The San Francisco call., 1904-10-30
RUssIA's STARTLING CLAIM.
Hints That Torpedo-B Boats Were Fitted
Out in British Ports.

Out in British Ports.
PARIS, Oct. 2e.-The speech of Pre-
inier Balfour at Southampton last
night has created decidedly unfavor-
able impression in the highest Russian
quarters bsre, and it is stated by those
in the best position to judge that the
views of st. Petersburg will disap-
prove the Premier's remarks.
The following statements were given
to the press from the most authorita-
tive sources:
Mr.. Balfour's deduction that Ad-
miral RojeStvenslIys statement is pure
fancy is based upon the Premier's
declaration that the admiral was look
ing out for torpedo boats coming from
Japan. AS a matter of fact the Rus
sian admiral was not guarding against
torpedo-boats coming thousands of
miles from Japan, that would have
been manifestly absurd: but he was
guarding against torpedo-boats armed
and equipped in the vicinity of the
North Sea. This is not a matter of
speculation or Imagination, but is a
matter of fact upon which the Russian
authorities have been furnished with
precise details. This information es-
tablishes that the Japanese fitted up
craft as torpedo-boats at certain Swed-
ish ports, and they also had a large
number of Japanese officers at New
castle-on-Tyne and other important
English shipping points for the evil
dent purpose of fitting out craft to OBJ.
struct the Russian squadron. There
fore, instead of these torpedo-boats be-
ing imaginary craft coming thousands
of miles from Japan, the Russian au-
thorities possess precise information
that such torpedo boats were actually
fitting out at points near the North
Sea.
"A second important point on which
Mr. Balfour's statement creates an err
roneous impression is his saying that
the Russian squadron on Dogger Bank
was many miles away from the usual
route. AS a matter of fact. the Rus
sian naval route through the North
Sea is across Dogger Bank. This is
not the route Of the British and other
navies, but the Russian navy has pre-
ferred 1t because the shallowness of
the water permits easier soundings
for the purpose of locating the posi-
tions of the ships. Therefore, instead
of the Russian squadron being far out
of its course. as Mr.. Balfour asserts,
it was practically in its right course.
There is no doubt that the Japanese
informed themselves concerning the
probable route of the Russian squad
ron and were aware that the Russian
naval route would take the squadron
across the Dogger Bank.
"As a means of indicating the pre-
ciseness of the details reaching the
Russian authorities concerning jap
anese activity near the North Sea, the
following specific case is cited, which
came to the knowledge of the Rus
sian authorities:
only two days before the North
Sea occurrence the Consul General of
one of the important stations repre-
sented here wrote a letter saying that
Demetrios Ivilpos, living formerly at
Patras, Greece. had made the follow
ing statement to the Consul General:
'Ivilpos shipped as masters cook
from a port in Scotland on board the
Japanese ship Itsima. The shin came
to Brest, whence she began making
trips or surveillance of channel ships,
took in the Japanese flag and raised
sometimes the American flag and
sometimes the Swedish flag. Ivilpos,
perceiving that the Itsima was not
upon an ordinary merchant cruise, but
was engaged in a dangerous mission of
surveillance over Russian ships, left
the ship at Brest, came here and re-
ported to the Consul General. who
reported in writing to the Russian au-
thorities.'
There is reason to believe that
some of the foregoing details will get
before the International Commission,
and that they will constitute some of
the features of Russia's viewpoint of
the British charges"
Definite details concerning the
meeting of the commission have not
been arranged, but it is the under
standing in France, officially and dip
lomatically, that Great Britain and
Russia will each make separate and
individual inquiries which will be sub
mitted to the commission at The
Hague for final adjustment.
The Maritime Registers available
do not contain the name of the Jap
! anese ship of the name of Itsima,
1s&