The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-02-24

no soviet restrictions on the press III
reporting developments in the religious
situation.
BY ED l.. KEEN
Yice-President Of the United Press for
Europe.
MOSCOW. Feb. 24-The contra
dictiOns, contrasts. and perpleXities
Of anti-religious Soviet Russia were
demonstrated fOrcefully in Moscow
Sunday to the war chant of the
red army, the hymns of cathedral
choirs, the hum of factory wheels,
and the tolling Of at least one
church bell
In a cinema house the news reel
of the moment showed 1000 factory
Workmen-all unpaid volunteers
oemOhshing the st. Simon mOnaS-
terry. once the abode of Ivan the
Terrible, to make room for a large
palace of culture
And in the MuScovite anti-re-
hgiOus museum. which once was a
monastery, thrOngs of young Rus
sions studied exhibits. charts and
pictures which have only one pur-
pOSe-the teaching of atheism.
Throughout the day there was not
the slightest indication that the
capital was disturbed Or influenced
by the worldwide agitation which
has arisen in the last few weeks
against the Soviet anti-religious
movement.
Masses Mark Feelings
An answer to the question of
whether the populace EsSs a real
spirit of Self-Sacrifice toward the
communistic state. or merely an at
titude of resignation to the inevi-
table, was not to be found in the
impaSSive faces of thousands Stol-
idly presenting ration cards at COM
miSsary stores, or listening to the
cry of war danger" in Red square.
or sitting in the thinned ranks of
WorShippers at the stately cathe-
dral of Our Holy Saviour near the
Kremlin.
Not with standing the pro-athe-
list campaign, conducted with in
creasing vigor for twelve years,
Nfoscow's 1900 churches-only 100
have been diverted to other uses or
Observation-Disclosures as usual,
although with greatly depleted con-
gregations. compared to the days of
the cars.
I was surprised to hear a church
bell ringing Sunday morning. I at
tended morning service at the
famed cathedral of Our Holy Saw
Jour. which was the favorite church
of the late car and czarfna. About
J 500 persons were there, compared
10 five times that number who
would have attended in the pre-
revolution days when a metropoli-
tan conducted the service. as on
this occasion.
Sunday Is Day of Toll
The small attendances now are
due both to the tnceSSant anti-re-
ligious propaganda and the fact
that Sunday is a working day, the
same as any week day in the fac
tories. Shops, motion picture the
aters and the opera, all were run
ming.
The congregation. however. was
as devout as any ever seen at st.
Paul's in London. St. Peters in
Rome or st. Patrick'S in New York.
Most of them were adults. They
seemed deeply moved by the solemn
and picturesque Orthodox church
ceremonial and the magnificent
antiphOnal choralS.
From the cathedral I TAXED -
light automobiles are beginning to
GiSplace the ancient droShkieS and
SleighS-past the medieval cathedral
OF st. Basil, which was appropri-
ated by the state as a national
monument adjoining the Red
square. where the preserved body of
Lenin has been encaSed in glass.
The usual long queue of Lenin's
worShipperS was absent, as the
. original wooden mauSoleum which
temporarily houses his body was
surrounded by a high fence. pend
ing reconstruction Of the building
IN stone.
Museum Teaches Atheism
When that has been done. the
crowds will come again to gaze in
awe on the life-hke embalmed
corpse under its glass. a holy shrine
symbolic of the principles which
have become the guiding star of the
deStinies of 100000 people.
Next I visited the anti-religious
museum established by the state in
an appropriated monastery. devoted
10 educating the people in atheism.
The various rooms are given over to
exhibits. charts. pictures. models
and similar objects depicting the
theory Of evolution. Christianity
alleged relationship to paganiSm;
the materialiStic. monarchistic, and
anti-revOlutionary tendencies and
practices of the Orthodox church,
and an exhibition of purported
) miracles.
Next I visited the great Sunday
open market in the outskirts Of the
city. where the busy life of the city
was exposed and thousands bar