Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-01-25
4. NJ. c. A.. HEAD BELIEVES
STRONG NATION WILL ARISE
IN FORMER EMPIRE.
OPINION BASED ON
VISITS TO SLAvlAND
Or, Mott Has Been in Russia Four
Times-Tells Iowa Legislature Rus
sian People Are Misunderstood and
Charges Against Thorn Were Mis-
understood and Unjust.
- Republican,

DeS MONIES, Jan. 2o.-An eloquent
plea for the people of America to be-
lieve In Russia and the declaration
that he had the utmost faith that Rus
STA would in time develop into either
one or a numb'r of the worlds great
est nations marked the address of DR..
John Mott, international Y. NJ. G. A,
leader, on Russia given Friday after
noon before :; joint meeting of the
senate and house of the Iowa legis-
allure in the house chamber.
He declared that one of the best
things ever said 10 him about Russia
was said by a Russian himself when
he explained 10 DR.. Mott, You may
not understand Russia but you must
believe in Rus ss.' This vas tie mes
sase that the great Y. NJ G. A. leader
urged especially on, his hearers.
Tells Of Four Visits.
DR.. Mott told of four trips he had
made to Russia in the past twenty
years. The first one was twenty years
aso and he declared that the country
then seemed inaccessible. closed land
and closed people. The conferences
he then held had to b held between
the hours of midnight and four O'CLOCK
in the morning.
Il went away from Russia that time
with a sick heart honestly never eA-
pecting to see a time when there was
any freedom IN Russia said the
speaker.
The second time he visited was ten
years later at which time the holy
governing synod of the nation did
everything possible. he said, to keep
him from giving his message. But the
old premier of that day was anxious
that the American should be given a
square deal, the speaker explained and
on this occasion the thcatcrs would not
hold the people who came to hear the
civilization.
Il shall never forget the faces !
looked into Turing those meetings,
said DR.. Mott. Every face showed
traces Of tragedy
He explained that his hearers were
the intellectuals who had dared to
sneak out and that there was prob
ao.y none represented there who had
Loo at some time or other contemplat-
cd suicide or whose relatives or friends
hal escaped Punishment TO Siberia be-
cause they mad dared to speak out.
Il went from Russia that time be-
lie. ing I saw the crumbling OF that
great wall" ysfd DR.. Mott.
Enemies Become Friends.
He then sold of his visit to Russia
three years ago before the United
States enter2l tie war and at that
tine the hoy governing synod which
ha,, opposed Rim before and had passed
a secret resolution that he should new
or again be permitted to enter Russia
i:ciped him and co-opeIaied with him
in every way end one OF its chief Of
(! ,ers presented Kim With a specially
be ind bible before he left the coun-
try.
Il left Russia after that trip believ-
ing I would live to see the day of their
new freedom" he said.
The fourth time DR.. Mott visited
Russia it was as a member Of the Root
commission sent by President Wilson,
The party travelled across Russia twice
in what had formerly been the private
train of the car and the conferences
Of the Root commission were held in
the car in which the car had abdicat-
ed
DR.. Mott, told of how. before starting
on one of his trips to Russia, he had
gone to Theodore Roosevelt then pres
ident. and asked him for a message to
the Russian people. He said that Mr..
Roosevelt responded gladly to the OPP
portunity to send such a message and
at once dictated statement in which
this sentence was uttered:
mo land more than Russia holds the
faith of the coming years" DR.. Mott
declared that he could not quite sub
scribe to that statement then but had
since come to realize it was wonder
fully prophetic.
After declaring that he had large
sympathy for the Russian people and
that the charges against them were
superficial, unjust and unpatriotic he
outlined the overwhelming problems
with which the nation had to struggle
ut the time Of the revolution and the
overthrow Of the car. They had been
engaging In tho greatest war in the
world and In maintaining front "
1000 miles on the east had saved the
day for the allies.
At the same time they had bean in
the throes Of a great political revolu-
ton, a social revolution and reli-