HOW THE CZAR READS THE NEWS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2104, 27 September 1890, Page 3

HOW THE CZAR READS THE NEWS.

At present the Czar eschews all Eussian newspapers. Their pseans and their lamentations never reach his ears. Among the many departments of the Ministry of the Interior there is one (the Telegraph says) called “ The Department of His, Majesty’s Journal,” which is charged with preparing day by day a carefully worded rSsumS of some mild articles and items of intelligence meant for the Emperor’s eye A tschinovnik of the Censure rises from his bed in the grey of the early morning and hurries off to the department, where advancesheets of the journals came in damp fram the Press. These he reads over, marking with red pencil all the passages the interest of which is not marred by injudiousness. There are certain events as well as numerous words and phrases which a Eussian Emperor, like a certain Ereneh King, must not be allowed to hear. “ Feu le Rot dEspange /” (the late King of (Spain.) “ What does 1 feu ’ mean?” asked a Ereneh King once indignantly. “ Oh, it is a title, Your Majesty, taken by the King of Spain after the lapse of a certain time.” The marked passages are then cut out, pasted together on sheets, and handed over to the director of the department, who, after carefully considering, and, if need be, curtailing, them, signifies his approval. The extracts are then copied caligraphically on the finest description of paper, forty or fifty words to the page, and the journal in this state is given to the Minister of the Interior or his adjunct. If this dignitary is satisfied it is passed on to the Greneral-in-waiting, who deposits it on His Majesty’s table about four o’clock the following day. The news that slowly dribbles through this official filter is seldom of a nature to discompose the feelings of the Czar or disturb his sleep. 1