New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-18
TILE FORGED DOCUMENTS.
JrST WHAT SIR CHARLES RUSSELL Is 50
WORRIED Up OVER
4 FAIsIFICATIoN OF RUSSIAN RECORDS THAT
WAS COMMUNICATED TO THE ENGLISH GOV
ERNMENT THE MOMENT IT WAS DIS
CoVERED-ITS LACK OF IMPORTANCE
Inr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBrNE.l

by 1EIEsEAIH I'D IHi ih'p'HH't
Washington. May l7.-In his argument before the
Bchrng sea Tribunal yesterday sir Charles hus'ei
again referred 10 what he styles The forged inter
polntIons I'm Russian documents sustain the Aneri-
can case repeated reference to this matter by
the British sci. and the constant haTphS upon
It by English ncwpapers, seem TO indicate ta' theY
appreciate the weakness Of their own SIDE oI uI'
controversy. Innsmuch as no statement has been
pnbll.hcd in this country TO show just what the
. forged tran.lacns were, how they were employed
and what was done ~ they wers discovered
a review sf the fncts may be interesting a. Wen as
pertinent at this time.
When Alaska was transferred 70 the United states
by Russia certain documents and archives were also
trans fcrr,h by the Russian auhoIltes OF Alaska, and
wcr, d,pslicd An the state Department. where they
had remained ever since without being translated
ar lndcXcd. When John W Foster. agent Of the
United states. began the preparation of thr cas-"
Of this country to be laid before the Tribunal Of
Arbitration. be- learned of the existence Of these docn
mrns, and determined 10 hav" them examined IN
order find ont whether any Of them contained
mattc- relevant 10. bcarn; upon the case of suil
clcnt Importance To justify the making oi TRANSACTIONS
Til, examination was intIu't"d TO Ivan Petrof "A
native Russian who had been educated at II. Peters
burg. who accompl shed ilnguiSt. who had
visited Alaska several times aS an agent Of TIA" Iit'd
states. and who had been for -cvcrIl yclr, In the
service. of the Government in responsible positions.
mere NdH every GtsirVt 10 rep - H"i WHY
in his ability but In his fidelity and integrity.
After Pctron had completed his examination lie
recommended that certain Of the documents thirty one
In numbcr-shoud be trsISaicd. and he was emplo ed
da the work. which occupied hi, time during
several months II The summer Of 1857. The trans
laiijns II the thirty one documents. together with
hotoiihograpLlc reproductions of the Russian orisi
nals. rmh0icd In the "appendiX to the case
OF the United states and citations from several of
he translation, appeared in The Of the United
States Itself The "ca,c" and "app'ndiX' were de-
llvercd the representative Of Great Britain on sep
tembsr l. I-!r2.
some time aft.rward the fact was brought to the
attention 0f General Foster by one OF the counsel
for the United state, that the transations OF some
Of the documents which had been cited Incorrect.
and he at began investigation. A. soon
he became satisfied that the suspicious In regard to
the Integrity OF the translatOns we'll founded.
General Foster under date Of November ., Loo.
addressed note 10 Mr.. Upper the British Repre-
sentative. calling his attention TO the fact and proms
ng to furnish at III" earliest practicable date re-
viscd and corrected TRANSACTIONS. With Snch energy
was the Investigation prosecuted that November
10 General Foster able to lay the results before
Mr.. Tuppcr, together with revised and corrected
translation, OF all documents retained in the
of the United states which had been found to be
falsiicd. In the mean time. on November H. PETROL
had made written confession, which reads follows:
Hon John w Foster Department OF state.
sir: You employed me during the past summer
anime the ALASKAN records archives the
Department. with view whether they con.
tned information which would be- of in the Behlng
afbiiration. Upon my rccornend,on you ord red
that certain Of these records be translated. hereby
acknowledge that misled IN Important particular,
to their contents and that IN making the traation,
guilty Of inaccuracies ana interpretations amounting
TO falsihcaton. IVAN pErliOff Translator.
cnnv of thi. confosson wns f,rnish.d ,o Mr.
Tuppcr November 10 III his letter Of the
to Mr.. Tnppcr General Foster remarked that the only
motive which Pclron alleged for his conduct that
h. supposed by making the false iranslatlons and
nicrpoations he would lngraatc himself into
favor and impress upon this Government tie I'm.
pOrtancc and value OF the Alaskan archives to
his employment classify, translate and In
dcx that volummous collection of documents" Gen
cral Foster also again directed attention To the fact
that ina'much photo ithosraphlc reproductions OF
the originals had been furnished by the United states
to III. British Government, lis representatives enjoyed
the benefit OF full opportunity TO test the correct
ness Of the translntions lie then formally withdrew
from the case Of the United states" twelve OF the
thirty one documents together with the inclosurc to
another one, and furnished revised and amended
tIrslaons OF the remainder, only five OF which, how
ever, had been cited In the "caSe."
The nature of the Interpolation, by PeiroT can best
be shown by reproducing the citations from several
of the documents which were "ithdrawn. On page
Al Of the case OF tho L. $" appears the following
citation fiom the translation OF document No.
which purports to c correct translation OF a letter
from, the Board OF Administration OF the Russian
American Company to the Chief Manager OF the
Russian. An erican Colonies In sitka:
With th, precious act In your hand YOU Will be en-
.h,.a IN assume new place and u stand firmly opposed
IN al ATTEMPTS on the part OF foreigners TO infringe
upon our rights and privileges In accordance with the
will Of HI. Imperial Majesty, we will not be left to pro-
Zoe, unaded tho land and waters embraced In ex'