Show american commander will protect russian boats in harbor of shanghai and is willing to escort them to the open seas 1 I shanghai august 22 the american men 0 war in the harbor while retaining the outward ap of inaction have for some days been practically cleared for action with gun sights in position and steam up rear admiral stirling Is determined that the japanese shall art interfere with the russian vessels ho has it is reported offered to escort the askold and gro kovoll beyond the three mile limit the japanese torpedo boat destroyer which entered the harbor yesterday has left the harbor ith dispatches for tho fleet the has by order ot the wai aou pon ministry ot foreign affairs again taken a hand in the affair and has issued another extension of time to the russian gossels vos sels which have been ordered now to leave at noon tuesday at low tides the askold could not get over the bar this week therefore repairs must cease the japanese torpedo boat destroyer Is expected to return to the harbor tonight august 21 shanghai was thrown into a fever of excitement this afternoon by the arrival of a japanese torpedo boat which was sighted coming in from the bouth at halt past four she passed woosung at full speed and started up the river ju for shanghai the united states torpedo boat destroyer chauncey slipped her cable and followed the japanese destroyer the japanese boat was cleared for action she anchored oft the cosmopolitan dock where the russian cruiser askold Is undergoing repairs the chauncey came anchor practically between the dock and tha japanese destroyer A foreign pilot ship reports having seen a japanese battleship and two cruisers cruising sixty miles outside of woosung Wo there are at present no chinese men 0 war in this port but the has telegraphed that a chinese cruiser be sent immediately the russian consul general here flatly refuses to disarm the askold and the russian torpedo boat destroyer Grozov ol or to order them to leave the harbor the has noticed american consul goodnow who la dean 0 tho consular body that china cannot protect the foreign settlements lie contends that russia ignores the orders issued by china and that china has no means of making her obey them consul goodnow has called a meeting ot the consular body to take joint action for the protection f reign interests te the askold Is docked adjacent to the warehouses here ot the standard oil company which are valued at over the standard oil company has demanded protection tor its property from consul goodnow the dock where the askold lies li owned by british interests on ono side of this dock is earman and dutch property and on the other side american property there are eight american one german two british and four french warships here shanghai aug 21 night the steamer hal ting which arrived here today reports having sighted a japanese squadron last night cal gutzlaff island about allea southeast off shanghai the squadron showed no lights the united states monitor and two torpedo boat destroyers have been ordered to be ready to protect the neutrality of shanghai american consul goodnow called the meeting of the consular body tor 1 tomorrow morning it Is believed that the foreign consuls will then arrange means to strengthen the hands of the in dealing the matter of the russian warships I 1 here late reports declare the japanese squadron to be twenty miles from woosung Wo woosung la me outside harbor of shanghai tsang tau aug 21 major hoffman the german military at port arthur who wt the russian fortress upon the order 0 the german emperor and arrived here yesterday on the japanese maeyama in an interview 81 ant newton A mccully i the american naval at port arthur lefft pigeon a junk on august kah with the intention of going foo captain the french and lieutenant von the german military left port arthur august by junk for shan hai kwan major hoelman left the having obtained permission from the Elus and japanese authorities when ten miles out from port arthur he was taken off the bunh by the japanese torpedo boat no 49 which subsequently put him on board the yae yama on the morning ot the the major called upon the commander of the japanese cruiser admiral togo Is on board the battleship he is in good health the was ordered to take major hoffman to tsing tau his baggage including his papers was left by mistake on board the junk upon which the german officer left port arthur the junk Is expected to reach che foo soon major hoffman says the japanese treated him with every courtesy paris aug 21 the foreign office confirms the of the arrival of the russian cruiser diana at saigon french inda china france it Is announced noun ced will observe the laws of neutrality in abo case and it Is not anticipated that any difficulties will arrive frances refat lons with japan being cordial despite her alliance with russia P J harmand the french minister at boklo has advised the foreign office that he handed the russian governments ern ments protest regarding the seizure at che foo of the russian torpedo boat destroyer to the japanese government august 20 it Is bele ived that the transmission ol 01 the protest was not accompanied by observations ions on cither side london august 21 the intervention of the american squadron at shanghai in the japanese against the russian cruiser askold created considerable surprise in official and diplomatic circle shere tha japanese legation was at first inclined to believe that the report th atthe united states torpedo boat destroyer chauncey steamed into a position between the japanese torpedo boat and the russian cruiser was a shanghai fake as it had understood that the american government would not object to offensive action against russian warships in case of their failure to observe chinese neutrality an official of the legat lion said it the report la not untrue the american commander must have bad good reason tor his action the protection of american interests which would have been endangered uy the flying shells japan has been very reluctant to send ships into the harbor tor she recognized the character ot shanghai and that the lawa of neutrality demanded that china should order the askold and the Grozov ol to dismantle or leave the port and thas she having given the order and the russian ships having refused it was then incumbent for japan to act thereby protecting chinese neutrality and at the same time exerting her rights as a belligerent it would never have done to permit russian ships to remain in a chinese port deliberately and avowedly the neutrality of the country whatever reason actuated the american commander it he really did as is reported tt Is certain that no complications will follow it Is believed at the japanese legation that if the american commander intervened to preserve chinese neutrality the american government will take measures to enforce it the foreign office has asserted from the time of the arrival of the askold and Grozov ol at shanghai that i was not the business of great britain to interfere but that it was cainas chinas duty to observe strict neutrality and it has gone eo far as to urge her to adopt this policy in the opinion of british officials it the russian ships fall to dismantle they must tako the consequences at the same time innocents cannot be permitted to suffer effects ot misdirected fire and it is said that the consul general will probably be instructed to support the american consul general in urgent to the that he shall take measures to compel respect for cainas chinas neutrality washington aug 21 some doubt waa expressed at the japanese legation tonight that a united states tor biedo boat should have deliberately put herself between the russian ships askvold and Grozov ol and a japanese torpedo boat which arrived olt the port today the opinion was expressed that the japanese vessel had a perfect right to go in and to ascertain it the russian ships had disarmed and this is believed by ano legation officials to have been her object rather than to attack the russian vessels lying at shanghai and thus violate neutrality the japanese legation officials ere not inclined to construe the action commander of the american torpedo boat in the light of intervention and said the effort might be to protect american busl nesa interests at shanghai from some danger that it had been apprehended might occur attempts tonight to reach naval officials having knowledge of the movements of the united states naval vet eela in the far east aa well as the ordera governing guch movements unavailing both secretary hay and loomas of the state department are out of the city and acting secretary adee had retired for the night shanghai aug 22 A long meeting of the consular body was held today tor the purpose of discussing the case of the russian cruiser askold and the Grozov ol which put into this port on auguar 12 no decision was reached but it believed that the final action will be the baroo as that taken in the case ot the russian gunboat mandour Mand jur which put into this boht ana which was corn to dismantle on march 31 i |