The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-29
SIBERIAN PRISONS
Mr.. George Kennan's Reply 60 vice-Consul-
General Dunston'a CRITICISMS.

Mr.. George Kennan's Reply 90 vice-Consul-
General Dunston's Criticisms.
BUFFALO. May 26.-Mr George Kennan, who
| is in this city, was asked by a reporter OF the
Commercial to day whether he had any thing to
| say with regard to the recently published in
terview. in which Mr.. Dunston, Vioe-Consul-
| General OF the United States In Russia, accused
him OF making exaggerated and Sensational
| statements concerning Siberian prisons and
| the exile system.
II have little to say" replied Mr.. KEENAN,.
Except that Mr. Dunston does not seem to
have the most rudimentary knowledge Of the
subject upon which he talks. He says that he
has lived in Russia for thirty years. and 1t is
therefore fair to presume that he reads the
Russian language. II he had taken the trouble
to look through the official reports OF the Rus
sian Prison Administration for the last decade
he would never have made. l think, the reck-
less and preposterous statements attributed TO
him Even MIR. Galkin Nrasskey. the Chief OF
the Russian Prison Department, will smile
when he reads the assertion. so confidently
made by an American consular officer. that in
many respects tho Russian prison system is
better than our own. The most sensational
statements that 1 have made in regard to
Russian and Siberian prisons are quoted
directly from the official reports Of the
Ilussian Prison Department. aud it officers
Frsons Whis st0 Mr. HoI funston SI apparenIy has
not done me the honor to read. crowded the
5eT1 WITH foot notes to os shay 9sI 6oa
sources. That article has been more than two
years in print, and neither the kussian Govern
documents j Mr. Funston desires to counter;
do well to qualify hims eli for the task BY look
ing through the published reports Of the Rus |
sian prso on Department He might at least. |
save himself the humiliation OF discovery
admitted and and repeatedly fto admitted Ey the RGs.
sian Government itself over the signature OF Its
chief prison oilGer A. for the siberian Prisons
can possibly know about them, since he has |
neither inspected them himself nor read the |
reporls Of officers who have inspected them. |
He thinks that misrepresent and eXaggerate |
their evils. It is unnecessary to discuss TINT |
and frankly described BY the Governor General |
Of Eastern Siberia in three official REPORTS 10
IN tho first of these reports G oy.-Gen. Anutehn
says
turing my ionrney to Irkortsk I inspected a great
cay that with t4e exec ti1n OF tho prison castles In
prisons iofwarGnt PRISONS ana ttape4-in a amenta:
bic condition The etapeS are particularly bad
e In q later report the Governor-General de-
clares:
Mountaineering the long exile Of criminals
Tic et.pes fcrWaTdns prisons aud ater pFison."wth
the very iewest exceptions tumble down buildings
masmA and, TO crown Al aGorlnY very little ,ecur
Gks AMI N"n
BY e oil o M rrs Ss aE.
Thev are bad because al the prison Gudtngs IN tho
s a
supervision either administrative or technical
Speaking in the same report of the life OF
exiles on the road tho Governor-General says:
mand 20 on and
he whe se hard SU
ton In less than year from the time hon they enter
tsmIss w%o So,an,arily sescmppny R.@ are 9.p.as
Ss Of II the ss but hs Of de-
TO O e .RS: cS hs r
has ist oss Gers eompIstsiy Here 9" /" rum
Dr'S"sT the
n d ss rs1. " s ad . Ss
by law for the Of the exs
a I III. g s or fe Raf on
Of their mpracttcabiity and the absence OF supervs
reports OF tho Governor G. neral of Eas ern S.
bera to the Gar. should IKE to ask Mr..
sian prison system is better than our own and
What raises the prisons described 6y Coy
But per bars, he thinks, tho Governor Gen.
oral OF Eastern Siberia Is also asensationalist
given to exagGeration.' Such is not the opn-
ion of q better informed and more competent
worry report from which have Just quoted the
present Gar, Alexander I'LL, has endorsed in
his own handwriting the significant words,
melancholy but not new picture. Crust ,
maya. no ne novaya katrina Will Mr.. puns-
ton try TO maintain that the Car OF all the {
Russas Is also sensationalist given to eX-
aGgeration' OF the defects OF his own system
0f government :
The Montreal Herald. in an editorial sug- ..
yested by Mr.. Dunston's statements, remarks
rerinently that II long residence In St. Pc :
ersbulg has The effect Of making an American !
ltlZen defender OF the system OF government r
n Russia. II would seem wise on the part of
he United States to change the sphere OF their
officials duty at reasonable intervals ! would
only add that If Vice Consul General Dun
ton's reports to the Consular Bureau with re-
.ari to trade and commerce in Russia are
made with as little knowledge OF the subject I
Is his statements concerning the Russian q
'rison system, they are not likely to be Of y
much value to American merchants" =