The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1904-11-03

W
The chief interest OF the week CEN
Stss.fri not In the war. but in the war
scare. The scare was n real one. Eng
land and Russia did not 80 nearly fight
simply because OF the fishing trawler
incident. The lion and the bear hated
leach other long before that happened.
and will continue to hat each other
long after II Ia forgotten. Since the
sCrmean war they have been perpetual.
ly growing at each other: continually
showing their fanss: occasionally rails
INK their paws 10 strike. Neither has
ever dared to turn his eyes away from
tho other. Tho Dogger bank affair
merely evoked a display OF the hostile
feeling which constantly exists.
As for the happening itself. Russia
was entirely In the wrong. and dis
played an unparalleled ignorance OF
ssea manners. sen custom and sea ef-
~flclency. II is said that the Russian
boats are commanded by cavalry Of
ncers and manned by farmers. This
seem to DO true practically. IL not lit
orally.
The firing on the English trawlers
began at / o'clock Sunday morning.
Two or three hundred shots were fred
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 10 rescue the wounded fish,
~crIncn. although a Russian boat staid
ON the scenc until O o'clock In the
morning. The last shot was fired Mt
the trRwler Kent Mt Z a. IN. The Brit
Ssh government Immediately demand
ed from Russia:
O An apology. CT An indemnity
for the families OF the killed aud
wounded Fishermen. CD The punish
ment OF the Russian officers response
bile for the offense. CD An adequate
guarantee that there shall be no repe-
tltion OF the act.
Russia consented 10 requirements
.one. two and four. but held put against
three. IL would not agree TO punish
the responsible officers. II said Its
sens Of sovereignty would not permit
&c TO comply with such n request. Great
Britain answered that the request must
be complied with, otherwise the Brit
ssh feet 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 az a cruise OF oil for the
troubled waters and contributed TO the
eventual peaceful settlement.
When the Russian feet arrived at
vigo. Spain, RoJcstvensky. 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.
Rojestvensky's explanation. the Chi
scago Tribune declared, consisted OF m
extraordinary lie. but the lie undoubt-
edly averted n disagreeable alternative
for the government-war or Muscovite
humiliation. The admiral stolidly
maintained that he had actually been
attacked by two torpedo boats. One
Of his ofiiccrs-prince Kerctelli-went
ffurther. and said that there were eight
hostile torpedo boats. Rojcstvensky
would have attained n greater degree
OF plausibility by making all stories
daily.
RojcstvenSky's report raised n qucs-
tsion OF fact between Great Britain and
Russia. The facts must first be In
-vestigated to see how they lie. A
mixed tribunal OF admlrals will decide
whether or not the Russian squadron
'wns attacked by torpedo boats. A huge
mass OF evidence will be slfted. 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 mn indemnity.
guarantee immunity from like occur
'cnces In the future. and punish per
.iapsl the offending officers. Every
dining will go on Us before. except for
the unfortunate fishermen and their
families.
While the Baltic squadron has as yet
inflicted fatalities only on the Eng
ish. II has practiced target shooting
AZ several other natlonalities. II fred
On the Swedish steamer Aldebaran.
likewise on the German steamer SOM
az. on the Norwegian steamer Skaa-
FOL. and on n Danish torpedo boat.
These extraordinary performances may
oc explained by RoJcstvcnsky's orig.
nal rlaclamation that he would fire
IN az ship which approached him.
His officers evidently interpreted his
words 10 mean that they must fire
IN every ship which they approached.
The British trawlers. for instance. had
their nets down and ware barely NOV.
Ing along. The Russian squadron came
upon them and promptly fred.
The War In ManchHrin.
After ten days OF comparative quiet
along the Shakhe river there are signs
that the two armies are again coming
together. The Russians claim 10 be
- - ..~s,f,, .t..a- t.s