The Holly chieftain., 1922-04-20

for the transportation Of 10000 tons Of foodstufs
monthly" he said. From Novorossssk 125 cars
daily were pledged, but latest advices show that
the daily average Of cars actually supplied there
was 80. Similarly. from Windau we were to have
80 cars daily, but the average has been only 22
AS to the probability that the church treasures
are still practically intact there Is much skepticsm
among jewellers and diamond dealers. The Rus
sian crown jewels have almost certainly been loot
ed and are now scattered over the earth There
was no word Of any looting when the Kremlin In
Moscow, where the glitterng jewels of royalty re-
posed fell into the hands of the revolutionists
The Kremln has been guarded by the Soviet gov
ernment. The condition of the great collection OF
jewels in the royal treasury galleries is veiled In
official mystery.
Nevertheless, everybody knows that pearl neck
lace belonging to the collection was discovered
in the United States not long ago, having been
purchased for $S25,OOO by Detroit automobile
manufacturer.
South African papers in close touch with the
diamond trade state that $1OOOO,OOO worth of
stolen Russian diamonds were thrown on the jewel
market in ten months in Iceland the crown jewel
collection of Russia was particularly rich In dia-
monds. The diamond production industry has
been seriously disturbed by the large number of
these gems coming out Of Russia Some South
African mines stopped producing to await de-
mand for their stones. That some of the jewels
which have affected the international trade are
from the royal collection there Is no doubt.
cred the most tasteful collection Of royal jewels
In the world, and probably the finest, except in
pearls The Oriental strain which the Russians
inherit from the Tartar invaders accounts for the
Russian love for jewels.
The Russian church under the empire was what
is commonly called the Orthodox Greek or East
ern church, following the revolution of 1917 the
church disestablished and complete religious
liberty was declared Russia in Europe Is divided
into so bishoprics In 1900 about 10 per cent of
the population (S7,OOO,0O0) belonged to the estab-
shed church. The Greek" merely recalls the
early history of the church. The proper name is
Holy Occidental Orthodox Catholic Apostolic
church. This is the name Of group of churches
which do not acknowledge the papal supremacy
The Russian church was established about 1880
AS to the real value in money of the treasures
of the church in Russia there is no approximation
1t is the sheerest guess work. That the treasures
are many and valuable seems certain.
But the value of these treasures has lost nothing
In the telling There are many legends concerning
these treasures and according to them no other
country earth has such vast treasures concealed
In Its churches as has Russia In discussing the
subject big words and many adjectves are nee.
essary; superlatives are In demand Description
necessarily vague should 60 about like this:
We have learned to compute treasure In such
terms as King Soomons mines. the mines Of the
Golconda, in the lavish magnicence of the court
Of the queen of Sheba-and yet 1t Is doubtful IL
the treasures of Solomon, the output Of Golconda
for whole century, or the gems that bedecked
the throats Of Sheba's attendants, all put together
would equal In actual value the hidden wealth Of
the great temples and churches Of Russia.
Russian czars always have been hoarders of
Jewels. The very barbaric splendor of their courts
the atmosphere Of extravagant luxury In which
these autocrats have lived throughout the i'm
peria dynastes all have contributed to the tang
ible wealth Of the nations great stores Of rich
treasure