The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1904-09-13
CAUSED A GREAT STIR
PRESENCE OF RUSSIAN VESSEL
AT SAN FRANCISCO A DlSA-
GRE FABLE INCIDENT.
-- -
OFFICIALS AT WASHINGTON CONFER
UNITED STATES WILL FOLLOW
COURSE PURSUED BY OTHER
NEUTRAL POWERS.
OFFICIALS AT WASHINGTON CONFER

washington. Sept. IS. - Admiral
Goodrich's report of the presence Of
the Russian transport Dena in San
Francisco harbor caused a great stir
in official circles here The entry of
the ship was entirely unexpected and
was diSagreeable event, for y had
been hoped by the officials that Amer
lea would escape being dr9Vn into the
necessity Of making close decisions
respecting the rights of belligerent
vessels in our ports.
Secretary Morton promptly sought
the advice of the state department,
of the navigation bureau, over to see
Acting Secretary Adee. The latter in
turn called for Judge Penfield, the
departments solicitor, and a confer
ence ensued between the three men
lasting half an hour. Then the state
ment was made that after all this was
not matter which at this stage con-
cerned the state department, but
rather it is within the jurisdiction Of
the treasury department. The pres
ence of the Russian transport, SO
called, in San Francisco harbOr in
wolves the application OF the
United States Neutrality Laws
and it was said at the state depart
ment that it was the duty, under the
presidents proclamation Of neutrality, ,
for the treasury officials there-the
collector Of customs and surveyor OF
the portland the United States dis
trict attorney in San Francisco to take
any action necessary in this matter.
In other words the case is purely in
ternal as it stands, though it may be-
come external at any moment and thus
require action by the state depart
ment i'll the event that another nation,
Japan for instance, officially calls at
tention to the Lenas presence in San
Francisco harbOr.
1t is said at the state department
that in International law there is no
difference recognized between trans
port and battleship, though there
seemed to be an intimatiOn conveyed
in the San Francisco dispatches that
the captain of the Russian ship
thought otherwise and was disposed
to claim exemption from the rules Of
war applying to naval ships.
That being the case it is prObabla
that the government here will follow
closely the course pursued by Ger
many, France and China in cases
where Russian naval vessels soug It
shelter in their harbOrs. The first
thing to be done is to find the
Exact Condition Of the Lena
and whether or not there actually eX-
lists need for repairs. If it should ap-
pear that the vessel is really soaWor-
thy she must go to sea at once Or at
least within tWenty-four hours Of no.
tice to our officials of her arrival in
port She may take On a supply of
coal, but only sufficient to move her
to the nearest home port and it will
be part Of the understanding under
which this coal is furnished that it is
to be used for no other purpose Amer
lean ports must not be made the basis
Of hostile operations against either Of
the belligerents.
Vladivostok and Port Arthur are the
nearest Russian ports to San Fran
cisco, but it is possible that our gov
ernment would recognize the fact that
they are absolutely closed by blockade
to the Lena and thus sanction the de.
parture of a ship for Russia south,
ward by way of the west coast of
South America, Cape Horn and the
Atlanti: ocean,
In the event that repairs are found
to be actually necessary the time al
lowed tor them will be fixed by our
government experts and when they
are completed, though it is understood
that they must not proceed beyond a
point just sufficient to make the vessel
seaworthy. she will be allowed to de-
part for Russia if she takes coal in
San Francisco, or whence she pleases
if she goes out under her own coal
SUnD1y