The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-30
ENGLISH PUBLIC Is ANGRY.
CONSIDERS AVOIDANCE OF Wan
A "CLIMB DOWN."
Nevertheless There 10 Apparent RELIEF
That tho Crisis Has been Avoided
-Distrust or Russia's Good Faith
Piain-Spiit in Russian Cabinet Ems
phasized by the Events Of the Week.

phasized by the Events Of the Week.
Special Gable Dispatches TO THE sun.
LONDON. Oct. 29.-It Is needless to dis.
o,iss the reasons for the almost universally
favorable reception in the morning press
Of Prime Minister Balfour's announce
ments at Southampton last night. The !
STANDARD, the one leading paper which exc
presses strong, indeed angry, disapproba-
ton, sums them up, saying: I'VE haveA
escaped war with Russia which would have
been terrible calamity" 4
1t Is undoubtedly true that the Englisha
people are deeply relieved by the passagaH
OF the war clouds which for the time seemedg
so near bursting, yet it is already evident
that the Standards views have many SUPP
porters whose numbers will rapidly n-s
crease unless the causes for their dissatis-
faction are soon removed.
The man in the street Is frankly angry
at what he regards as a climb down"
His view and that of many more Thought
full people is that not a single vessel of what
has been christened "the mad dog fleet
should proceed till full satisfaction has been
exacted, and with Russian feet OF seven
battleships ranging between 1850 tons
and $3.50 tons sandwiched between the
Mediterranean fleets of eight Is 600 tons
and four IA, 900 tons warships and the Chan-
mel fleets OF eight 1900 ton vessels with
corresponding hotillas of cruisers and de-.
CIV . L., ~.
of an unbending demand for immediate
satisfaction all points would have been
yielded. Beyond this there is no incon-
siderable doubt whether Mr.. Balfour him
self absolutely believes in the efficacy OF
what the British Government accepted.
Describing the sarcastic passages wherein
the Premier gave the lie direct, for that is
WHAT it amounted to, to Admiral Rojestven-
sky's report, the Times reporter said: -In his
tone there was ring of merciless irony
which was evidently not the least calculated
feature Of the speech. 1t is not usual for
a responsible Minister to treat officers
Of a foreign Government with the scorntul
severity used to rebuke Parliamentary
provocation.'
Then after describing the reception
OF Mr.. Balfour's announcement of an in
quiry under the articles OF the Hague
Tribunal. the correspondent proceeds:
''Bdt.' added Mr.. Balfour quickly and sig
nifioantly. 1t is not court of arbitration,
only a commission to find out the facts.
Any one found guilty will be adequately
punished"
This may be taken to mean that MIR.
Balfour is reserving the right TO dissent
from the finding of the court II those whom
he has publicly declared to be guilty arc
found to be innocent. It is, at any rate,
certain that there is possibility OF the
court finding Admiral Rojestvensky, though
mistaken. sincerely unconscious Of the
mistake In that case the Gear cannot
be expected to inflict serious or perhaps
any punishment.
What, it is asked, can Britain then do2
Deep seated distrust of Russia good faith,
bred by past experience, engenders a very
general feeling Of doubt In regard to the
value Of the agreement as announced by,
Mr.. Balfour. The detention at Vigo 1of the ,
portion of the feet that was concerned in
the attack" does not satisfy the people
Who Is to decide the question of RESPONSE
CilityP Is asked. A similar question arises
in regard to the officers to be detained.
II Russia makes It, There is simila ar lack
Of confidence that adequate punishment
will be awarded the guilty if the tribunal
finds some officers culp able. 1t is felt that
before England can be satisfied it should
know that the Russian Government has
guaranteed ahead that fit punishment will
be meted out to all found guilty.
That there is considerable reason for
doubt g that the good results Of the ar
rangement will prove perm anent unless it
covers pc ints hitherto unrevealed to the
public cannot tie denied. A letter from
THE Sun correspondent at st. Petersburg
received tonight, says;
mo Russian high authority will in any
form admit that great wrong has been
done. Count Lamsdorff's declaration that
he could not understand low the attack
happened and that he did not know what
wsre the heet's intentions during the voy-
age among shipping which it encountered
was undoubtedly sincere and true. What
will surprise most Governments is that the
Admiralty refuses to furnish him with any
information with which he might diplo-
matically explain Russia's position. Vice
Admiral Avellan, the Minister Of Marine,
and his masters intimate plainly that they
mean to proceed In their own way. II now
and then the Government has got to make
amends to q foreign Power, that need not
hamper thcm In future or preclude similar
trouble.
'Outside Of this group nobody knows
under what orders the feet sailed. The
spirit animating their treatment OF neutral,
particularly English. shipping is not so
much desire to provoke war as that they
do not care what happens. serious
section within the Government. including
the new Minister Of the Interior, is con-
scious, as are other observers OF the Gov
eminent machinery here. that the rulers Of
the Russian Navy are absolutely impenitent
and are ready TO sanction a similar attack
on neutrals tomorrow, leaving the Foreign
4. m RI q