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RECENT EXPERIENCES AND 
 IMPRESSIONS IN RUSSIA 
 
 Extracts from Correspondence 
 and Addresses oi JoKn R. Mott, 
 Member ot tlie Special Diplomatic 
 Mission of tke United States to 
 Russia, May-August, 1917 
 
 Confidential — Not to be printed 
 
 124 EAST TWENTY-EIGHTH STREET 
 NEW YORK 
 S 
 
A.3So}14 
 
Letter From John R. Mott Regarding a Most 
 Urgent Need in Russia 
 
 U. S. S. BUFFALO, 
 Near Unimak Pass, Aleutian Islands, 
 
 July 30, 1917. 
 
 Russia has called to the cx)lors since the war began not less 
 than 13,200,000 men. This constitutes the largest army assembled 
 by any one nation in the history of the world. Of this vast number 
 it is estimated that fully 2,000,000 have already been killed or 
 have died as the result of wounds or diseases occasioned by the 
 war. Another 2,000,000 are today prisoners of war in Germany, 
 Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey. Another 2,000,000 may 
 be classified as permanently ineffective, chiefly those who have 
 been seriously mutilated in warfare or shattered by disease. This 
 leaves 7,200,000 men as comprising the total strength of the Rus- 
 sian army of today. Some authorities whom I consulted give a 
 somewhat lower figure, but more would place it even higher. 
 Of this army of today probably 2,100,000 are to be found in the 
 seventy corps on the European front and the five on the Asiatic 
 front ; 1,000,000 in the depots or reserves ; 1,000,000 in connection 
 with garrisons and communications — ^thus leaving a little over 
 3,000,000 in training, on leave or otherwise not immediately avail- 
 able for military operations, hi^t potentially a most important 
 asset. On this vast host of Russian men and boys rests the tre- 
 mendous responsibility of maintaining and pressing the war on 
 the long drawn out eastern front. The effectiveness and faith- 
 fulness with which they perform this critical duty will determine, 
 far more largely than we in America have realized, the extent 
 of the exertions and sacrifices, and the laying down of life and 
 substance, of the American people in connection with the great 
 struggle. Whatever can be done, therefore, to ensure and develop 
 the highest working efficiency and truly triumphant spirit of the 
 Russian soldiers has a most direct, practical, and vital bearing on 
 the destiny of America and the other Allies. As a member of 
 
the Special Diplomatic Mission to Russia which had been charged 
 by President Wilson with the responsibility of studying ways in 
 which America and Russia might best cooperate in the war, I 
 gavfe not a. little attention, in accordafite with the Wish of our 
 Chairman, Mr. Root, to the consideration of this large and press- 
 ing problem. 
 
 That there is imperative need of instituting measures for 
 rendering practical service to the millions of Russian men and 
 boys under arms or in uniform there can be no question in the 
 mind of any one who has first-hand knowledge of conditions. This 
 need existtd before the Russian Revolution. A similar need had 
 been recognized in all the bthei- Allied armies, and with greater 
 or less thoroughness was feeing met; but, notwithstanding the 
 most helpful activities of such agencies as the zemstvos unions, 
 there has been lacking in the Russian ariny from the begihiiihg an 
 agency to specialize oil the physical, rri'ental, social, and moral feet- 
 terment of the men as has beeii dohe iii so many of the other 
 countries by the Vourig Men's Christiaii Associatioh. The Rus- 
 sian Revolution has greatly accentuated the need. Ttoiti the na- 
 ture of thfe case the miiidis of multitudeis of Russian soldieirs have 
 bfeen rtior6 tor less afesorbed with the pttliticAl ahd s6cial issues 
 thrust upon them by the ReVol'tftion. MoreoVei", the Subtle, able 
 forces of German ihtrigue have taken advantage o'i these tinset- 
 tled conditions and have waged a really masterly propaganda 
 atnbhg large huttibers of the troops in the garrisons, in the Vtaln- 
 ihg cafhps, and, to a larger degree thatt iiiight be thought piosfeible, 
 at the front. As one studies these ti^oops wherever they are con- 
 grfegated throughout Russia or Siberia, at the front or at the base, 
 one is imjpressed by the vast numbers who either are not occupied 
 at all with activities related to the virar or ai-e dei^dtiilg them- 
 selves to aimless arid unpi"ofitable political discussion. The prac- 
 tical problem, stated in a sentence, is: Shall these millions of 
 young men and boys in garrisons, in feserve camps and at the 
 i&ghtihg front spenA the five or more leisure hbnt's Which they 
 have each day in idleness, in dissipatioin, and in unprofitable or 
 weakening agitation, or shall they devote these spare hotirs to 
 healthful physical and social recreatibn, growth in knowledge 
 and Working efficiency, and tthselfish service to their fellowmen? 
 This war has shown the supreme ifaiportance of morale. Napoleon 
 
went so far as to maintain that morale counts for an army as 
 three to one. How important it is that everything possible be 
 done during these coming months to improve the morale, to 
 strengthen the discipline, and to raise the spirit of our comrades in 
 Russia. 
 
 The marvelous success achieved by the Young Men's Chris- 
 tian Association in the British, Canadian, and Australasian armies 
 not only on the west front, but also in Egypt, Mesopotamia, Sa- 
 loniki, and on the Gallipoli Peninsula, in the wonderful French 
 army, as well as in the newly-forming American army^ has dem- 
 onstrated the adaptability of this organization for meeting the 
 situation in Russia. I am glad to state that even before 1 arrived 
 in Russia on this last visit some of our American Association 
 secretaries, who have long been at work there in the prisoner-of- 
 war camps, had become so impressed by the need and by the 
 urgency of the situation that they, without knowledge of each 
 other's action, had already inaugurated work among the Russian 
 soldiers at a number of points as widely separated as Petrograd 
 on the west, Tomsk and Irkutsk in Siberia, and Tashkend in 
 Turkestan. These efforts met with the instant and enthusiastic 
 approval of both soldiers and officers. To promote recreation 
 and the physical conditioning of the men, football, volley ball, 
 track athletics, relay races, and aquatics had been introduced. The 
 educational work included language schools, courses for other 
 useful studies, libraries, reading rooms, lectures, and moving pic- 
 ture shows. Wise use was being made of high-grade theatrical 
 plays. The musical features of the work were also most welcome. 
 The moral and religious life of the soldiers received sympathetic 
 and careful attention. Wherever possible, the men were being 
 enlisted in unselfish service among their fellows. As I studied 
 these experiments I asked myself, Why is not this woric repro- 
 ducible throughout the entire Russian army? 
 
 In order to ascertain whether the Russians would welcome 
 American cooperation through such an agency as the Associa- 
 tion, 1 had interviews with a number of persons. I discussed 
 the matter at length with Prince Lvov, the Premier, and found 
 him most intelligently sympathetic. Mr. Terestchenko, Minister 
 of Foreign Affairs, responded heartily to the suggestion. I had 
 but a few moments with the Minister of War and Marine, Mr. 
 
