rehbishop of Canterbury's Telling Indictment of What. the Soviet is Doing to All Religions The Archbishop of Canterbury tiled attention in the House of ards to-ay to the oppression of ligion in Russia:
He said it was' futile to ascribe nis oppression merely to the re-vitment felt against the Orthodox burch because of its association the Czarist regime. He had no out there must be angry and reent ful memories amongst those who suffered in that regime, but the anipaign, he said, was directed gainst every form of Theistic region: The Church meeting-howse, ne Synagogue and the Mosque, all like, were declared to be enemies f social reconstruction. In 1928, ccording to reliable statistics, 399 hurdies, 78 monasteries, 50 synaagues and 38 mosques were closed ud 100 were closed last year.
He had received reports of 20 ases of persecution which, he was satisfied, were authentic, In these O-cases, 71 persons were sentenced be shot and 112 were sentenced imprisonment for two to twelve ears. He did not question the advantage of having a British representative at Moscow and the representation of the Soviet Govern-joint in London, but the advantages arried. with them special responbilities, Sooner or later our own government must convey to the evict Government that, if relations were to be diplomatically satis-victory, the Soviet Governme ust pay some heed to the public pinion of this country which, in nis matter, he believed to be: singularly clear and united. Tt was or the Government to decide at shat time and in what way and thin what lines such representa: jon should be made, One could not pect, nor oven ask, the Soviet jovernment to change its attitude pwards religion, for that attitude:
8 its own religion, but we had "right to ask that, in pursuing it hey: would pay some heed to the mim of the churches.
Lord Parmoor, replying for the vernment, said the Government ad no intention whatever, unless condition attached to diplomatic us was infringed, of sev tionship with Russia or sokening the opportunity that night be afforded, through that retionship, of influencing conditions Russia, Tt was not easy to say shat the Government could "lo to in-nonce those conditions, Ile was lad to see that some change had aken place, bt in the meantime he Horrors of this movement undoubtedly prevailed in. Russia, hough he believed, on information applied to him, that they were less terrible now than at any time during: ho last ten years.
The separation of the school yom the State, lamentable fas in Russia, had been a matter: f acute difference of opinion in ther countries, but, surely, he add-the attitude of any: duention was purely a oncer of each Governm epresentation on such an ould' be justified.
We all dotest the systematic enial of religious tolerance russia, he stated in conclusion, but 0 outside Government could righty act in such a case unless two contions were satisfied. In the first lace, the Government would need have overwhelmingly accurate roof that wrongs were being comitted, so grave in their nature and tent that they became the concern the whole civilized world. The rineiple that one country should not sok. to interfere with the internal fairs of another country was not erely a matter of diplomatic proriety. Tt was an essential condi-on of relations of any kind beween one Government and another.
The Archbishop repudiated the idea that a criticism of the Soviet Government implied a great of war, and suggested that the British Government bring the following points to the-notice of the Russian representative (1) equality of civil rights for} religious servants and other citizens; (2) opportunity for workmen to observe Sundays and holy days in the Five-day week; (3) permission to print and circulate books of religious instruction; (4) removal of the restrictions on the group teaching of children; (5) release of the religious servants languishing in prison in the Arctic Zone; and (6) cessation of the general elosing of churches.
Lord Parmoor," Lord President of the Council, in reply, said he could not accept' the whole picture as painted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
He stated that accuracy as regards what was. proceeding in Russin was beyond the score of any Government to ascertain.
Lord Parmoor said he had doubt there had been a terrible us persecution last year but added that there was now He informed the House that the British Government would use all their influence in support of religious but that they did not intend, conditions attached to the recognition of the infringed, severing tions or weakening the opportunity' thereby afforded of influencing religious conditions in Russ Lord Parmoor stated that conditions were now less terrible than at any time during the past deco He added that education was purely an internal concern, and that no out side Government could rightly act without—
(1) overwhelming proof that the wrongs were so grave that they became the concern of the whole civilized world, and (2) certainty, that intervention would not increase the evil.
The Lord President of the Council said that if friendly relations were maintained, there was a ro ing chance of influencing the So Government.
He promised that the polts of the Archbishop of Canterbury would be carefully considered by the Foreign Office, He declined to publish the communications received from the British Ambassador at Moscow.
Lord Ponsonby, replying to Lords Brentfont, Buckmaster and Newton, said he did not question the accuracy. of the Primate's statement, but the matter were to be kept outside of polities and on the high plane of pure religion, the Howse of Lords was the wrong place to discuss it.
'The overwhelming proof demanded by Lord Parmoor, he continued, was the evidence of what the new: papers used to call "hatchery' there was no proof of that.
Lord Ponsonby expressed doubt as: to whether the debate would do anything but harm, as it would be hotly resented. The Russians were induging in a damnable, intolerant] religious persecution, but we must give up any attempt to-understand the Soviet system and character.
The debate then ended.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.