The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-10-31
He Offered Solution of tho
 North Sea Incident
A CLASH WAS IMMINENT
Suggestion of Inquiry to Establish the Facts Has Averted a Rupture and Relieved the Tension
 of the Situation.

St. Petersburg, October S0.-The world will doubtless take particular satisfac- ton in according Emperor Nicholas, to whose initiative The Hague convention owed its existence. the honor and credit of having proposed an honorable solution of the North sea incident which might have plunged Russia and Great Britain into war by an appeal to it's rules Nev- ertheless the Associated Press learns on very high authority that this diplomatic triumph belongs 10 M Delcasse, the French foreign minister.
 When the yellow book of France and the blue book of Great Britain covering this incident are issued. some very inter estlng diplomatic history will be dis closed The great gravity of the situation, / l especially in Great Britain, where the in- famed state of public opinion might at any moment have driven the government to extreme measures, and the danger in- volved in delay were keenly appreciated in the French capital Frances interest is almost equal to that of the parties in terested, and the very peace of the re- | public was involved, as a rupture between Great Britain and Russia, eventuating Tn war by putting Great Britain and Japan in the position of making common cause against Russia, would inevitably result in an appeal to France to fulfll her ob- legations under the dual alliance.
 Delcasse to Work.
 M De1casse, therefore, at the very out : set went earnestly to work as friend l of both to find an equitable basis for ad- sba aa xvba . Admiral Rojestvensky' report raised : direct issue of fact. According to the Associated Press information, M Deieasse at once suggested an Inquiry to establish l facts through an international commission } under The Hague convention, offering the suggestion simultaneously to both govern
 nents though Ambassador Cambon to Foreign Minister Lansdowne, and through Secretary Boutieron in Ambassador Bonn pard's absence to Count Lamsdorn.
 The idea found instant favor both hero and in London and Thursday night the Russian and British propositions, identical in effect actually crossed each other on the way to the respective capitals. There was, however, this difference between them Lord Lansdawne's instructions to Ambassador Hardlnge authorized him to submit the proposition on behalf of the British government, whereas Count Lams- dorns instructions were tentative and rather in the nature of feeler, Count Lamsdorff, although he knew the em- peror was favorable to the plan, had not yet secured the absolute consent of his majesty. to whom he arranged to sub init the matter finally on Friday after noon.
 Emperor Approves.
 In the meantime on Friday morning the British proposition reached the Rus sian foreign minister at Tsarkoe-Selo, and Friday afternoon the emperor gave his hearty approval. Tentative instructions had been cabled to Ambassador Beneken- dorff at London the previous night, and without waiting to return to St. Peters, burg, Count Lamsdorn cabled Ambassa- dor Benckendorff specific authorization in the name of his majesty as follows:
 Tn a desire to bring everything that occurred in the North sea into the clearest light possible our monarch considers It beneficial to submit the affair to an inter national commission of inquiry on the basis of The Hague convention for thorough investigation. Your excellency is directed by the imperial command 70 propose this means of settlement of the question to the British government" To this Count Benckendorf replied De-
 tober 28:
 q have communicated your exeellencys r telegram to Lord Lansdowne. The Brit ish government accepts the proposal to | l submit the North sea incident In all it's 1, | extent to the examination by an internal = tional commission provided for by The !, Hague convention"