Kerensky, and arranged to go into the subject more fully with 
 him at his leisure, but he had not yet returned from the front 
 when I was obliged to start back to America. Other members of 
 the War Ministry, however, have indicated to us their hearty 
 approval. The Chief of the General Staff assured me that he 
 and his colleagues would welcome the help of this American 
 Association. With the assistance of Mr. Harte, our chief Asso- 
 ciation representative in Eastern Europe, many of the Soldiers' 
 Deputies, as well as other soldiers, were interviewed and brought 
 together in groups for consultation. They entered into the new 
 plans with the keenest interest and assured us of their earnest 
 cooperation. In view of such a uniformly favorable response 
 preliminary steps were taken before I left Russia to constitute a 
 National Committee to have general supervision of the extension 
 of the Association Movement throughout the Russian army. 
 Prince Kropotkin will probably serve as chairman. Other men 
 of large influence who command the full confidence of soldiers 
 and officers will be members. As the demand for this work was 
 so very urgent, I diverted from; the prisoner-of-war work in 
 Russia and Siberia ten of our best American secretaries, and 
 arranged for them to devote themselves to the work for the 
 Russian soldiers. A cablegram was sent to America asking that 
 certain other workers who had been in Russia and who were 
 more or less acquainted with the Russian language and Russian 
 conditions be dispatched to Russia as soon as possible to help 
 meet this unique opportunity. One of our most efficient secre- 
 taries in Siberia is bringing out a valuable booklet on Association 
 principles and methods for army work and it is now being 
 printed in Russian. Other pamphlets are also being planned, 
 including a manual for the guidance of those who are to engage 
 in this particular form of service. 
 
 All my investigations convinced me that the soldiers of Rus- 
 sia present to Americans possibly the largest single opportunity 
 among the countless doors for constructive service which have 
 been open to us during the war. Here is a field that stretches 
 one-third of the way around the world. It involves literally 
 millions of men and boys — as many as the Association is today 
 serving in the combined armies of Britain, Canada, America, and 
 France. It is wide open to our friendly approach. It is a most 
 
responsive field. At many points the Russian army reminded 
 me quite as much of older boys as of mature men, and these hosts 
 of boys, and the men too for that matter, can be led anywhere 
 by workers of warm hearts, wise heads, and an unselfish spirit. 
 They are most responsive to kindness. Very many of them are 
 eager for self-development, are truly idealistic, and possess a 
 genuinely religious nature. It is not an optional matter whether 
 we of America shall enter this wide and effectual door; it is 
 obligatory that we do so. By this I mean that it is a clear duty 
 because a need known and ability to meet that need con- 
 stitute a dear call of duty. To deal in any worthy or adequate 
 way with this boundless opportunity means that we must send 
 over to Russia as soon as possible htmdreds of the best qualified 
 workers whom we can find. The difficulties and temptations 
 which await these workers are so subtle and serious that we 
 should send only men of established character, of rich experience, 
 and of tmdiscourageable enthusiasm. It may be found wise and 
 practicable to establish a language school where all of these work- 
 ers can spend at least a short period on arriving in Russia, al- 
 though a man should begin his study of the Russian language 
 the day he decides to enter this field. For every American 
 secretary there should be at least ten Russian workers. 
 
 It would be difficult to over-state the urgency of this extraor- 
 dinary situation. The late autumn and the winter months will 
 constitute the most critical testing period. If these men can be 
 afforded pleasant and profitable occupation during this trying 
 time it will ensure conservation of probably the greatest single 
 asset of the Allied cause; whereas, if through the influence of 
 counter-revolutionary forces, of German intrigue, and of disinte- 
 grating habits of dissipation and idleness, the great Russian army 
 should be permitted to dissolve or be riven with seams of weak- 
 ness, the most disastrous consequences will follow. Just now 
 America, as no other nation, holds the key to the situation. Her 
 prompt recognition of the Revolutionary Government and her 
 genuine and expressed desire to do anything in her power to 
 help Russia, make the Russian people peculiarly hospitable to 
 American ideas and workers. It is well for us to keep reminding 
 ourselves that the Russians have long been fighting our battles for 
 us, and this at a terrific cost. Anything which we find it possible 
 
to do in the way oi giving money and men to extend a great, prac- 
 tical, unselfish ministry of this kind, we should promptly do. Such 
 a service on our part during the critical months which lie di- 
 rectly before us, together with the unobtrusive, truly Christ-like 
 work which our secretaries have accomplished during the last 
 two years among the millions of Russian prisoners in the Mid- 
 dle Countries, will accomplish more than all other influences 
 combined to open the door for the sending forth of similar 
 influences during the years following the war — ^years in which the 
 plastic New Russia may be so profoundly and so permanently 
 influenced. 
 
 S, 
 
Speech by Jphn R. Mott at a Pljiner Givpn 
 
 by Mr. Emanuel Nobel at His Home 
 
 in Petrograd, June 31, 1917 
 
 Mr. Nolsel, and Gentlemen: After the felicitous words of 
 our honored and beloved Ambassador, Mr. Francis, it is not 
 necessary that I should reiterate the expression of deepest grati- 
 tude of my associates and myself for the gracious and generous 
 hospitality of our host. We esteem it a great honor and privilege 
 to meet in the home of one who is associated in our thou^ts with 
 so many valuable and constructive services for mankind, and also 
 to h^ve fellowship this evening with this particular group of men 
 of wide outlook and of responsiveness to the highest purposes 
 which move nien. It is an added source of satisfaction to those 
 of us who belong to the Special Mission, sent by President Wil- 
 son to Russia, to find here tonight the members of the Council 
 of the Miyak Society. One of the purposes of our Mission, as 
 emphasized by President Wilson, is that we shall study ways in 
 which Russia and America can best cooperate. The Miyak and 
 its work constitute one of the finest illustrations of unselfish 
 cooperajioij between large-minded and large-hearted citizens of 
 these two great nations. It has been an inspiring sight through 
 all the recent years to observe hpw in this organization the 
 streams of benevolence, of experience, of idealism, and of practi- 
 cal working efficiency of the two nationalities have blended to 
 the mutual helpfulness of both peoples. Thus while we of the 
 Special Mission from America are studying and discussing the 
 subject of cooperation between the two peoples, you of this benef- 
 icent society, both the members of your Council and your able 
 secretaries as welj as your unfailing supporters here and in 
 America, are actually exeniplifying a splendid cooperation. 
 
 Although tjiis is my fourth visit to Russia, it is the first 
 time that I haye had the opportunity to travel throughout the 
 vast breadth of the country as it stretches from ocean to ocean. 
 
As I have journeyed from Vladivostok to Petrograd and as I 
 have considered more thorotighly than ever before the needs 
 and possibilities of the great cities of Russia, I have been asking 
 myself day by day : Why should there not be a chain of Miyaks 
 bringing the helpful ministries of this Society to the young men 
 and boys of all the principal Russian cities? My study of the 
 valuable and constructive work accomplished by the Miyak in 
 Petrograd has convinced me that what you have been doing here 
 is reproducible, and the question may well be raised whether the 
 time is not at hand when this helpful agency should be trans- 
 planted gradually, yet as rapidly as practicable, first to Moscow 
 and then to other leading centers of population. 
 
 We are living in the most eventful and critical moment in 
 the life of Russia. It is a time of upheaval and readjustment to 
 be followed in the near future by a period of significant recon- 
 struction. At such a moment it is fitting that we re-examine 
 the foimdations of greatness in the life of a nation. What is it 
 that makes a nation truly great? Not the extent of its territory 
 or dominions ; not the size of its population ; not the number of 
 its millionaires; not the strength and output of its industrial 
 establishment — ^none of these constitutes the real source of great- 
 ness in a nation. Moreover, education by itself, in the common 
 acceptation of the term, cannot ensure true national greatness. 
 We all know that one of the best educated nations in the world, 
 if not the best, is possibly the most dangerous nation. Education 
 simply sharpens the weapons and makes one more skillful in their 
 use — ^but uses them for what and against what? It was said of 
 the brilliant Lorenzo de' Medici that "he was cultured yet cor- 
 rupt, wise yet cruel, spending the morning writing a sonnet in 
 praise of virtue and spending the night in vice." I care not how 
 well educated a man may me, if he has low ideals, a corrupt heart 
 and an ungovemed will, he is a menace to society and a seam 
 of weakness in the life of the nation. What then makes a nation 
 truly great ? The ideals, the character, and the spirit of a people ; 
 and history shows that ideals cannot be placed and held at their 
 highest, that character cannot be made symmetrical and strong, 
 and that the spirit cannot be made free and triumphant apart from 
 the help of true religion. Therefore, the work of a society like 
 the Miyak, which corresponds to the Young Men's Christian 
 
 10 
 
Association of America and other lands, is striking at the heart of 
 the most critical problems in the life of the nation. What could 
 be more important than to make sure that such agencies are se- 
 curely planted, ably led and generously supported in all of the 
 principal cities of Russia? 
 
