&quot;ALL CONDITIONS OF MEN-1892-1894 51 



The diplomatic questions between the United States 

 and Russia were many and troublesome ; for, in addition 

 to that regarding the Behring Sea fisheries, there were re 

 quired additional interpretations of the Buchanan treaty 

 as to the rights of Americans to hold real estate and to 

 do business in Russia; arrangements for the participation 

 of Russians in the Chicago Exposition ; the protection of 

 various American citizens of Russian birth, and espe 

 cially of Israelites who had returned to Russia ; care for 

 the great American life-insurance interests in the empire ; 

 the adjustment of questions arising out of Russian reli 

 gious relations with Alaska and the islands of the North 

 ern Pacific ; and last, but not least, the completion of the 

 extradition treaty between the two nations by the in 

 corporation of safeguards which would prevent its use 

 against purely political offenders. 



Especial attention to Israelite cases was also required. 

 Some of these excited my deep sympathy; and, having 

 made a very careful study of the subject, I wrote to Secre 

 tary Gresham a despatch upon it in obedience to his special 

 request. It was the longest despatch I have ever written ; 

 and, in my apology to the secretary for its length I stated 

 that it was prepared with no expectation that he would 

 find time to read it, but with the idea that it might be of 

 use at the State Department for reference. In due time 

 I received a very kind answer stating that he had read 

 every word of it, and thanked me most heartily for it. 

 The whole subject is exceedingly difficult ; but it is clear 

 that Russia has made, and is making, a fearful mistake in 

 her way of dealing with it. There are more Israelites in 

 Russia than in all the remainder of the world; and they 

 are crowded together, under most exasperating regula 

 tions, in a narrow district just inside her western fron 

 tier, mainly extending through what was formerly Po 

 land, with the result that fanaticism Christian on 

 one side and Jewish on the other has developed enor 

 mously. The Talmudic rabbis are there at their worst; 

 and the consequences are evil, not only for Russia, but 



