
London Chamber of Commerce Com plains That Treatment of British Vessels is Moro Harsh Than
 Towards Other ships.

London, Aug. zo.-frlmo MihiolSi Balfour announced this evening that the British Government had ordered two cruisers from the squadron at the Cape of Good Hope without delay, to locate the Russian volunteer fleet steamers Smolensk and St. Petersburg, and to convey to them the orders of the Russian Government that they must not further interfere with neutral shipping.
 The Premier stated that this action was taken at the request of the Rus- sian Government.
 This extraordinary statement was made when the premier, by appoint ment, received a deputation of the London Chamber of Commerce. The deputation was appointed at a meet ing held earlier in the day by the China and East India section of the chamber which was attended by rep- resentative ship owners and others in- terested in the trade in the Far East and at which the following resolution was passed:
 Chambers Resolution. This meeting of the members of the London Chamber of Commerce concern ed in trade with the Far East views with grave apprehension the continued | uncertainty of the position of British trade and shipping with regard to what constitutes contraband of war as in- terpreted by the Russian Government. | The meeting trust that his majesty's government will take such immediate and effective steps as will afford all reasonable protection to the British | shipping and insure to 1t the same 1 degree of immunity from vexatious 1 stopages and examinations as Is ap- | parently enjoyed by shipping of other nationalities."
 At the same time, the meeting pre- | pared a letter addressed to Lord Lans | downe, the Foreign Minister, in which | it was stated that the continuance of the present situation was having a dis astrous effect on shipping and was | causing irreparable damage to the | whole course of trade with Japan aud the Far East The letter further said
 that the commercial community would
 welcome any measures, however strin
 gent, that might be necessary to place British commerce on the same foot ing with that of other non-belligeren' countries in the treatment of so-callet
 contraband of war.
 Meeting at Foreign Omce.
 Prior to receiving the deputation. MT Balfour. during the day. had been busi ly engaged in connection with the ques
 tion which had been raised with regard
 to Russian treatment of British ship
 ping. The Premier held an importan
 meeting at the Foreign Otfice, to whicf representatives of the intelligence dc partment of the War Office. the Ad
 miralty, the Foreign Office and th' Board of Trade were summoned.
 | The Premier afterwards received th'
 deputation from the Chamber of Com
 merce.
 MT. Balfour said that before making
 a general statement. he desired to heal
 evidence tending to show preferential
 treatment by Russia, which was mos
 important phase of the situation. ant
 concerning which the Government hat no conclusive information. and t'
 learn of any concrete examples of dit
 ferentfal treatment by Russian officer and Russian prize courts. which, m
 said, would be carefully considered. Members of the deputation quoted th'
 cases of the Portland and Asiatic Lin' | steamer Arabic and the British steamer
 Calchas. The former was allowed | nroceed. while the latter was still d Vladivostok, and the members pointt' out that both cases were equal, so Ia
 as the natures of the cargoes were con | cerned.
 The cases of the Peninsular and Ori lental Company's steamer Malacca an' tho Hamburg American Line steame
 Scandia were also quoted. Each O
 these vessels had ammunition on board
 but the Scandia was allowed to pro ceed.
 Thea and Knight Commander. | The deputation next referred to th' sinking of the British steamer Knigh Commander and the German steame
 Thea by the Vladivostok squadron an'
 pcinted out that compensation had beel
 maid in the case of the Thea. while had not been even promised In that 0
 the Knight Commander Members
 the deputatIon also stated that IL wa
 notorious that shipments of contraban'
 of war had been made from Antwerl land Hamburg, while insurance rate from French ports were much lowe than from English ports, in the rati of to 20 shillings
 MT. Balfour asked if the proportio of British shipping to the Far Eas ) was 80 per cent. and member or tn
 deputation replied that 1t was apou 90 per cent. ) The premier then began his repl! } He said the questions must be consio r cred separately and in the light l different conditions. In the first plac
 snecial difficulties had arisen betwee
 Great Britain and Russia owing to th [. cantures made by volunteer fle'
 steamers. which had passed the Dal = Saneiles in the character of vessel
 other than war vessels. as well as a r | were aware.
 An Acute Controversy. g This led to an acute controvers e and the Russian government gavo as n surance without making a statemer = on the question of the principle ir
 volved that the vessels of this flee 3 would not make further captures. Then when the Smolensk stoppe . another British vessel (the Comedian e a painful impression was created an . the government made urgent inquire l. as to how this could be reconcile l. with the former assurances. Premier Balfour said he had bee
 informed last night by Ambassado
 Benckendorff that the Russian govern
 ment was not certain that the Smolens = had received orders in accordance wit d the recent agreement concerning tn ,, treatment of neutral ships.
 ,, Therefore, in accordance with tn . suggestion of the British governmen ,, the Russian government authorize