 There is another field in Russia for the work of the Young 
 Men's Christian Association which presents an even more urgent 
 appeal at this present hour and that is the millions of Russian 
 young men in the army and navy. The war has reached its most 
 critical stage. The young men in the training camps, in the 
 reserve camps, and in the trenches, and likewise on the war vessels 
 and at the naval stations, will determine more than any other 
 one factor the outcome. How desirable it is that everything pos- 
 sible be done to preserve among them a high morale, efficient ac- 
 tion, and a conquering spirit. The experience in the other great 
 armies of the Allies has shown conclusively that the work of 
 these Associations has accomplished wonders in ensuring these 
 highly desirable and essential results. Such work has spread 
 in the British army until now it is conducted at two thousand 
 different points. Since the war began they have expended in 
 support of such Associations nearly four million pounds. Thou- 
 sands of efficient secretaries and tens of thousands of unselfish 
 volunteer workers are busily engaged in bringing this helpful 
 ministry to their five millions of soldiers. It has been introduced 
 with like success into the brilliant French army, that army which 
 has made such a remarkable record in this war. At hundreds of 
 points in the garrison cities, in the reserve camps, and now quite 
 near the fighting lines, they have established these Associations, 
 known as Foyers du Soldat. Since coming to Petrograd I have 
 received a cablegram from France asking us to secure and 
 send to them five hundred Americans, to enable them to extend 
 this society more widely and rapiidly throughout the entire 
 French army. Recently also the Italian Government has per- 
 mitted the Association to begin similar work among their 
 soldiers. A remarkable sendee has been accomplished by 
 this society in that army which has had to endure so much 
 suffering and strain, the one in Mesopotamia. The day that 
 America decided to enter the war a telegram was sent to Presi- 
 dent Wilson placing at the disposal of the American Government 
 
 11 
 
the organization of the Young Men's Christian Association. He 
 accepted the offer with most hearty appreciation and has done 
 everything in his power to facilitate the work. He has issued 
 a special Executive Order calling upon the officers in the Ameri- 
 can army to give the Association every practical facility for its 
 work. During the past few weeks the Association has called upon 
 and received from the American people, rich and poof, for the 
 support of this work in the American army for the first year over 
 four million dollars. 
 
 We have been glad to learn that at several points in differient 
 parts of Russia within the last few weeks sifnilar work has been 
 organized for the Russian soldiers. Is this not a most Opportune 
 time to spread these agencies for the physical, mentfll, and moral 
 bettermefit of the soldiers among all parts of the greait Russian 
 army and into the navy as well ? I do not fear for soldiers when 
 they are fighting or when they are drilling. The time Concettiing 
 which I have anxiety is their leisure hours. Every soldier has a 
 number of spare hours each day. Shall these hours be spent in 
 idleness, in dissipation, and in unprofitable agitation ; of shall they 
 be spent in helpful recreation, in growth in knowledge and mental 
 efficiencyj in strengthening of character, and in unselfish service 
 among one's fellows? The Young Men's Christian Association 
 has shown itself able to answer this vital question in the right 
 way. Therefore, it has the unqualified endorsement of the gen- 
 erals and admirals of the armies and navies of the various Allied 
 countries where it has been introduced. We bespeak for this or- 
 ganization the hearty approval and cooperation of the discerning 
 leaders of Russia and, in particular, of the officers, soldiers, and 
 sailors. Let me in closing express on behalf of the American peo- 
 ple our desire to cooperate with our friends in Russia in every 
 way in our power to facilitate the development of this helpful 
 movement among your soldiers and sailors and likewise among 
 other classes of your young men. We in America feel that during 
 the last three years you have indeed been fighting our battles for 
 us. You have paid tremendous prices which we can never ade- 
 quately repay. Anjrthing, therefore, which we can possibly do to 
 strengthen your hands at this momentous hour, when with us and 
 the other Allies you press on to achieve the full purpose of the 
 war, we will gladly do.- 
 
 U 
 
Letter from Major-General H. L. Scott to 
 John R. Mott 
 
 Washington, D. C, August 10, 1917. 
 Dear Dr. Mott : 
 
 I hope you will push the plan of spreading the work of the 
 Young Men's Christian Association throughout the Russian 
 Army. Get the .facts before the President. This is a matter 
 in which our Government should cooperate at once. It will also 
 appeal strongly to men and women of means in America. 
 
 For years I have been intimately acquainted with the good, 
 practical work done by the Young Men's Christian Association in 
 the American Army and Navy. I have seen its helpful activities 
 in the Philippines, in Cuba, on our Mexican Border, and else- 
 where. We could not have done without it. It has been managed 
 in such a broadminded and wise way that it has been well re- 
 ceived by officers and enlisted men whose views on other ques- 
 tions have differed materially. I have just seen much of the 
 Russian Army on the Geranan, Austrian, and Roumanian fronts, 
 and also in many garrison towns of Russia and Siberia, and 
 am convinced that the Association work should be immediately 
 organized in this great army in order to ensure the contentment 
 and efficiency of the men, to raise their morale, and to help 
 counteract the intriguing propaganda which is doing so much to 
 unsettle them. 
 
 The Roumanian situation must not be forgotten. It is of 
 tremendous importance. I hear good reports about your work 
 in the French Army. I am not surprised that General Pershing 
 wishes to have it rapidly extended. 
 
 I need not emphasize the importance of your choosing the 
 best qualified men to take charge of this work in the armies of 
 our Allies. They could render no greater service to our country 
 and our cause, even from a military point of view, than to help 
 build up and save the power of these millions of men on whom 
 
 13 
 
the great strain comes. Such a work requires the best men you 
 can find. 
 
 Sincerely yours, 
 
 H. U SCOTT, 
 Chief of Staff of the United States Army. 
 
 Dr. John R. Mott, 
 
 124 East 28th Street, 
 New York City. 
 
 M 
 
Letter from John R. Mott Regarding Recent 
 Religious Developments in Russia 
 
 U. S. S. BUFFALO, 
 Okhotsk Sea, July 24, 1917. 
 
 As you know. President Wilson early in May appointed a 
 Special Diplomatic Mission to Russia consisting of nine men: 
 Elihu Root, as Chairman, Major General Hugh L. Scott, Rear 
 Admiral James H. Glennon, Charles R. Crane, Cyrus H. Mc- 
 Cormick, Samuel R. Bertron, James Duncan, Charles Edward 
 Russell, and myself. In his instructions the President charged us 
 with two principal duties — to convey to the Government and peo- 
 ple of Russia the expression of the sympathy and good will of the 
 American Government and people ; and to consider ways in which 
 the two governments can best cooperate in the work of achieving 
 the objects of the war. We left Washington on May 15 and 
 reached Petrograd on June 13. After spending four weeks in 
 most intense and profitable work, we have accomplished the main 
 purpose of our Mission, and are now on our way home. Not until 
 we have rendered our official report to the President can we 
 speak of the political and diplomatic aspects of our work. There 
 are, however, certain impressions and experiences on which we 
 are free to comment. It has occurred to me that you might be 
 interested in my observations and contacts in connection with the 
 Church while in Russia. 
 
