The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-09-03

OF such scrutiny are free to stay away,
and the methods of Muscovy are. after
all. not more prying or impertinent
than those Of New York. The Ameri-
can immigration bureau, obsessed by
what a only be described as q night
mare Of eugenics, demands from each
arrival an assurance that he is not an
anarchist, poiygamist. cripple. OF
hereditary imbecile. It insists on
knowing whether he has paid his own
passage. 1t asks questions about his
parents and grandparents. and in fact
displays an inquisitiveness- of which
Russian officials would never dream.
The trouble in Turkey. where the or
binary passport of other. countries ID
replaced by the teskere. is, on the 9TH
err hand. that Of continual petty ex-
actions Of a few niasters here and q
few piasters there. not only Gin the
days Of Abd-ul-Hamid) on entering.
but actually on leaving the country as
well. Nowadays. however, this rule
Of inspecting the teskere of any quit
merely an excuse for a last back
sheesh, has wisely been done away
with. Now and again an abnormally
strong-minded tourist would resist
these imposftionag fatty refusing to re-
cover his teskereafrom the Galata So
raj at the price set upon It by the
Constantinople police; but the mayor
ity, impressed by the gold-laced off,
Gals. would comply. While the capt.
al was under martial law. at the time
Of the affair of April. rs 1t was called,
there ere other kinds Of transports.
even within the city. and any one who
had to have permission from NAH
mud Shevket, then in supreme COM
mand. This was given in two or three
lines of Turkish. az often as not scrib-
bled on the back Of the holders own
visiting, card; but at served the. pur-
pose. and also insured, IL 30 desired.
an armed escort in the night. q
The object Of the passport has al
tered during the past two. centuries.
The "license to travel Of Elizabethan
times represented in effect an export
duty on tourists, and was insisted on
in the hope Of d~iscouraging foreign
travel, which the authorities regarded
in post-reformation days. as subversive
Of Professionalism and likely also to
undermine the patriotic sentiment Of
English youth. Edward VI, and Eliz-
abeth both gave letters, which may
virtually be regarded as passports. to
commercial adventures trading in
Russia and Persia. Nowadays, on. the
other hand. a-passport. Is q simple. Ger
tificate Of citizenship, in. which the for
eigh secretary forSaat1feS time beitigital
CONFERENCE.-THE
pass the bearer freely, without let or
h~indrance." and to afford all necessary
assistance and protection. Seeing that
all this costs but two shillings, and
that the privileges last for Ave years.
irrespective Of any change Of govern
ment. our passports can scarcely be
regarded as a source. Of revenue.
The modern passport is a coldly Inn
personal and official document, with
none Of the glamour of these old let
tiers from princess. but something an.
alogous to them survived until recent
ly In Morocco. where the grand vizier
used to give his sign manual to favor
I'd travellers in the Atlas or other Wild
fegions Of the yShereefan empire,
whereby they Were sure Of the assist
ance OF country kaids and of immu.
nifty from attack or imposition. The
priceless letter used to cost nothing
beyond thanks at an. audience, and
the only obligation which It entailed
on the holder was that he should al
his own expense include a couple OF
Moorish soldiers in his retinue. The
armory OF these warriors vas some.
what obsolete. but, they were handy
men in pitching q tent or lighting
campfire. and were generally worth
more than their very modest keep anG
Suyo GA