The doyen of the consular corps at Newchwang was the British Consul, Mr. H. E. Fulford, C.M.G., and the difference between British and American consular methods is afforded by the _Fawan_ incident. Early in the war the _Chicago Daily News_ chartered a British steamer, the _Fawan_, as a press dispatch boat, and she cruised in the Yellow Sea. In April she approached the Liao river, and, as required then by the regulations of the port of Newchwang, lay to, off the outer bar, for inspection by the Russian authorities. After being twenty-six hours at anchor there, the Russian launch came off, boarded her, and finding that she was a press boat, informed the correspondents that Newchwang being then under martial law their boat could not proceed up the river. But the Russians ascertained that there were two Japanese on board, engaged in the capacity of cabin boys. Thereupon they declared that they seized the boat, and ordered her captain to follow them up the river. The captain wished to take a pilot, but this request was not granted, the officer in command of the launch stating that the launch would pilot the _Fawan_. Soon the Russian launch ran on to a sandbank and remained fast; the _Fawan_ also ran ashore, but got off again quickly, and continued her voyage up stream. She landed the two correspondents, Mr. Washburn and Mr. Little, and they proceeded to the British Consul to place particulars of their case before him, as the boat was under the British flag, and, though complying with the port regulations, had been arrested, and they feared that the same fortune would be theirs, and they had been informed that the cabin boys might be treated as spies, and possibly shot. The British Consul listened to the facts, and stated that he could not do anything in the matter. It was true that the _Fawan_ was a British ship flying the British flag; it was true that Great Britain had a treaty of alliance with Japan, but he thought the correspondents ought not to have brought the _Fawan_ where they did; and he thought that, as they stated, the Russians would arrest them, and possibly send them home by way of Moscow; that they would confiscate the _Fawan_, and might treat the two cabin boys as spies. He thought the Russians would be within their rights if they did as the correspondents feared they might do; and if they did do so, he could not interfere. The correspondents went next to the American consulate. Mr. Miller obtained release for the correspondents from arrest, the _Fawan_ was set free, the correspondents were on board her when she left Newchwang, and the two Japanese were allowed to proceed to their own country by the usual route.