25. _A Conversion at Sea._
On July 4th and 6th, 1904, during the Russo-Japanese war, the
_Peterburg_ and the _Smolensk_, vessels belonging to the Russian
volunteer fleet in the Black Sea, passed the Turkish Straits, flying
the Russian commercial flag. They likewise passed the Suez Canal under
their commercial flag, but after leaving Suez they converted themselves
into men-of-war by hoisting the Russian war flag, and began to exercise
the right of visit and search over neutral merchantmen. On July 19th
the _Peterburg_ captured the British P. and O. steamer _Malacca_, for
alleged carriage of contraband, and put a prize crew on board for the
purpose of navigating her to Libau.
26. _A Frontier Affray._
On May 12th, 1908, the _Petite Republique_ published a telegram from
Lisbon announcing that a collision between Portuguese and Spanish
troops had occurred at Porto Allegro. It appeared that several Spanish
smugglers were surprised while attempting to smuggle quantities of
tobacco and silk across the frontier into Portugal, and resisted the
Portuguese guards. A detachment of Spanish troops arrived on the scene
during the fight and crossed over on to Portuguese territory. Here they
were fired upon by the Portuguese, who, in the darkness, mistook them
for a second band of smugglers. The Spaniards together with the
smugglers now opened fire and a terrible fight ensued in which even
women took part. Before long, however, the Spaniards, who were
evidently under the impression that they, too, had to deal with
smugglers, discovered their error, and ceased fire, and the smugglers
immediately fled to the mountains leaving several dead, including two
women. Several of the soldiers on both sides were either killed or
wounded.
27. _General Vukotitch._
On Oct. 19th, 1908, during the state of tension in the Balkan peninsula
resulting from the declaration by Austria-Hungary of her sovereignty
over the provinces of Bosnia-Herzegovina, General Vukotitch, a
Montenegrin envoy, was charged with a special mission for Belgrade by
Prince Nicholas. He travelled to his destination by way of Fiume, but,
on arriving at Agram, he was ordered from the train by gendarmes and
conducted to the Prefecture of Police. There he was searched, and his
purse and everything else he had in his possession were taken from him.
At the same time his baggage was completely ransacked. He told the
_Gendarmerie_ officers his name, explained his _status_, and showed
them the passport and the permit delivered to him by the
Austro-Hungarian Legation at Cettigne, but all without any effect. He
was, however, allowed to send a telegram to Baron von Aehrenthal,
complaining of the treatment he had received as a violation of
international usage, and, after some time, an order came from Vienna
for his release.
28. _An Anglo-French Burglar._
Francois Lebrun, having committed a burglary in Paris, is sentenced to
ten years' hard labour, but after one year's imprisonment succeeds in
escaping to England. On the request of the French police he is arrested
in London and brought before the magistrate in order that he may be
extradited. His counsel however objects to his extradition on the
ground that Lebrun was born in London and was therefore, although his
parents were French, an English subject.