An item reported that the West European military and diplomatic circles were concerned about the strengthening of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. This fleet was recently joined by two large cruisers which arrived at Sebastopol coming from the Baltic. Underway they visited France and Italy. A third cruiser and some smaller unites were within short time expected at Odessa. The chief commander of the Black Sea Fleet said during a dinner at Odessa that his fleet needed to be strengthened further regardless the opinions of the surrounding countries and/or the major powers. According to rumours was the Navy Department in Moscow ‘feverish’ busy with fitting the navy especially the Black Sea Fleet out with sea planes and in this manner to obtain advantage towards the other fleets. Reliable tidings from Bucarest reported that some days earlier the Russian steamship Krym arrived at Odessa transporting seaplanes from Italy. This seemed to be the second transport coming from Italy.
