MOSCOW'S REPLY

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 40, 17 February 1930, Page 9

MOSCOW'S REPLY

MOTIVES IMPUTED

"POLITICAL CAMPAIGN"

MOSCOW, 15th February

Replying to Mr. Henderson's statement in the House of Commons, official newspapers accuse the English Archbishops of preparing the way for moral intervention in Russia. Their protests must be taken in conjunction with the Pope's,

"These ecclesiastics are simply conducting a political campaign," says one newspaper. "The alleged persecutions are absolutely invented. Every effort to interfere with Eussia on a religious or any other pretext will be resolutely crushed. Tho newly-enlight-ened Russian masses will bo able to deal with these inciters of a new war."

In a signed report of an interview with the metropolitan members of the Synod describe the Pope's pronouncement aa unnecessary and unwarranted. "Wo ourselves are able to defend the Orthodox Church. The Pope has proved himself in the same camp as tho British landlords and the Franco-Italian magnates. We are shortly issuing a special call to believers, pointing out that the fresh attempts .of the Pope to implant Catholicism among Orthodox Christians are absolutely intolerable. The Archbishop of Canterbury's speech shows tho same lack of truth regarding the alleged persecutions, and smacks of promoting his flock to a new intervention in Russia. This sudden and inexplicable outburst of friendly sentiment leads to the thought that it is not a question of defending the Church, but tho pursuit of some earthly object."