ARCHBISHOP’S APPEAL

Hokitika Guardian, 7 April 1930, Page 2

ARCHBISHOP’S APPEAL

: DISCUSSION IN HOUSE OF

LORDS

RUGBY, April 2

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Cosmo Gordon Lang, called attention in the House of Lords to the oppression of religion in Russia. He said it was futile to ascribe it merely to the resentment felt against the Orthodox Church because'of its association with the Czarist regime. He had no doubt that there must be angry and resenTul memories amongst every form of theistie religion. Church, meeting house, synagogue, mosque, all: alike were declared to be the enemies of social reconstruction. In 1928 359 churches, 78 monasteries, 50 synagogues and 38 mosques were closed, according to reliable statistics, and hundreds more were closed last year. He had received reports of twenty eases of persecution which he was satisfied were nuthenic. In these twenty cases seventyone person were sentenced to be shot and 112 were sentenced to. imprisonment df two to twelve years. He did not question the advantage of having a British representative ill Moscow and a representative of the Soviet Government in London, but the advantages carried with them special responsibilities. Sooner or later the British Government must convey to the Soviet Government the opinion that, if relations were' to bo diplomatically satisfactory, the Soviet Government must pay some heed to public opinion in Britain, which, in this matter, he believed to be''singularly clear and united. It was ifor the Government to decide in what time, in what way and within what limits the representation should be made. They could not expect nor even ask, the Government to change its attitude towards religion, for that attitude was in its own religion, but they had the. right to ask that in pursuing it they would pay some heed to the claims of the churches.

Lord Parmoor, replying for the Govi errimerit,' said that the Government had , no intention- whatever, unless the cou- ’ diiion attached to the establishment of- diplomatic relations was infringed, : of', severing relations with Russia, or of‘ '.weakening the opportunity that might be afforded. through that lelationship ’of. influencing conditions in Russia. .It was not easy to say what the' Government could do to influence 1 those conditions. He was glad to see that'-spine change had taken place. But in the meantime, the terrors of the an-ti-religious movement had undoubtedly prevailed in Russia, though he believed on information supplied to him, that they were less terrible now than at any time during the past ten years. The separation of the school from the State, lamentable as it was in Russia had been the matter of acute differences of opinidn in other countries, but surely the attitude of any State towards education'was purely the inter nnt concern of each Government, and no representation on such an issue could be justified. They all detested the , systematic denial of religious tolerance in Russia he 'said, but no outside Government could rightly act in such a case unless two conditions were satisfied : Firstly, i it would need to have overwhelmingly accurate proof that wrongs were being committed, -so grave in their nature and extent that they became the concern of the whole civilised world, the principle that one country should not seek to interfere with internal affairs of another being the essential condition of relations, of any kind between on • Government and another ;secondl,y tl Government must have good reason ' hope that its action would really alienate such wrongs, or at least, not c 1 more harm than good.

Viscount Brentford, ''C) urged thn the Government could surely mak friendly representations to the Russia’ Government regarding the suggestion made by the Primate.

Lord Buekmaster, Liberal leader i the House of Lords, said that he wain sympathy with the Primate’s desirt that they should express their abhor rence at what was taking place in Rus si a, hut when it was sought to enforce that opinion in some manner by politi* cal action, he thought that they were on doubtful and even dangerous ground.

The Archbishop of Canterbury expfessed gratitude that the debate bad been kept free from political controversy.'- ; He: was not without hope that representations made in a friendly way

might have some effect in mitigating the severity of the methods by which the policy of the Soviet Government was being pursued. BRITISH CLAIMANTS..

Mr Arthur Henderson, Foreign Secretary, was asked in the House of Commons whether he had vet urged upon the Soviet Ambassador the rights oif British claimants upon the Soviet Government ,and whether he had pressed for recognition and settlement of the debts due to them.

Mr Dalton, Foreign Under-Secretary replied in • the affirmative. He said that the object of negotiations then proceeding was to agree upon suitable machinery for consideration of these claims. It was hoped that the present stage of negotiations would he comple-

ted before Easter, and he would he a’lo to make a statement.