Arizona republican., 1904-06-09
A Sensational Piece of News.

printed yesterday. to the effect that
 Russia had decided to send part of her
 Black Sea fleet to the far east and had
 obtained Turkeys permission fer the
 passage of the wGrships through the
 Dardaneles would, if confirmed be an
 exceedingly important as well as sen
 sational piece of news. Combined with
 the Baltic fleet, which is to sail for the
 Yellow sea shortly. the four battieships
 mentioned as coming from the Black sea would give Russia a great prepOn- derance cn the ocean. and would com pleteiy change the status of the bel ngerents.
 Counting the battleships at Port Ar thur as still serviceable, Russia has
 some twenty-ships of this class, as againt Japan's seven. Aside from the cruisers and torpedo boats of the Bal tic fleet that are to proceed to eastern waters. it has been stated that four 0attleships would go in the first squad rcn. If four battleships were to go from the Black sea, also. the situation would be reversed and Japan would be on the defensive from the moment that these ships arrived at the scene of ac ton.
 But yesterdays news would require absolute confirmation before it could be accepted, and the assertion that Turkey has consented to the passage through the DardaneIIes on condition that the Russian fleet does not return to the Black sea does not make the story any more probable. The sultan would not dare to grant the favor in any form unless he were assured that Russia had formed such a coalition with other European powers as to guarantee protection to him from Great Britain. Were any portion of the fleet from the Black sea to be per mitted to pass by Constantinopie it would be by the acquiscence Of Great Britain, or despite Great Bri- tain's protests, and in either event we
 should see rapid developments of grave moment to the whole world
 Russia's fleet in the Black sea has never been considered a part oe the empires offensive strength. Its only utility is to defend Russia's interior ports and to hold Turkey in check
 One of the cardinal points in Great Rr4Lain's diplomacy has been to keep the Dardanelles closed to the czar's navy. When. at the close cf the Rus so-Turkish war in 1878, Russia gained by the treaty of San Stefaro the end for which she had been working fer a hundred years or more-an outlet through the Dardanelles-Great Bri- tain promptly vetoed the arrangement. She sent fleet to the Sea Of Marmora, and actually embarked Sepoys from
 India for the contemplated war with
 Russia. A general European war was averted by Prince Bismarck, at whose instance the congress of Berlin was
 held. Under the terms of the Berlin
 treaty the treaty Of San Stefano was
 repudiated and nullifed and Russia was robbed of practically all the fruits of her war with Turkey, and England and Austria were the principal gain. CTS.
 II was then that the Russian states men reluctantly abandoned their dream of seaport in southern Europe and inaugurated the far eastern policy which involved the construction of the Trans-Siberian railroad and the build ing of a port on the Pacific. The
 world has seen how fate has played
 against the Russians. After they had constructed their railroad to Vladivos- tok they found that port of so little value because of ice during half of the year that they turned to Port Arthur. the taking of which from China after it had been forced out cf the hands of Japan is the basic cause of the present war.
 It has been the consistent British policy to prevent Russia from acquir- ing an outlet to the southern seas. Great Britain has time and again made it clear to Turkey that tEe Dardarelles must be kept closed, and it has been accepted without question that Great Britain would at once make var on both Turkey and Russia if the Russian fleet were permitted to pass out Of the Black sea. Russia is ir such dire straits now that it is not reasonable to expect her to defy Great Britain, unless supported by Germany or France, or both. On the ether hand. it is not conceivable that Great Britain would repudiate her treaty Of alliance with Japan and deliberately connive a t such a blow at Japans sea power as
 the dispatch of the Black sea fleet to
 the far east would involve. There have been many signs lately of a better un-
 derstanding between Great Britain