The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-09-22
VESSEL MUST LEAVE
Uncle Sam Will Demand a Strict OBJ
servance of Neutrality Laws
DECISION IN CASE OF The LENA
The Russian Auxiliary Cruiser Will
Have to Depart From San Fran
cisco In a Short Time or Remains
Until the Termination Of the Rus
sianJapanese War.

Oyster Bay, Special.-The Russian
auxiliary cruiser Lena, which put into
the port of San Francisco Sunday,
presumably from Vladivostock. either
will have to leave that port within a
brief time prescribed by this govern.
ment or will have to dismantle. That
In brief, it can be stated authoritta.
lively, is the decision Of the Ameri-
can government.
II In the judgment Of the experts
who arc making an examination the
vessel can be made seaworthy In "a
hours, orders will be issued to her
commander to leave port at the ex.
piration of that period. Indeed, it
may be within the discretion Of the
government to give her commander
little more time If that be advisable.
On the contrary, If the report should
show that the ship is in actual need
of extensive repairs, and the over.
hauling and the making Of the re-
pairs would occupy any considerable
time, the captain would be directed
to dismantle the vessel and
she will remain in that conditior
till the termination of the Russian
Japanese war. It Is not anticipated
that serious difficulties or embarrass'
ments to this government will grow
out of the pending incident.
The State Department through
which matters pertaining to the ar
rival and examination OF the Lena
are being handled, has notified Mr.
Takhira. the minister OF Japan IN
WASHINGTON, of the action Of this
government and Of which 1t expects
to do in the future. He has express
ed his satisfaction at the present
status Of the affair.
The Case Of the Lena.
Washington, Special.-The develop.
ment of the day, so far as II related
to the Russian cruiser Lena In San
Francisco, was the clearing Of the Of
fetal muddle into which the case has
gotten, owing to the doubt of which
Of the five departments OF the gov
ernment should deal with 1t. 1t was
finally decided by the President tnat
the State and Navy Departments
should treat the case, acting jointly,
decision calculated to greatly SIM
p!ify its handling.
Over night came telegram from
Admiral Goodrich, at San Francisco,
showing that on his own initiative
he had caused one Of his expert ON
GERS to make a preliminary examina,
ton of the Lena and he was able to
report results, namely, that temporary
repairs would occupy six weeks ume,
and new boilers would involve eight
months delay. The President ap-
proved of this action by the admiral
and decided that hen should continue
to handle the case in San Francisco,
unde, instructions from the State
and Navy Departments. This IN.
yolyed a further expert opinion OF
the ship.
The admiral adopted the precauuon
of guarding the Lena with his own
vessels, a course also approved by,
the Department. Agreeable to the
Presidents instructions, Acting Secre-
tary Adee, for the State Department,
and Captain Pillsbury, for the Navy
Department, mad two conferences dur
ing the day and the result was the
preparations Of instructions to Admir-.
al Goodrich. There Is good grouno
to believe that they contemplate the
allowance of sufficient time 10 the
Lena to make sufficient repairs. How
ever, there IS growing belief mere
that the vessel will be obliged to IN
tern in the end, for it Is scarcely
doubted that by the time she could
be made ready to 60 to sea and would
be Obliged to leave II she desired TO
preserve her character ss an active
warsnip, one or more Japanese would
be off the Golden Gate ready 70 SINK
or capture her. Foreseeing such an
event as a request for the right to
intern, the officials have already been
giving some attention to the solution
Of the question as to what shall Dc
done with the crew-whether they
NAV be allowed to return to Russia
on parole or must be interned on
their ship in San Francisco harbor.
On this point no decision has oeen
ohn5