The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-13
RUSSIA PROSPERS
IN SPITE OF WAR
Bridge Has Been Constructed
Across Gulf Which Sepa-
rated the Classes.
BAN on VODKA HELPS
Special Correspondence 10 TBr srS

Special Correspondence TO TBE srS
Moscow. May 20-In Moscow there
are fewer outward and visible signs o.
wal thar in the capital. Not so many
soldiers exercising. not so many wounded
In the streets. on the big square of tn,
krcmlin. that fascinating walled city 81
c~athedrais. | saw Young troops being
trained, and tough looking rcservists
mostly bearded peasants, renewing ac'
quain;anct with their drill. But this
Is q sight to he seen In every town In
Russia. 7 was ut Ni5org In Finland the
other day ard oYsa there at s o'clock In
the morning the squares were fun OF
infantry at bayonet practice.
Through the Spasski Gate of The
kremin I saw a regiment march dowr
to entrair, every man lifting his car
az he wen; through the long Gusky arch
way. 'Spasski' signifies Our saviour
over the gate hangs a figure OF Christ,
fixed there In l6i7 by n Car who or
dered that no man should pass through
with his head covered. SIN all hats
and caps are taken of. No Russian
would fail In this mark OF respect any
more than he would. omit. II he Is
a member OF the Orthodox Church. to
cross himself three times on passing the
shrine OF the LIBERALS Mother o. God
In the centre OF the town.
Before this celebrated picture there Is
~ all hours of the day a throng OF sup
plants. They stand there in the open
street. rich merchants side by side witt
poor laborcrs In soiled shirts and high
boots officers. T~chinovniks (ofiicials),
md professional men cab drivers,
farmers, peasants women of rank. ser
wants, street sellers OF fruit and cakes.
solidarity Will ncress
Here is an image OF Russia. Here
Is one explanation OF the solidarity OF
her people. so noticeable n feature OF
these troublous times. That solidarity
the war will Increase. The honest de-
sire Of almost every one In Russia Is
to help In making the soldier at The
front as comfortable as he can be made
to cheer the wounded md the sick. to
show the army that the atlon is be-
hind 1t. working to the same ends. re-
solved to make sacrifices for the sam
victory. This the soldier knows now.
When Russia fought Japan there was
no such community OF sentiment. The
mass OF the nation knew not Wher"
Japan might he, nor What the natur.
OF It's inhabitants. nor why the war mad
broke out. The army felt that they
were hghtine In a cause which aroused
no enthusiasm. They were thousands
OF mile. away. They seemed to be cut
off from their fellow countrymen.
Now the soldiers receive frequent
proofs. solid and satisfactory In charac-
ter Gas. for example. tobacco and FOOD.
underclothing and socks. books and
rewspa pers), Of the interest and sym
pathy. With (which their doing are fol-
lowed and their wants anticipated. Con.
tact is established between them and
other social layers OF the nation In a
manner which Is most valuable.
Even In the most recent times the
peasents I'm Russia ave known little
about the upper and the new middle
class, while the upper n middle classes
have troubled little about them. The
LANDED aristocracy" began to die out
when the serfs were liberated and
formed into village communes. n the
owner OF its sown fields and pasture
land.
Pri~sts Are of Mssses.
The ''popes" (priests) are OF the
Masses themselves. In most villages
there ,s no house better than that or the
chief elder. who sleeps on the top of his
stove. like every one else. Very likely
there Is none within a hundred miles
Nor are there newspapers to tell the
peasant, even when he can reau mem,
about the other layers OF the social cake
the ornamental and the learned. those
-. a. h,oIpaaa fhAQA who govern,
those who teach. Russian journalism Is
too Serious" for that. .
There has been. In short. q gulf hxed
between tho many and the Few which,
though Il DID not prevent solidarity In
time Of peril. hindsred understanding.
Across this gulf. as a result OF the war.
bridges are being thrown. A very strons
and big bridge Ii being built by the
Union OF Zemstvos County councils Is
the nearest translation ] can oner)'
which has its headquarters In MOSCOW.
Two hundred thousand beds this union
provides. Some sc 1000 people are work.
ing for IL. Tho whole Of the Red Cross
business in the Caucasus has been under
taken by II and carried out exceedingly
well. -.
Apart from such activities as this
Moscow keeps both business and pleas
ure going pretty much as usual the
aires have ~prospered this winter more
Thar usual because people cannot spend
money on drinking" A merchant as
sures me that bills are paid far more
quickly now than they were formerly.
for the Same reason. White wine In
grape Juice bottles 10 not unknown. but
the orgies which used to be a feature OF
Moscow life have ceased entirely. Vodka
Is not to be had. 1t used to be COMMON
enough TO see workmen come out OF the
vodka shops. walk a short distance. then
fall down. Their practice was to drink
a bottle of the cheap. poisonous spirit
right on. It did not affect them in
~stantly. but after a few minutes 1t took
away their brains. Down they dropped
insensible. No more OF that now.