 The attention of the world has been so much absorbed with 
 the political and social revolution in Russia that comparatively 
 little has been said regarding what is in some respects equally re- 
 markable — the wonderful religious changes now in progress in 
 that country, especially in relation to the Russian Orthodox 
 Church. The High Procurator of the Holy Sjmod told me just 
 before I left Russia that greater and more significant changes 
 had been effected in the Church during the preceding month than 
 in the past two hundred years. He insisted, and the facts would 
 seem to support him, that these changes have amounted to nothing 
 
 IS 
 
less than a revolution. In the first place, religious tolerance has 
 at last been achieved in Russia. All religions now stand on an 
 equality. Men everywhere are free to worship God according to 
 their own convictions and -forms. iThcy are also at liberty to 
 organize their own religious associations, and to cot^ct their 
 work without restriction. Even the Jews now have equal rights 
 before the law and an end has come to the long tragedy of perse- 
 cutions, humiliations, and massacres. The attitude of any Chris- 
 tian nation toward the Jews is among the most searching tests of 
 the character of its freedom. Many other sects for generations 
 most severely oppressed have come out into the larger life and 
 liberty. 
 
 The Russian Orthodox Church is undergoing a complete 
 reorganization. The process may best be defined as a democrati- 
 zation of the Church. There has come a complete break with 
 the oild bureaucratic regime. The power of the Church is being 
 decentralized. Its provincial government will be rapidly devel^ 
 oped. Parish, district, and diocesan councils and committees are 
 being formed or reconstituted, and have been given the freedom 
 and authority necessary to ensure the best life of the Church. The 
 democratic principle has been applied to the election of many 
 of the clergy. Already twelve bishops have been elected by popu- 
 lar vote, including those of Petrograd and Moscow. A plan is 
 being perfected by which the Holy Synod will be dected by the 
 Church itself, through a properly constituted national assembly 
 or council. 
 
 The various extraordinary changes which are taking place 
 so rapidly in the outer organization and administration of the 
 Church are but a reflection of an equally striking internal refor- 
 mation. The Russian Church undoubtedly sank to its lowest 
 level of life and influence during the last year, in connection with 
 the shocking and almost unbelievable Rasputin scandal. With 
 the shaking off of the old servitude, which has come with the 
 grea:t Revolution, the Russian Church has broken out into new 
 life. Questionable practices have been abandoned, old corrup- 
 tions have been cast aside, and the work of purification is ad- 
 vancing apace. A special commission is at work on purifying 
 the life of the seminaries. In many quarters one finds refreshing 
 signs of spiritual quickening. 
 
 16 
 
One of the most hopeful developments is that in the direction 
 of increasing the working effieiency of the Church. The Qf^t 
 Sobor, or Council, held in Moscow in the month of Jjwie, devotie4 
 itself throughout the entire ten days to this task. It acconaplished 
 a solid constructive work in the direction of improviipg the parish 
 life of the .churches, in defining new relations which should exi§t 
 between the Church and the State, in detefmining wise plajjis for 
 the development of parish schools, in calUing out more largely the 
 latent lay forces, and above all, in devising ways and means of 
 improving the work of the clergy. 
 
 A strong and representative commission is M work revising 
 the curriculum of the ecclesiastical academies and seminaries. 
 Measures are being taken also to transform certain of the monas- 
 teries, which had passed into a stage of decline and lifelessness, 
 into institutions for scholastic research, and for the uplifting of 
 the life of the Church tjirough carrying to the people the Gospel 
 by word and by print. That all these progressive movements 
 and tendencies may be strengthened and carried forward to full 
 fruition, it has been decided that there shall be held, beginning 
 late in August, in the city of Moscow, an Extraordinary Council 
 of the Russian Church. A Preparation Committee, composed of 
 the Holy Synod and some forty of the other most influential 
 leaders of the Church, is at work perfecting the plans for this 
 gathering,' and will continue its labors until the Council assembles. 
 
 Another sign of large encouragement is the movement in the 
 direction of closer Christian fellowship and unity among the dif- 
 ferent Christian bodies in Russia. It has been decided to invite 
 to the great Council, so soon to assemble, representatives of the 
 Old Believers, the principal dissenting sect in Russia-^ sect num- 
 bering over twelve millions of members which has been bitterly 
 persecuted for over two hundred years — ^and the invitation has 
 been accepted. Negotiations of peculiar interest and significance 
 have been entered into between the ecclesiastics of the Orthodox 
 and Roman Catholic Communions. As a result, it is probable 
 that the latter body will hold a Church Council or Assembly at 
 the time that the gfeat Council of the Orlihodox Church is in 
 session. Attention should also be called to the multiplying sym- 
 pathetic points of contact between Protestant Christians and the 
 Russian Church. An illustration is that of my own experience 
 
 It 
 
while in Russia. I will enlarge upon this because it will serve to 
 enforce what has been said regarding the striking change which 
 has come over the religious situation in Russia. 
 
 Within a few days after we reached Russia, I was invited, 
 along with my associate, Mr. Crane, to attend the Great Sobor 
 of the Russian Orthodox Church then in session in Moscow. 
 By Sobor is meant what would be called in the Presbyterian 
 Church at home a General Assembly, or in the Episcopal 
 Church a General Convention, or in the Methodist Church 
 a General Conference. These are poor analogies, because this 
 Sobor is one of tmique importance, being the first representative 
 national gathering held by the Russian Church in a period of 
 over two hundred years — ^that is, since 1683. It was attended by 
 1,072 official delegates, each one htmdred parishes being entitled 
 to send as representatives two priests and two laymen. In addi- 
 tion to the delegates sent by the parishes, the Holy Synod had 
 appointed as delegates several leading bishops. Every part of 
 Russia was represented. During the ten days that the Sobor was 
 in session part of the time was devoted to sectional meetings and 
 the rest to plenary meetings. The recommendations of the sec- 
 tional gaJtherings were presented to the main sessions, where they 
 were discussed and adopted. Archbishop Platon, formerly at the 
 head of the Russian Church in America, invited me to give a 
 formal address before the Sobor. As good fortune would have 
 it, I found among the delegates Father Alexandrof, the Russian 
 priest at San Francisco, who speaks English very well. We had 
 met before, having attended together one of our Association con- 
 ventions in America. He proved an ideal interpreter. I spoke for 
 an hour, bringing first a message of gratitude from America to the 
 Russian Christians ; secondly, a message of solicitude and caution 
 to the Russian Church in this critical hour in the life of the 
 nation ; and thirdly, a message of hope or reassurance. My ad- 
 dress was received throughout with most evident sympathy and 
 enthusiasm. At least a score of times during the address the en- 
 tire audience arose, this being a sign of most signal approval. 
 It was a striking fact that these manifestations came in connec- 
 tion with the most significant and vital points. At the end of 
 the address the delegates rose instantly and joined in one of their 
 church hymns, calling upon the Holy Spirit to come upon us. 
 
 18 
 
They followed this with the famous Russian song, "Many Years," 
 and this was succeeded by another spiritual hymn. Then came 
 four speeches in response to the message and in appreciation of 
 the fact that Mr. Crane and I had come to them as the repre- 
 sentatives of President Wilson and of the American people. The 
 first of these speeches was made by the president of the Sobor, 
 a distinguished professor of Moscow University. The next speech 
 was by Bishop Andrew of Ufa, speaking on behalf of the Bish- 
 ops. He was followed by Prince Troubetskoy, who is likewise a 
 professor in the University. The last address of thanks was 
 made by the High Procurator of the Holy Synod. In no gather- 
 ing of Protestant Christians, or those of any other communion, 
 have I ever been received more whole-heartedly. 
 
