TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—May I venture to hope that, even in the present moment of popular excitement, you will not refuse to an alien and even to a real Russian, who is not a criminal, that right of asylum which in times past you have often accorded me in your hospitable columns?

I have only one or two things to say, and will not waste your precious space.

May I remind you that the Yiddish jargon is not used by men of the Russian race, who have at their command so rich, so musical, so melodious a language as that which Poushkine, Tourgueneff, and Tolstoy found an adequate instrument for the expression of their genius?

A Yiddish-speaking man may be a Russian subject, but he is no more a real Russian on that account than a Hottentot, being a British subject, is a real Englishman. In the second place, permit me to remark that, although we Russians may be as bad as some of your papers describe us, we have at least one virtue which you do not seem to recognize: we do our utmost to prevent murderers, thieves, and burglars, and other criminals crossing our frontier. No Russian subject is allowed to leave Russia without a passport, which is never granted to any known criminal. If any such criminals evade our vigilance, our police are only too anxious to inform your police and solicit their co-operation in the arrest of the fugitive. But such offenders have only to allege that they are political refugees to be welcomed by your people and protected by your authorities. In your eyes, murder is no murder when the victim is a Russian policeman. But when the same criminals kill an English policeman you do not seem to see it quite in the same light.

Try to put yourself in our place. What would you think if “Peter the Painter” were welcomed at St. Petersburg, and if our Government refused to give him up, because he had only killed an English policeman and was therefore entitled to a right of asylum as a political refugee? Of course, such а crime against civilization is unthinkable on the part of the Russian Government, but it would represent only too faithfully the position which England has always been proud to maintain before the world.

What I want to know is whether, now that you are suffering a very, very small part of the misery which these murderers have inflicted on us, you are willing to co-operate with the police of the world in extirpating this murderous gang of ruthless murderers? If you are, you will find ready co-operation on our side; if you are not, then. I fear, the world will say that you care nothing for murder so long as it is only Russian police, generals, or Ministers who are murdered, and you will remain in the future, as in the past, the refuge and the shelter of the assassins of the world!

OLGA NOVIKOFF.

4, Brunswick-place, Regent’s Park.

THE TIMES, FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 1911.