Show CHUJRCH LANDS IN ALASKA Orthodox Greeks Will Not Be Disturbed turbed In Possession Washington Dec 11 Secretary Bliss has approved an important decision prepared by Assistant Attorney General Gen-eral Vanderventer relating to the claim of the orthodox GreekRoman church to lands in Alaska and Sitka I St Michaels Unalaska Belkfosk and Kadiak The secretary holds that any land right and title to which was acquired from Russia by the church is not public land and therefore not subject to entry and that land owned by the It church at the time of the cession continues con-tinues to be owned by it Further the secretary holds that in addition to its f private land acquired from Russia the church under the laws relating to Alaska will be protected in its use and occupancy of public lands as missionary mission-ary stations each station being limited limit-ed to 640 acres The conclusion is reached that the departmenthas no authority by which it can remove the trespassers from the private land owned by the church nor to restore the physical possession thereof to the right of the owners that being a matter exclusively within the jurisdiction of the courts |