According to a telegram received in official quarters hero, the "Echo de Paris" on the 16th July contain the following statement made by Admiral Rojestvenski in his interview with the St. Petersburg correspondent of the above paper:—"As soon as preparations are completed, the Baltic Fleet will start for the Far East. The fleet will not touch at any neutral port for coaling purposes. As the result of the negotiations between Russia and France, it has been decided that the fleet shall not stop, under any circumstances, at any French ports in the Atlaniie and the Mediterranean Sea, but rather at British or German ports. The French Government seems to be of opinion that the coaling of the Baltic Foot at French ports would be ill-advised. The fleet will proceed to its destination by way of Suez, but the transports will proceed vid the Cape route."
'A Vienna telegram dated the 16th July, received in certain official quarters here, states that Captain Laddioff (retired), President of the Russian Navigation and Commerce Company, was on the 18th June appointed the Commander of the transport fleet to accompany the Second Russian Pacific Squadron. The Captain will be accorded the same rank and treatment as the Commander of a squadron of warships. The new Commander proceeded to St. Petersburg some time ago, but has now returned to Odessa. Of the vessels belonging to the above Company, the Jupiter, Mercury, Pallada, Diana, and Odessa have been chartered by the Russian Government. Some of these vessels have-already arrived at Cronstadt.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.