FRISGO MAIL NEWS

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 563, 5 November 1902, Page 3

FRISGO MAIL NEWS

RUSSIA AND ENGLAND

(Per R.M.S. Sierra, at Auckland.)

San Francisco, Oct. 10. A despatch from London, dated October 13th, says :—lnformation has just reached hero that the great British fleet lately manoeuvring in tho Mediterranean has been suddenly ordered to take up a strategic position in tho neighborhood of Salo nika and Smyrna, while the squadrons at Malta and Gibraltar will be immediately strengthened. These measures are considered necessary in consequence of Russian endeavors to coerce Turkey, particularly with reference to her warship privileges in the Dardanelles. Tho situation is deemed so urgent that it completely subordinated the Education Bill crises in Saturday’s Cabinet meeting. Russia’s determination to turn the Dardanelles into an exclusively Russian channel to tho Mediterranean may be regarded as the first step in her recently announced policy of irritation of British interests.

While London diplomats hesitate to credit tho rumor of tho actual RussoTurkish compuct, with that end in view, which is now in circulation in the highest quarters in Great Britain and the Continent, feeling is general that tho Czar’s Government has taken tho first step towards an eventual coup. It is to throttle such an enterprise in its earliest stage that the strong British fleet in tho Mediterranean is ordered to dispose itself for important emergencies. The fleet constitutes tho most powerful collection of British warships over gathered, except for roviow purposes. It consists of 29 new first-class battleships, 20 armored eiuisers, and rnoro than 80 destroyers and torpedo boats. Simultaneously with the orders to tho fleet, every artillery garrison in tho Mediterranean has been given orders to augment itself to its full strength. It is said tho British foreign officials are considering tho wholo situation in tho light of information that Russia is finding sup port for its project for violating the treaty of Paris at tho hands of Franco herself. With characteristic cleverness Russia took advantage recently of a doubtful clause in tho International Convention regarding tho passago of tho Dardanelles, which stipulates that only warships conveying sovereigns and heads of independent States shall be permitted to pass the Straits, and sent tho Grand Duko Nicholas in the Georges Noblo Donostzeff, the largest battleship which ever entered the Bosphorus, to visit tho Sultan. This was a distinct broach of the Convention, but Russia explained that tho Duko, being a representative of tho Czar, was the same as tho Czar himself.

Europe is undoubtedly not mistaken in considering this a breach of tho treaty of Paris, and also an intimation that Russia intends no longer to bo bound by that document, which was drawn up at the close of tho Crimean war, in which the united forces of France and Turkey, Sardinia and Great Britaiu defeated tho forces of tho Czar. A TIDAL DOCK. (Per R.M.S. Sierra, at Auckland ) San Francisco, Oct. 16. A despatch from London states that tho Lord Mayor, in response to requests from Rothschilds, Morgan, and other great shipping interests, has summoned a conferonco to tako placo at tho Mansion llouso on October 28, with tho object of setting before tho Government some practicable moasuro for the improvement of the port. Among tho proposais attracting attention is tho abandonment of all tho present dock and wharf system, and the conversion of six or soven miles of river into a vast tidal dock, furnishing nmplo room for all kinds of craft.