The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1904. THE SENSATION OF THE DAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 250, 26 October 1904, Page 2

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1904. THE SENSATION OF THE DAY.

PiobaUy the readers of the News never received a greater surprise in their fives than they did yesterday morning when they opened the paper and saw the intelligence that we were enabled to place More them regarding the exploits ot the celebrated Baltic Fleet, whose mysterious doings have chained the afctantion of the civilised world during the past few weeks. To say that, indignation followed the reading o! the telegrams would be but to faintly indicate the feelings that must have stirred the 'hearts of every Britisher in New Zealand, as elsewhere throughout the globe. An outrage, wanton, incomprehensible, could be the only comment. And the subsequent news giving] more of the details seems to us merely to accentuate the comment of the early morning. The episode is, at present, beyond our comprehension. We cannot offer a reasonable explanation of an act that probably has no parallel in its cowardice. That the incident has excited the people at Home goes without saying; but, judging from the telegrams, the British public are viewing it from the usual Calm standpoint that is characteristic of the nation when '''trouble" is looming ahead. Of one thing we may bei quite sure, and that ia that exceed-! ingly prompt explanation and reparation will bo demanded, failing which we would not speculate much upon the future wel'tarei of the Baltic Fleet. It is evident that the Commanders of that wonderful organisation were either scared out of their witß at the siigiht o! a British fishing fleet, or they were mad drunk at th« time and didn't care a—ahem —what they diet* As it is reported that the fleet was sixty miles out. of its course it is likely that navigation which tea to far aat/nay w a snoit due toi sobriety. Anyhow it «eems pretty plaiin, that the famous lialrt/ic Fleet, which' has now become infamous, ought to be '-'bottled up" before it does amy. monei dammgc/ to defanooless people, or meets! its fate in the shape of a few staunch British cruisci«.