The Wanganui Chronicle. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1905 THE CENSARSHIP IN RUSSIA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12643, 2 November 1905, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1905 THE CENSARSHIP IN RUSSIA

That that reforms in Russia, indicated by the Czar, and published in our cable columns yesterday morning, are very necessary none will deny. We in a free, or comparatively free, country can have very little conception of the condition of dark and benighted Russia's millions. The following translation of a confidential circular recently issued by the Minister of the Interior in Russia to all Governors of Provinces giving elaborate instructions on the subject of the censorship of the Press, is an mstance of the manner in which the country is kept in ignorance:—l. From today until the end of the war wit<h Japan there may not be passed by the general censorship, without a special permit from the military censorship of any place where the newspaper is issued, any news or announcements touching the preparations and the operations of our military forces on Land and sea, as well as tiheir transit from one place to another. Even if there is a permit from the military censorship, this does not imply that the general censorship has no right to interfere. 2. From to-day until a special decree shall be issued the censorship may not pass —unless the higher administration of the place where the newspaper is issued should give a special permit each time —any news or information concerning—(a) strikes, cessation of work, movements of masses, or unanimous demands of masses; (b) agrarian movements; (c) resistance of the masses to the authorities, deeds-of violence, or attacks on the representatives of the civil or military power, as .well aa the actions of this power directed to prevent or suppress these disorders. 3. From to-day until the Laws-concerning the Press 6hall be revised anew—(a) the contents and the text of all submissive addresses, petitions, written appeals, as well as all references to them, must not be published in the Press; (b) documents and news about matters that are conducted in the high departments of State, as well as opinions expressed about them, must not be published without a permit from the officials of these departments; and lastly (c) circular decrees from Government departments and higher officials, if such decrees are not published officially, must' not' be. printed without the permission .of that department or that offioial whose function it-is to issue them. 4.- Various ap--peaLs for donations, in whatever form they may be expressed,, cannot be passed except on*the condition that on each separate occasion a permit is granted by the Governor, and, moreover, on the express condition tihat- the institution or the person to whom the donations- are to be remitted shall be clearly shown. Furthermore, the necessity has been recognized in recent times of prohibiting the publication in the Press of resolutions and decisions of all kinds of unsanctioned assemblies, conferences, and societies. The censorship "must naturally, therefore, not pass any articles or news dealing with assemblies, societies, organizations that have already been founded or are going to be founded and have received no authorization, or that have been expressly forbidden by the local administration. With regard to the insults that are now being directed in abundance against the bureaucracy, tho censorship, naturally bearing in "mind the general regulations of censorship, must not assuredly prohibit such ai"ticles as attacks tthe bureaucratic system, but it must remember that certain newspapers usually understand by the bureaucratic system] the ~,■ autocratic method of government*fend*bs the lawful system the constitutional system. With regard to our war .wijth Japan, no ai-ticles may be pirinted that show that the deficiencies oft-our military organization, the disturbances in ■tlle Icou'n*try, or our financial situation;"compel"us to conclude - peace. Further, no articles that hold the army in dishonour, that discredit individual portions of the military system, that undermine military discipline, and provoke the soldiers to disobey and to disregard their duties, and, lastly, all articles that provoke evasion of military service. Apart from what is detailed above, all a'rtioles, should be regarded as specially injurious, in view of our war, that undermine confidence in our finances. With regard to the disturbances the following sha 1! be regarded as injurious:—(1) All articles that show the necessity of an act've or passive rising of the masses of one part of the population against the other or against the Government, and also of the workmen against the middle classes, or of the peasants against tihe aristocracy, with the object of fighting for a change in political rights, in the economic situation, or in the conditio;ns of life; (2) all articles t<hat support the separatist endeavours of individual nations or portions of the Russian empire;. (3) jprtieles that deny the principle .of private property or family ties. With regard to the reforms, the censorship dare.not pass any articles (1) that at*e of opinion or show that it is necessary to change the fundamental laws that determine the inviolability of the rights of the highest autocratic power ;-(2)i t&at show the GoTemmeait is intentionally delaying the promised reform, or does not wish to accomplish it, an3promised, it only in order to eileno© the cKsturb-

antes; and (3) thai within the limits /the Government has' set itself the reform has absolutely no purpose or is superfluous." What degree of faith is to be c placed in the Czar's latest manifesto; it is difficult to conjecture, especially * when it is remembered that at the tiine\ bhe above-quoted confidential circular was issued reforms of various desorip-tio-ns were promised.