Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-16

- CORRESPONDENCE between repre-
II sentatives Of the American Jewish
~ committee in New York and Elihu
Root. Secretary of State. which has just
been made public in New oYrk. throws
interesting light Oh the conditions under
which Jews return to Russia.
The State Department. it is declared,
issued a statement regarding the status
Of persons who go to Russia and that
contained special proviso as to persons
ception to the proviso on the ground that
1t Disseminated against them, and they
protested. The correspondence covers the
protest and its result. The feature of the
.letters. it is believed in Jewish circles. is
the statement by Secretary Root that
''the department has been endeavorins
and is endeavoring to secure from Russia
a naturalization treaty which will prac-
tically dispose of the difficulty" This
difficulty. it is believed, is the regulation
of the Russian government in not admit
ting American citizens of the Jewish faith
to enter Russia except by special permits
sion, obtained in advance from the Rus
sian government.
In a letter to Secretary Root according
to the correspondence given out Messrs.
Louis Marshall and Edward Lauterhach
of the American Jewish committee said
I'm circular letter, dated May -. 1907.
issued by the Department of State over
your signature, appears the following
paragraph: Jews. whether they were
formerly Russian subjects or not, are not
admitted to Russia unless they obtain
special permission in advance from the
Russian government, and this department
will not issue passports to former Russian
subjects or to Jews who intend going into
Russian territory unless it has assurance
that the Russian government will consent
to their admission
1.-THE meaning Of this announcement
cannot be misunderstood. It segregates
from the mass of American citizens those
Of the Jewish faith, whether naturalized
or native-born, and withholds from them
one Of the privileges of citizenship if they
harbor the intention OF visiting Russia
without having first secured the consent
Of the Russian government. All other
citizens, Of whatever race or creed, are
assured an unlimited passport and are
guaranteed the absolute protection of our
flag. They encounter no discrimination
at the hands Of our government. They
are subjected to no humiliation. They
are not compelled to submit to any in
Qu1SltOT1aI intrusion Into tnelT private
purposes nor are thew forced to conform
to any religious test
Under the plain implication of this
regulation. however, an American citizen
applying to the State Department for a
passport, who is suspected of being a
Jew. is for the first time in our history
obliged to disclose his faith. and must,
II he be a Jew, satisfy the department
that he does not intend to avail himself
of the privilege of going to Russia, Sc
cured to him, in common with all his
fellow citizens. under the treaty solemized
between the United States and Russia in
1892
Hitherto Russia alone has violated that
treaty openly and VIGOROUSLY. Hitherto
our government has consistently remon-
strated against such breach and against
the practice of Russian officials o. max
ing examinations into the religious faith
of American citizens. Heretofore our
State Department has declared to Rus
STA again and again the principles form
ulated in the following terms by Mr..