The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-07-24
Emperor William and Czaf Nich- OIas Suddenly Arrange Meet
 ing in Finnish Waters
ALL PLANS PERFECTED WITHOUT FORMAL|TIES
Details of Affair in the Darl \ .. It Is Believed to Have |, @S mt Bearing on Coming
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 St. Petersburg. July Q Q Midnight)- On the eve of the pef ference and with a suddenness a.- disconcert- ing to diplomatic and court circles. the Emperor left Peterof today on board the imperial yacht Polar Star, for confer ence with Emperor William. who is cruis- ing on the Hohenzollern in Finnish wa ters.
 The first interview of the soyereigns was expected to take place this evening off the Finnish port of Bjorgo, at the mouth of the Gulf of Finland near Hell sinfors. This will be followed by another interview tomorrow, after which Emperor Nicholas will return to St. Petersburg and Emperor William will continue his criuse
 The Emperor Is accompanied by his brother, Grand Duke Michael Alexandro- witch, and a considerable suite, including Count Benckendorff, marshal of the court; Count Heyden. chief of the inl- perial chancelory; Admiral Birileff, min ister of marine; Captain Von Essen, who commanded the battleship Sevastopol dur ing the siege of Port Arthur; Captain Chagrin, who commanded the Almaz, the only cruiser of Admiral Rojestvensky' 8 fleet to reach Vladivostok after the bat tie of the Sea of Japan; Captain Hintze, naval attache of the German embassy, and also a party of courtiers and the Emperors escort of sailors and marines, with a guard commanded by Admiral Melidoff.
 Diplomats Left Out.
 It is noticeable that there is no report from the Russian foreign office of the Emperors entourage, nor is the German ambassador on board the Polar Star. This gives color to a report that the meet ing was arranged between the two Elm perors directly. without recourse to the usual diplomatic channels, Emperor Will liam suggesting the rendezvous by tele- graph from Hernoesand Sweden. The idea, the report says, met with the Elm peror's favor, but the final arrangements were only completed yesterday, and some members of the imperial family were hastily commanded to adcompany his majesty.
 Many diplomatists were taken com pletely by surprise by the news of today, rumors of the meeting, which were cur rent since Friday have met with the
  the German ambassador having stated that he knew nothing of any such plan being on foot. Emperor Williams action was instantly connected with the Moroc- can question, and admiration for his po litical astuteness in realizing his oppor- tunities was expressed on all hands.
 Will Be Informal.
 Like the last meeting between Emperor Nicholas and Emperor William at hunting seat in Russia Poland, where the European and eastern situations were dis cussed between the strokes of a game of billiards and Russia was assured that she need have no anxiety regarding her west ern frontier, while engaged with the Jap anese, the conferences in the cabins of the Hohenzollern and the Polar Star will be entirely informal and probably with out secretaries or other witnesses, unless perhaps Grand Duke Michael Alexandro- with should be participant.
 There is no set programme of subjects for discussion aside from a general con- sideration of the factors in the present situation affecting the two Emperors, but it can be stated that the coming meeting of the Russo-Japanese plenipotentiaries will occupy place In the foreground.
 The action of Emperor William in seek ing conference at this moment is gen. orally interpreted as assurance of his moral support of Russia in the coming pour parleurs at Washington and Ports mouth, and to show that German parti- cipation in the recent Japanese loan was not a mark of the alienation of German sympathies from Russia. Emperor Will liam, whose keen interest in the lessons of the Russo-Japanese war is well known, has also taken advantage of the occa- sion to discuss the details with eye wit nesses, and the presence of the naval of- ncers who distinguished themselves in the far east. is due to his special request.