In view of statements circulated by German agencies, maliciously attributing to Russia the first move in the war with Turkey, the General Staff of the Russian Navy has issued 2 following statement On October 28, the Russian Black Sea fleet returned to Sebastopol after a cruise. No Turkish ships were seen. On the morning of October 29, about 4 a.m., the Commander of the Fleet received a on board the war vessels. Before leaving, the latter scattered mines about, but these were gathered up by trawlers.
Several men-of-war were sent in pursuit of the Goeben, but the sup?rior speed of the cruiser saved her from capture and she retarned safely to her base in the Bosphorus The Russian losses were: on the transport Prut, three officers and twenty-six men; the torpedo-best Lieut. Pushen, seven men killed, and seven wounded; the gunboat Kubanetz, seven men wounded; the Donnetz, one officer killed. These details clearly show that the engagement was not caused by an attempt on the part of the Russian fleet to blockade the Bosphorus by the laying of mines, but to an unexpected attack by the Goeben. The statement that seventeen Russian boats laden with mines had been sunk is absolutely false.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.