Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-11-09
WAR DURING A WEEK
INTEREST WAS IN THE WAR
SCARE RATHER THAN IN WAR.

Threatened Hostilities Between Eng
land and Russia Startled the World r.
Lion and the Bear Crowded Niciously
at Each Other.
The chief interest of the week CEN
tered not in the war. but in the war
scare. The scare was a real one Eng
land and Russia did not so nearly fight
simply because of the fishing trawler
incident. The lion and the bear hated
each other long before that happened
and will continue to hate each other
long after it is forgotten. Since the
Crimean war they have been perpetual
ly growing ut each other; continually
showing their fangs; occasionally rails
ing their paws to strike. Neither has
ever dared to turn his eyes away from
The other. The Dogger bank affair
merely evoked display of the hostile
feeling which constantly exists.
AS for the happening itself, Russia
was entirely IN the wrong, and dis
sea manners, sea custom and sea eff
ticiency. 1t is said that the Russian
boats are commanded by cavalry Of
ficers and manned by farmers. This
seems to be true practically, if not lit
orally.
The firing on the English trawlers
began at l o'clock Sunday morning
Two or three hundred shots We're fired
in about twenty minutes time. Two
fishermen were killed and eighteen
wounded. One fishing boat was sunk.
No attempt was made by the attack
ing feet to rescue the wounded fish
ermen. although Russian boat staid
on the scene until 6 o'clock in the
morning. The last shot was fred at
the trawler Kent at a. N, The Brit
ish government Immediately demand
ed from Russia:
~ An apology. % An indemnity
for the families of the killed and
wounded fishermen. 81 The punish
ment of the Russian officers response
bic for the offense a. An adequate
guarantee that there shall be no repe-
tition of the act.
Russia consented to requirements
one, two and four but held out against
three. 1t would not agree to punish
the responsible officers. 1t said its
sense of sovereignty would not permit
it TO comply with such request Great
Britain answered that the request must
be complied with, otherwise the Brit
ish fleet would not permit the passage
of the Russians through the Straits of
Gibraltar into the Mediterranean. At
this point the tension was very great.
France acted as Il cruise of oil for the
troubled waters ard contributed TO the
eventual peaceful settlement.
When the Russian fleet arrived Mt
VigO, Spain Rojestyensky. with the
press reports before him. wrote out his
own reports. This is patent, because
he replies TO the statements in the
British press on the incident
Roiestvenskys explanation. the Chi
cago Tribune declared, consisted of an
extraordinary lie, but the lie undoubt-
eddy averted a disagreeable alternative
for the goyernment-war or Muscovite
humiliation. The admiral stolidly
maintained that he had actually been
attacked by two torpedo boats. One
of his officers-prince Keretelli-went
further, and said that there were eight
hostile torpedo boats. Rojestvensky
would have attained a greater degree
of plausibility by making all stories
tally.
Rojestyenskys report raised a ques-
ton of fact between Great Britain and
Russia. The facts must first be in
vestigated to see how they lie. A
mixed tribunal of admirals will decide
whether or not the Russian squadron
was attacked by torpedo boats. A huge
mass of evidence will be sifted. A
large number of dispositions will be
taken. Finally the tribunal will de-
eide that there was no evidence that
torpedo boats had attacked the Rus
slams. BY the time this decision is
reached the incident will have lost its
burning public interest Russia will
quietly apologize, pay an indemnity,
guarantee immunity from like occur
rences in the future, and punish Wer-
hars, the offending officers. Every
thing will go on as before, except for
the unfortunate fishermen and their
families.
While the Baltic squadron has as vet