 A few days later, on my return to Petrograd, another oppor- 
 tunity presented itself — one which seems almost incredible. I was 
 invited by the High Procurator to give an address before the 
 Holy Synod and other leaders of the Russian Church, who had 
 assembled to lay plans for the Extraordinary Council of the 
 Church to be held at the end of August. I began by congratulating 
 the leaders of the Russian Church on its achievements throughout 
 the centuries, giving in outline the principal results accomplished. 
 Then I congratulated them on the present opportunities before 
 the Church in Russia and beyond its borders, and likewise upon 
 the grave diffiiculties which beset the Church in this time 
 of upheaval and change, reminding them of the value of 
 difficulties in calling out our latent energies and in deep- 
 ening our acquaintance with God. After that I congrat- 
 ulated them on the future, showing them why the best 
 days of the Russian Church lie in the years just before 
 us. The next heading of my address dealt with the eight 
 most distinctive contributions which American Christian- 
 ity has made to the common Christianity of the world. One 
 had in view in such a presentation the bringing of influence to 
 bear indirectly on the Russian Church itself, because the strong 
 points in the religious life of America are among the very aspects 
 of the Russian Church which most need to receive constructive 
 attention. These outstanding leaders of the Christian forces of 
 the country listened with unmistakable sympathy, and when I 
 had finished, the President, Archbishop Platon, also the High 
 
 19 
 
Procurator and otJjiers e^cpressed their sincere appreciation. I 
 was assyped by tfiose present ttot, so far as the Cbwrch is con- 
 cerned, the way is now open m Russia for our AsaociatioB Mov«^ 
 ment. While I was present with the Holy 5ynod two si^ijSjcant 
 steps were taimn- U w*s voted to hojd in Moscow, heginmng 
 aboyit the end of AwgMst, the Extraordinary Council of the Rus- 
 sian Church, to which I have already referred. They also agreied 
 unanimously tjjat one of the objects of the Council is to facili- 
 tate the union of the Orthodox Church and the Old Believers. 
 A delegate from the latter body who was present responded in 
 the finest spirit to the overtures of the Orthodox Church. When 
 one thinks of the terrible persecutions which the Old Believers 
 have suffered at the hands of the State Church, the drawing to- 
 gether of these great communions se^s indeed wonderful. It 
 will interest you to know that the meeting on this day was held 
 in the honie of Pobiedonostzey, the former, famous, most able, 
 and much feared High Procurator of the H[oly Synod. When 
 I reflected on the reactionary, relentless, and cruel way in whi^ 
 he administered the affairs of the Church, I found it difficult to 
 realize that I had actually been accorded such an opportunity, and 
 that I had lived to see the day of so great transformation. 
 
 With Mr. Crane I returned to Moscow to witness on July 4 
 a significant event — the election of the new Metropolitan. We 
 first saw the procession of ecclesiastics and delegates march to 
 the Cathedral of Our Saviour where the election and the accom- 
 panying ceremonies were to take place. It was an impressive 
 sight to witness this picturesque company bearing various sacred 
 ikons and other insignia of the Church, and also the surging 
 crowds of peasants and towns-folk lining the streets and following 
 the procession. Only the eight hundred delegates and the offi- 
 ciating church leaders were admitted to the floor of the Cathedral. 
 Everybody else had to stand in the galleries and it was not ?asy 
 to obtain tickets even for this privilege. On our arrival the day 
 before, the members of the Sobor had voted unanimously to admit 
 Mr. Crane and myself to the floor, because they regarded us as 
 special ambassadors from the Christians of America. They, 
 therefore, gave us a place of honor on the platform befoi'e the 
 ikonostas. The eight hundred delegates included men in every 
 walk of life from princes to peasants. They constituted one of 
 
 20 
 
ikt most fascinating sights which I have witnessed in any gath^ 
 ering. First came the regular ritual service of the Russian Orthor 
 dox Church, closing with the Holy Communion. The Archr 
 bishop of Yaroslav officiated, and several bishops and other 
 church dignitaries assisted. The service, which lasted nearly 
 three hours, was conducted with great solemnity and reverence 
 and with evident depth of feeling. In this respect I know of 
 no body of Christians who surpass the Russians. On this day 
 the singing was largely congregational. Over one-third of the 
 time was spent in singing responses, chants, psalms, and hymns. 
 It would be impossible to describe die effect of the united wor- 
 ship and praise of these hundreds of devout Christians. After 
 the formal service was finished, the delegates proceeded at once 
 to the election of the Metropolitan. This was conducted in the 
 body of the church, and continued for several hours. It was a 
 most orderly proceeding. There were four different ballot boxes 
 to facilitate the casting of the votes. In the presence of the 
 delegates and the crowds in the galleries the votes were counted. 
 There were four or five candidates, the two highest in the list 
 being Archbishop Tikhon, who received 481 votes, and a promi- 
 nent layman, Mr. Sama-rin, who received 303. Archbishop Tik- 
 hon, the successful candidate, was for several years Bishop of the 
 Russian Church in America, and before he left there became its 
 first Archbishop. He is a man of the finest character, and his 
 election met with general approval, although the principal rival 
 candidate had a strong following. After the vote was announced 
 by the officers of the election, the Bishops gave careful consid- 
 eration to the result, and then came forward and endorsed the 
 choice of the delegates. The whole company joined in the sing- 
 ing of the Te Dernn. This was followed by the singing of 
 "Many Years" for the newly elected Metropolitan. 
 
 Between the church service and the election Mr. Crane and 
 I were summoned to go behind the altar, and while there Arch- 
 priest Lubimoff of Moscow presented each of us with a sacred 
 ikon, in view of the service which we had rendered Russia, and 
 in recognition of our relation to the Christian Movement 
 throughout the world. The ikon presented to me is one repre- 
 senting our Lord and was taken from the ikonostas of the Us- 
 pensky Cathedral, where it had been for centuries. It is one of 
 
 21 
 
the fourteenth century, and they told me it is priceless. You will 
 recall this cathedral as one of the oldest in Russia, and the one 
 in which the Czars were crowned. In presenting me the ikon, 
 the Archpriest quite clearly referred to the fact Oi my being 
 a Protestant, but said that they recognized my oneness with them 
 in our belief in the one Divine Saviour. He also referred to the 
 service which we have rendered during the war to the more than 
 two million Russian prisoners in Germany and Austria-Hungary. 
 He has a son, a graduate of Moscow University, who is in one 
 of these prisoner-of-war camps in Germany. He told me that 
 this son had written him repeatedly about the helpfulness of 
 our Association, and that while in it he had learned the English 
 language. I told him that we would arrange to have sent to 
 his son from Copenhagen every two wedcs a parcel of food. 
 This moved the old man to tears. 
 
