San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-05
RECOGNITION
] Of RUSSIA IS
]. MORE REMOTE
Soviet Chance Recedes as
Result of Execution Of
Vicar General. =
u. S. SENT A NOTE
Russian Government Made
Blunder in Handling
Of Protests.
U. 5. SENT A NOTE
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.


Copyright. by The San Antonio Light.
Washington, d. c., April 5.-Rec-
ognition of the present government of
Russia by the United States may be
said to be as remot today as a ven
ture on Americas part into Commun-
ism itself
Execution of Vicar General Butch
I kavitch at Moscow in the face of pro-
tests from the principal governments
. of the civilized world has :, lie a pro-
! found impression upon the officials of
the American government, many OF
whom now predict that opposition to
recognition of the Soviets will become
more pronounced than ever and will
tie the hands of the Washington ad-
ministration even il other circum-
stances in the future were to permit
the adoption of a friendlier course to-
ward the Moscow regime.
Remembering the active opposition
, which American Catholics registered
when the last administration was be-
ing urged to recognize the Carranza
government in Mexico and the conse-
quent criticism which crept into the
1916 political campaign because of the
recognition of a government that had
been unfriendly to the Catholic church.
the building up of similar opposition
10 recognition of the Soviet govern
ment is anticipated as a natural devel-
sopment.
Pointed Expression OF Opinion.
Although the Department of State
did not go into details in it's communi-
cation to the Soviets on the possible
effects Of an execution of so high
Catholic dignitary as Monsignor
Butchkavitch, the government here
did record strong expression OF Its
feeling, pointing out that the Aneri-
tcan people would shocked to see
the vicar general executed. The State
Department disclosed today that its
message had seen received in ample
time to be considered by the Soviet
death penalty and while the note could
mot be described as q protest ms
governments which do not recognize
other governments do not technically
protest to each other, nevertheless the
communication was = pointed express
ssion of the American governments
tOplnloH OF what Tue ellcCI Wcuiu uc vi
American public opinioi if the death
sentence were carried out.
Some officials declared that entire
ly apart from the merits of the case,
the Soviets had made q serious blum
der in handling the protests Oh outside
powers as they did. Such an attitude
toward other governments would not
tend. they thought, to make foreign
peoples feel disposed to believe the
Moscow regime was capable of inter-
national morality in ether matters.
The refusal of the United States
government, for instance TO recognize
the Soviets, has not been based, as
some critics have said, upon policy of
meddling in Russia's internal affairs,
but upon Russia's apparent inability
to furnish satisfactory evidence that
the lives and property of foreigners
would be protected and that the sane
THY of private contracts would be OBJ
served. The execution Of the vicar
general Is regarded as an even great
er breach of national morality because
there is nothing to prove that the
Catholic dignitary even received a fair
trial.
Mistakes Were Made.
1t was pointed out mere tnat III, Us
charged, he was guilty of high treason.
-the trial could at least have proved
those charges or disproved them and
IL guilt had been established there
would have been less justification for
the criticism than now will pile up
because the defendant is robbed of his
opportunity to answer the charges:
Recent statistics published show
that at least 1S,000.000 persons are
members of Catholic churches in
seNpssica. Until today there has been
saS single body of American citizens
of such size with a grievance against
the Russian government. Even the
Meas of the Pope were ignored by the
Soyiets and it is safe to assume the ac-
.fion of the Moscow authorities will be
denounced from one end Of the country
to the other by Catholic clergymen.
Besides this number, there is certain
TO be similar viewpoint taken by
large numbers of protestants of whom
the statistics say there are approxi-
mately 10000, 900 church members; Al
together the Soviets may not have
realized It. but they have about sound
ed the death knell of their chances for