The Savannah morning news., 1904-10-29
BALF0UR RlDICULES
ADMIRAL'S CLAIMS.
Says They ImpuGn the National
Honor OF England.


Southampton. England. Oct. 2S.-Pre-
mier Balfour addressed an immense
meeting in Artillery Hall Tonight. His
appearance on the platform was the
signal for great cheering, which was
again and again renewed. Mr. Balfour
said:
If this meeting had been held yes
terday evening l would not have dared
preface my remarks in a hopeful tone
Everybody felt that if the trawler in
cident could be repeated belligerent
fleet was, indeed, "a pest against which
all neutral Powers would be bound to
combine. In the story of our fisher
men there was much tragedy, but no
romance; in the story of the Russian
admiral there is no tragedy, but l am
driven to the belief that there is much
romance.
1t is impossible to doubt which is
the correct story. 1 should not have
approached it but for the fact that the
admfrafs story is really an attack upon
our national honor and implies that
we are not doing our duty as neutrals.
In an island kingdom like Great
Britain, the nationality of every craft
is known. 1t is inconceivabe that we
could be harboring Japanese sailors
ana warships without Russia. and,
indeed, the whole civilized world,
knowing II. l enter a most emphatic
protest against such an allegation"
The Premier said it was incredible
thai a fiGhttno \
IN hostile operation and ridiculed the
idea of torpedo boat attack. The
Russian feet was thirty miles out of
It's course. and it was absurd to sup
pose that the commander of the al
leged torpedo craft would choose a no
sltion for attacking the Russian fleet
In the center of fishing fleet.
The Premier expressed unbelief in
the existence of these Japanese ships
and said the nearest Japanese warshin
was $4,000 miles away. Such a story as
lnat told by the Russian admiral
was the purest fancy. The Premier
hoped the truth would be made mani
fest and clear as MONDAY when the
inquiry which the Russian Emperor
welcomed took place.
The Russian government had not at
any time underrated the gravity Of
the crisis or failed to do what it could
10 diminish it. 1t could not for a
moment be supposed that throughout
all the channels of commerce from
st. Petersburg to Valadivostok and
the narrow ways of commerce, like
the English channel and the Red sea.
an admiral of another power should
be allowed to pass under such circum-
stances unscathed. unchalenged and
UNPUBLISHED after such a deed as that
of the night of Oct. 81
The Russian admiral had theory
OF the rights and duties of a belliger-
ent fleet as against neutrals which
would really make fbe high seas a
place Of public danger Suppose,
some dark night a, liner or transport
fell in with the second Pacific feet
at Gibraltar when they had intended
to divide, and approached within the
magic distance, according to the ad-
niraPs theory, he would be justified
In sinking it. The position Is one inn
possible for neutrals to tolerate. A
feet animated by that policy would
be fleet which would have to be
eliminated out of existence if Civilized
commerce was to pursue it's way un-
impeded. He was glad to think that
In this view the Russian government
agrees and has given orders which will
prevent a. recurrence of the tragedy
that has filled our hearts with sorrow
and the hearts of all those who had
heard of 1t abroad with something ap-
preaching indignation.