17th December.
We issued shortly after noon yesterday the following extra "Mr. Kleimenoff, the Russian Conaul-General, refuses to try the murderer, who is to be sent on board his ship, on the ground that the murder of an, inoffensive Chinese on the buud of the International Settlement is a "Military offence." The Consul-General is taking some evidence, but has retused admis-ion to the Press,"
This news, naturally enough caused a great deal of indignation in the Settlement, but as far as International Law goes, Mr. Kleimen off was parily right and partly wrong. He was right in denying his competency to try the murderer, but he was quite wrong in sending the murderer back to his ship. Strictly speaking, the officers and crews of the Askold, Mandjur, Grosovoi, and Ratstoropny are prisoners of the Chinese Government, and it is the Taotai's duty to insist on the murderer being given up to him and tried, Iv is his duty to prevent any more Russian sailors land~ ing on the International Settlement. He has been very Inx hitherto, and it is to his laxity that the p s-ibility of such crime being committed as that of Thursday afternoon is due and we trust that the Consular Bod: will promptly remind him of his duty, and promise him assistance, if he requires it, in performing it.
While Mr. Kleimenoff has no jurisdiction over ao offending sailor, who is only amenable, by Russian law, to a court-martial, he had, we are informed, already taken steps to minimise the danger to the Settlement from the presence of Russian sailors, He had arranged that only twenty-five men were to be allowed in the Settlement at one time, that loket was to be sent at the same time, and that an officer was to be with them to look after them. Well me-ut as this was, it has proved moff-actual, We are also informed that representatives of the Press will probably be admitted to the Court-martial on the murderer, but we presume that all the proceedings will be in Russian.
The W.-C. ere
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.