Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1904-07-23
BRITISH FURIOUS.
Hostile Feeling Shown Against
Russian Empire.
This Is Result Of Seizures In the Red
Sea by Russian Volunteer Fleet
Feeling Of Bitterness ls Without
Precedent Since the Crlmean War.

This Is Result Of Seizures In the Red
Sea by Russian Volunteer Fleet
Feeling Of Bitterness ls Without
Precedent Since the Crlmean War.
London.-The Associated Press has
interviewed many prominent persons
connected and in close touch with the
government relative to the seizure OF
British vessels by steamers OF the
Russian volunteer fleet in the Red Sea.
AS a result Of these inquiries, there
is shown to be remarkahl" h""'"e
foou-s against Russia Of a strength
and bitterness almost without pre-
:edent since the Crimean war.
Even the most conservative -mhn-
nave been III the service or the govern
ment for many years and who openly
deplore the haste with which they
thought Great Britain had plunged into
the Transvaal war, tonight frankly de-
clared fer a policy reprisal against
what Is regarded here as Russia's vio-
lation of treaties and her piratical at
tack on British commerce.
The warlike tone of such papers as
the Times, the Standard, the Morning
Post and the Daily Telegraph, which
in all national crises hitherto has al
most invariably advised caution, has
had its inevitable effect. There has
been stirred up storm Of Indignation
among all classes in the united king
dom, the strength of which the govern
ment itself can scarcely gage.
Those who deplored the outbreak Of
the war between Japan and Russia,
and insisted publicly and privately
that Great Britain, crippled financially
after her South African experiences,
must not at all costs be drawn into
the far eastern struggles, are now
among the most out-spoken champions
of the exercise Of physical force that
will prevent the repetition Of the NAL
acca incident in the Red sea.
Those few officials at the foreign Of
fee who are in full possession Of all
tNp det"ils Of Great Britain's desire to
arrive at an entente with Russia are
in despair
They realize that the policy so care.
fully fostered by King Edward and
Foreign Minister Lansdowne would
now be Indignantly repudiated by all
parties in the house Of commons and
involve with the public the downfall
of any ministry advocating it.
Every nerve will be strained, how
ever, by the foreign Office to secure
from Russia an explanation that will
pacify the aggrieved feelings of the
British public and no step will be TAX
en- officially that will tend to preju
! dice subsequent uIplonati. ~~ee.i"
tions looking to the settlement of all
important questions now outstanding
between Russia and Great Britain.
However, there Ia expressed at the
| foreign Office and elsewhere almost
poignant regret that Russia, rightly OF
wrongly, should have taken up the po-
| sition evinced by the action of her
| volunteer cruisers in the Red Sea.
Lord Lansdowne's policy since the
first whisper of war between Japan
and Russia reached Downing street
has been one Of consistent neutrality
When the outbreak came 1t was
| matter for no little congratulation, a:
frequently pointed out In these dis
patches that Great Britain had KEEP
herself free from all entanglements
thanks chiefly to the hurrying on O
the nglo-French entente. on th'
strength Of which the diplomats o
both nations concerned believed the!
would be able to be detached specta
tors of the struggle in the far east.
The unlocked for developments II
the Dardanelles and the Red Sea EN-
barrass Lord Lansdowne more than tn
circumstances themselves would in
dicate.
The government, weakened by In
ternal dissension, could scarcely stan'
for a day against the popular deman'
for reprisals against Russia, and thi
very danger is being assiduously fos
tered by leading government news
papers.
The news that there may be al
amicable adjustment of the difiicultie
as the result Of an interview betwee
Emperor Nicholas and Count Lams
dorff, given in the Associated Press dis
patch from st. Petersburg. is not we
known to the British press and pub
lie.
II such an adjustment eventuates Il
will let Premier Balfour's government
out of one of the most awkward an
most serious crises it has had to fac
in its checkered career, but 1t will un
doubtedly be several months befor
the British public can forget what ha
been described as the most humiliatln
incident in Britieh history since tn
Dutch VIGOROUSLY entered the Thame!