Chapter VI: 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.

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.

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.