EASTER IN RED RUSSIA

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 174, 11 April 1923, Page 7

EASTER IN RED RUSSIA

CLAMOUR AGAINST THE ’ CHURCH BLASPHEMOUS REMARKS OF AN “ENGLISH COMRADE” DISORDERS SUBDUED BY THE ARMY A correspondent at Moscow gives a striking account of tho antagonistic attitude of tho mob towards the Church, is displayed at the Easter festivals. BY TELEGRAPH.— Press association. —Copyright. <Rec. April 10, 8.5 p m.) London, April 8. Tho Moscow correspondent of th® “Daily Express” gives a remarkable picture of Red Russia at Easter, which falls a week later than in Western, countries. Beginning at midnight, great bells chime incessantly throughout the day. A mob of several thousand men, women and soldiers clamoured on the steps of the Holy Saviour, where tho Patriarch Tikhon is about to stand his trial for life, and where ha has spent twenty-five years conducting masses. When a choir of several hundred voices swelled in the chorus “Christ Is Risen,” thousands of atheists outside shouted: “Down with Christ,” “Down with the Church.” Away with the priests.” A uniformed Communist climbed a pedestal and introduced an English comrade.” A bearded youth, typical of a Hyde Park Corner orator, shouted: “Comrades, I come from a land of damn fools, where they yet believe in priests and God. What'does this din of bells mean? Down with the lying I>ells, away with this church and priests.” His voice was drowned in wild cheers, while others announced that tho church there and then would be turned into a club. The great bells tolled on. while & steady stream of Christians filed in and out of church. Disorders occurred in many places in consequence of attacks against the Church and the mockery’ of Easter festivals. These were subdued by the lied Army, three being shot. —Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.

TRIAL OF THE POPE CONTEMPLATED BY THE BOLSHEVIKS London, April 9. The “Times” correspondent at Riga says:—“lt is authoritatively stated that the Bolsheviks seriously intend, after dealing with the, Patriarch Tikhon, to stage a trial of the Pope ‘in absentia’ at Moscow, on the grounds of counter-revolutionary and anti-pro-letarian conspiracy " "A convocation -of the' Red Church, to which tho Patriarchs of Constantinople, Alexandria, Jerusalem, ana Antioch have been invited, will meet on April 15. One of its purposes is the unfrocking of Tikhon. To-day besides the Orthodox body, there are the so-called Living Church, the Church of the Revival, and the Unified Apostolic Church, respectively red, redder, and reddest. Most of the Russian monasteries have been prisons and concentration camps. “The Times.” PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS BEING CONSIDERED BY BRITAIN London, April 9. Mr. Ronald MoNiell, Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, in reply to a question, said that the persecution of Christians in Russia had raised most serious considerations which were engaging the Government’s attention. It was true that the Soviet’s reply to the British Note was of such a character that the British representative at Moscow refused to transmit it. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. REORGANISATION OF RUSSIAN ADMINISTRATION QUESTION FOR COMMUNIST CONFERENCE Copenhagen, April 0. The “Politiken’s” Moscow, correspondent says: —“At the coming conference of ‘the Communist Party its Central Committee will submit a resolution demanding the complete reor- . ganisation of the Administration of Russia, proposing the abolition of the Council of Commissioners and replacing - it by a Council of Forty, who must be - ‘real Russians.’ This restriction means that Trotsky, Stalin. Kameneff. and Radek cannot be members of tho coun-cil.”—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.