The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1904-11-07
ANGL LO-RUSSIAN CONVENTION
ST. PETERSBURG GOVERNMENT
ACCEPTS DRAFT OF THE
AGREEMENT.

st. Petersburg, Nov. Russia has
accepted the telegraphic draft of the
Anglo-Russian convention for the com
mission Of inquiry into the North sea
incident and the final exchanges will
covers six articles. The commission
will sit in Paris and will consist of five
members, Russian, British, American
and French, the representatives of
these four nations to choose the fifth
member. Broad outlines for the in
quiry are laid down by the convention,
but the commission will have wide
latitude in determining all the relevant
facts. Although the convention is
agreed to it is believed that some
minor matters connected with the sub
ject, the exact nature Of which cannot
be ascertained, are still undecided.
1t is expected that the commission
will assemble in about fortnight.
The greatest satisfaction prevails at
the foreign Office at the complete agree
ment reached and firm hope is eX-
pressed that the American admiral to
be selected by the United States to
sit on the commission will prove an
The Associated Press has strong rea-
son to believe that the letter from
Vigo, published in the Novoe Vremya,
represents practically the substance Of
Vice Admiral .Rojestvensky's detailed
report submitted to Emperor Nicholas
by Captain Clado. Indeed it is almost
certain that the letter was written by
Captain Clado himself 1t has attract
ed much attention, being accepted by
the public as well as by the Novoe
Vremya as the complete Russian YER
sion of the North sea incident. Com
menting editorially on the letter the
Novoe Vremya declares it shows twas
not case of panic, nor of the mis-
reading of signals, but of cool calcula-
ton of the time for the arrival of the
torpedo boats after they were sighted
by the Russian transport Kamchatka.
The Novoe Vremya says the commits
sion will have an opportunity of see
ing the wireless messages on the sub
ject.
Four Points of the Russian Case.
-Four points of the Russian case, pre-
sented simultaneously by special dis
patches from Paris to two papers here,
which bear evidence that they came
from inspired sources, are as follows:
First-Information which reached
Vice Admiral Rojestvensky as he was
leaving Danish waters showed that
suspicious vessels were in the North
sea, navigating first under one flag
and then under another.
Second-The transport Kamchatka's
report by wireless telegraphy some
time before the incident occurred that
she had seen two torpedo boats (the
Kamchatka being then thirty miles
behind the squadron).
Third-Later the receipt of sus-
picious wireless message signed
"Kamchatka, asking for the exact
latitude and longitude of the squadron,
a message which it was afterwards
ascertained was never sent by the
Kamchatka.
Fourth-Then the appearance of
two torpedo boats alongside the squad
ron, which could not have been Rus
sian, as all the Russian torpedo boats
were then in the English channel. The
squadron did not fire until the tor
pedo boats were seen.
The fact that only seven torpedo
boats are now with the squadron,
whereas eight left Libau, is explained
by the fact that one of them broke
down before the squadron left Danish
waters and was owed back to Libau
by the Russian ice breaker Ermack
The reports Of British warships fol
lowing up the various divisions of the
Russian squadron are causing intense
irritation here. The Sviet says:
"The shadoWing of the Russian
squadron by British cruisers cannot
go on. This game must be stopped
and the sooner the better"