From THe "Carina Trvgs."
While we may admire the courage of the Russian squadron and pay tribute of honour where honour is due, the sequel to the affair of the 10th assumes a different aspect. The present attitude of the Port Arthur squadron has neither loveliness nor dignity. This is the fortune of war, and calls for no reproach; but what of the virtuous and rather violent indignation of the Russian Government over the incident in Chefoo harbour? Russia protests, we are told, in the strongest manner against the seizure of the torpedo-boat which had dodged into a neutral harbour and in double-quick time told, described by Russia as forcible, which it may have been, and robber like, and "a erying breseh of international Law.""
Tt is true the act of the Japanese commander appears, from the story published, te go against him. The story so far publish: ed is not the Japanese version. It may not be strictly impartial. If, however, it were substantially true, the act was a sad breach of neutrality, and indicates that the Japanese have not yet quite assimilated Western methods. What they should have done was to seize the whole harbour and treaty port, as the. Russians did Newchwang, order the other warships out of harbour, and declare that their act was necessitated by the exigencies of the situation, a reason which has several times been advanced by Russia for acta which involved the seizure of much more than a broken-down torpedo-boat.
Forcible and robber like attack:—yes. This, from the destroyers of the neutral ship Knight Commander, from the Power which shelled and torpedoed the defence-Joes Hipsang, killing, wounding, and impris: onteg its neutral crew, violating the neutral British flag; from the Power which atrewed mines in the open sea and swore the tines were Japanese; the Power that put its foot through the Dardunelles treaties in order to prey upon neutral commerce in the neutral waters of the Red Sva,—she protests against a Crying broach of International Methinks the lady doth protest too much.
Japan, anxious always to behave as a respectable first-class power should, will no doubt make inquiry into the case. If she finds the facts are much as stated, and that the captain of the Japanese torped.- bout was at fault, she may degrade him to the rank of Admiral, and express to all the powers concerned of unconcerned her oxtreme regret that such a thing should have happened whi'e Admiral Togo was other-easiest way out of the questi. Bal-wise engaged. This would be, Perhaps, the four or Lord Lansdowne, and all the German, French, American, and other cor. responding Mr. Balfours and Lord Lans. Gownes, would express themselves as glad to find that Japan was animated by the most conciliatory disposition, etc., etc.,'
other phrases which we have heard bef to promote Admiral Sal to a position of Tncideotaliy China would have for freedom and less responsibility, owing is 3 caution in looking on while a belligerent warship deliberately came into his sphere and captured another Delligerent which had got there accidentally and broke down permanently just as she reached the inside of a neutral har-hour. 7 There are, however, other ways of meet ing the representations of the Powers. We cannot be much surprised if Japan, hav-{ng bad an experience in the case of the Mandjour at Shanghai, and the Sivoutch at Newchwang, and having observed the ease
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.