Evening star., 1918-02-06
B0[SHEWK| GIVE
CHURCHES FREEDOM
Religious Property Given to
People, Says Official News
Agency Report.
By the Associated Press.


LONDON. February 6.-The separa-
ton of state and church by the bolshe-
vik government is explained in a long
statement sent abroad by the bolshevik
official news agency. From this it is
apparent all ecclesiastical property has
been declared to belong to the people
and is to be used for the common
wealth
The boIshevik commissioners of pub
lie charity, who have been given con-
troll of the church possessions. an
nounce that it is their opinion that this
property should be used solely for the
alleviation of the lot of the classes suf-
fering most from exploitation by the
capitalist society,"
Accordingly the expenditures for the
support of the churches and ecclesiasti-
cal ceremonies will be suppressed.
After March l the clergy will receive
no salaries from the government. How
ever, they will receive four weeks
salary in advance. CIergymep who re-
main in their positions and who wish to
continue their functions will be en-
ployed by the commissioners of public
charity on the collective demand of the
congregations they serve. Ecclesiastical
functions and ceremonies may be con-
cept as private persons remuneration
from the locality where they officiate.
Church Loses Control.
Referring to the action of the Most
Rev. DR.. Tikhon. patriarch of all Rus-
sa. in issuing an anathema, the Petro-
grad correspondent of the Times says
the church has long lost much of its
control over the people, owing to the
younger generation tending toward ir-
religion. For this reason he does not
expect that the patriarch's action VIII
have much effect.
Dr. Tikhon however it is added. still
has a powerful weapon at his disposal
If he should lay the country under an
interdict closing the churches and not
permitting the priests to baptize,
marry and bury the dead. the effect on
the population might be immediate and
far reaching. as it probably would
arouse in the peasants every supersti-
tious fear.
An official Russian wireless dispatch
contains a declaration by Lettish rep
resentatives from the Lettish councils
of socialists and soldiers protesting
against the assertion of the Austro-
German delegation at Brest-Litovsk
that the Let's had expressed a desire
for separation from Russia. The de-
mand is expressed that the German and
Russian forces be withdrawn from the
Lettish territory, so that the inhabit-
ants can freely express their will for
unconditional unity and undivided ex-
istence.
The Russian commission of war prs-
onnrs announces that local workmen's
and soldiers councils are releasing
enemy prisoners of war by the thou
sands. These men are moving toward
Petrograd in great numbers and il is
said that 10000 already are in the
Petrograd district.
declaration similar to that made
by the Let's has been issued by the
Esthonians. 1t demands full and un-
fettered self-determination for the
whole of Esthonia. including Qesel,
Dago and the neighboring islands in
habited by Fsthonians.
The declaration says that the separa-
ton of the islands from the rest Of
Fsthonia would be gross violation
Of the sovereign rights of Esthonia
and protests against the annexation
of the islands by Germany under any
circunstanc or any preteNt. The de-
rrand is made that German and Rus
sien troops evacuate Esthonia and per-
nit the taking of an unhampered vote
regarding the political future of the
tSthOni3nS