Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-26
GEORGE KENNAN,s VIEWS,
Why He IL Opposed to the Political Clauses
of the Russian Extraditiou Treaty.

Why He Ia Opposed to the Political Clauses
of the Russian Extradition Treaty.
The New York Sun has an interesting
interview with George KEENAN,, the we'll
known writer and lecturer on Russian subjects
giving his opinion on the recently signed Rus
sian extradition treaty.
In regard to the part OF article which pro.
vides that a person surrendered by either
country shall not be tried for any political Of
Tense committed before his extradi''on, or for
any other offense than that for which he was
extradited. or for any offense whatever COM
mltted prior to the date upon which the treaty
became effective, he had this to say:
This would appear TO guard against the pos
sibility Of a trial of an extradited person upon
a charge. but it will be very difficult for the
United States to satisfy itself that this pro-
vision is adhered to. Those who know auy.
thing about the Russian courts know that they
are opened and closed as the government pre-
fers. There is no stipulation that the repre-
sentatives Of the United States shall be allowed
to follow the extradited person to court and to
be present at the proceedings against him.
1--WE do not need an extradition treaty with
Russia. Ali Of the possible ad vantages are with
Russia. No American criminals would ever
think Of going to Russia for refuge. 1t is a
land constantly and universally under police
scrutiny. A stranger entering the country
with false passport would be subject to pun
ishment under the law of the land for forgery
and it would not avail him. if he were citizen
OF the United States, to plead his citizenship.
and. perhaps that is about right. criminal
would increase his chances of discovery by
going to such land for protection. No, il is
all for Russia, and it is designed to enable the
government to get hold of political suspects"
against whom q criminal charge may be
trumped up to get them into the country
ut is a great pity that in making the treaty,
If there was to be one, the government Of the
United States did not insist upon having in it
the provision of the treaty made a wear ago
between Russia and Switzerland. by which it
was provided that the penalties inflicted in
Russia for certain crimes should not be greater
than penalties for like crimes imposed upon
Swiss subjects. The treaty also gave the ex-
tradited person the right to be returned to the
country from which he was extradited, il he
complained that the penalty for the crime for
which he was transferred was greater than that
imposed in his own country.
"If Russia can be held to the strict enforce
ment of the text of the treaty and no extradited
person sent from the United States is to be tried
as political offender, the outcome will be re-
markable one. In case a person charged with
having attempted the life OF the car men,
Der of his family is extradited the treaty saws
that such an offender shall not be sent to Rus
STA as political offender. If he were tried as
murderer ne would not lose his life There has
been no judicial killing in Russia for years But
he would be tried as offender against the life
of a member of the royal family and would be
shot if found guilty. and would be held to be
guilty, as others have been, If he were proved
to have been innocent and some one else did
the shooting"
Mr.. KEENAN, looks for the early abandonment
Of the treaty by the United States. II is pos
sible. he says, that this government will wait
for evidence OF advantage taken by Russia He
says that there would have been difficulty in OBJ
tanning assurance from Russia that the proyis-
ions would be carried out in good faith. Yet
everything that is known of Russia and
her courts and legal procedure is calculated
TO arouse our dlstrust. Where the strictest
censorship is exercised over the press and it is
possible to carry on a trial without having it
referred to in the newspapers the chances
would be that the United States government
would lose sight OF an extradited person as
soon as he was once landed in Russia