Arizona republican., 1904-10-27
THE RUSSIAN EXPLANATION
Why the Baltic Squadron Attacked the Hull
 Fishing Fleet
The Russian Admiral Makes Statement That the Traw- 1ers Were Mistaken for Japanese Torpedo Boats for Which There Had Been Constant Lookout-England Still Waiting for a Definite Reply to Her Note.

London. Oct. 26.-Tension increases as time passes without a definite set clement of the situation created by the Russian blunder in the North sec. Ambassador Benckendorf's tentative communication to Foreign Minister I.ansdowne today and the fact that this was regarded as unsatisfactory only served to infame the public mind. and while officials are giving out inti- nations that it is their confident belief that the whole matter will be satis- factorily arranged, il is now quite evil dent that only short time will be all lowed Russia in which to give final and complete assurances of her intention to comply with the demands Great Brit ain may make. within reason.
 The arrival of Admiral Rojestvensky at VigC. and the certainty that he is in direct communication with his govern ment. removes at once possibility of any delay on account of the inability of Russia to get his side of the occur rences of the night of October 21. With this official version before the Russian government. together with the official statement Of members of the fishing fleet it is unlikely that the British public or the British government will allow another twenty-four hours to pass quietly without receiving a satis- factory reply to the note, which de- manded a quick answer.
 Meanwhile the admiralty IS not idle. Reports from all the naval stations show that a tremendous state of activ- ity exists This is especially true of Gibraltar. from which place it is an Hounced that some of the best cs Great Britain's warships are under or fr fIf ff.-r fssnr by the Russian Baltic squadron, and that all the ships of the British chan mel squadron are ready to go to sea at O moments notice. Hitherto there has been no indication that a time limit had been set by Great Brit3 m for Rus sia's reply to her demands. but the fact that three battleships and three cruis- CTS are under orders for the morning of October 2s is construed in some quarters to mean that Great Britain will not wait longer than that date be- fore unleashing her sea dogs. while il is also evident that the Russian cruis- CTS and smaller boats of the Baltic squadron may find difficulty in passing the gateway to the east unless the crisis is completely over by the time they reach the entrance to the Medit- erranean.
 Information has reached the AssO- ciuted Press from an authoritative source that puts a brighter light upor the situation. IL is understood that practically everything g has been decid- ed upon to the satisfaction of Count Lamsdorff the Russian foreign minis ter, except the question of the punish ment of the offending officers of tn, Baltic squadron. It is further under stood that Great Britain is not de manding final and formal written un dertakings before announcing that sh' is satisfied, but that an undertaking or general terms on the part of Russi; will be accepted as a sufficient guaran tee for am official announcement tha the crisis has passed.
 Colonial Secretary Lyttleton, speak