Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-29
Rojestvensky's Squadr on
Was Pick of the Navy.

The last hope of Russia for q signal
victory was in Vice Admiral Rojestvensky' s
fleet-the flower of the cars navy. This
fleet was TO relieve the blockade of Port
Arthur and to bring succor to the despair
ing Russian soldiers In Manchuria by OBJ
tanning command of the sea.
Since the fleet from the Baltic sea be
gan its 11,0OO-mile trip Port Arthur has
fallen and the Russian army has been
driven far back by the Japanese. The
feet has been en- route to the scene of hes
tilities exactly ten months and nine days.
Delay after delay marked the assembling
of this fleet. of which SO much was ex-
pected by the ear and the Russian min
istry of marine. 1t was a month before
the repair ships, transports. golfers. etc,
could be assembled after Rojestvensky took
command on Friday, August ~. The fleet
was put in the best possible condition at
the Cronstadt navy yard and sailed from
that place on September j.. This start was
a false one, as the entire fleet lay off the
Swedish coast until October p, when it was
reported from Frederikshavn, Denmark,
that the fleet had passed into the North
sea for the far east.
on the second night out, October 90, the
Baltic squadron fired upon the Hull fish
ing fleet. sinking the steam trawler Crane,
killing two men and seriously injuring a
number of other fishermen.
The Russian admiral, In explaining, said
that he had mistaken the fishing boats for
torpedo boats, and feared that his fleet was
about to be attacked by the Japanese. The
Russian officers were so excited and nerv-
Gus that they not only fired upon the boats
of the fishing fleet. but upon their own YES
sells well. The Aurora, one of the Rus
sian fleet. was struck a number of times
by shots from quick firing gun, and the
ships chaplain was mortany wounded.
Admiral RojestVensky, after learning that
1iCf4 L h1H @ Ua o.
to his fleet to cease firing" but did not
stop to see what damage had been done.
England's Hostility Aroused.
This act almost caused a war between
Great Britai nand Russia. and for a time
the British government considered the ad-
visibility of OBTAINING the Russian feet
by force until satisfactory amends had
been made.
The matter was finally submitted to in
ternational arbitration. The tribunal de-
Cided that while no torpedo boat attack
had been made. and that opening of fire by
the Russians was not justifiable, Admiral
Rojestvensky had acted according to his
mistaken belief and that his action was nc
reflection upon his military valor or senti-
ments of humanity.
The Russian government paid the dam
ages
This was the most serious mishap OF the
feet. but its passage was marked by re-
peated charges of violations of neutrality
that at Kamranh bay, in French Indo-
China being so marked that the japanese
made representations TO the French gov
eminent, which was finally forced TO order
the Russians out OF the harbor,
The voyage of this tremendous fleet was
one of the most difficult in the history OF
naval warfare. While in the early part oil
the trip ii was not exposed to attack, the
uncertainties of obtaining coal and the
possibility of storms wrecking and scatter
Ing the vessels had TO be considered. Wher
the ''Invinclble Armada which Philip sem
against England was at sea. two-thirds Of
the one hundred and thirty vessels were
destroyed in storms.
Naval experts assert that the voyage Of
the Russian feet was one of the Creates
undertakings of the century, and expires:
the opinion that only the hospitality of tn,
French at Saigon and kamranh bay sayeG
X. - -
. The precedent established In information
al law by neutral powers harboring the
Russian feet and permitting II TO coal an(
heft while going TO the theater Of opera
lions has been widely discussed. During
The Spansh-American war France refused
10 per nit Admiral Cervera to coal his flee
At Martinique, allowing him TO take only
limited quantity of provisions.
Spain First Helped the Fleet.
Admiral Rojestvenskys fleet overstayet
It's time at Vigo. Spain, and was permitted
70 recoal.and reht. Torpedo boat destroyer:
scaled at Cherbourg and Brest. and the en-
tire Russian division remained number