To the Editor of the "Norri-Cixa Darcy News"
Sim—Mr. Little's letter of May 30 and your editorial of to-day's date raise to my mind some interesting Points for discussion.
'Mr. Little, as you so rightly point Jout, shows' a somewhat" medieval outlook when he so forcibly dwells Jon the "godlessness," of Russia to-day, Surely this period' of politically professed atheism through which Russia now passing is the natural reaction of a state which has rebelled against regime ili which the clergy have held temporal as well as spiritual power.
It the Russian clergy were not the power behind the former autocratic regime, no one can gainsay that they were the willing tools and supporters of the privileged class, and sx such it was necessary that they should be suppressed as ruth. lessly as all other supporters of the old regime in order that the revolt tion should be effectively carried out The clergy are now permitted to exercise their sacred office, but la view of medieval ignorance of the masses in Russia itis necessary that the leaders should try to dispel some the childlike religious superstition of the people, which, in their. opinion, can most effectively be done anti-religious propaganda. That many of the leading members of the Communist party are not themselves entirely "godless" is evidenced from. the number of Soviet consular and. diplomatic officials who attend the services held by the Russian church in China and Manchoukuo on the major feast days.
We have witnessed the same course of events after the French Revolution when the French Roman Catho-lie clergy were suppressed with no less ruthlessness than in Russia in. recent times. In England the rebel-ion against the clergy had been effected Tong before the civil under Cromwell, during the but many years this religious revolution lasted it was also marked by tremendous bloodshed and lay members of the community were forced under pain of death to outwardly believe in religious teachings against which their consciences objected, which w worse than having merely to listen to propaganda, That the clergy of the older religions have considerable powers over the masses in countries where education is not general or is invested the Church and if permitted will exercise this power politically when sults their purposes, can clearly be seen from the recent political events in Malta, and the following anecdote, the accuracy of which can be vouched for by the writer, will show how blindly the people obey the instructions of their clergy.
Maltese servant girl one day came to hor mistress and said that she following day as she had.to go to church. "The mistress, also a Roman Catholic, asked why it was necessary to go to church on a Thursday,* to which question the maid was unable to give any answer except that the priest had told her that she must, Actually Thursday was the Feast of Corpus Christi but of that the servant girl was unaware nor had she any idea of what that feast day commemorate.
Although we may not agree with the aims of the, Russian Revolution ary leaders few will deny that they believe in the ultimate success their colossal experiment and are not, generally speaking, motivated bby any personal factors.
Russia may be officially "Godless", but she is a very real factor in Far-Eastern politics and as such her support of the League cannot but greatly strengthen that organ, and we must, therefore, set on one side all religious scruples and admit her the "same way as a Municipal Council is elected, which is not according to the religious creeds of candidates but how much each mer ber will strengthen'the Council as a whole.
'As regards the question of Great Britain leaving the League of Nations, it may be that the League has been' started before the world is suf-felonily civilized to benefit from it, the fate of the League of Na. tions will undoubtedly be decided next year; but until it has proved to bbe before its time it would be manifestly wrong for one of the leading civilized countries of the world 10 abandon before it has failed conclu sively. America has already done that and Its up to GreatBritain to give the League all the support that she can to make up for America's lack fof appreciation of the good which could be done by the League, given the support of the leading countries of the world.
It is also manifestly unjust blame China for giving the League more trouble than the rest of the world and I would rather have it taid that Japan and Germany are sponsible for most of the League's Henny R. Pustau, Nanking, June 4,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.