Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-03-31
SOVIET To CONSIDER
PLEAS Of WORLD To
SAVE PRIESTS LIVES

MOSCOW, March 29.-(2:30 P. M.
BY the Associated Press.)-The
appeal for clemency of the Catholic
prelates and priests sentenced last
Monday will be considered at the
first meeting of the central execu-
tive committee to be held either to-
morrow or next week, the govern
ment's amnesty department commit
tee announced today. Meanwhile
the temporary stay of sentence for
the condemned is applicable and
they will remain in prison.
1t had been indicated that the ex-
ecution of Archbishop Zepliak, head
of the Roman Catholic church in
Russia, and Vicar General Butch
kavitch, who were condemned to
death by the soviet court on Mon
if no action was taken extending am
nesty or granting a stay Of sentence.
day, would be carried out Thursday
AMERICA FILES FORMAL
PROTEST OF EXECUTION
WASHINGTON, March 29.-Rep-
resentation of earnest hope" that
Archbishop Zepliak and Monsignor
Butchkavitch, of the Roman Cath
olic church, may be spared from
the death sentence passed upon
them in Moscow have been made by
the state department to the Soviet
government through the American
ambassador at Berlin.
Official announcement that the
American government had taken
this to give expression to the hu.
manitarian interest of the American
people" in the fate of the two
ecclesiastics was made last night by
the department. The sentences had
been characterized by department
officials earlier in the day as con-
shutting an outrage against human
ity which could not fail to create
the deepest feeling of resentment
and horror in the United States.
Protests against the execution
were received by the department
during the day from the Catholic
club Of New York City. A cable.
gram of protest also was sent by
the National Catholic Welfare Coun.
! Gil to M. Tchitcherin, peoples com.
missioner for foreign affairs, at Mos
cow, declaring that carrying out of
| the sentences would Outrage rot
only the charitable and general, gen.
erous Catholics of America, but the
| entire Christian world"
RUSSIAN CLAIM PRIESTS
VIOLATED LAWS OF LAND
LONDON, March 29.-The Rosta
| agency, the Russian Soviet Official
agency, has issued a statement de
claring that the members of the
Catholic church just convicted at
Moscow, were charged with offenses
| for which they would have been
equally liable for prosecution in any
| country in the world, namely, de.
fiance of the law of the land and
open and secret Indictment to vic
| lenCe.
''The Soviet government" the
statement says, "is not prepared to
tolerate such activities, PARTICULAR;
when the offenders declare that
their allegiance is to a foreign relig.
ious authority, and not to the Rus.
sian government, and still less when
there. is reason to suspect direct in.
tercourSe with a hostile state. In
soviet Russia, as in all other civiliz-
ed countries, priests have no privi
leges or extra-territorial rights in
the eyes of the law"
VATICAN AWAITS EAGERLY
RESULT OF IT'S PROTEST
ROME. March 29.-(By the Asso-
ciated Press -Ecclestiastic circles
were eagerly awaiting word from
Moscow today in the hope that the
soviet government, having granted
stay of execution in the cases Of
Archbishop Zepliak and the other
convicted prelates. would take cog.
nizance of the request of Pope Plus
that they be federated.
The pontiff asked that church
dignitaries be set free on the ground
that they are members of the Cath.
olic Hierarchy and are therefore his
subjects.
Church officials recalled that the
Moscow governments assurance be-.
fore the trial that no capital SEN
fences would be carried out, had
been renewed since it's conclusion,
and word that the executions had a.
least been delayed served. to relieve
their fear somewhat.