thrown back into the barbarism of Anti-Christ as well as steeped in the poison of anti-social doctrine. May this letter find you in perfect health, and may God preserve you in the same, is the prayer of Your fellow servant, ALEXANDER Archbishop of the Aleutian Isles and No. America [Enclosure 2] The Hierarchy of the Holy Eastern Orthodox Church in America to President Harding NEW YORK, May 12, 1922. We, the Hierarchy of the Holy Eastern Orthodox Church, consisting of the Archbishops and Bishops in charge of the American work [of] the Church amongst peoples of Greek, Syrian, Russian, Serbian, Carpatho-Russian, Roumanian, Albanian, Bulgarian, and kindred descent, many of them native born American citizens, many others legalized citizens, together with the recent immigrants, In Conference assembled, invoking the aid of Our Common Father in Heaven, the God of us all, do herewith set forth this, our humble and earnest appeal and petition to HIS EXCELLENCY, THE MOST HONORABLE President of the United States: MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY that we remind you of the two millions of Orthodox Church people now resident in the United States, on whose behalf we, their chief Pastors, appeal to you to save the life of their and our venerable Patriarch, Head of the Russian Orthodox Church, and the last remaining barrier against the total submerging of that onetime great nation in the maelstrom of organized anarchy which now has the Russian people in its powerful grip. By public press and from other sources we have learned that His Holiness, Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All the Russias, is on trial for his life before the so-called Revolutionary Tribunal in Moscow on the specious charge of inciting the Faithful to riot in that he would not, and could not in duty to his sacred oath, license the total destruction of all means for the perpetuation of the Sacraments and other Rites of Holy Religion by sanctioning the sacrilegious seizure of the intrinsically valueless vessels used in the celebra tion of the Holy Communion, Baptism, and other sacred forms of Divine Worship. The charge that vast treasures were being withheld by the Church from the use of the starving people of the land is false. Long since what few treasures had escaped the sack of all sacred places by mobs had been sacrifices to this very cause of succoring the needy and in maintaining the fabric of worship since all funds of the entire ecclesiastical structure of a Church of about one hundred and twenty five millions communicants had been "confiscated" by the present regime. On pretense of seizing "treasures" the anti-christian forces now in control have attempted to prevent the Church from performing her ritual functions and thus to abolish the external forms of worship. The refusal of His Holiness, with death as the alternative, to act as accomplice in this crime against the conscience and soul of a people, as well as his refusal to play the part of Pilate and wash his hands of responsibility when his frantic people asked his advice and guidance, is heroic evidence of his loyalty to God and to Right. For this he is now on trial before a judge and jury of atheists; his real crime is that he represents Religion! Thus, we beg Your Excellency to believe, it is Religion,-Christianity, that is on trial in the person of His Holiness, Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow. Need we point out to you, Sir, that while a Church must be destroyed, that a mass of plated vessels for altar use be gathered in behalf of the poor famine sufferers, these same destroyers are spending appalling sums in the maintenance of an army arrayed avowedly against civilization, and countless sums are expended in the propaganda of world revolt against the structure of society? God forbid that one paltry jewel remain in the custody of the Church authorities of Russia as long as one of the least of all Russians is starving because of the need of that jewel! It is but more of the vicious propaganda aimed at all decency that fabricates the lie that the Church of Christ is hording valuable baubles while the Poor of the Master are starving. We deny this miserable imputation against the honor of our confreres of the Russian clergy. Stripped clear of deceit, this last outrage against Religion and Christ in Russia, coupled as it is with the recent decree that no person under eighteen years of age may be taught anything whatever of religious principle, is seen to be the great and desperate attempt of the agents of Anti-Christ to destroy the Church completely before the hoped-for resumption of international relations shall bring these present rulers of Russia under the scrutiny and coercive judgement of civilized nations. Whatever may be the destiny of the Slav, and great thinkers predict a great future for this people, will the world profit to have an anti-Christian as well as an anti-social power to deal with? The one organized body left in Russia is the Orthodox Christian Church; this body alone has withstood the assaults of the Terror-ruling regime, and it alone holds the traditional life of Russia in keeping ready for that morn when, as after a night of horrid nightmare, the Nation shall awake to better and greater days! Bolshivism is not safe in Russia as long as the Church remains! It was the Church that brought the Russian Nation into being; two of her Bishops created the very written language of the people. Once before after years of black misery and defeat, when all the country had been conquered, it