The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1905-03-01
ROJESTyENSKY IS BLAMED
''Openiug Of Fire Not Justified Says
Commission.
WAS RIGHT IN BEING CAUTIOUS.
Nc Torpedo Beats In the Vicinity Of the Hall
Fishing Fleet When Roiesiyensky's warshlps
Opened Fire Upon the Trsw!en the
Conclusioos From The British Pressutstios
Of Facts Are SustsIsed.


OF Facts Are SusisIscd.
Paris (By Cable) The North Sea
inquiry commission, which has been
taking evidence TO place the responsible
ity for the firing on English fishing
boats of Doggcr Bank. at its final Scs-
sion Saturday announced that the evi-
dencs adduccd showed that Admiral Ro-
jestvensky's act in firing on the fishing
boats when there were no torpedo boats
present was unjustiiiable.
This opinion was signed by a major
ity OF the commissioners, The only dis
Senting voice being that of Admiral
Doubassof, the Russian member of the
commission. lie held that the action
Of the unknown vessels was responsible
for what happened.
The commission convened in solemn
asscmblage at the Foreign Office at 3 80
o'clock Z. Nj. The room was crowded
with deeply interested spectators I'm
mediately upon the opening OF the scs-
sions the findings OF the session were
read aloud. The findings consist Of thir-
teen typewriter pages and seventeen
paragraphs.
The decision opened with a dcclara-
ton that all facts adduced by the COM
mission make plain the causes and con-
sequences OF the affair
Then follows resume OF the facts IN
the case:
It appears that Admiral Rojestvcnsky,
on leaving Reval. took the utmost pre-
cautions against attacks, and was justi-
ned in doing so by the reports OF imper-
aa1 a u
ccived a report that four torpedo boats
without lights had been sighted and
this induced him TO advance hi, depart
are twenty-four hours The English
steamer Zero passed different sections of
the squadron. the last vessel passed be-
ing the Kamchatia. which was ten miles
behind the rest, owing 70 an accidcn,
90 her engines.
This says the report, EVA, perhaps
incidentally the cause OF the events
which followed"
The opinion OF the majority Of the
commissioners is that the act and its
consequences fall on Rojestyensky. The
majority OF the commissioners realize
that specific details are lacking that are
necessary to decide as 90 what was fired
at but they unanimously recognize that
the fishermen had committed no hostile
act.
The majority are Of the opinion that
there were no torpedo boats present. and
hence Admiral Roiestvcnsky was not
justified in firing.
The majority of the commissioners
are of the opinion that the Aurora and
perhaps other Russian ships were re
iarded and provoked the fire, which
was thus the result Of an optical dciu-
sion.
The majority think the fire lasted
longer than was necessary, but that Ro-
lestvensky did his utmost to protect the
boats known to be fishing craft They
decided that. under the circumstances.
there was sufficient uncertainty to justi-
iy Roj estvensky in continuing on his
way. Nevertheless, they regret that he
did not inform the naval power, in the
channel Of the hshermens proximity to
the firing and that the fishermen might
require help
On that same night, continues the de-
eision, the Russian cruiser Kamcha.la
fired on the Swedish ship Aldebaran I'M
known to the other vessels of the squad
ron This fact was probably due lo the
aoNh AAAeA tAAE NtAAt4 htnnilo commanders
were preoccupicd and also to the i,o-
lation of the Kamcha,ka. The officer
OF the Kamchatka wired TO Admiral Po-
jestvensky telling Of the damage 20 he-
engines and also advised him that She
had been attacked by torpedo boats. Ro-
jcstvensky consequently ordered re-
doubling OF the vigilance
The fact was brought out that there
was ? unanimous evidence by the Eng
lsh witnesses al the hearing that the
fifteen Hull fishing boats had the rcgula-
tiou lights; that Admiral Folkersam
passed them and recognized them as in
offensive and that as Rojestvensky's di-
vision arrived the fishermen fred rock
cts. the accepted signal.
The commissioners wade no state
menis regarding the indemnity which
will be settled by direct negotiations be-
tween England and Russia
The report was read by Admiral -Four
nier, the French member Of the COM
mission.