THE LATEST.

Manawatu Herald, 29 October 1904, Page 2

THE LATEST.

BRITISH WARSHIPS READY EOR ACTION. The battleships Jupiter and Hannibal and the cruiser Doris are watching outside the Straits of Gibraltar. The battleships Victorious, Illustrious and Majestic and the cruiser Lancaster, Thesus, and Endymion have been ordered to leave on Friday. It is reported they, will shadow the Baltic fleet’s battleships. THE SITUATION EXTREMELY GRAVE. The Times says the situation is extremely grave and that national indignation is steadily and rapidly rising. If Admiral Rozhdestvensky made the astounding statement alleged Britain must demand and insist on his instant dismissal as an exemplary punishment. The Times adds that apparently Russia is repeating thb dilatory .tactics associated with the, cruisers St., :Peters T burg and Smolensk incident. FRIGHTENED BY A SIGNAL ROCKET. The Admiral af the fishing fleet fired a bomb rocket as a signal for netting. This was* .probably^.the cannon which frightened che/Rus■sians. Admiral Rozhdestvensky’s report has reached St. Petersburg. Ifc states that two foreign torpedoers, with fishermen aboard, approached the fleet. One disappeared and the other remained till morning. French opinion is entirely averse to • interference or entanglement, considering Russia the aggressor. THE HOME -FLEET AT:FIRTH OF FORTH. . The home fleet is in the Firth of Forth (Scotland) ready to intercept the return of the Baltic fleet. Count Benckendorff, the Russian Minister in London, twice interviewed Lord Lansdowne at, his private residence. The conversation is reported to be unsatisfactory. BALTIC FLEET TO BE COMPELLED TO RETURN. The Daily Mail says that unless Russia acquiesces in Britain’s de-

mnnds the Channel fleet will be ordered to ask the Baltic fleet to return, compelling them if necessary. The Standard declares the Baltic nuisance a danger and must be tied up and rendered powerless of mischief if Russia will not perform 'the needful police duty. Britain must warn Russia not to persist in trifling with a subject of the deepest gravity, ON THE BRINE OF WAR. The Government has fixed noon of Friday as the time limit to concede the demands. The Cabinet were to meet immediately afterwards. Thursday's St. Petersburg telegrams still show that the difficulty relates to the punishment of the Officers..... , The'Russian reservists are mobilising. ADMIRAL ALEXIEFF f RB«- ■ i. ‘ tire j . |\/i Admiral Alexieff, in Wariny order, says : The Czar, in thanking me for my services,'acquiesced in my request to be relieved of the Commandership-in-Chief of the army and navy and appointed General Europatkin.” He thanks the rglqribus; troop? for their heroic dleds.| St. Petersburg reports that General Alexieff is returning shortly on a prolonged stay at St. The Russians at Mukden Are awaiting their winter uniforms and are wearing Chinese garments. A Japanese depot at Fenghuanching was destroyed by incendiarism. The Prize Court at Sasebo has released the British steamer Sisban, suspected 'of blockade running. There are 3000 Russian prisoners in Japan. Drastic regulations haye been framed at Tokio dealing wiih insubordination and attempts to escape. ! '-'.'v A SWEDISH COLLIER FIRED :.; ■ : 'ON.: : ' -v* Lloyd’s Agency reports shat-Rus-sian war ships* on the - 21st,, fired upon the Swedish collier Aldebaran, trading from Hull to Gelfep(Sweden) in the Skagerrack (an ; arm-of the North Sea). She was subjected to a hail of bullets but was unharmed.