The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-21

unhesitating frmness and prompts
tude, which recall the strongest days
of the national policy, he has justified
the trust Of the country.
Russia's Position Called "False."
.sWhile not one rash word should be
said which could have the effect of In
creasing the tension Of an anxious and
dangerous interval, 1t would be futile
to disguise the character or to mimi
mlze the risks of the situation which
has arisen. We hope and believe that
a solution of the difficulty may still
be found in the withdrawal OF the
Russian government from It's false POI
sition. It is obvioufif the volunteers
vessels they cannot be allowed 70
scour the Red sea as warships. L
| '.The doors Of the Black sea must
either be open or shut. If open to
Russian warships they must be so to
all warships. If the Russian fleet Is
to be permitted to emerge, in viola
ton of treaty provisions the British
| fleet must be allowed 10 enter upon
these terms.
cit is no secret that we have not
been unwilling to remove the existing
veto Of the Dardanelles and enable
those straits to be traversed by the
navies of all nations.
England's Honor "Insulted."
cit would be impossible to con-
| ceive a more remarkable accumula-
ton Of illegality and error than has
attended the present case. If this
country were capable, under any cir
cumstances, of tamely enduring SO
grave an injury to the most vital Of
it's interests and so great an insult
Ito it's honor, we should have forfeited
| our claim to be a great nation. In
| any circumstances, we think it may
! be assumed that the Malacca may
never be ,navigated by prize crew to
any Russian port. She is watched
by British warships, and she will, In
any case, be restored to her owners
long before she can be taken thru
the Dardanelless or navigated to Ii
bau. IL
i This emergency, in some respects,
l is the most critical that has marked
-FOUR relations with Russia in the last
twenty years, and in face Of the in
famed state of public opinion in ST.
Petersburg, it would be unwise tc
blind ourselves to the existence OF
possibilities that would otherwise be
unthinkable. This country has adopt
ed with decision and composure an
attitude from which there can be nc
retreat or iinching.
I'VE seek a simple redress for q
violent and unprovoked injury, and
where the peace of the west depends
upon the will of the car, we cannot
believe that civilization will look tc
him during the next forty.-eight hours
in VAIN
The foregoing pronouncement from
an organ so VIGOROUSLY inspired, with
it's open reference to possibility OF
| war, adds enormously to a situation
that already was grave enough -
War "openIy Contemplated" ~
Every other London morning pa
|,per devotes it's leading editorial to a
similar view of the situation. War
with Russia is openly contemplated
by the most staid papers of the en-
pire as a contingency much to be re-
GREETED, but nevertheless inevitable,
for the honor of the nation, unless
speedy PREPARATION be made for what
is alleged to be dire insult to the
i British. flag.
! Such organs as the Daily News and
the Chronicle, representing the ex-
j tremes Of the slfberalzsparty, which
i stook a stand against. the slBoer war,
urge the government to take every
step to retrieve the honor Of the
British nation.
The keynote of the Standards edi-
torial, in declaring that thes Malacca
Said under the Russian flag, is as
follows:
We do not keep powerful feet in the
Mediterranean in order that the inlanc
sea shall be the scene Of such an outrage
on International justice. Should the rep
reservations of Sir Charles Hardinge, the
British ambassador at ST. Petersburg, I'M
happily be ignored, proper. instruction
must be sent to our commander in chic
on the Mediterranean. 1t would be de-
plorable necessity, but one for. which W.
cannot blame ourselves.
The Times says:
His majesty's government has taken ;
course which the nation expected it tt
take No governm ent in this countr!
could possibly acquiesce in the preten
sions implied in the action Of the volun
teer fleet steamer St. Petersburg and NJ
government could allow the Malacca t
be taken to a Russian port or to be con
demned by a Russian prize court.
BEARS TENTATIVE REPLY