Show I I SOVIET SHOWS ClEMENCY TU TO CHURCH HEAD Death S Sentence nt nce Imposed on Roman Catholic Archbishop Archbishop Archbishop Arch Arch- bishop Commuted to Ten Yeas Years in jn Prison APPEAL OF VICAR 4 GENERAL DENIED Central Executive Committee Committee Com Corn Rescind Rescind Rescind Re Re- Refuses to Order for Execution Execution Execution tion of MOSCOW MOSCOW March 30 By A. A P. P P.- P. The death sentence recently Imposed Im Imposed imposed im- im posed on Archbishop head of ot the Roman Catholic church In Russia was was commuted d today to ten years years' under strict isolation The appeal ot Vicar General General Gen Gen- eral oral for tor clemency was denied The central executive committee which met met to consider requests for mitigation of the sentences said in inUs Its Us decision that both prelates were deserving of th the penalty Imposed by the Moscow court Taut put that commutation commutation com com- mutation was ordered in the case of the archbishop because a certain element of the Catholic citizens in Russia might exploit the sentence as being against the priests and their their- religion TREASON PROVED CHARGE The committee said It regarded retarded that the evidence e In the ease case of Monsignor showed hi his hIli direct treasonable connection with an enemy of the state The decision deci sion slon was signed by President Kalinin Kali nm nin and Secretary It read as as- follows The court had fixed the guilt gum O of ot Citizen who h had been actIng actIng acting act- act Ing contrary to the Inter interests ts of the working working class class and to the fundamental tal gains of the proletarian tion lion By consistently directed dh ac action action action ac- ac tion he had made use UEe of the laws which guarantee equality for everyone everyone everyone every every- one fr freedom edom Of ef religion These actions are are- re very havy heavy crimes s In the revolutionary republic lie lic which as' as as before Is 13 surrounded by numerous enemies There c cannot cannot can can- n- n not or could not be another penalty except that which was wa-a fixed for by the court However taking Into consideration tion that is the representative nta- nta tive of such a a. religion which at atthe atthe atthe the time of the late czarist government government government govern govern- ment and at the time the republic was suppressed application tion to him of a penalty very vecy well earned might be Interpreted by a certain backward element of the Catholic citizens of soviet Russia who whoso e religious feelings he tried fried to exploit and direct as di directed directed di- di against the priests and their religion SENTENCE COMMUTED We therefore re as as an exception from the penalty policy of the re republic republic re- re public have decided to change the sentence fixed by the court ourt to ten years' years Imprisonment In strict Isola Isola- tion As r regards gards Citizen who In criminal activity on the ground of ot religion combined very clear dear counter revolutionary action with 0 a direct connection with an enemy state and who used his position as a priest to carry carryon on OIL a direct and active treason the request for for- reprieve Is left without consequences The newspaper Pravda says Bays that In commuting the sentence of the archbishop the central executive committee Is Ia complying with the revolutionary conscience and the revolutionary welfare The newspaper adds that the same standard could pot be applied to because he ho was the agent of the Polish government and carried on his ac activity activity activity ac- ac not because of religious fa faI fanaticism fanaticism fa- fa I as as did Archbishop but In the Interests of ot a a. foreign state HANDS OFF ORDERED Both Pravda and publish lengthy replies to the foreign protests protests protests pro pro- tests against the sentencing of the Catholic prelates sounding a general general general gen gen- eral warning Hands ot off interprets the activities of ot the Polish diet and the British parliament as constituting clear intervention in in the Internal affairs of Russia The newspaper gives gives' notice that whatever cover the counter counterrevolution revolution may take It always meets with a merciless repulse by bythe bythe bythe the soviet regime The threats of the Polish premier General says Pravda we can answer Hands ot off Please do not think that you can to the Continued on page 8 8 SOVIET SHOWS Continued front from pare page 1 1 slightest degree Influence the decisions decisions deci deci- of tho the soviet government Constantine Constantino the vicar general of ot the church whose petition for clemency was denied today Is 65 66 years tars old H He HeI was father superior of the church I of St. St Catherine In Petro Petrograd rad and held the title of prelate to his boll holi holiness ness neilS granted for special servIces by the pope Mo signor bald heated rosy faced and bespectacled as he appeared to for his trial maintained main maln- tamed t. himself with notable notable seren serenity seren It ity throughout that ordeal ordell He comes of or an old and nd rich family of ot Polish origin but is a Russian citizen citi citi- zen Archbishop and Monsignor Mon Mon- signor Butchka together with fifteen Catholic priests wen Ver found guilty by tho the Moscow court on MonJay Monday Monday Mon Mon- day Jay last of ot opposing the soviet government gov gov- The sentence of death j was imposed on the archbishop and the vicar Icar general but a a. stay of execution exe exe- cution was wag ordered by the tho central executive committee The other prisoners were sentenced to prison terms of ot the death sentence sentence sentence sen sen- tence brought an immediate reaction In various parts of the world The Tho he American state department undertook undertook undertook under under- took to inform the soviet government government government govern govern- ment through Ambassador Hough Hough- Houghton ton at Berlin that the tho United States earnestly hoped the executions might not take place Pope Plus Pius requested that the prelates be lIberated liberated liberated lib lIb- lib lib- on the ground that they were his subjects awhile Premier of ot Poland Informed the soviet minister minIster minister min min- ister to Poland that the Polish gov government goy goy- condemned the courts court's ac ac ac- tion don The British government also let it be known that it was doing its Us best to 10 prevent the executions |