The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-07-28
RUSSIANS PROMISE
Red Sea Fleet Ordered to
Cease MoIesting NeutraIs.
WAVES RIGHT OF SEARCH
In the Meantime Other Vessels were
Seized, But Were Later Released
on Order of the Government
at St. Petersburg.

DIT SSs fSeS' SSA'
A st. Petersburg special says: Grand
Duka Alexis presided at Sundays.
council. which Count Lamsdorff, the;
foreign secretary, and Vice Admiral:
Ave;ilan, chief of the admiralty de-;
partment, and other high naval oihI'
offers attended.
The result Of the conference re-
moves all doubts concerning the pres
ent attitude of Russia with regard TO
the volunteer fleet. The validity OF
the view expressed in the British note,
regarding the irregularity of the posi-.
ton cf the vessels was so far admitted
that the council agreed to waive the
right to search. s-@.--. ;
After a long discussion in which,
Count Lamsdorff took leading part
it was decided that the present status
of the volunteer fleet was nat sufti'i
ciently defined according to intefna-
tional law to render further searches
and seizures advisable and that there
fore Russia in the interests Of friend
" relations with the powers, should
withdraw the authority given the vol
unteer feet in this respect.
Orders have been sent to the vol
unteer fleet steamers, st. Petersburg
and Smolensk, to refrain from inter-
ference with foreign shipping.
It is expected these steamers VIII
eventually join the Baltic sea feet and
be replaced by ordinary warsa!ps.
The Associated Press is able to
state, on the highest authority that the
Russian :. and British governments
have agreed on mutually satisfac-
tory basis for a settlement OF the
question of the status Of Russian vol
unteer fleet steamers in the Red sea
and the seizure by them of British
ships. ="
A few minor points still remain un-
settled, but these will probably be
cleared up imm ediately, and it is not
expected that further complications
will arise.
On Saturday, and before the above
agreement was reached, Count Benck-
endorn, the Russian ambassador at
London, received official notification
from St. Petersburg reporting the cap
ture of two more British ships in the
Red sea and instructions from his gov
ernment to notify Great Britain that
the same procedure will be followed
as in the case of the Malacca, namely,
the vessels will be taken to neutral
port for examination by the coHsuls
of the two nations concerned.
The steamer Scandia, Of the Ham
burg-American line, in charge Of a
Russian prize crew, entered the Suez
canal Saturday. : ..@.
A dispatch from Hamburg says:
The officials of the Hamburg Ameri-
can line declare that the seizure OF
their steamer Scandia by the Rus
SLAMS is inexplicable, as her manifests
show she did not carry any kind of
war material for Japan. The company
has asked the foreign Office to take
up the matter and secure an explana.
tion ...~
Steamer Scandia Released.
A special of Sunday from Port Said
states that the neutrality-suspicious.
Line steamer Scandia has been releas.
ed. The Russian crew which manned
her has landed and will proceed to
Odessa by. the next boat. The Scan
dia is awaiting orders from her OWL
ers.
Advices received at Port Said state
that the Russian volunteer. 'feA:
steamer Smolensk fired three blank
shots across the bows of the British
steamer Ardova, the cargo Of which
consists of coal and explosives and
the vessel not stopping the Smolensk
sent two loaded shots at her, one Of
them passing over her amidships and
the other over her stern. The Ardova
was then seized and her crew trans.
ferred to the Smolensk.