The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-05-09
An HOUR WITH THE CAR
The Interview Which Brought About
Removal Of Censorship.

A private audience with the emperor
OF Russia in the winter palace is an
honor which must impress one. 1 was
notified upon the formal card of COM
mand what costume I was expected 10
wear-an American evening dress,
which. in court language Of Europe. Is
known as gala" garb. At half past
1 | presented myself. A servant re-
moved the yer present overshoes and
ovrcoat, and a curious functionary In
red court liverr, with long white
stockings and a red tam-o-shanter cap
from which streamed a large white
plume. indicated by pantomime that |
was to follow him. We assembled a
grand staircase and began an intermin-
able march through a labyrinth of wide
halls and corridors. A host of atten-
dants in gaudy apparel, scattered along
the way, arose as We approached and
d~eferentially saluted. In one wide hall
sat a company Of guards, who capped
silver helmets and presented arms as
We passed.
| was shown into an ante room,
where the Grand Duke Andre awaited
me. He introduced himself and chat
ted most agreeably about American
affairs, until a door opened and | was
ushered into the presence of his i'm
perial majesty. The room was evil
IDENTIFY a library. 1t contained well fill
ed book shelves, a large work table
and IN American roller-top desk.
Without ceremony and in the simplest
fashion, the emperor fell to a consid-
GRAFTON Of the subject of my visit. He
was dressed in the fatigue uniform of
the Russian navy-braided white jacket
and blue trousers. The interview last
ed about an hour.
l represented % his majesty the FIX
listing conditions, Int told him OF the
difficulties which we encountered and
the desire on the part of his ambas-
sador at Washington that Americans
should see Russia with their own eyes
and that news should not take On an
English color by reason of our re-
ceiving it from London. | said that we
felt a large sense of responsibility.
Every dispatch of the Associated Press
was read by one-half Of the population
of the United States | added that
Russia and the United States were
either to grow closer or they We're to
grow apart, and we were anxious 10
do whatever we properly might to ce-
ment the cordial relations that had
existed for a hundred years.
His majesty replied: Il, too, feel
my responsibility. Russia and the
United States are young, developing
countries, and there is not a point at
which they should be at issue. am
most anxious tina the cordial relations
shall not only continue, but grow
When assured in response to am in
auiry that the emperor desired me to
speak frankly, l said: I'VE come here
as friends and il is my desire tnat
our representatives here shall treat
Russia as a friend; but it is the Very
essence of the proposed plan h a We
be free to tell the truth. We cannot
be the mouthpiece of Russia; we can
not plead her cause except in, so far
as telling the truth in a friendly spirit
VIII do it."
"That is all we DESIRE" his majesty
replied, land all we could ask of you
He requested me to recount the spe-
cbfc things l had in mind.
Z told the emperor that the question
of rate and speed of transmission had
fortunately been settled by his minis
tiers, and that the two questions I de-
sired to present to him were those OF
an open door in all the departments,
that we might secure the news, and
the. removal of the cenSOrShlp 1T
seems to me, your majesty" | said,
that the censorship is not only value
less from your point of view, but WORKS
-- 70 hnC boon
built up around the country, and. the
fact that no correspondent for a for
eign paper can live and work here nas
resulted in a tiaffic in false Russian
news that is moct harmful.
To-day there are newspaper men in
Vienna, Berlin and London who make
a living by peddling out the news Of
Russia, and it is usually false. Ii we
were free t o tell the truth in Russia,
as we are in other countries, no self
respecting newspaper in the worLt
would know that if the thing were true
it would come direct from Russia All
you do now is to drive a correspondent
to send his dispatches across the Ger
man border. I am able to write amy.
thing I choose I'D Russia and send it
by messenger to Wirballen, acrOss the
German border, and it will go from
there without change. You are power
less to prevent Iny sending these dts
patches, and all you do is to anger
the correspondent and make him an
enemy, and delay his dispatches, rob-
bling the Russian telegraph lines Of
a revenue they should receive. So it
occurs t. me that the censorship is
inefficient; that 1t is a censorship That
does not censor, but annoys."
I went over the common experiences
of all newspaper men who had been
in Russia, and the emperor agreed that
the existing plan was not only veiue-
less, but hurtful. He said that il
could stay in st. Petersburg a week he
would undertake to do all that de-
sired.-Melville E. Stone in The Cen
fury.
Deplorable Situation.