Bisbee daily review., 1911-11-22
The Passport Question

Many articles have been written, many speeches have been made. many diplomatic communications nave passed between the government of the United States and the gov ernment of Russia, about the Pass port Question, And yet most Amer jeans do not seem to know exactly what the passport question is, how important it is, how it affects the honor Of American citizenship.
 The passport question is neither a Jewish nor a Russian problem-it is distinctly an American problem
 In 1892 the Government of the Uni ted States made a treaty with Rus sia. in clear, unmistakable terms, which could not be misconstrued, the very first article Of the treaty was to guarantee areeigrocal liberty of commerce and navigation between the territories of she contracting powers. and the citizens of the two countries were to have he hserty og entering the territories of eacn country and of sOjourning and residing in all parts Of such territories for the purpose of attending to their affairs.
 When one wishes 10 travel abroad, it is customary to apply ,o the goy- ernmeRt fyr a passport The pass port is evidence that the person bear ing it, is a citizen of the United States and is entitled to ali the rights and privileges of citizenship
 fl an American citizen desires to visit Russia, he not only has to have a passport, but he has also to have it viseed in advance by a Russian con sul in the United States The wise is equivalent to certificate from the Russian representative to this country that in his opinion the bearer is a fit person 10 enter Russia. Before the Russian consul will wise a passport, however the applicant has to i'll out a form, in which he is oblig ed to state his religion. It is because Of this religion inquisition that all the difficulty has arisen; since, if a man states that he is a Jew, or if it appears that the applicant is a Ro- man Catholic priest or a Protestant missionary, the wise of the passport is forthwith refused.
 It is well known that the United States government makes no distinc- ton between American citizens on account of their religion. It cannot do so because it is against the con- stitution. All American citizens, ir- respective Of their religion. are equal before the law The United States, therefore, could not make a treaty which would discriminate against American citizens on religious grounds without violating the constitution.
 For nearly fifty years, the Russian Government observed the Treaty of lS52 with the United States, with the same good faith that the United States has always fulfilled it's obliga- tions. But beginning in 1881 Russia inaugurated her prosecutions and mas sacres of it's Jews. and at the same time began discriminating against any Jews Of the United States who des- fred to visit Russia. It mattered not if the iorefathers of an American Jew had fought in the Revolutionary war nor how distinguished his ser. vices may have been to his country. the wise of tis passport was refused solely cn account of his religion-so that Russia has introduced a form of religious inquisition. on American soil as to every American citizen who de- sires to go to Russia. This condition continues today.
 This discrimination by Russia has been pIaetised for more than a gen. eration in spite of protests on the part of every Secretary of State who has held office during that period. Secretaries of State Evarts, Blaine, Gresham, Olney, and Hay have all made irrefutable arguments to the Russian government, but they have been answered only by subterfuge, by begging the question, and by repeat 1 ed procrastinauon- Presidents and secretariss Of state and AmeriEan to Russia have been shamelessly deceiyes, but the most