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QUESTION OF NEUTRALITY rate, the mission of the launch proved fruitless. All concerned discussed the matter quite freely at the time, but the foreign ships were quickly ordered away and the seal of official restraint placed on the lips of the officers. It is believed that the British Government was greatly displeased by the action of the commander of the "Talbot," and if any insult to England was involved in the incident of the launch and its reception, the British Government has seen fit to repress its pride as it has suppressed the facts, in the interest of its ally.

It should be remembered that all this took place before war had been declared between Russia and Japan, in a neutral port of a neutral country.

The story of the naval fight has been so often told that I will not repeat it here. It was utterly hopeless for the Russians from the beginning. The Japanese fleet, consisting of seven large ships and a number of smaller ones, concentrated its fire upon the "Variag," paying no attention to the "Koreitz." The Japanese marksmanship was very poor, but finally the "Variag" was disabled and turned back toward the harbor, where her commander opened her cocks and sank her in shallow water. Boats and launches from the other foreign warships rescued her crew. The "Koreitz" returned to the inner harbor practically unscathed. A short time afterward the other shipping in the harbor was notified that the "Koreitz" would be blown up, which was done. The commander of the "Variag" explained after the fight that his reason for refusing the protection of the foreign warships