Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-28
Condemns PERSECUTION" of
Religion as Attack Against
God and All Believers.
PICTURES COMMUNISM
AS A "TRAGIC FAILURE"
Brings Misery, Famine and Ruin
to Tens of Millions Without
Compensation, He Says,

BY the Associated Press.
Accusing Communists in Russia of
carrying out a systematic campaign to
despoil churches and to exterminate re-
ligion, Representative Hamilton Fish,
jr., Republican, of New York today
asked support in the House of his reso-
luton opposing the recognition of the
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
Fish is member Of the House for
eign affairs committee. He recently in
troduced resolution which condemned
1.-The persecution and outrages which
have been inflicted upon the Christian
and Jewish subjects of Soviet Russia"
The resolution would express the sense
of the Congress" that recognition Of
the Soviet government was incompat-
ible with the traditions and institutions
of this country until religious persecu-
ton has ceased.
Holds 1t Attack on God.
The New Yorker said the attack Of
the Soviet government against the Rus
sian church and clergy was not only
against them and the people who de-
sired religious worship, but against
God and all who profess religious be-
lief"
The purpose of his resolution, Fish
said, was to arouse public opinion in
the United States and to unite all ma
tions in an effort to persuade the
Soviet government to revoke DEGREES
against the freedom Of worship and
the practice of religious belief"
Asserting that the Communist party
in 1929 had begun relentless CAM
paign to uproot and destroy not only
the Orthodox Russian Church, but
every semblance of religious belief
among Jews, Catholics and Protestants.
Fish said the persecution against men,
women and children for maintaining
their faith in God has had no equal
since the 30-Year War"
He asserted he did not dispute the
right of the Soviet to establish any
form of government desired without any
interference from other nations, but
said when 1t comes to a question Of
the destruction of all churches and re-
ligious institutions and the execution,
Imprisonment and exile of priests, the
whole world stands aghast and rightly
protests against such bsrbarities, and
that sentiment should be proclaimed
throughout every civilized country"
The New Yorker titled his speech
munism and belief IN God" He said
his resolution was a protest or rennon-
Stance to the Soviet government, but
in no way carries any implication Of
intervention"
Communism Called Failure.
He said he did not profess to be an
expert on Russia, but explained he had
visited that country in 1912, when it
was under the trule of the Gear, and
again in 1923, when it was being gov
erned by the Soviets. He said, however,
that he had followed developments in
Russia carefully since the Communist
experiment began and had reached the
conclusion that at has been a tragic
failure and has brought misery, famine.
oppression and ruin to tens of millions
of Russian people, without any redeem
ing compensations."
The sleeping volcano of religious
hatred and persecution" Fish con-
tinued, has burst forth within the last
year and the destruction of churches
and all belief in God is the order of the
day. There should be no surprise at
this sudden eruption of the flames from
CommuniStic volcano that has been
shut in temporarily until either the
Soviet government felt itself strongly
enougn mLrenene0 or POSSIBLY as q
last resort to let loose the furies of re-
ligious persecution and seek to annihi-
late all forms of religious belief.
The fact is that there is an ire
pressible conflict between the principles
advocated by Communism and a belief
in God. Communists boast of being
atheists to take pride in waging war
on God. Any member of the Commu-
mist party who marries in a church, has
children baptized or permits his wife
to belong to church, is driven out of
the party.
''It must be self-evident that there is
no compromise between two systems so
incompatible and antagonistic as Com
munism and the worship of God as
practiced by Christians, Jews and Mos
lens"
Charges COnfiscatory Campaign.
Fish said up to the last year the Com
munists did not interfere with religious
beliefs beyond circulating propaganda
against religion. However, he added,
Within the last year they have started
out on systematic campaign, not only
to despon and confiscate churches, but
in brutal attempt to exterminate re-
llg1on." He then described how the
(Continued on Pace d Column a.