The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-14

to such a stage that tomorrow is expected
to bring formal request to the State De-
partment from the Russian commander
asking that he be permitted to disarm his
vessel and remain in the neutral waters Of
San Francisco harbor until the close Of
the Russian-Japaneee war.
RUSSIA LIKELY TO ASK THE FAVOR.
Such request would, of course, be i'm
mediately granted and would be accepted
by officials Of the State Department In
| Washington as a welcome solution Of a
rather delicate and perplexing problem.
| In the meantime, according to advices
from Admiral Goodrich the Lena Ii sur
rounded by a Gordon Of swift torpedo boat
destroyers of the United States Navy.
| Admiral Goodrich has earned golden
opinions in Washington by the intelligent
and energetic course he has pursued in the
Lena affair. He was the first officially TO
inform the Washington Government that
q Russian armed vessel had entered San
Francisco harbor, and while the Collector
OF Customs at San Francisco, the Surveyor
OF the Port and the United States Attorney
for the San Francisco jurisdiction were
holding consultations on the Lena affair
and telegraphing for instru ntions to Acting
Secretary Murray Of the Department Of
Commerce and Labor, Admiral Goodrich
placed the destroyer guard around the
belligerent and sent his feet engineer on
board to make a thorough inspection Of
the vessel.
| The report Of this inspection was received
early this morning by Capt Pillsbury,
! acting chief of the Bureau Of Navigation,
and laid before Secretary Of the Navy
Morton. Mr.. Morton sent the report to
the State Department and there was an
hour-long conference upon its details
! between acting Secretary OF State Adee,
Solicitor Penfleld Of the State Department,
and Capt Pillsbury Inview Of Lieutenant
Commander Herbert's statement that tenn
porary repairs could be made In six weeks,
| II the work were pushed, there was dispo-
sition to grant the extension Of time.
1t was decided. however, not to act
hastily, particularly In view Of that portion
Of Admiral Goodrioh's message which re-
ported that Capt. Beriinsky OF the Lena
wanted to put entirely new boilers In his
vessel and that the job would take eight
months. This. at the time, was considered
to indicate that the Russian commander
was not in hurry 10 leave San Francisco.
| and that view was confirmed by additional
information received later in the day.
THE PRESIDENTS ATTITUDE.
| The reports that President Roosevelt
has taken the Lena affair into his own
hands and is personally guiding the Ameri-
can Government on its course In the incident
are exaggerated. The President is deeply
interested In the matter-partioularly as 1t
involves the friendly relations Of the United
States Government with both the belliger-
ents, and each new development OF tho
affair IL promptly reported to him at Oyster
Bay.
But 90 far he has not found IL necessary
to make a single suggestion with regard
to the conduct Of the affair by the officials
OF the State Department. tho Navy Depart
ment and the Department OF Commerce
and Labor. For that matter. there u no
| possibility of the United States taking =
false step. The language Of the Presidents
neutrality proclamation, made public at tho
beginning Of hostilities In the Far East
IL perfectly plain, the only question left
open for decision In the Lena affair being,
with regard to what In this particular case
constitutes a Reasonable length OF time"
for repairs. And even II the unexpected
should happen and the Russian commander
should decide to accept the six weeks period
estimated as necessary by Lieutenant
Commander Herbert and approved by the
officials Of the State and Navy Departments,
there is no likelihood it is said, that the
Lena would be allowed to repair provision
and coal, and leave the harbor without Q
definite agreement as to the immunity Of
American shipping from attack by that
vessel on the return voyage to Russian
p ort.
But one Of the principal reasons why
officials in Washington believe that Capt
| Berlinsky will elect to disarm his ship and
remain In the shelter OF the Golden Gate
Is that Just as soon as his decision to repair
and leave became known one or more
Japanese warships would undoubtedly
start from the Far East for San Francisco.
II the Lena, with foul boilers and damaged
machinery, could make the run from Vladi-
vostok-as Capt, Berlinsky says she did
In thirty -one days, there Is more than ono
Japanese cruiser now In active service in
the zone OF operations In the Far East which
could beat that record, and by the time the
Lena was repaired, provisioned and other
wise ready TO leave port an enemy's man of
war, with vastly superior armament, would
be waiting for her outside The Farallone
Islands, about thirty miles of the Golden
Gate, would probably be the stopping
place of hostile ship bent on the capture
OF tho Lena, and the Russian would have a
very slim chance OF getting away.
AN INTERNATIONAL INCIDENT NOW.
The incident IL now officially acknowl-
edged TO have all the importance and dignity
Of an international complication fraught
with the possibility Of grave consequence to
the existing friendly relations between the
United States and the belligerent Powers
and Is being handled as such.
Kogoro Takahira, the Japanese Minister,
called at the State Department this morn
ing officially to inform Mr.. Adee Of the
presence OF a Russian warship In San Fran
cisco harbor. Mr.. Takahira took occasion
TO say that he had perfect confidence that
whatever action the United States Govern
ment took would be perfectly fair and just
to both belligerents and that he was not