The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-11-02

New nodgord, Aaass., Nov. a--Nus- ala ls working its armament planta three shifts q day while its diplo- mats urge disarmament on the Unlted Nations in New York, the Rev. Leopold Braun of this city tOld Knights Of Columbus here ln the first public address he has made since returning from RuslBA where no served iS years As the only Ca- thollo priest in Moscow.
 Winston 0huFchlll's estimate that 200 Russian divisions are on the western frontiers would be found too sfnAh if ell the facts were known, FAther Braun declared, co reported by the Standard Times, local paper,
 Russia has announced since Che Churchill speech that it has only co divlslons In the European area, not All of them ct full strength,
 Huge Funds Wasted
 Father Braun also charged ln his talk that the needy people of Rusla are not receiving Red Gross supplies bought with funds donated in thls country.
 He declared the Red Gross turns its supplies over to the Russian Government under on Agreement signed with the Russians and that supplies are used to fatten the secret police of Russla--the Minis- try of Internal Affairs-- instead of going to the impoverished people" !"
 Let me tell you there can be no peace unles 1t is c peace founded on the doctrines enunciated by Pope Plus XII. We are dealing with people who have no respect for God and we must be careful in our relations with them.
 T entered Russia in 1884 through Q religious protocol signed by Presi- dent Roosevelt and Maxium Litvin- off, whereby any American of any denomination in Rusia was asured full religious freedom. It is amazing to me that the Catholics were the only ones to take advantage of this protocol, All other denominations oi American citizenship were given the same privilege of worship in Rus sia,
 Met Soviet Obstruction
 "Let me tell you that while Rus sla granted freedom of religious worship to Americans in that coun- try, I met obstacles daily in the fullfiln9ant of terms of the protocol They made it most difficult for me and for the people to whom ! Inin- istered.
 There are h Russian concentra- ton camps thousands of Catholics imprisoned becAuse of their allegi- anoe to Christ. We never will know now much the Russian people have suffered in their attempts to con- sinue their cfeeds, particularly the Catholics.
 Despite aS years of organized persecution, the Cathoiie faith still Is strong in Russia. In 1886 the Rus- sian Government sent out question aires to the people and was amazed to note that 70 percent still believed in God.
 Mind you, this was after % years of anti-religious propaganda con- ducted in i0T languages, every day of the year. Yes 10000, 900 Russians wrote down in the Questionnaire that they still believed in God.
 Priests Extezualnaaed
 "The Catholic clergy had bean completely exterminated. The last Bishop in Russia was consecrAted in secret, behind closed doors with only five personS present, Later he was expelled by the Russians.
 T was left alone, the only Catholic priest in Ruslsa as Apostolic Ad- miniStrator, . title which the Rus sian Government refused to recog- nise.
 The Comintern has not been dis- solved, although the Russians went through the motions of doing so during the war for selffsh utilitarian purposes. The State signed away the Commintern. but that was mere- ly a gesture of political opportunism, and the Commintern is as active as ever today, striving for Q world rev. olution.
 "Only e deluge of steel from the United States and the help of our soldiers and Merchant Marine pushing the materials into Russia, saved the Soviet.
 After the Americans made vic- tory possible with their military ad- vances in Northern Europe to the gates of Berlin, they were ordered back to let the red nag of Russia come in first. We must not let