 Sunday, July 1, was also a notable day in the relations be- 
 tween the Russian Orthodox Church and American Protestant 
 Christianity. Largely as a result of the intercourse we had had 
 with the leaders of the Russian Church in the Sobor at Moscow, 
 and in the meeting with the Holy Sjmod, some of the Russian 
 ecclesiastics expressed their desire to have a special service con- 
 ducted in one of their principal churches in recognition of the 
 presence and help of the American Mission. The Kasan Ca- 
 thedral on Nevski Prospekt in Petrograd was selected as a 
 most desirable place for the purpose. The service lasted from 
 ten o'clock until about one. The saintly and noble Archbishop 
 Platon, who did such wonderful work for the cause of Christ in 
 America, officiated at the service and celebrated Holy Com- 
 munion. The majority of the members of our Mission attended, 
 also members of the Railroad Commission of which Mr. Stevens 
 is Chairman, the American Ambassador and his staff, and several 
 other Americans. We were given a prominent place to stand 
 on the platform facing the choir. As the service advanced the 
 attendance grew, until people were standing in all parts of the 
 great enclosure and were massed in large numbers at the front. 
 Many bishops, priests, archpriests, and deacons participated in 
 the elaborate ritual, which I have never seen conducted more 
 impressively than it was on this occasion. The choir sang not 
 only the customary responses, but also a number of deeply mov- 
 
 22 
 
ing selections. A most unusual circumstance was the fact that 
 Archbishop Platon, while celebrating the Holy Communion did 
 so in part in the English language. Moreover, about the middle 
 of the service, Father Alexandrof, of San Francisco, who had 
 been my interpreter at the important religious gatherings, read 
 in English the gospel lesson for the day, and preached in Eng- 
 lish an effective sermon on the Good Samaritan. He called 
 attention to the timeliness and great significance of the fact that 
 America had come to them in this most critical moment in the 
 history of Russia, and begged America indeed not to "pass by 
 on the other side" Russia in her hour of need, but to be to her 
 a good Samaritan. He said: "The Russian people know how 
 to be grateful ; they will never forget America's kindness." 
 
 As the service came towards its climax a most tmusual 
 thing took place. One of the priests came to the Americans and 
 invited them to go behind the ikonostas, where we observed the 
 Archbishop administer the Holy Communion in both kinds to 
 the bishops and priests who were present. Then some of our 
 number were called forward and the Archbishop administered 
 the Holy Communion to each of us. He also presented to each 
 one of us a little loaf of the sacred, or blessed, bread. We then 
 returned to the place where we had stood throughout the early 
 part of the service. The closing moments were more over- 
 powering than ever in impressiveness. Possibly the most moving 
 part was when the vast audience broke out and sang together 
 in perfect unison and with de^ feeling the Lord's Prayer. There 
 followed a period of intercession, led by one of the priests, 
 when they prayed for the army, for the President and people 
 of the United States, for the Allies, for all the Americans present, 
 for the Russian prisoners of war, for the Provisional Govern- 
 ment, and for other objects of special concern. At the end of 
 the service the Archbishop came from the altar behind the 
 ikonostas and, standing at the chancel where the vast audience 
 stood as close to him as possible, he preached to them a mar- 
 velous sermon. I was told, by one who understands the Russian 
 language, that it was a model of pastoral eloquence. A large 
 section of his sermon was devoted to telling the people about 
 the Christians in America. He characterized, with aptness, what 
 they have in common with the Russian Christians. He frankly 
 
 23 
 
admitted the differences, but insisted that they were minor in 
 contrast with the vital, essential points which unite us all. He 
 ended by an appeal for Christian unity. Then there came a 
 special prayer for the unity of all beUevers in accord with the 
 prayer of our Lord. 
 
 Another opportunity of unique importance was that which 
 came to me through an invitation to meet with the Commission 
 appointed by the Holy Synod to Revise the Curriculum of the 
 Ecclesiastical Academies and Seminaries. Among their number 
 were leading professors and teachers of the institutions con- 
 cerned, as well as of the universities, together with other educa- 
 tional authorities. I was asked not only to participate in the 
 discussion but to give an address. It afforded me opportunity 
 to point out recent developments and modem tendencies in theo- 
 logical education in America and Europe. Among the principal 
 points which I developed, and which apparently had special and 
 timely application to the needs in Russia were : The advantages 
 of closer association of theological students and those of other 
 faculties and callings; the desirability of extending the theo- 
 logical course or at least of making suitable provision for ad- 
 vanced studies ; the combination, in proper proportions and with 
 the wisest guidance, of practical experience in Christian service 
 with the regular scholastic work; the giving of larger attention 
 to those studies which prepare the future leaders of the Church 
 to bring to bear the Christian Gospel on the social problems of 
 our time ; the preparation of church leaders for meeting the 
 unparalleled missionary opportunity and responsibility of this 
 generation ; the furnishing of an apologetic calculated to enable 
 the clergy to command the intellectual confidence and following 
 of thoughtful unbelievers; the holding in true pronjinence of 
 those studies and exercises which ensure vital Christian experi- 
 ence and true growtih in spiritual apprehension and power. In 
 the light of my study of the needs and requirements of the Rus- 
 sian priesthood, it would be difficult to Indicate which of these 
 points could wisely be omitted, or which of them needs chief 
 emphasis. Considering the present political, social, economic, 
 and religious problems of Russia, I would say without hesitation 
 that by far the most critical is that which has to do with ensuring 
 an able leadership of the Christian forces of the nation. 
 
 24 
 
Much time was devoted to unhurried interviews with the 
 recognized leaders of the Russian Church — ^metropolitans, arch- 
 bishops, bishops, and clergymen, as well as professors, editors, 
 and other intelligent and sympathetic laymen. I had eight ex- 
 tended visits of from two to five hours each with the High 
 Procurator of the Holy Synod. He has proved to be the man 
 for this difficult hour. He has the requisite background in 
 knowledge of the Russian Chtirch-^its history, institutions, ana 
 genius. He has a vivid realization of the Church's recent lapses 
 and present needs. He possesses th* singleness of eye, the un- 
 selfish motive, the dauntless courage, the indifference to obstacles, 
 and the dogged perseverance so necessary for dealing properly 
 with the present large and difficult situation. It remains to be 
 seen wh€ther his constructive capacity is equal to the demands 
 of this momentous year. I was encouraged by his open-minded- 
 ness and evident willingness and eagerness to receive advice. 
 I discussed with him with the greatest fullness and particularity 
 his plans and problems, and he repeatedly expressed his desire 
 that I continue to keep in close touch with him. Here is a man 
 who should be supported by the intercession of all well-wishers 
 of the new Russia, for no one is in a position to do more to 
 influence its destiny. 
 
 My relation to the religious life of Russia was not confined 
 to my contacts with the Orthodox Church. I sought and im- 
 proved opportunities to come into helpful touch with other 
 religious bodies and movements. Never shall I forget the long 
 evening spent with the Archbishop and the group of principal 
 bishops of the largest dissenting sect-^-the Old Believers, who, 
 as already stated, number not less than twelve millions. This 
 meeting was held in the simply furnished little log house of the 
 Archbishop on the outskirts of Moscow. We gathered in a 
 quiet room around one flickering candle, and talked late into the 
 night about the characteristics, persecutions, present-day prob- 
 lems and aspirations of this body of Christians who, by every 
 test, have so well earned the right to be counted among Christ's 
 true followers. These humble leaders showed their genuine 
 gratitude and affection in a way that left a deep impression upon 
 Mr. Crane and myself by bringing together on the following day 
 from many of their churches their best singers and with this 
 
 25 
 
massed choir they had sung for us, with the unison and wonder- 
 ful depth of religious fervor which characterize the singing of 
 this sect, some fifteen of their most remarkable religious hymns, 
 chants, and prayers. 
 
