The San Francisco call., 1904-11-02

LONDON, Nov. Negotiations be-
tween Great Britain and Russia look
ing to a settlement. OF the North Sea
affair are progressing .favorably. and
there is not the slightest danger Of fric-
ton arising between the two govern
ments. The constitution of the inter-
national commission under The Hague
convention is on the verge OF settle
ment.
In spite OF these pacific conditions.
Great Britain to-day experienced a war
panic that. can only be compared with
the panic created on Saturday, October
g. when the news of the sinking of the
trawlers in the North Sea was received
Not in years have so many alarmist re-
ports and flaming extras flooded Lon
don. The most extraordinary feature
of this scare. which was serious enough
while it lasted, is that there was not
one single circumstance to justify It,
/ The excitement started early In the
day, when the newspapers announced
the departure of the Russian Baltic
squadron from Vfgo. The public was
not in possession Of the information
cabled by the press to the United States
that only the officers concerned in the
detached. and jumped at the conclusion
| that Russia had broken faith by not
OBTAINING the vessels involved IN the
affair.
l. WAR. PANIC SEXES EDITORS.
/ On top of this came wild reports OF
tremendous activity at Gibraltar. Hour
by hour the news from Gibraltar be-
came more serious, until. at last. the eli
max was reached with the announce
ment that the British fleet had. cleared.
| for action. Some. even said that the
| fleet had sailed to meet ROjestvensky'
squadron. In huge type the papers
made. the parallel statements: The
Russian Fleet Has Sailed" The Brit
ish Fleet Has Cleared for Action.
No newspaper and no person seemed
/ able to explain these movements The
reassuring information from the United
States that the sailing Of the Baltic
SQUADRON from Vigo was with the
knowledge of and agreeable to the
British Government was not even INIT
ed at by the papers here.
The news from Gibraltar became
more and more alarmist and finally
the Foreign Office was overrun by re-
porters, some Of whom brought the
runor that Admiral Beresford had
already sunk the remnant OF Admiral
Rojestvensl<y's fleet. EmDassador
Renckendorff at that moment was
quietly discussing with Foreign Min
| lister Lansdowne the personnel Of the
/ international commission, but IL was
popuIarIy rumored that he was receiv-
ing an u1tin1atum-
IN PEACEFUL COUNCIL.
Premier Balfour, Admiral Sir John
Fisher. commander in chief at Ports
mouth; Lord Selborne. First Lord OF
/ the Admiralty, and Prince Louis OF
Battenberg. director Of naval intelli-
gence. were all in conference. and 1t
was openly limited that they were plan
ming the first stroke Of war, As a mat
ter. of fact they. like Lord Lansdowne.
! were engaged in considering names
that had been suggested for the inter-
national commission
When all London was in this state
| of mind and while anybody who might
be supposed to know anything was con-
stantly being asked Has war been de-
clared?" the Foreign ONCE decided to
adopt a course most unusual for 1t and
I in order to allay the public sentiment
gave out to the press the following
statement:
Before the Russian fleet left VIgo
/ instructions were given to the Rus
sian admiral with the view to prevent
/ ing injury OF inconvenience to neutral
shipping during the passage of the
Russian fleet to the Far East.
in compliance with Russia's agree
ment four Russian officers have been
! left behind at Vigo.
The two governments are now dis