Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-03

tized the ear al the beginning of the Japa-
nese war and persuaded him to revoke the
censorship upon news dispatches there has
been perfect freedom. 1t is asserted also
that Mr. Braham. the London Times CORE
spondent, would not have been expelled FOR
what he had published, but he is a Jew,
his most intimate associates were reEolu-
uonists, and he is charged with having
taken an active part in the revolutionary
propaganda.
Espionage of the Mails.
1t is asserted that the mails are no longer
interfered with. Formerly the post office
officials were very skillful in opening en-
velopes by the use of little steam to soft
en- the mucilage, and large force of clerks
was employed reading suspected letters 1t
was also customary to throw envelopes adj
dressed to newspapers into the waste bas-
kets when. the censors were too busy TO eX-
anime their contents, and did not wish 10
take the responsibility of letting them go
through uneXamned. | am assured that
this department of the postal service has
been abolished and that the mails are no
longer interfered with except the CORE
spondence of certain individuals who are
under surveillance. Other newspaper CORE
spondents who have been here all winter
tell me that their letters now go through
promptly without examination at the cen
sors' office. But, as a precaution, l address
all my envelopes to private individuals in
stead of to the newspapers.
!,
for the government postal officials to open
letters to and from ministers, ambassadors
and conSuIS of foreign countries in St
petersburg and other Russian cities. For
that reason it was necessary for these gen
temen to send their correspondence back
and forth between Berlin and ST Peters
burg in separate pouches. locked and seal
ed. The post office officials then made keys
that fitted the locks of the pouches and at
tanned skill in opening, removing and re-
placing seals which made it necessary for
the embassies to send their mail by hand
a courier from some embassy leaves ST
Petersburg nearly every day for Germany
where the mails are safe. The American
embassy still sends one every two weeks
carrying the official dispatches to our gov
eminent in order to prevent the Russian
officials from opening and reading them.
II is said that there is no longer any ne
cessity for such precautions but the am
bassadors think It is better to be on the
safe side There is use OF complaining
to the government about the postal clerks
tampering with the mails, because they
know that the ambassadors know that it is
done by orders, and that It has been the
regular practice Of the Russian diplomatic
officials to open and read the correspond
ence of the representatives of other govern
ments whenever they were able to do so. 1t
would be quite as useless as to complain of
the rain or the dust from the streets. It
has always been customary.
Ordinary mail IS not disturbed any longer
because II is without Importance. The Sc
cret police no longer care what persons sus-
pected of liberal sentiments are doing or
writing 1t is no longer necessary TO watch
them because every liberal has declared
himself and has expressed his opinions pub
ncly. Every man In Russia has taken one
side or the other in politics, and perhaps as
many as 90 per cent have declared against