Evening star., 1941-10-06
End 'Shadow-Boxinq'
On Soviet Religion,
President Is Asked
Roosevelt to See Taylor
Tomorrow on Data Of
Utmost Value

A plea from a Catholic spokesman
here to stop shadow boxing" over
the question of religious freedom in
Russia faced President Roosevelt
today as the Capital speculated
about significance of information of
utmost value" brought the PreSi-
dent by Myron c. Taylor, his per-
sonal envoy to the Vatican.
Mr.. Roosevelt arranged a confer
ence soon after his return to the
White House tomorrow with Mr..
Taylor. who reached New York Sat-
urday by transatlantic clipper after
two recent audiences with Pope Plus
XII. 1t was presumed their discus
sion would involve the Vatican's at
titude toward the war in general.
with particular reference to Russia
and the issue of religious freedom
there.
Mr.. Taylor made preliminary re-
port by telephone yesterday to the
President, who is at his Hyde Park,
N. Y, home. He told reporters on
arrival in New York that he had
obtained information of utmost
value" in Rome.
Walsh Makes Plea.
The Rev. Edmund A. Walsh, S. j.,
vice president of Georgetown Uni
versity, made the plea TO stop
shadow boxing" last night in a
statement interpreting Soviet
final announcement that no modifl-
cation will be made in the treat
ment of religious liberty in Russia"
Father Walsh scored as a shop
worn argument" the contention by
the Moscow spokesman, S. A LoZov-
sky, that religious freedom is suf-
ficiently guaranteed by article 124
of the Soviet constitution, and that
the 'rumpus' being raised here over
the problem came from opponents of
aid to Russia.
Russia must be told. Father Walsh
declared mot in words alone. but
by deeds, that freedom in Soviet
Russia is as important to civiliza-
ton" as it is in any of the worlds
democracies There is still much
confidence, he added. that moral
courage, strength and honesty will
rise to meet the Soviet's unreason-
able arrogance"
Asked Direct Action.
Father Walsh. who represented
the Holy See in religious freedom
negotiations in Moscow in 1929,
urged direct action by President
Roosevelt last week after a White
House statement had mentioned
hope that IAN entering wedge for
the practice of complete freedom of
religion is definitely on its way
The only direct action so far dis
closed is that Mr.. Roosevelt has
instructed w. Averell Hartman,
head of the American aid-to- Russia
delegation now in Moscow, to take
up the question of religious freedom
with the Soviet government.
Father Walsh had declared that
"the hour has come for a definite
and constructive move on the part
of the President of the United
States Last week after branding as
nothing but a hollow sheIr the
Soviet constitutions religious free
dom guarantees cited by the Presi-
dent in his press conference Tues
Ody. a. * - a
IT deem it a waste of very valu-
able time to prove again the hollow
n1ockery involved in the pretense
that religious freedom exists in Rus
sia," Father Walsh said last night In
commenting on Mr.. Lozovsky'S Sat-
urday claim that the Soviet's basic
policy was one of freedom of re-
ligion as well as of anti-religious
propaganda.
The Soviet spokesman's remarks
"simply pass the ball back to the
people and Government of the
United States" Father Walsh said.
This is tantamount to scotching
of President Roosevelt's hopes that
true freedom of religion might be
recognized in Russia"
Declaring that the situation
"raises profoundly important
issue for the American people"
Father Walsh said:
Our resources, our fortunes, and
our sacred honor will be placed on
the firing line in defense of a gov
ernment which on october 4 again
repeated its unwillingness to include
religious freedom among the four
freedoms in defense of which this
country is now being modified down
to the last expression of uanpower,
f1anncial power and industrial in
genuity.
rs it unreasonable to demand of
the Soviet beneficiary of American
aid and possibly of American blood
that they abandon their private and
special hatred of the first of the four
freedoms in exchange for those COM
mon liberties which the other en-
battled democracies are so stoutly
defending? They cannot have it
both WAYS"