George Kennan (the
elder)
This George Kennan was the great-uncle of the George
Frost Kennan (February 16, 1904 – March 17,
2005) of Cold War Fame. He was not as serious as his
great-nephew and was popularizer at best and an argument
can be made that he was a sensationalist.
John
Hay.
EXPULSION
OF GEORGE KENNAN FROM RUSSIA.
Mr. Tower to Mr. Hay.
No.
454.] . Embassy Of The United States,
St.
Petersburg, July 87, 1901.
Sir:
I have the honor to report to you for your information
that Mr. George Kennan, an American citizen, recently
visiting St. Petersburg, was directed day before
yesterday by the Russian police authorities to quit the
Empire. Mr. Kennan arrived here about three weeks ago, by
way of Finland, and has since been staying at the Hotel
d'Angletcrre in this city. His criticisms of the Russian
Government in a book which he published some years ago in
relation to the penal institutions of Siberia have not
been considered either just or fair by the Russians
themselves, and his presence here has not been looked
upon with favor by the official community of the Empire.
Although
Mr. Kennan reported himself to the police authorities of St.
Petersburg upon his arrival here, as all travelers are
required by law to do, he has not been disturbed until
now. He has been treated with entire courtesy and
consideration; though, having voluntarily placed himself
within the jurisdiction of the Russian law, he has
become, as he himself admits, amenable to its provisions
and is consequently ordered beyond the frontier.
Mr.
Kennan wrote to me last evening as follows:
A
very courteous officer from the department of police
called at my room this afternoon to inform me that, by
direction of the minister of the interior, and in
accordance with chapter 313of Volume II of the laws of
the Empire, I, as an "untrustworthy" American
citizen am to be sent out of the country by the train
leaving here for Germany at 10.30 to-morrow night.
Meanwhile I am under close arrest in my room.
Of
course they are acting within their right, and I have no
complaint whatever to make, nor do I ask any
interposition on the part of the embassy.
Mr.
Kennan requested that Mr. Morgan, secretary of this
embassy, should go to him to assist in having some books
packed which he could not carry in his trunk. At my
request Mr. Morgan called upon Mr. Kennan yesterday to
ask whether he was in need of any assistance. Mr. Kennan replied
that he had nothing to ask for, and that he met with
politeness from all the officials of the Imperial police.
He left St. Petersburg last evening at 10.30 o'clock.
The
chapter 313 of Volume U of the Russian law, under which
this expulsion has taken place, reads as follows:
Governors
of provinces shall have supervision of all residents
within their jurisdiction, and also of all foreigners who
may be temporarily sojourning therein either for purposes
of business or otherwise. They shall secure to such
foreigners the benefits to which they may be entitled
under the law, and shall protect them in the pursuit of
their several occupations.
But they shall require the passports of
all foreigners to be in due legal form; and shall also
keep a detailed account, to lie transmitted by them to
the higher police authorities, of the conduct, actions,
and mode of life of all such foreigners.
Foreigners
who have come into Russia with passports may be expelled
from the Empire only upon the decision of a court of law
or by order of the higher police authorities.
Those
foreigners whose behavior is suspicious and those who are
not desirable as residents within the Empire may be
expelled by order of the minister of the interior.
I
have the honor to enclose to you herewith a copy of Mr. Kennan's
letter to me under date of the 25th of -July, 1901. 1
have, etc.,
Charlemagne
Tower.
[Enclosure.]
Mr. Kennan to Mr. Tower.
Hotel
D'angleterre,
July
25, 1901, 7 p. m.
Dear
Mr. Tower:
A
very courteous officer from the department of police
called at my room this afternoon to inform me that by
direction of the minister of the interior and in
accordance with chapter 313 of Volume II of the laws of
the Empire, I, as an "untrustworthy" American
citizen, am to be sent out of the country by the train
leaving here for Germany at 10.30 to-morrow night.
Meanwhile, I am under close arrest in my room.
Of
course they are acting within their right, and I have no
complaint whatever to make, nor do I ask interposition on
the part of the embassy. I merely wish you to know why it
is impossible for me to make a farewell call upon you.
If,
however, without inconveniencing or compromising the
embassy in any way, you could request Mr. Morgan to call
upon me to-morrow (Friday) I should like to ask him to
give some directions for me with regard to the shipment
of some (perfectly innocent) Russian books, which, owing
to my arrest, I can't get packed. I shouldn't put him to
so much trouble if I could help it, but I presume I shall
not be allowed to see any other person.
I
shall go directly through to London, and will advise you
by telegraph of my safe arrival there.
With
sincere respect and esteem, I am, faithfully yours,
George
Kennan.
Mr.
Adee to Mr. Tower.
No.
247.] Department Of State,
Washington,
August 13, 1901.
Sir:
I have to acknowledge the receipt of your No. 454 of the
27th ultimo, reporting the arrest and expulsion from the
Russian Empire of Mr. George Kennan, an American citizen.
In
reply I nave to say that the incident attracted little
attention in this country, the expulsion not having been
attended with any action occasioning complaint on Mr.
Kennan's part. I am, etc.,
Alvey
A. Adee,
Acting
Secretary.
A 1911 account:
KENNAN, George (1845- 1924). An American author,
journalist, and traveler, born at Norwalk, Ohio. He
was educated in the public schools of his native town
and of Columbus, Ohio; studied telegraphy; and in
December of 1864 began his travels by a journey to
Kamchatka, where he served the Russo-American
Telegraph Company as telegraphic engineer, assisting
in exploring parties in northeastern Siberia
(1865-66) and superintending telegraph construction
in middle Siberia (1866-68). On the abandonment of
this enterprise he returned to the United States, but
in 1870 explored the eastern Caucasus, Daghestan,
Chechnia, and the course of the Volga to the Caspian;
again in 1885-86 he made a journey of 15,000 miles
through northern Russia and Siberia, investigating
the convict, prison, and exile system and exploring
the Russian Altai. In 1898 he went to Cuba and was
special correspondent during the Spanish-American War
for the Outlook, and for the same periodical
went to Japan when the Russo-Japanese War opened. His
accounts of his Russian travels attracted wide
attention. They are collected as Tent
Life in Siberia
(1870, 1910) and Siberia and the Exile
System (2 vols., 1892). A result of his Cuban
sojourn was Campaigning in Cuba (1899). He was
expelled from Russia while carrying on further social
and political studies. In 1902 he went to the island
of Martinique, after the eruption of Mont Pelee, and
climbed the still active volcano. His experiences are
described in The Tragedy of Pelee (1902). The
latter year saw also the publication of his Folk
Tales of Napoleon. In 1905 he wrote of the
situation in China, particularly as affecting
American commerce and interests, and did much to
clarify American ideas on that subject. He also
published A Russian Comedy of Errors (1915).
He became a member of the National Institute of Arts
and Letters.
From The New International Encyclopaedia
edited by Daniel Coit Gilman, Harry Thurston Peck,
Frank Moore Colby 1911
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