The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-07-22
SEIZED BRITISH SHIP
 STILL HELD BY RUSSIA
STATEMENT IN CoMMo3s JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT LAST NIGHT.


 BEFORE MIDNIGHT LAST NIGHT. Dispatches from st. Petersburg That Russia VIII Release the MaIacca Fail to AIIay the AIarnist Views of the Leading Papers-status of the so-CaIIed Volunteer Fleet the Most Dangerous Question-opinion that on Russia's Reply the Issues of Peace or War Are staIxed.
 London. July 2-After midnight, just before the adjournment of the house of commons, Premier Balfour stated that the government had received no con firmation of the reported release of the Malacca.
 4 statement was made by a news agency prior to MT. Balfour's an- nouncement that the government had received satisfactory assurances from the Russian government regarding the intended release of the vessel.
 London, July 1.-The authoritative as- Eurances that the Malacca will be re- leased. cabled by the Associated Press from St. Petersburg to the United States, do not appear in the British morning papers. Special dispatches to g somewhat similar effect from St. Pet ersburg do not allay the alarmist views of the leading organs that Premier Balfour's post-midnight announcement that the government had received no confirmation of the reported release of the Malacca to mean that the incident remains unsettled.
 Another cause for great apprehension Is the broader quesetion of Russia's right to send vessels of her volunteer fleet through the Dardanelles. A strik- ing evidence that the danger of the situation has not been mitigated in the least, So far as British official and pub lie opinion is concerned, is afforded by the Daily Telegraph, which under a large type caption, nn Acute Crisis" declares that the relations between Great Britain and Russia have reached the stage of an acute crisis, but behind the incident of the Malacca is the far larger question of the status of the so-called volunteer fleet. It has, we be- heve been made clear to the czar's government that the transformation of merchant vessels passing through the Dardanelles, as such, into armed cruis-. CTS, cannot be recognized under any, pretext whatever as justifying Russia's interference with British shipping. It is not impossible that as a concession to Russian dignity. the government may offer to permit the Malacca to put in to some neutral port, where her cargo may be examined and the statement verified that whatever munitions she carried were intended for the use of the British-Ch squadron"
 In it's editorial this morning the Daily Telegraph becomes even more alarmist, declaring that upon Russia's response to Lord Lansdowne's de- anands, t'the issues of peace or war are staked."
 Continuing the Daily Telegraph says that only in the event that Russia is prepared to accept the British condi- tions oh the larger issue would the government as a sop to Russian dig nifty" permit the Malacca to be taken to a neutral port.
 "The main question to be settled be- tween the British and Russian govern mehts, if we are to maintain even tech nicaI relations of friendship says the Baily Telegraph's editorial, is the status Of the Russian volunteer fleet. < The point which has been made clear ao the czar's government by Lord Lans- downe is that Great Britain will not permit lightning change from 8 mer- chant vessel to an armed cruiser. Tn other words if these unchartered liber- tines of the Russian navy attempt to stop or to search 8 British vessel they will be called upon to desist and if they refuse to obey the demand they will be fired upon and sunk We further un- derstand that the Ottoman government will take steps to prevent the passage sof these Janus-faced vessels through the Dardanelles and in the event of their evasion, will notify our govern ment of their departure These prob lems are altogether independent of the war in the Far East. We are acting and will continue to act not as the al ly of Japan, but as the greatest naval power protecting the highway against the illicit inroads of pirates"
 The significance of such language by a paper so much in the confidence of the government. and which has been strongly in favor of an Anglo Russian entente, can scarcely be over estimat- ed.
 The Standard also sees little abate- ment in the gravity of the crisis as a result of the statements from St Pet ersburg that the Malacca will be re- leased.