Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-12-23
ENGLISH PRESS
TURNING YELLOW
Portion Of il Accuses Russia Of
Procuring Men 10 Make False
Statements,
ABOUT DOCGER BANK AFFAIRS.
Men said to Have Bsen Paid to
Swear That TOrpcdoboa.s We're
Among the lraw.crs

London, Dec. p The publication In
ST. Petersburg Of the statement that
Hun fishermen have voluntarily de-
posed that foreign torpcdoboats were
among the trawlers OF Doggcr bank
when the lattcr we're fred upon by
ships N the Russian Baltic Squadron
is probably nothing more than rope
tition Of similar statements omonat-
INK from HUI and appearing I'm London
pnpeta the last few days They
are circumstantaL and Il would GER
tainly appear TO be- true that some
men OF the Gamccock fleet have made
statements before the Russian consul
This name Of only one OF thes has been
revealed lie is the boatswan Of the
tidwlef Ava, and he said today
that he was Induced to make the state
ihtht While he was intoxicated. lie
admits. he received certain amount
OF money but now says the state
iheht he made Is untrue. The extra
ordihary tenor of his statement or any
Othets has not been revealed.
All published reports from Hull say
positively that these statements We're
secured by two agents OF the Russian
government but the Russian embassy
IN London tonight repeated the denial
communicated to the Associated Press
on Dec, q saying that there Is abso-
lutely no truth In the statement that
the Russian goyerhmgnt or any one
In amy official capacity or any one
delegated by Russia has been endeay-
oring TO secure statements from the
Gamecock fishermen In support Of Rus
sia's position before the Paris commits
sion. II was pointed out however that
although Russia has offered reward
for information the Russian govern
ment was not responsible for the course
taken by any person desiring TO secure
the reward which would only be paid
In the event that the information and
the method I'm which II was secured
were approved by the Russian govern
mont and shown to have been re-
ceiyed from irreproaChable sources. 1t
was positively stated that the embassy
has no knowledge and no information
tending TO support the report OF the ST.
| Petersburg paper alluded to.
The sensational press OF England d.
rectly charges the Russian government
with using underhand means by brlb-
cry and intoXicants to secure false
statements from men Of the Game.
cock fishing fleet The Russian consul
at Hull tonight said the boatswain OF
Aa A.. D.. a.. hue
| that he sent him TO the commissioner
OF Oaths where the consul says the
boatswaIn swore he saw a japanese
torpedo boat with the trawlers, The
consul says he knows Of other traw-
lers who are ready to make similar
statements but that they are afraid
OF the consequences The consul In
dignantly denies that he has made any
attempt to induce fishermen TO make
statements. He says that when In
formed OF the nature Of the statement
the boatswain OF the Ava intended TO
make II was his duty to his govern
ment TO render every assistance.
Altogether an air OF mystery sur
rounds the matter but no credence In
responsible quarters Is given to the
allegations that unfair methods have
been used by the Russian government.
one explanation Of the whole matter
emanates from Paris where II Ia stat
ed that two reporters Of the Petit Par
isien recently visited Hull In order TO
interview men Of the Gamecock feet
and secure independent information
concerning the Dogger bank affair As
none OF the newspaper reports assume
TO Identify the agents" as Russians
belng limited to calling them foreign
ers employed by the Russian govern
ment." this il the most probable eS-
PLANTATION OF the story, which, however
may possibly have sequel In the testl.
mony before the International tribunal
Mt Paris