 I met with the representatives of other Russian sects as I 
 had opportunity. I also had most profitable conferences with 
 representatives of the Protestant forces in Russia, notably with 
 Dr. Keen of the British and Foreign Bible Society and with Dr. 
 Simons of the Methodist Episcopal Church, both of whom are 
 conducting their work with great wisdom and evident accept- 
 ance. Memorable interviews were also had with the most dis- 
 tinguished and best trusted leaders of the seven millions of Rus- 
 sian and Polish Jews, which enabled me to penetrate more deeply 
 than ever before into the heart of their problems. I am glad to 
 believe that the Russian Revolution has at last ushered in a day 
 of hope for these long-persecuted people. My conference with 
 the Roman Catholic Bishop and with other representatives of 
 that communion was likewise very satisfactory. One of the most 
 memorable meetings which I had was with this Bishop and the 
 High Procurator of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church. 
 At the beginning of our conference I said : "Here we are, repre- 
 sentatives of the three great Christian communions, Protestant, 
 Roman Catholic, and Russian Orthodox. We have one Christ 
 and one enemy. Though we differ on not a few points which 
 each of us regards as vital, that which would unite us is so much 
 more important that we should never cease to work and to pray 
 that we may some day enter into the full unity which our Lord 
 has had in view for all His disciples." They both responded 
 with manifest sjmipathy to these words. We did not find it 
 difficult, in the shadow of the tragedy of the great war and its 
 overpowering sufferings, to find much ground for common action. 
 
 26 
 
Address of John R. Mott, at the Great Sobor 
 
 of the Russian Orthodox Church, 
 
 Moscow, June 19, 1917 
 
 Mr. President, and Members of the Great Sobor : My friend, 
 Mr. Crane, and I have been profoundly touched by your whole- 
 souled welcome. We appreciate most sincerely the high honor 
 you have conferred upon us in granting us the rare privilege of 
 coming among you and of participating in your significant 
 assembly. We come in the name of the President and people of 
 the United States of America. President Wilson in appointing 
 a Special Mission to Russia consisting of our seven associates 
 and ourselves and having at its head Senator Root, one of our 
 most eminent American statesmen, charged us with the responsi- 
 bility of conveying to the entire Russian nation the expression 
 of the sympathy and good will of America at this momentous 
 period of their history. We have recognized cltearly that if our 
 message is to reach the entire Russian nation and people it must 
 be brought to the Russian Orthodox Church because we well 
 know that your great Church constitutes indeed the heart of 
 Russia. 
 
 Through all the years of the life of the American nation we 
 have been bound to Russia by ties of friendship. They have been 
 years of unbroken peace and of mutual helpfulness. The Russian 
 Revolution with its triumph of democratic principles has estab- 
 lished a new bond between these two great democracies. An 
 even stronger bond was created when America decided to enter 
 the world war and thus to identify herself with Russia in the 
 great life and death struggle. What unity can be stronger than 
 that which causes peoples to mingle for common ideal's and 
 purposes their very life blood ? Just as the juices of the separate 
 grapes are poured together under the pressure of the wine press 
 so this titanic and unparalleled struggle which calls upon our 
 two peoples to lay down on the altar of the world's liberty our 
 best life blood will serve, as no other experience, to establish a 
 
 27 
 
deep and permanent unity between the Russian and American 
 nations. 
 
 The best way in which we can voice our sense of apprecia- 
 tion of your welcome is to say quite simply and sincerely that 
 we feel entirely at home as w« eome ajnong you. It has been 
 the privilege of both Mr. Cr^fie ^nd niysflf to maintain an inti- 
 mate touch with many of the leaders and members of the various 
 Eastern Churches. Only a few years ago while in the Levant 
 I had the honor of meeting with the Patricirchs of Constantinople, 
 Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch and also pf visiting the ec- 
 clesiastical academies and theological seminaries on the Island 
 of Halki, where through the kind arrangement of the Ecumenical 
 Patriarch I gave addresses to the students and professors, and 
 also in Seryia, Bulgaria^ Greece, and Egypt We have likewise 
 valued highly our frequent contacts with the Russian Orthodox 
 Church. Such opportunities have presented themselves in our 
 own country where your Church is so well established. In our 
 different visits to Russia also we have enjoyed helpful fellow- 
 ship with members of the Russian Church. Moreover, in my 
 four visits to Japan 'I have? always come into touch with the 
 fruitful mission of your Church. On two of tbqse visits I had 
 the never-to-be-forgotten privilege of intimate association with 
 that great Christian missionary and apostle. Archbishop NicoUii. 
 On one occasion he attended the Christian Student Conference 
 which I was conducting and while there gave a most powerful 
 address on how to bring the truth of Christ to the educated classes 
 of Japan. On xay last visit to that cpuntry I conducted a con- 
 ference of the leaders pf the Christian forces, and your own 
 Bishop Sergius and also the head of your theological seminary 
 were present as delegates. The opportunity of mingling with 
 Russian Christians which I have appreciated most deeply was 
 that which came to me during my two visits to the prisoner-of- 
 war camps in Germany and Austria-Hungary. Possibly niany 
 of you do not know that the Christians of America early in the 
 war were given permission to extend the helpful ministry of the 
 Young Men's Christian Association to the prison camps of these 
 countries and that we have had over thirty wise and unselfish 
 American workers busjly engaged throughout the larger part of 
 the war in helping to meet the needs of the Russian prisoners as 
 
 28 
 
well as those of the other Allied countries. It would be difficult, 
 yes impossible, to express to you adequately the sense of joy and 
 deep satisfaction it has afforded us to be permitted in this way 
 to become better acquainted with the Russian people and with 
 the Russian soul. Anything which God will permit us to do 
 directly or indirectly to serve the Russian prisoners we will 
 gladly do. 
 
 There are three words or messages which I wish to bring 
 to all the members of this Sobor and through you to the more 
 tiban one hundred million men and women who belong to the 
 Russian Orthodox Church. The first message I would convey is 
 one of the deep gratitude of the American people to the Russian 
 Christians and to the Russian people as a whole. We shall never 
 forget the service rendered by Russia to our country at the time 
 of our War for Independence and also again in the midst of our 
 Civil War. Moreover, we recognize that in the present world- 
 war the Russian soldiers and people have been fighting battles 
 for us. I realize in some measure what a price you have paid 
 on our behalf as well as your own in struggling for the freedom 
 of the world, because I remember the two million lonely Russian 
 prisoners so many of whom I have visited in the prisoner-of-war 
 camps, also your hundreds of military hospitals which have at 
 times been so crowded with their suffering inmates; nor do I 
 forget the countless graves and sorrowing homes. As we reflect 
 on these sacrifices and sufferings is it strange that my people feel 
 under a sense of lasting gratitude to Russia ? We are also deeply 
 grateful because df what you are proposing and planning to do 
 to continue this struggle to a successful issue. That you will do 
 this we do not question. Let me also mention as a ground for 
 thankfulness to Russia the valuable constructive service accom- 
 plished within the Tjnited States by the Russian Orthodox 
 Church. America is a cosmopolitan country. Among the people 
 who have come to us from different lands are millions of Rus-, 
 sians. What do we not owe to your Church in following them 
 with its blessed ministries and helping to develop among them 
 true Christian citizens. Never can we speak too highly of the 
 splendid foundations laid by your Church leaders such as the 
 h^hly beloved Archbishop Platon and Archbishop Tikhon, 
 American Christians are likewise profoundly grateful to the 
 
 29 
 
Russian Church for all that it has done through the centuries 
 to enrich our common Christianity. We think of your great 
 contributions in the realm of ecclesiastical architecture and 
 sacred art, through your noble and uplifting churches and cathe- 
 drals, through the wonderful frescoes and paintings and through 
 the many priceless ikons. We have been profoundly moved by 
 your Church music, a sphere in which you excd all other Chris- 
 tians. Here let me pay a tribute to my countryman and friend, 
 Mr. Charles R. Crane, who through the years has had such a 
 sympathetic interest in all that is best in Russian life. As some 
 of you know, he was the means, through his large financial co- 
 operation, of bringing over to America some of your best Church 
 singers and of building up in connection with the Russian Cathe- 
 dral in New York one of the best Russian Church choirs in the 
 world. Its sacred concerts given among lovers of the best music 
 in all our great cities, in our universities and at Christian gather- 
 ings have already accomplished much in the direction of cultivat- 
 ing among the Christians of America a love for the best Church 
 music. One of your greatest contributions to the Christian 
 religion has been your faithful and fearless witness through the 
 centuries to great and essential Christian truths. With grateful 
 memory we also recall the lives of many of your confessors, 
 martyrs, and saints. 
 
