Charles Richard Crane to Woodrow Wilson

PLAIN.Petrograd,Dated June 21, 1917.Recd. 23 a.
M.1429. Twentyfirst, for the President.“We went into a war to free Cuba and came out of it with a heavy responsibility in the Phillipines. The present war is vastly greater and we may come out of it with vastly greater responsibilities for the future of Russia. The enthusiasm of the resolution is being followed by dismay over the magnitude of the new problems and the difficulties of firmly establishing a new state on the wreckage. The one unified element in the empire is the church but that in the process of Democratizing went through more changes in the month of May than it had gone through in two hundred years before. It has been practically separated from the state and is now on its own responsibility. All of the pastors have been obliged to have their positions confirmed by election and twelve new Bishops including the Bishop of Petrograd have been elected in the same way. The administration of the church property had passed into the hands of the Laity and there is now sitting at Moscow the first sobor or church council since 1686 composed of 1268 members of clergy and Laity in equal numbers selected from every parish in the empire. It is the most truly representative assembly of the new Russia. Mr. Mott was invited to address it: was accepted as your messenger and made a most profound and moving discourse on the church itself, its relationships to the christian world, and the importance of its position, not only in the empire but in America, and its relation to the winning of the war. The assembly was great affected by the sympathy and wisdom of the address. The foremost members of the body made most touching responses which were followed by the whole congregation rising and singing the oldest and most beautiful hymns as an expression of their appreciation. One of the members in responding said, “The echo of this speech will not die away here but within a short time will be heard in every parish in Russia.” It was worth while having the commission come here if that were the one thing that it could accomplish –– it certainly is the most important thing. It represented the heart of Russia and when Mr. Mott struck the war-note there was an immediate response and everyone instantly arose and applauded. It was a much more loyal, true and far reaching note than one could possibly get from any political assembly. I am sending a fuller account of the meeting to the Christian Science Monitor. Affectionate messages to the family and to the cabinet. Hope to see you all soon. Charles R. Crane.”FRANCIS.