The Honorable Myron Taylor,                
 
                c/o The Department of State,                
 
                      Washington, D.C.                      
 
                    Dear Mr. Ambassador,                    
 
                                                            
 
 
Though I am not honored with your personal acquaintance,  
by virtue of the position you hold at the Holy See, I am addressing myself   
to you in hopes you can communicate both to the President, and to the   
Vatican, the following information. I am doing this with all the more   
confidence that I learned this morning from Ambassador Harriman's   
secretary, that you were desirous of obtaining information on the  
religious situation here. I actually had a short talk yesterday morning,   
October 2d, with Ambassador Harriman, but circumstances did not permit my  
explaining myself completely and clearly, as he had appointments to keep  
          and was extremely hard pressed for time.          
 
                                                            
 
 
0n September 3d, Pravda reproduced excerpts from President  
Roosevelt's radio speech, but this time took care not to omit  
a passage where religion was made mention of. This gave rise  
to much talk and comment here. Several Russians high up in  
the intellectual spheres told me the Government felt quite  
embarrassed but at the same time saw the necessity of re-                                                     '  
producing these words. When the war broke out, the faith of  
these hard-pressed worshippers also broke out openly. Al-  
though the few remaining churches of Moscow are scandalously  
insuficient (24 in all of the Orthodox faith out of a former  
total of 454). for the number of actual worshippers, it was                               ~