Tie Sensitive Bolshevik.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17982, 29 March 1930, Page 1 (Supplement)

Tie Sensitive Bolshevik.

(By “'Darius.”)

“ He that hides a dark soul and foul thoughts, Benighted walks under the midday sun.”

MR ARTHUR HENDERSON was asked a question in the House of -Commons concerning religious persecution in Russia. He gave a guarded reply, as was to be expected, until full information could be obtained from the British Ambassador at Moscow, ‘tccording to the “Daily Herald,” which is not on the side of the angels, a Moscow correspondent gives warning that Bolsheviks are very sensitive when an outside Power interferes with their domestic affairs. . A sifting of information from all sources available, indicates that Bolsheviks are only sensitive about the revelation of facts that register against them a cruel and senseless attitude towards religion, and that show them to be altogether insensitive to the feelings of British subjects m their svstematic attempts to injure them and the.- country through Red propaganda, which is continued ~i spue of faithless protestations as to the connivance and sanction of the Russian Government. Russia has many sincere advocates, quite honest in their desire to publish nil possible in favour of the revolutionists. In respect to this persecution, it has impressed Bishops and Archbishops o the Anglican Church, and also His Holiness, the Pope, is not too much to say that on religious matters, at least, there is no organisation, political or otherwise, that is better informed than the Vatican, .so that it may be accepted that the Red Flag is indeed the banner of AntiChrist, however unwilling we may have been to ente tain or express the conviction. The burning of ikons he widespread destruction of monasteries and bells, and the closing of churches, give the lie to Soviet declarations which affirm religious liberty, and it is satisfactory to learn that Continental nations arc being moved to a show of anger at the indignities put upon those, not only of the orthodox church, who represent the follower of 'the. great Head of all the Christian churches. A here is no feeling more conducive to war than that of religion, and no more bitter wars have raged than those tha-t were fought und banners for the one symbol—the Holy Cross. Religion thrives under persecution and nothing can so rouse the nations to action as -the denial ofl a religious liberty to people. It is safe to say that, in this respect, there is a crusader armed for war in the person of eyeiy whole man, who sees his fellow put down by the mighty, from lus humble allegiance .to the -One he oixns as Maste Some Far-off Halloo Breaks the Silent Air. The sense of long-impending evil and foreboding caused by the persistent and insidious attempts to promote anarchy in the British Isles and Dominions, by » process of dehumanising and degrading the militant se labour, and imperilling credit and capital, is bein o iealise in fact. For this a minority is responsible, foi Patnoi c Russians far outnumber the governing .ciass- foi R s class and non-representative government in Russia to-day-This class has its counterpart in a political party m Gieat Britain, a political, socialistic party, in sympathy ’withi the Russian Communists, and the name by which >; is_ designated is well known. By this party we are told that the unavoidable reports we receive in connection with Red Rule, are greatly exaggerated, and that the rulers of the peope are, in reality, well-intentioned idealists. A timelier for whom special facilities of investigation were afforded under the aegis or Government, has also reported, but he actual recorded experience of those who suffered the terrors of posit-revolution government, emphatically asseit that tiie rulers are cruel, calculating, and avaricious murderers, who, white working for revolution, talk m a religious strain, quoting Scripture, with the fluency of that asscribed to the Devil himself. The promise of the Bolshevik was this: "We are going to take from the rich to give to the poor, whether the poor be deserving or undeserving.” He made a capital levy as the Socialists wish to do, nationalised property, and brought about industrial ruin. He engendered class hatred, with the purpose of dividing the people for his own safety; made false promises to the poor, and left them in a more hopeless condition than ever. Red Government has furnished the modern world with an example of the insecurity of ciwlisation, in the overthrow of people of the highest culture, by a minoritv of violent and ruthless faction, taking a nation unawales and removing obstruction by wholesale slaughter. The same Communsim, so foolishly tolerated, is infecting our Empire to-day, in almost every part, and if we do not crush it, it will destroy us. Once in power, the traitorous Bolshevik scoined anu

