The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-03-29
NO WONDER THEY PROTEST
Hidden Clause in the Russian Extradi-
ton Treaty of Concern TO Refugees.
Possible the R-tnrn of All fu yitive Polit-
ical Suspects on the Charge of Forgery.
NOT SO INNOCENT AS IT SEEMS.

NOT SO INNOCENT AS. 1T SEEMS.
The Russian Treaty Would Permit the Gar
to Arrest All Political II efuSees.
WASHINGTON, March 2s.-No treaty that
has come before the Senate In late years
has secured more public attention than
that which was recently concluded be-
tween the government Of the Gear and the
United States. 1t has been severely criti-
cised by Its opponents. and said to be the
first stroke against the liberty of those
who flee to America 10 escape political per-
secution. In the past two or three ex-
ecutive sessions of the Senate there has
been quite debate over the proposition TO
release the injunction of secrecy and per-
init the people to know exactly what
it contains. A resolution was introduced
yes terday to remove this injunction OF
secrecy but 1t was referred to the commit
tee on foreign relations, and that commit
tee has not yet reported. The majority of
the Senators want the matter made public.
for the reason that the text of the treaty
has been wrongly stated by the public
prints. and the Senate has been. as they
claim, unjustly criticised by reason of this
misinformatlon. The State Department is
also willing that the text OF the treaty
should go out. but there is not such an
unanimity of sentiment concerning the
prOpriety OF publishing the accompanying
correspondence. The committee on foreign
relations 10 In communication with the
officials of the State Department. and as
soon as an agreement IS reached the resoiu-
tion TO remove the Injunction of secrecy
will be favorabiy reported TO the Senate.
The criticism of this treaty Is principally
directed against the article which is said
to make the commission OF political otienses
extraditable. Inc language OF this clause
is Identical with that found In the treaty
with Belgium. In that treaty Ii Is provided
that the provisions of this convention
shall not be applicable TO pera0ns guilty OF
any political Offense or crime. or OF one
connected with such crime or offense."
1t also provides that an attempt against
the life of the head OF foreign govern
ment, or against that of any member OF his
act either of murder, or assassination. or
of poisoning, shall not be considered po-
lltical Offense or an act connected with
such on otfense. In the public prints there
has appeared at the end of such clause
the words land shall not be extraditable."
No such affirmative statement appears In
the treaty.
1t is not the clause of the convention
or any member of his family that has
aroused the opposition to the treaty 80
much another that has been found hid
den away in the text and of seemingly in
nocent purport so far as anything political
is concerned. The treaty makes the forgery
of any government paper or document an
offense for which the guilty person may be
extradited. 1t Is we'll known that no
political suspect can escape from Russia
without the aid of q passport. and that he
cannot secure the coveted document.
Necessarily. he is compelled to resort to
the expedient OF forgery. and the instru-
ment that passes him through the frontier
is q forgery-the forgery of gov
tains no explanatory foot notes,
but makes extraditable the o:.ense
that has been In every such case commit
ted. BY this means IL Is agreed that the
treaty OF the United States, a veritable
drag net which 1t can pull back to It's
boundary every man who makes hia escape
and punish him-not for the political Of
Tense, but for the act OF forgery. The re-
suit. it Is claimed. will be the same. for 1T
removes the individual from every right Of
asy lum which he has gained by hight TO
this country.
This phase of the case was never brought
before the Senate, for one Senator. who
made q bitter fight against the ratification
of the treaty, says that no one ever
dreamed that such a clause lay hidden in
covered. q very material modification
of the text would have been
made. Senators now say that there
is no intention in the treaty that
such q construction shall be placed upon il.
They admit that forgery OF passports is u
forgery of State documents within the In
depreciation OF the convention. and that
demand will be made upon this govern
ment for the extraditlon of the offender.
but this admission 10 met by statement
that il claimed to neutralize the effect OF
such an Interpretation. The presentation
of q warrant and papers OF extraditiOn Is,
they say, not sufficient evidence upon
which to transport man ont of the coun.
try The magistrate who sits In the case,
and, after him, the Secretary of State
must pass upon the question whether the
forgery of such papers constitutes q pOliti-
cal Offense. If 1t is such IN Ofense. then,
say these Senators extradltion would not
be allowed. Those " no are opposed to the
treaty look with alarm upon matter that
vests in the judicial decielon of the magis-
trate. OF even the Secretary of State. the
Interpretation Of q convention, which, they
assert. should bear uDon its face just what
is intended and leave nothing for future
Interpretation and possible dispute.
A prominent senator upon the Republic
can side of the Chamber has said that this
treaty is one of the crndest things of its
character he has ever seen. aud boldly de-
clares that 1t ia due to the fact that such
matters are conducted under the veil Of Sc
crecy. Relieved of the sense of duty that
impcesses them in public. this Senator
states that little attention TO grave mat
tiers like this Is given by Senators other
than those who are members of the foreign
relations committee. and that they go
through by reason of blind and, some
times, misleadingfaiJh in the committee
that has them In charge. 1t is. he says.
one of the best arguments that can be ad
vanced in favor of the abrogation of the
executive session. The committee will
probably report back the resolution to re-
move the injunction of secrecy at the next
executive session. What amount of CORE
spondence would be released with it. de-
ponds upon the wishes of the State Depart
ment.
MINOR MATTERS.
Minority Report on the Case of Lee NJ ar tie.