The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-07-21
ENGLAND'S ANGER UNDATED:
RUSSIA MUST APOLOGIZE

a British minister compelled to defend
the interests of British commerce and
the honor of the flag. and, acting
with unhesitating firmness and promp-
titude which recall the strongest days
of the nation alpolicy, he has justified
the trust of the country.
While not one rash word should be
said which could have the effect of in
cerasing the tension of an anxious and
dangerous interval. it would be futile
to disguise the character or to mini
mize the risk of the situation which
has arisen.
Hope for Russian Apology.
I'VE hope and believe that the solu-
ton of the difficulty may still be found
In the withdrawal of the Russian Gov
eminent from its false position. 1t
is obvious If the volunteers passed the
Dardanelles as merchant vessels they
canot be allowed to scour the Red Sea
as warships. The doors of the Black
Sea must either be open or shut. If
open to warships they must be so to all
warships. If the Russian fleet is to
be permitted to emerge in violation Of
treaty provisions, the British fleet
must be allowed to enter upon these
terms.
1t is no secret that we have not
been unwilling to remove the existing
veto of the Dardanelles and enable
those straits to be traversed by the
navies of all nations.
1T would be impossible to conceive
more remarkable accumulation of IL
legality and error than has attended
the present case"
Another paper says: IF this coun-
try were capable under any circum-
stances of tamely enduring so grave
an injury to the most vital of it's in
terests and so great an insult to it's
honor. we should have forfeited our
claim to be great nation.
Mny Rescue Them Alone.
TN any circumstances we think IL
NAV be assumed that the Malacca will
never be navigated by prize crew to
any Russian port. She is watched, If
not actually stopped by British war
ships, and she will in any case be re-
stored to her owners long before she
can be taken through the Dardanelles
or navigated to Libau.
This emergency in some respects
is the most critical that has marked
our relations with Russia in the last
twenty years and in face of the in
famed state of public opinion in St.
Petersburg it would be unwise to blind
ourselves to the existence of possibili-
ties that would otherwise be unthinka-
decision and composure an attitude
from which there can be no retreat or
flinching.
I'VE seek a simple redress for a vio-
lent and unprovoked injury and while
the peace of the west depends upon
the will of the Gar. we cannot believe
that civilization will look to him dur
ing the next forty eight hours in vain
The foregoing pronouncement. from
an organ so VIGOROUSLY inspired. with
its open reference to possibility Of
war. adds enormously to a situation
that already was grave enough.
Every other London morning paper
devotes its leading editorials to a
similar view of the situation. War
with Russia is openly contemplated by
the most staid papers of the empire as
a contingency much to be regretted
but nevertheless inevitable for the
honor of the nation unless speedy repa-
ration be made for what is alleged TO
be a direct insult to the British flag
Such organs as The Daily News and
The Chronicle. representing the ex-
tremes of the Liberal party which took
an applicable stand against the Boer
war, urge the government to take every
step to retrieve the honor of the Brit
ish nation.
The Standards stand.
The keynote of The Standards edi-
torial in declaring that the Malacca
must not be allowed to leave Port Said
under the Russian flag is as follows:
we do not keep a powerful fleet in
the Mediterrapean in order that the
midland sea shall be the scene of such
an outrage of International Justice.
should the representations of Sir
Charles Hardinge. the British ambas-
sador ct st. Petersburg unhappily be
ignored, proper instructions must be
sent to our commissioner of the port
OF the Mediterranean. 1t would be a
oeplorable necessity, but for which we
cannot blame ourselves"
The Times says: His government
has taken course which the nation
expected them to take. No govern
ment in this country could possibly
acqufesce in the pretensions involved in
the action of the volunteer fleet steam
er St Petersburg. and no government
could allow the Malacca to be taken
to Russian port or condemned bv A
Russian prize court"