Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1911-04-07
GERMAN OFFICE
WATCHES CLOSELY
ALL COMMENTS
Articles Dealing Critically
With Domestic Rela-
tons Censured.

ties to check or supervise foreign
comments on the domestic affairs Of
the empire, and to penalize those
Journalists who, while residing in Ber-
lin, criticise the methods Of the gov
eminent or otherwise conduct them
selves in a way Of which the police
disapprove, has just been revealed by
the summary expulsion OF a French
journalist. Dr. HalbWachs, and of a
Russian press representative, DR..
MaximOff.
DR.. Maxim0ff, besides contributing
articles to the Russian newspapers
which were regarded in Berlin as be-
ing exceedingly unfriendly to the
German authorities, also incurred dis
favor by maintaining close personal
relations with the leading Socialist
daily Of this country, the "VCrWarts, .
and also by attending various Socialist
meetings held to condemn the meth
eds Of the Berlin police on the Oc-
casion of the recent riots in the north
west districts Of the capital.
The French journalist, DR.. Halb-
wachs, was expelled because he sent
communications to the "Humanite, %
the Paris Socialist organ, in which he
severely criticised the behavior Of the
police during the recent riots.
Explosions from this country are by
no means infreQuent, as the authori-
ties can summarily eject any foreign
er who according to their views may
be regarded as an undesirable alien
and the only appeal against the de.
cision Of the police is to the Prussian
ministry OF the interior, which almost
invariably upholds the decision OF its
subOrdinates.
These two cases. however, happen
ing almost simultaneously, clearly
show how carefully the imperial gov
eminent is watching the critics Of its
policy, and how perfectly the political
police are organized to supervise the
foreign press representatives stationed
in Berlin.
On receiving a curt notification that
his expulsion from the country had
been decreed Dr. Maximoff presented
himself at the headquarters Of the po-
lice and inquired why this extreme
measure had been taken against him
He was received with perfect cour-
tesy, and the officials described to him
infinitely how he had spent his last
six months in Berlin. detectives fol
lowed him daily in order to collect suf--
fcient evidence of his improper con-
duct" to warrant his expulsion.
His movements from hour to hour,
his visits to the office Of the "Vor-
warts" MS attendance at Socialist
meetings and his fraternizing with
various German Socialists were all
brought up against him as proofs Of
the official contention that his conduct
was such as to Justify his designation
as an undesirable alien whose pres
ence~ constituted a danger to the pub
lie safety.
At the outset, Dr. Maximoff was Civ
Ell eight days, within which time he
was required to leave the country.
Thinking that perhaps he might per-
suade the authorities to reverse the
decree issued against him, he appealed
to the Berlin President Of Police, Herr
Won JagoW, to suspend the order of
expulsion. A week later, Dr. Maxi
moH received a communication from
Herr Won JagoW saying that the police
had not been shaken in their convic-
tiOn that he was an undesirable alien
and Informing him that his expulsion
would have to be carried out accord
ing to the original decree.
Undaunted by this disappointment,
Dr. MaXimof made al appeal to the
Imperial Chancellor, setting forth the
reason why he regarded the action of
the police as unjust. This time the
action came more quickly and in diff
ferent way.
The morning after he had forwarded
the appeal to the Chancellor. two de-
tectiVes came to tell him that he must
leave the country within twenty-four
hours, and that they would supervise
his movements until they had con-
WINGED themselves that he had crossed
the frontier into foreign territoy
DR.. Maxim0ff utilized his last day
by visiting many Of his friends in Ber-
lin, and by lodging about from point
so as to cause considerable annoyance
and inconvenience to the detectives
watching his movements
Wherever he went he was followed,
and when, abandoning his usual pro-
his two pursuerset uftstaOtaotaOitao
nounced infidelity, he went to church,
building until he appeared again. Fin
ally, the detectives entered the same
compartment of the train in which he
left Berlin and Travelled with him as
far as the first station over the from
tier
The expulsion Of Russians who are
believed to be in sympathy with the
Socialist or Revolutionary movement
are fairly common in Prussia but it is
very rarely that the police take ex-
IRENE measures against French journ-
alists practicing their profession in
Germany.