The New York herald., 1922-12-03

Special Ccrreopo1sdeace to IHH NEW foSk
Cosv7ioht, 1879, by THE Ngw YoRK HERALD
Moscow, Nov. j.
~ NE year ago Prof. Peter Struve,
writing in Russian newspaper
~ published in Paris, said: "Alone
the church remains. untouched by
Bolshevism and contemptuous OF Boil
shevism, which cannot injure it."
But since then the church, with
100000 900 members scattered over one
sixth OF the land surface of the globe,
has felt the mailed fist OF Bolshevism
IN such manner that to-day there is
only the skeleton left, and the skeleton
is but a puppet that dances when the
Soviet Government pulls the strings.
For five years the Bolsheviks had
been biding the time to strike at the
only great Organization left in Russia
That stood out against communism and
atheism. The opportunity came last
January, when under pretense of fam
inc relief they dealt the blow which, to
an impartial observer, appears to be a
fatal one for religion in Russia. -
The conflict began when the Govern
Inent asked Patriarch Tikhon what the
church was prepared to give for the
famine relief. The Patriarch at once
directed the clergy to hand over all
material of value which had not been
consecrated. This contribution seemed
10 appease the milder elements in the
Government, but the dominating group
of anti-clericals insisted that all OBJ
jects, consecrated as well as uncon-
secrated, be given UP. These extrem-
lists had their way, and on February
23 the president of the All-Russian
Central Committee decreed that within
a month all objects OF gold, silver and
precious stones must be removed.
The carrying out Of these decrees
would have involved sacrilege, fsince
by the law OF the church consecrated
objects cannot be touched by laymen.
So the Patriarch reminded the clergy
that they would be liable to eXcoin-
munication if they took part in yield
ing the consecrated property. The So
Wet authorities Immediately enforced
their decree and applied it to all
creeds. There was such resistance
by the people in some provinces, es-
pecially at Shouya, near Vladimir, that
the troops We're called out and blood
was spilled on both sides. But the
Government used the iron hand. Two
priests were condemned at Shouya and
The public was cowed Moreover oppo-
s;tion to tho seizures was greatly
weakened by. violent but skillful
press campaign in which the HER
archy was accused of counter revolt
rionary tendencies and treachery
toward the starving OF the Volga, ami
secondly. by the detection of Some of
the Orthodox clergy notably Bishop
Antonine of Moscow.
Thus the Government was able hot
of,.... to confiscate the church property,
but also to use, with great advantage
TO itself, the false position in which it
placed the church. Priests and lay
men who opposed the spoliation of
church property were arrested. Some
were tried and condemned. Numerous
arrests and few death sentences werc
reported from the provinces and some
~ the best known cccesiastics of
Moscow still are in prison. The most
sensational trial was that which ended
n the sentencing TO death of eight
z priests and three civilians, one OF
whom was the daughter-in-law Of
Gen. Brusilov. This severity so
alarmed the Soviet Government that
IN the popular newspapers the death
sentence was omitted and an impress
sion conveyed that the accused got
only one years Imprisonment. But
The Prada and the I@restid, which
CIRCULATE among the official and edu-
cated classes. gave the sentence in full.
Nothing in the published evidence
Imported the Soviet Governments
rharge that the opposition to confisca-
Jon was counter revolutionary plot.
indeed the church has laid itself open
10 the charge OF excessive docility and
supineness rather than to the charge
of rebellion.
The Bolsheviks. emboldened by their
successes, declared that they would
placc the Patriarch on trial for anti
soviet conspiracy, and Tikhon is now
prisoner. Meanwhile they proflted
by the discords which had arisen in
the church and they created within 1t
q party subservient TO their purpose.
sntonine OF Moscow, already men
toned, is their tool; he is an eccle-
slastic of heterodox views and little
Standing