was the Church which rallied the people and brought the Nation back to life again. In gratitude the people called the then Patriarch's son to be their Tzar, and thus began the House of Romanoff. Bolshivism cannot last if the Church remains,-therefore this trial of the Patriarch,"Smite the Shepherd and scatter the sheep!" This calamity for Russia and for the world, You, Sir, may prevent! Behind you rallies the greatest Christian people in Christendom's history. For the sake of our brethren, but more for the sake of Christ in the world, we send you this, our prayerful appeal, asking that you exercise your great privilege and see to it that Christ be not taken away from a suffering people despoiled of all else. We ask you to believe that our love for America prompts this appeal equally as much as does our love for our fellow believers in our section of Christ's Church. Those of us who are of Russian blood and those of us who love Russia, look forward to the Russia of tomorrow, an awakened and gentle Giant of the North, fit and culturally inclined to be the friend of America. We dread, not only for Russia's sake but for America's, a Slavic horde, powerful, but Godless, which, like Genghis Khan, or Attila, may sweep down upon civilization like the hordes led by those barbarians of old. And this we know: Take the white Christ of Russia away from the people, and back again into the darkness of barbarism will they be plunged. A godless Russia means a war-worn world for generations. Your Excellency will, we trust, pardon this lengthy communication; we have the temerity to send you so prolonged a statement for we know you do not despise the anxieties of those over whom you have been chosen leader and ruler. That of which we write is to our minds, taught by our consciences, a matter of historic import. You are one of those whom God has permitted to fashion in some manner and form events of today that will be the history of tomorrow. Our appeal to you, therefore, we are assured you will find worthy of consideration. If the voice of Christian America will but sound, there will be saved a Christian world. Praying Almighty God's blessing upon you, upon those of your own household and upon your administration, with all respect, we are, PLATON Metropolitan Archbishop of Archbishop of the Aleutian Isles ALEXANDER Bishop of Rodostolos and Acting Bishop of Brooklyn and Head of the Syrian Church in North America STEPHEN A. DZUBAY Bishop of Pittsburgh and Head of 861.404/22 The Secretary of State to President Harding WASHINGTON, May 18 [17], 1922. MY DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: I beg to send you herewith, at the request of the Russian Embassy, a letter addressed to you by Archbishop Alexander of the Russian church in America, enclosing an appeal from the church hierarchy on behalf of the Patriarch of the Russian church, who, it is reported, is about to be placed on trial in Moscow charged with resisting the requisition of church treasures by the Soviet authorities. The general situation to which the appeal relates is undoubtedly one of the most important recent developments in Russia, but I do not perceive that there is anything which this Government can do in the premises. I take the occasion to send to you also a petition, in printed form, addressed to you in connection with this same matter, by the Serbian church at Lebanon, Pennsylvania.55 A considerable number of peti 14 Supra. Not found in Department files. tions in the same form are now being received in the Department from various Greek Orthodox congregations. I assume that it will suffice to send you this one copy. Faithfully yours, 861.404/35 CHARLES E. HUGHES President Harding to the Secretary of State WASHINGTON, May 20, 1922. MY DEAR SECRETARY HUGHES: I have yours of May 17, in which you enclose to me the letter of Archbishop Alexander of the Russian Church in America making an appeal from the church hierarchy on behalf of the Patriarch of the Russian Church who is about to be placed on trial in Moscow on the charge of resisting the requisition of church treasures by the Soviet authorities. However much one may sympathize with the appeal I do not see that there is anything which we may do about it. I assume, therefore, that your acknowledgment of the petition is the only action which may be taken. Very truly yours, WARREN G. HARDING JAPANESE EVACUATION OF THE MAINLAND OF SIBERIA AND THE UNION OF THE FAR EASTERN REPUBLIC" WITH SOVIET RUSSIA 861a.01/208 The Chief of the Division of Russian Affairs, Department of State (Poole) to the Secretary of State [WASHINGTON,] January 5, 1922. Mr. SECRETARY: Mr. Kolesnikoff, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the so-called Pri-Amur Provisional Government at Vladivostok, called this morning at the Russian Division in company with Mr. J. K. Okulitch, of Boston, who describes himself as Plenipotentiary Representative of the Pri-Amur Government in this country. Mr. Kolesnikoff presented his credentials from the Pri-Amur Government, of which I took informal note, as in the case of the other representatives of unrecognized governments. I explained to Mr. Kolesnikoff that he might deal with the Russian Division and that we would be glad to receive such information or comments as he might care to contribute with respect to the situation in Eastern "For the beginning of Japanese military action in Siberia, see Foreign Relations, 1918, Russia, vol. I, pp. 324 ff. "For the establishment of the Far Eastern Republic, see ibid., 1920, vol. ПI, pp. 545 ff. |