The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-10-28
IT WAS NOT A MISTAKE
Correspondent Declares That North Sea Horror
Was Committed Deliberately Nonsense TO
Suppose Vessels Character not Known.
IT WAS AN INEXCUSABLE OUTRAGE

LOnuOn, OCC. ZO.-10o receipt Ol tHe
cars message to King Edward. prom
ising reparation "as soon as details
have been reported" of the North sea
outrage may have smoothed the of.
fetal surface of British feeling, but
1t has failed to remove one particle
of the peoples wrath. In fact, 1t has
grain of bitterness by the implica-
ton that delays may be looked for
and that nothing the British govern
ment may say will be taken for grant
ed unless backed by Russian reports
which may be long while In COM
ing.
This mornings papers have little
patience with this outlook. They
plainly say that Russia must do exact
ly what Great Britain demands or
else must be prepared to take the con-
sequences. In uncompromising edl-
torials the Times, Post, Chronicle,
Standard and all the other leading pa
pers express themselves as unalter-
ably opposed to any concession which
may lead to acquiscence in Russian
dilatorness. The incidents of tho
seizure of merchant vessels and the
cases of the Smolensk and Askold are
| recalled, when Russia, by following
every breach of faith with a new
promise of uncertain character made
the undeniable attempt to dupe the
! civilized world.
That the government does not in
tend to be tricked out of it's satisfac-
tion is shown not so much by its un-
mistakable orders to the naval re-
serve and to the commanders OF the
channel and home fleets as by the
frank statements, each OF them
breathing defiance, made by officials
who are known to be closemouthed
and diplomatic in their utterances.
The reference to the incident as an
"inexcusable mistake" by Firsc Lord
of the Admiralty Selborne, for in.
stance, permits only of the one inter-
probation that the British government
is determined to make Russia pay
dearly for what cannot be excused.
The consensus of opinion today Is
that while the North sea horror itself
may not have been cause for war
any attempt on the part of Russia to
cheat Great Britain out of her full
dues will be casus belli beyond dis
pute. It would,sbe foolish to deny
that the possibility of an armed con-
| fict is not being considered. re-.
The admiralty has so far failed TO
make public the contents of the or
ders issued to the admirals of the
home and channel fleets. The former
ordered from port in Cromarty Firth
without being fully provisioned, Is TO
meet the latter at Gibraltar The ma.
val militia is being mobilized. Lord
Kitchener is known to be actively en-.
gagged in the fertilization of the North
ern India frontier. England has not
made such warlike preparations in
many years. ..- ...,....
London, Oct. 26.-(London Times.)
A special correspondent of the
Times, In telegram from Hull, SCOTS
at the idea that the North sea horror
was a mistake on the part OF the Rus
slams. He says that he has no doubt
that the outrage was committed de-
liberately. as
Against the theory that the officers
were in such state of extreme ner.
vousness they were able to behave
lik reasonable human, beings, he cites
the fact that the first; squadron of the
feet sailed calmly by, the trawlers and
took no notice of them and suggests
that it is improbable the officers OF
the second squadron were any more
likely to have been in q. blue funk than
those who had gone on before. But
whatever their condition, they mus
have obtained knowledge through {
torpedo boat what sort of people were
on board the trawlers. .I 1t is nonsense
the correspondent says. to pretend thai
the men on the torpedo boat did mo-
recognize the character of the fishing
boats. There was no possibility
OF mistaking these boats ror vessels o,
!. some other sort. The plea of ignor
ance on the part of the. Russians is dis
missed as ridiculous, The ofiicel
commanding the squadron must hav,
known that he was sailing past flee
of fishing boats and must have known
it when he gave the order to fire OF
the fleet.
The correspondent declines to ac
cept the theory that some nervous
gunner left off his piece without or
ders and so set the gunners of foul
ships to work The firing. he holds
was started by an order from the ad
miral commanding the squadron. Fl,
describes the condition Of the vessels
which were under fire, the showing
that they were literally riddled will
shot from machine guns and badl.
torn by shells. The Russians. he said
, made first rate practice which he con
siders a square denial of the theory o
gunners paralyzed with terror and ais,
the question that in a night 80 darl
they could not distinguish the vessel
they were firing at.