OCR Text |
Show RUSSIA GROPES I IN THE DARK I Deplores Act of Fleet Off Hull. l Does Not Understand Why J' Admiral Fired Into the Fishing Fleet. Russian Foreign Office Manifests the it Greatest Anxiety, and Hopes for in fll Speedy Adjustment. t V ST, PETERSBURG, Oct, 24. No of ft- ' clal or unofficial Russian explanation of Jf the unfortunate affair off Dogger bank j 1b forthcoming up to this time, and the i world must wait until tomorrow to hear A 'H Vice Admiral Rojestvensky's version of s :H the firing upon the British fishermen. ; 'f Rojestvensky has communicated direct ? j to the Emperor, but at 10:30 o'clock to- ( . ' night the Admiralty announced that it i fl had not yet received a report. At the '.. 'WM same hour the Foreign office Issued a 1 statement expressing the regrets of the t Government for the deplorable Incident. , ; but explaining that no formal action is ' if possible until Admiral Rojestvensky's . ! flf ofllclal report of the affair ,1109 been 1 received. . .H Deep Begret Expressed. While no formal action has been '. taken, the deepest regret Is expressed In ' j all quarters, and the purpose of the 1 Government to make amends If Rojest- j 'H venaky shall be found to have been in fault has been proclaimed In every Gov- '1 crnment department. Emperor Nlcho- fll las, himself, was greatly aggrieved j" when he heard the news while he was Inspecting the cruiser Oleg at Cron- i H stadt this afternoon, and Foreign Min- A ister Lamsdorff expressed to Embassa- ,f dor Hardinge his deepest personal re- ' t grets. ( . ', The Russian Embassy at London has , also been directed to convey similar ex- I :H presslone to the Government of Great J '1 Britain. It is felt that this Is all that ii can possibly bo done pending: the re- -' celpt of Admiral Rojestvensky's state- .jt menu j j Horrible Blunder Committed. M:; jH That a horrible blunder has been com- ' :H mitted is recognized and deplored every- ' j I where, and nowhere has an attempt j been made to Justify the firing upon In- ' nocent fishermen. It Is felt that Rojest- s 'M Vensky Is too good a man and ofllcer to iH be summarily condemned. It Is agreed ' that he Is entitled to a hearing, but even the Admiralty regretfully admits that it is at a loss to understand what expla- . nation could Justify such an apparently cold-blooded act as the affair is made 1 ' to appear by foreign reports. ' 3 1 Developments of a Day. r It developed during the day that the ( Admiralty had strong reason to believe . kH that an attempt would be made against Ij ( the squadron during Its passage through j , j the Great Belt or the English channel. . , So Bpeclflc was the Information that 'h ! even the present crisis has not diverted - ' i attention from the possibility of such nn attack yet occurring. The failure , H of the steam trawlers with their nets ' ''H out to obey the signals from the Rus- ,1 sian warships or the nervousness of 1 l some officer who Imagined that fisher- ' )'H men working with their nets In the J water were laying mine?, may be re- 'f sponsible for the blunder. , VlH Will Offer Boparation. , jj As soon as the facts are established j A It is certain that the Russian Govern- 1,(H ment will voluntarily offer the fullest -'tjH reparation. It Is hinted that the Em- 'HH poror tomorrow will send a formal mes- i''r sage to King Edward, conveying his ( Ii H profound sorrow for the Incident and of- ferlng to make what reparation Is pos- ; ''H slble as soon as the responsibility can 'll be fixed. These advance assurances. It r)H is hoped, will be met in an amicable spirit by Great Britain. "H No Instructions Beceivcd. r jH Notwithstanding the provocation ''H which may seem to exist for most vigor- ij ous and uncompromising demands for j!, redress, Embassador Hardinge had not ji'l presented any instructions from his Government up to S o'clock tonight and i M up to midnight It had been Impossible i'i'H to ascertain whether Instructions had ,, actually been received. F'l Diplomats Nervous. , ' j In diplomatic circles the gravity and ' delicacy of the situation is recognized. ' ' 1 Unquestionably nervousness exists, but j ' In view of the sentiment In Government . circles here the feeling- prevails that an j' ji amicable adjustment will be reached. ,' This evening: the censor passed all tele- L grams relating to the subject, which I immediately became the all-absorbing jj ; topic In every public resort. The war ft j( in tho far East seemingly was tempo- -jit. rarlly forgotten. it'1 Populace Begrets the Act. J Notwithstanding the latest sentiment , 'rlH of hostility against Great Britain which , B smoulders In almost every Russian j; breast, the reports of the blunder of the 1 Baltic fleet have aroused only expres- s sions of rincerc regret, coupled with i hopes that when Rojestvensky's report - i nrrlves it will place a different com- plexlon on the incident. 1 |