The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-07-26
ENGLAND HAS
HEAVY CLAIM
May Ask Russia For
$4,000, 900.
DETENTION OF VESSELS
International Imbr0gli0 Was
Narrowly Averted.
Volunteer Fleet L. Ordered Home ~
the st. Petersburg Governmert-
Ardovs Incident May Arouse
Further Controversy.

st. Petersburg. July 25.--Great Brit.
aims bill for damages against Russia
for demurrage and other indemnftiea
connected with the arrest. detention
and Smelling of British ships in the
Red Sea will probably be very heavy.
Already It Is roughly estimated at So
100000.
The popular version of the Red Sea
ENHANCEMENT which has so embar-
raised the Russian Foreign. once, IL
that 1t grew out of Grand Duke Alex
ander Mikhailovich. head Of the De-
partment of Mercantile Marine, practi-
cally taking matters into his own
hands and commissioning the vessels
of the volunteer fleet which had pass
ed through the Dardanelles bound for
the Far East. to hoist the Russian war
flag and seize merchantmen In the
Red Sea.
1t Is understood the. Emperor has
censured his brother-in-law for taking
u step of such gravity without con-
sulting the Foreign Office. There is
general relief. however, that the Grand
Duke Mikhailovich's precipitate action
has not resulted in irreparable compli-
cations. The blunder Oh the Grand
Duke is attributed to his comparative
youth and inexperience in affairs OF
state. He is well known in the United
States as he was first officer on board
the armoured cruiser Dimitri Donskoi
on the occasion of the visit of the Rus
sian squadron to Hampton roads and
New York In 1893.
Fleet Ordered Home.
st. Petersburg. July 25.-The Asso-
clated Press is informed that the Rus-
sian volunteer fleet steamers Smoleusk
and ST. Petersburg have already been
ordered home and that Instructions
for them to return have been cabled.
The assurance given Great Britain on
this point are declared to be satisfac-
tory
The instructions given the commando
ers OF the vessels repeal the orders
heretofore announced In these dis-
patches, directing them to refrain
from further attempts to stop mer-
chantmen either in the Red Sea or ths
Mediterranean.
The decision not to insist upon thu
war, status of the ships was probably
reached at the conference held sat,,r.
day The two ships may be brought
to the Baltic and formally recommis-
stoned.
Russia has reiterated her assur-
ances that all vessels seized pendina
the receipt of instructions by the can
tains OF the Smolensk and st. Peters,
purg shall at once be released. and
that the British steamer Ardova viii
De freed upon her arrival at Suez OF
FORT said, the same as the Scandal.
frotest Over Firing ON Ardova
London July 25.--While no protest
has yet been made against the actino
or the Russian volunteer fleet steanner
Smolensk in firing two shells over the
Brltlsh steamer Ardova, IL the officfaI
report of the British Government bears
out the press dispatches, a strong pro-
test will probably be entered against
the Smoiensk endangering the lives Of
the ArdoVa,s passengers by the irregu-
lar proceedings of the captain of the
Smolensk. custom requiring that when
a. vessel at sea refuses to obey the sig
nal OF warship to stop to follow 1t up
with solid shot across her bows
" The captain of the Smolensk. IL Ia
added. might be liable to severe pen-
atty for his act and also for the trans-
FER OF the Ardova's crew on board the
Smolensk. But these collateral cues.
tions will be the subject of mutual Me-
gotiations when Great Britain presenfs
her bill for damages. The main thina
Is that so far as the volunteer feet
steamers are concerned, the acute state
of the diplomatic crisis has passed.
1t has been decided at the reqeust OF
Great Britain in order to avoid furtheF
loss of time not to send the Malacca ia
Suda Bay, Island of Crete. but to re-
lease her at Algiers The Associated
Press Is informed that 1t is possible
there will be no formal inspection Of
her cargo by the British and Russian
consuls but merely declaration by thu
British consul in behalf OF the British
Government that the munitions on
board the Malacca belong to Great
Britain.