Evening star., 1944-05-06
Priest Declares Stain
Is Kindly Disposed
To Catholic Church
By the Associated Press,

| ssssS ~ss VIZ
By the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, May 6.-The Rev
Stanislaus Orlemanski of Spring
field. Mass, conferred with Premie
Stain and Foreign Commissar Molo
tov again Thursday and today h,
described Stain as very friendl.
disposed toward the Roman Catho
lie Church"
The conference lasted two hours
Winding up a 12-day visit to th'
Soviet Union, the Polish-Americal
priest said Catholicism would re
main the religion of Poland and tina
Stain will not tolerate any trans
gressions in this regard"
Father Orlemanski's visit to
Russia has been sharply criticized
by Catholic leaders in the United
States)
Father Orlemanski, who is pastor
of Our Lady of the Holy Rosar,
Church in Springfield, praised tn,
Russians as wonderful people
and Premier Stain and Foreign
Commissar aMolotov as great men.
Results Beyond Expectation"
He expressed thanks for the
democratic reception" he had dur.
ing the visit, which. he confirmed
was made as a guest of the Soviet
Government.
y Father Orlemanski, who previ-
ously had conferred with Stain and
Molotov for two hours April 28
said the results of his second inter-
view were beyond my expectation. u
He had characterized the result Of
the first conference as excellent"
The priest said Stain was q
friend Of the Polish people" and
that he desired a strong, free Po-
land and had no intentions of in
terfering with Polish internal affairs.
He quoted Stain directly as saying,
Poland should not be a corridor
through which the enemy passes at
will to destroy Russia"
Father Orlemanski asserted that
Il support and agree to state
ments made by my fellow Amer
leans concerning the Soviet Union
republics" He did not specify
which statements by what Amer
leans, but presumably he meant
those friendly to the Soviet Union.
Father Orlenfanski appeared to
consider assurances of Stalin's atti-
tude toward the church as the most
important result of his second meet
ing with the Premier.
He appeared unworried by criti-
cism in the United States of his
activities. Informed that Repre-
sentative Lesinski, Democrat, of
Michigan had called him a traitor
to the church, Father Orlemanski
shrugged and said: "I wonder what
the Polish people are saying about
me-"
Father Orlemanski disclosed in a
speech broadcast over the Moscow
radio to the Polish people yesterday
that he flew to Moscow from Chica-
60 via Canada, Alaska and Siberia.
In today's statement he did not
say when he would return to the
United States nor did he disclose his
immediate plans.
The Soviet press did not publish
Father Orlemanski's statement but
did print the text Of his speech to
the people of Poland.
That address contained the same
assurances concerning Stains atti-
tude toward future Poland but did
not include the phrase that Stain
is very friendly disposed toward
the Roman Catholic church"
His references to religion in that
address were confined to the fol-
lowing:
"As to religion, 1t was, is, and will
continue to be the religion of our
forefathers. The friendly reception
Of a Catholic priest by Marshal Sta
lin should convince you of it."
Catholic Officials Not Consulted.
Msgr. Michael j. Ready, general
secretary Of the National Catholic
Welfare Conference, said in a state
ment May 3 that no Catholic
official was consulted before Father
Orlemanski was given a passport for
the trip to Russia.
The statement followed a press
conference at which Secretary of
State Hull said the priest and Prof.
Oscar Lange of the University of
Chicago went to Russia as private
citizens, just as other Americans
have done.
The trips have inspired an inquiry
in Congress as to why passports
were issued. Representative Lesin-
ski, Democrat, Of Michigan, has as
serted that the two men were re-
ceived by Stain as American repre-.
sentatives" and characterized then
as traitors to christianity, the lane
Of their forefathers (Poland) anc
the principles of Americanism."
Explanation Demanded.
A co-ordinating committee claim.
ing to represent 100000 American.
of Polish descent, demanded at q
meeting yesterday in Representativ.
Lesinski's Office that the Govern.
ment explain why Father Orleman.
ski was given permission to go tt
Russia to confer with Premier Stain
In a telegram to Secretary HUI
the group, known as "the Co. -ordina.
ting Committee of All Societies
Organizations, Parishes and Club.
Of Americans of Polish Descent O.
the Eastern States" claimed Father
Orlemanski's activities were vel
known to Government agencies" ane
increased "the responsibility of ou,
Government" for his visit to Russia
about the eventual re-establishment
of public authority in their respec-
tive countries, now under German
control. Seemingly that procedure