THE PASSPORT SYSTEM
The passport system existed in the countries of western Europe long
before the Russians appropriated it during the reign of Nicholas I.
From the middle of the seventeenth century there had been employed
what was termed a “boundary passport” for the use of official persons
traveling to foreign countries for governmental purposes, and for
foreigners arriving in Russia with a like intent. When the Dekabrists
(derived from the Russian “Dekaber,” meaning December) mutinied
for the purpose of enforcing a constitutional government, it was
considered dangerous for the Russian advanced classes to make journeys
into foreign countries, inasmuch as the leaders of the Dekabrist
party consisted mostly of officers of the Imperial Guard, who while
hobnobbing through other domains had become acquainted with the
constitutional form of government, for which Russia was by no means
prepared.
Upon the death of Alexander I, the crown descended to Constantine,
but he refused it and withdrew in favor of his younger brother,
Nicholas. The leaders of the Dekabrist party, in order to gain an
advantage, purposely confused the soldiers of the Guard with the words
“Constantine” and “Constitution,” and stated that they were making war
for the defense of Constantine, who had been illegally deprived of
the throne by his brother, when in truth their object was to force a
constitution upon Russia.
During the reign of Nicholas I, the present passport system was
inaugurated, mostly for the purpose of preventing the entrance of
undesirable aliens, especially anarchists, criminals and fugitives from
justice.
All foreigners entering Russia must have passports from their own
country, and these must be visaed by some Russian consul. Anarchists
are not granted this vise. Only such Jews as represent large firms,
or are professionals, and those known to the consul to belong to no
revolutionary class, are granted entrance right. The Russian Government
confines Jews to a certain pale of settlement, but in order to evade
military service, some of them escape and become citizens of the
United States without permission, which is a criminal offense. For
her to admit this class when they return as American citizens, and to
permit them to live anywhere in her kingdom, would be to show great
injustice against those Jews who reside permanently in Russia and
submit to military service.
Roman Catholic clergymen, especially those of Polish origin, are not
readily admitted. It is claimed by the Church that they proselyte among
Russians, and collect money for themselves. Absolutely no hindrance is
given to Protestant clergy. Roman Catholic priests must have special
permission from the Home Department, and Russian priests must have a
special permit from the Holy Synod.
On the whole, the Russian passport system is one to be condemned, and
I have received assurance from the most influential members of the
Russian Douma and from the Department of Foreign Affairs that the days
of the passport system are numbered. But while it is in force, we must
realize that under the sanction of international _comity_ each nation
exercises the right to vise its own passports with the words, “good
in the language of the country where used.” In the American passport,
the Secretary of State does “hereby request all whom it may concern to
permit........safely and freely to pass, and in case of need to give him
all lawful aid and protection.” Please observe the limitations of the
passport. It is merely a _request_ by the Secretary of State that the
bearer be allowed to pass, and that he be given all _lawful_ aid and
protection. It is addressed to no one in particular; but certainly the
word “lawful” contemplates the laws of the country where the holder of
the passport happens to be rather than the laws of the United States,
though in a smaller measure also the latter, as well as the laws of
nations, or international law. Let no one suppose that in going to
another country a citizen carries the undiminished sovereignty of
his own land with him, no matter how well he may be fortified with a
passport. His consul may vise the passport for him to give assurance to
foreign officials that everything is in order so far as the passport
is concerned; but the local police for good cause may thereafter place
him under arrest or conduct him to the frontier. The facts of the case
may then become a matter of dispute between himself and the local
government, involving the services of his own government; but that is
another matter.
[Illustration: DR. C. C. YOUNG AS HE APPEARED IN THE KARA KUM DESERT,
WEST TURKESTAN]
The root of the present difficulty is to be found in this: Russia
alone of all the great powers has so far refused, or neglected, to
conform to international _comity_ in the viseing of passports. This
position is manifestly indefensible. Upon what grounds can she seek to
justify her practice of requiring her own consuls to vise the passports
issued by other nations? How can she deny that it might be regarded
as a kind of impertinence for any government to assume the right to
say that the passport of a friendly country is not good? However, it
would be just as idle to lay this charge against Russia as it would
be to lay the same against the United States for interfering in the
internal affairs of Russia when she insists, as she has a right, that
her citizens shall be treated abroad with becoming respect. Russia has
never yielded this point in international _comity_, which has long been
accepted by the other great powers, simply because her right and duty
in the matter have never been challenged, and she has thus continued
to exercise this unjustifiable audit of foreign passports because it
suited her internal administration to do so. At present, as is well
known, any one wishing to come to Russia must have his passport visaed
by a Russian consul before he reaches the frontier. This, according
to Russia, is merely an administrative device to assist the police in
excluding undesirable foreigners and in giving timely warning to said
foreigners. For this purpose the Russian consuls are provided with
lists of proscribed persons, to whom they refuse passport visaes, and
such persons are accordingly excluded if they come to the frontier.
Now here is the only legitimate and real ground of contention by the
United States--namely, that in adopting this method Russia uses her
national administrative machinery to perform a police function, and
that, too, in foreign states; and in so doing she ignores the right of
other states to pronounce upon the validity of their own passports.
She could easily change all this and incidentally remove all ground of
complaint by the United States if she would do as follows:
First. Authorize her police on the frontiers to deal with foreign
passports just as she now authorizes her consuls all over the world;
Second. Honor the vise of foreign consuls within her own dominions
upon the passports of their respective countries; and as a necessary
corollary, discontinue the viseing of the same by her own officials.
It is evident by adopting this change Russia can effect what she is
now accomplishing with regard to the exclusion of those whom she does
not desire; but it would be upon _police_ grounds and would be freed
from its international features and consequent complications. To this
neither the United States nor any other nation can rightfully object.
Nor, indeed, can those Jews who are adversely affected reasonably
object; because the United States, acting upon this same right of
exclusion, in common with every other government, would eject by her
present laws many times more Russian subjects than all the Jews in the
world.
While we may consider the Russian passport system a nuisance, we must
admit that the entering of aliens into the United States is rather
humiliating, for even distinguished foreigners coming here as first- and
second-class passengers are often detained for hours, and have
to undergo an examination by the government board and answer many
embarrassing questions. On coming to the Russian border, a gendarme
takes your passport before you leave the train, to ascertain if it is
properly visaed by some Russian consul. Porters take your luggage to
the custom house and the police will inform you that it is against
the law to tip a porter. Nowhere in the world is luggage examined
more superficially than in Russia, nor can the custom-house officials
be excelled in politeness. Before the train leaves your passport is
returned to you, and when registering at a hotel it is given to the
manager, who upon a few hours’ notice has it entered into the passport
register of the precinct of police. When leaving Russia, the passport
must be visaed by the mayor of the town, and all this is attended to by
the hotel management. Once the passport is visaed by the Russian consul
all trouble is really over.
[Illustration: HIS MAJESTY THE KHAN OF KHIVA, WEST TURKESTAN, CENTRAL
ASIA]
The passport serves as the necessary identification in the banks when
cashing drafts, in the post-office in case of registered mail and
money orders, and before notaries, where the legalization of your
signature may be required; and it saves you from being compelled to run
around in a strange town imposing on some acquaintance to identify you.