IMPRISONMENT OF HIGH ECCLESIASTICS.

denied the existence of God, and tortured and put to death professors and ministers of religjon, desecrating the churches as they are accused of doing to-day- We were led to believe that the reign of terror bad ceased. The cabled news comes as a disquieting and convincing contradiction, backed by the emphatic pronouncement of a patriotic Russia: He who holds out a hand to the Communists of Russia or to their friends, holds out a hand to the servants of Anti-Christ. The Summons. “God said, ‘ A praise is In my ear; There is no doubt in it, no fear’: Would God that I Might praise Him that great way, and die.” It is with very great seriousness I approach the retelling of the story of Natasha, as told by one of our own people. It is written as a warning against the base hirelings of Revolution, who would lay the earth in ruins, and whose policy is extermination of culture, and confiscation of property. The wolves of the Red Flag are within fhe walls of the city already, and in -every land there are those, devil-prepared, ready for, ravening with the pack. It is a false liberty that tolerates revolutionists, anarchists, seditionists, and the preachers of “direct action.” “I think I can get as far as the little church," she said. "We shall be safe in 'the church.” “No one could mistake the Countess’ condition. She was wearing a loose, blue gown, with a white scarf over her shoulder, and looked like a young madonna. She showed no sign of fear. Once inside she sank down on the steps of the altar and prayed- Presently she turned to me and said, “I think I am 'taken ill. If I do not get through, give my love to my dear husband, and tell him not to be sad as we shall meet again in God’s good time.” Then she spoke very tenderly of her mother. “The door was Hung open and several of the Communists -came in, the leader, a big, fat, blood-besmeared man, with 'them. “O," he said—-“so this is your hiding place! Where is your husband?” he asked of Natasha, who was still kneeling. “I do not know,” she replied,” and remember you are in God’s House!’ I! A Pack of Lies.” “That stuff is a pack of lies!" the men bawled. “Religion is only ’a weapon used to oppress the proletariat. We will destroy all religion! That is what I 'think of your churches,’ ” and he spat upon the altar. “When I looked again Natasha’s face was hidden, but I saw her hour had come. ‘Look here!’ said the leader, ‘I can see what is the matter with you, and I wonU ask you any more questions about your husband, if you say there is no God and no Christ.’ ’’ “ ‘I could not say that,’ gasped Natasha, ’because that would be a lie. We know 'that there is a God, and that Christ is His Son, and our Saviour.’ The man seized her by the hair and shook her. ‘You shall deny God before the altar,’- he shouted, ‘or I will kill you.’ “ ‘Then you must kill me,’ said Natasha, and she began to pray. He raised his arm. I sprang up and clutched his arm, crying shame upon him for torturing a woman soon to be a mother. ‘Clear out!’ he ordered, ‘or I will do 'the same to you.’. “ I was jerked off my feet from behind, and flung violently upon the stone floor. When I recovered, conscious of a sharp pain, I could see Natasha still kneeling at. the altar, flier long hair loose, the man standing over her and yelling, ‘Will you deny God.’ “At a sign another man came up. Both placed their ■bayonets just above her waist and shouted, ‘Will you deny God?’ I heard Natasha’s voice, very clear and firm, saying, ‘God of 'Love, in the name of Thy dear Son, Jesus Christ, receive my baby and me. We come in faith.’ They ran their bayonets into her, and I fell forward in a faintfl’he next thing I knew I was in great pain, and the chapel seemed empty. Then I saw Natasha’s body lying on the altar steps. The light from a window fell upon her hair and changed it to a pool of gold. As I looked I saw that the altar steps were red with blood, and that a thin stream was flowing across the floor. I saw that it would reach rne soon and vet I could not move. It crept towards me inch by inch, and I began to scream. Presently the Count came, and he sat with his dead wife in his arms and his face was in nowise like the face of any living man.” In such a time as this corpulent would be mockery. The soul of man obtains its only consolation from the tremendous words: “Vengeance is mine, I will repay.”