 My second message is an expression of solicitude and sym- 
 pathetic caution lest in this time of great upheaval the position 
 and hold of the Russian Church be wesJcened. The foundations 
 of the world are heaving. Institutions which we had thought 
 solid and enduring have proved to be resting on shifting sand. 
 Christ and His Church were never so necessary, never so unique 
 and, if given their central position, will prove never to have been 
 more sufficient. None of us will forget that in the period of 
 the Tartars and in other times of grave menace it was the 
 Russian Church which held the nation together. It has been 
 most encouraging and inspiring to visit this great gathering and 
 4o see the open-minded and thorough way in which so many of 
 your Church leaders are facing their problems and seeking to 
 adapt the Church to new and modern conditions. This process 
 is sure to result in great and lasting good. Let us have the 
 courage to welcome and accept the truth from any quarter. In 
 
 30 
 
this period of change and readjustment, while we are earnestly 
 seeking to lay hold on new truth for the life and work of the 
 Church, let us with like intensity and conviction hold fast to all 
 that is true in historic Christianity ; let us continue to ring true 
 regarding the unchangeable and mighty truths of creedal Chris- 
 tianity; let us in a day of crass materialism and of cold intel- 
 lectualism preserve the priceless possession of mystical Chris- 
 tianity; let us at all costs see that our Christianity is abounding 
 in vitality ; and, through the fearless and unflinching application 
 of Christ's principles, let us insist that it be made an adequate 
 transforming power in social and national life and in inter- 
 national relationships. 
 
 My third message is one of hope and reassurance. You are 
 engaged in the greatest struggle which the world has ever known. 
 I come to remind you that the United States is with you in this 
 conflict to the very end. The American people love peace and 
 hate war. We did all that we could do in justice to our con- 
 science to keep out of this world war, but finally to be true to 
 our souls and our highest guiding principles we found it neces- 
 sary to join you and the other Allies. In doing so we have 
 counted the cost and are ready to pay it. Since I left my home 
 ten millions of American young men have registered themselves 
 as ready to serve their nation in this struggle in any way which 
 the authorities may designate. This great host is being called 
 up in lots of five hundred thousand each to be thoroughly 
 trained. The week I left America fourteen great officers' camps 
 were opened in which over forty thousand officers are being 
 prepared for their responsibilities. Our Congress has already 
 authorized the raising through loans and taxation for war ex- 
 penditures this first year the equivalent of over thirty^ve billions 
 of roubles. Our various states and municipalities as well as the 
 national Government have thrown themselves with earnestness 
 into the work of preparation. All our great industries are being 
 mobilized with reference to rendering the maximum of service 
 in the war. The work of production and distribution has been 
 put in the ablest hands for the same purpose, and our means of 
 communication have been placed at the disposal of the Govern- 
 ment. General Pershing and some of the first contingent of our 
 troops have landed in France. We already have naval vessels at 
 
 31 
 
work in European watets. It may safely be said that ninety-nifle 
 per cent, if not more, of the American people stand solidly behind 
 our great President in the purposes which he has announced. 
 Let this message, therefore, remind you that you are not alone. 
 Go back to all your parishes in cities, towns, and villages and tell 
 the Russian people that America is with them. Say to them that 
 just as Russia came to the help of America in the darkest hours 
 of her history, so America now joins Russia in this moment of 
 grave crisis. Tell them to stand firmly behind the Provisional 
 Government. Tell them to be true to the Church that it may in 
 this time of colossal strain preserve the solidarity of the nation. 
 Tell them that we believe that, in view of what Russia has already 
 achieved in this war, in view of the wonderful sacrifices which 
 the Russian people have already made, in view of the vast and 
 vital issues at stake, and in view of the urgency of the situation 
 and the gravity of the crisis> tlussia and her Allies must continue 
 steadfast to the end. Above all let the Church be unfailing in 
 reminding the people that God only can enable us to accomplish 
 His high and holy purpose. While everything else is changeable 
 and changing Jesus Christ "is the same yesterday, today, yea. 
 and forever." 
 
 32 
 
Letter from the High Procurator of the Rus- 
 sian Orthodox Church to John R» Mott 
 
 Gbantellory of the High 
 
 Procurator of the Holy Sytiod of Russia. 
 
 Petr&grad, July 6th, 1917. 
 My deaf Sif, 
 
 The most kind and helpful conversations which you have 
 had with me regarding the important affairs of the Orthodox 
 Church in Russia evokfed in my own heart a sense of sincere 
 gratitude, especially for the brotherly appreciation and sympathy 
 which you have manifested lor my dear Mother Church. I trust 
 and hope that in the future also you will not leave me without 
 the help of your wise counsel and support as I seek to discharge 
 the important responsibilities entrusted to me by the people. I 
 am indeed gfkteful to yo'O. for your coming to Russia at this 
 time. Ybur visit and the messages which you delivered at the 
 Convention of the clergy and laity of all Russia in Moscow and 
 before the Holy Synod and other leaders of the Church in Petro- 
 grad have shown us that your love for the Christian Church and 
 your ability to perceive the truth of the Christian faith are true 
 not only of yourself but also of those many lovable Christian 
 hearts in America whom you have so well represented. May 
 Our Lord bless you for your largeness of heart. 
 
 Regarding that part of your important letter in which you 
 express the desire that the Russian Orthodox Church be repre- 
 sented ofiGcially at the proposed Conference on Faith and Order 
 to be held in America within a few years, I would say that I am 
 profoundly interested in this Conference and respond with all 
 my soul to its high aims as set forth by you in your communica- 
 tion. I believe that the plan of the Conference is wise in not 
 making it a legislative body but limiting its work to that of 
 bringing together for fellowship and interchange of knowledge 
 and experience members of the various Christian Communions 
 of the world. Such exchange of knowledge about the distinc- 
 
 33 
 
tive teachings, principles, forms of government, and work of the 
 great Christian Churches will result in very great good. I assure 
 you, therefore, that as High Procurator of the Holy S)mod of 
 the Russian Orthodox Church I will see, so far as it depends 
 upon me, that suitable representatives of our Church are sent to 
 the proposed Conference. I shall be glad to have you report this 
 fact, and also would like to have you arrange to have sent to me 
 all printed circulars and pamphlets which may be issued from 
 time to time dealing with the plans for the Conference. 
 
 With profound respect for the great and useful work accom- 
 plished by the American Special Mission now in Russia, and for 
 you, my dear brother in Jesus Christ, 
 I beg to remain. 
 
 Faithfully yours, 
 
 VLADIMIR LVOFF, 
 
 High Procurator of the 
 Holy Synod of Russia. 
 
 Dk. John R. Mott, 
 
 Envoy Extraordinary of the United States of America on 
 Special Mission to Russia, Winter Palace, Petrograd. 
 
 34 
 

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