Evening journal., 1897-01-13
ALASKAN COMPLICATION
Russians Complain of Abuses
Committed by Americans.
SAY TRADERS RUN THE COUNTRY.

They Are Reported to Have Driven Greek
Christians FROM Church to Work.
Washington Administration Advised to
Lnols Into the Control OF the Territory.
NEW YORK, Jan. 13.-The Herald's Par
is CORE spondent cables the following:
"1he st. Petersburg correspondent Of the
European edition Of The Herald writes
that serious complaints against the exist
ing state Of affairs in Alaska are brought
10y the svet
1T is alleged that the handful of Rus
SLAMS remaining in the territory suffer un
der all sorts Of vexatious and even oppress
i've acts on the part of American traders
who run" Alaska.
- It is claimed that number of the com
pany's agents entered a Greek orthodox
church during service with firearms IN
their hands to drive Che congregation out
10 work. ana that the Russian teacher
having refused TO give his lessons in Eng
lish. Americans threatened to burn down
his school
"Great condemnation is brought against
the government at Washington for leaving
the administration Of Alaska too much in
the hands of a trading company, which, il
is claimed. finds its interests in debauch.
ing the natives.
''These allegations no doubt deserve the
careful attention of the United States ex-
ccutive, and It would be well if the agents
of the government exercised better control
over the territory.
But from isolated cases Of abuse Of pow.
er by IRE sponsible traders or citizens to q
sweeping statement claiming that the Rus
slams and their coreligionists in Alaska
are oppressed is a long cry"
Discussed In Washington.
Commenting on the foregoing cable.
gram, The Herald's Washington CORE.
spondent says:
No official information has been received
in Washington in regard to the reported
outrages pcrpctrated on Russian residents
Of the territory of Alaska by the North
American Commercial company. The state
and treasury departments have heard moth
ing from their representatives in Alaska
and Russia on the subject, and the Rus
sian minister told me that he was also en-
tirely in the dark.
A high official of the state department
explained to me that it was possible that
the information might have reached St
Petersburg and been telegraphed from
there to Paris some days in advance of the
transmission of official information to
Washington.
Fishing vessels plying between Alaskan
ports and Nladivostock might have car
ried the news of the outrages to the latter
place, and from there it is possible it was
wired TO ST. Petersburg. The Russian min
lister said that if the statements contained
in the telegram were true he will probably
receive Instructions today or be telegraphed
to lay the matter before the state depart
90.
The statement in the report cabled by
the st Petersburg correspondent, that
agents Of the company invaded a Russian
school and chapel, may have some basis.
State department officials believe in the re
ligious troubles existing in Alaska. There
are three classes Of schools in Alaska-thC
first, the territorial schools, under the di
rect supervision of the government; the
second the orthodox Russian schools, gov
erned by Archbishop Nicholas Of the Rus
sian Greek church, who is a close personal
friend of Emperor Nicholas, and which the
United States is obligated by treaty pro
visions to protect and, third, the unortho
dox native Russian schools. The Russian
government last August protested to tn,
state department at the action of unortho
dox Russian school authorities in seeking
the withdrawal Of pupils from the ortho
QON Schools. Lie tldic luIutA
the matter over TO the treasury depart
ment, with instructions to investigate the
matter, and its report so far rs can b,
learned, has not yet been received at the
department.
In view Of the trouble existing last sum
mer the state department authorities art
inclined to believe that the outbreaks just
reported are the result Of the religious dis
turbances existing between the orthodox
and unorthodox native Russian churches
They do not see what connection the agent.
of the commercial company could have
had in the matter. The company's rights
are all confined TO the seal islands, and 5,
far as can be learned they have no authori
~ on the mainland. The suggestion il
also made thas the agents may have visitet
the mainland and perpetrated the outrage
reported, but this can only be settled b!
an investigation, which will be made b.
the treasury department when the repor
of the occurrence is made to the state de
partment, either through the Russian
minister, the reports of the state depart
Inent or the agents of the treasury depart
ment in Alaska.