NEWS OF THE WEEK.
AVERY grave situation has suddenly arisen in regard to our relations with Russia. Two Russian cruisers, the ' Peterburg ' and the Smolensk,' passed out of the Dardanelles as merchantmen, and proceeded to the Red Sea, where, in defiance of the Treaty of Paris, they assumed . the role of volunteer cruisers,—that is, for all practical purposes, ships of war. On July 15th the Smolensk' stopped the German mail steamer Prinz Heinrich,' and con- fiscated the whole Japanese maiL • This is, of course, an irregular action, much feeling has been created in Germany, and strong representations have been made to the Russian Government. But another and a far more irregular act has been perpetrated. On the morning of July 13th the Peterburg ' arrested the P. and 0. liner Malacca,' which was carrying some forty. tons of explosives to Hong-kong for the British China Squadron, made prisoners of her crew, and with a prize crew on board conveyed her through the Suez Canal to Port Said. The crew were then released and the passengers tran- shipped to an outgoing liner, and early on Thursday morn- ing the Malacca' left Port Said for Russia, no port being specified.
