Evening journal., 1919-07-08
By FRANK !. TAYLOR.
United Press stan Correspondent

United Press STAFF Correspondent
NEW YORK, July s-Russia Is not
Starving to DEATH as reports indicate.
p,rss OF Russia are hungry, some peo-
pie are starving but still others are
ovsised. As In the days OF the old re-
CINE. Russia is the land OF extremes,
in fooh as In everything else.
In the pubic markets, along The
streets. ,of Moscow you can buy practi-
cally any kind Of food you want. You
can get any quality you are willing to
nav for. The famous Moscow Butcher
Row" flolBrishes as never before with
plenty OF fresh meat for those who
have monCE
The soviet government once forbade
the sale OF food in these open markets
on the Ground that II was capitsllstlc
exploitation. AZ once food became more
scarce and prices scared unbelievably.
Business continued good" though not
las usua,r-it was conducted on the
quiet
Executions and other fsvorlte forms
or punishment failed 20 end buying and
selling on the quiet, and the bolsheviks
finally adoi'ted a policy OF ignoring pri-
vate buslndss In food,
II was found that suppression Of
open sale of food had a decided effect
on public morale. People became hos
tile and gloomy when they could not
buy II they had the money.
The soviet government aims TO SUP
ply the people with food at co-opera-
tlyes. which sell a limited amount on
the card system for official prices. The
difficulty is eetting enough to sell TO
the people 20 Keep them alive. At pres
ent there is noe enough.
The government, through It's cooper
atiys, is forced 10 pay euorbitant prices
to get food for the people Peasants
win not sell their prodnets unless they
can be paid IN cold or old regime
money. unless they are paid enormous
amounts.
Now the government Is selling much
Of ifs goods at lower prices than cost.
The deflcit Is made gip by printing
more money. But even fabulous prices
fail 10 secure enough. and people are |
forced TO rely upon tho open market /
provided they have money.
1t is forbidden TO bring food from /
the country 10 the city privately, The !
government Is supposed 20 have a
LIlMUUOAN NM IUNu NNtAllAlfAANs AtunAAAa
at the depots examine everyones bag
gage. TO see that each traveller carries
only food for himself.
Yet food comes IN to cities and is
sold Smuggling food TO Moscow or
petrograd or other cities is big
business in Russia. In spite Of the diff
nculties OF getting passes 20 travel and
carrying food, everything one needs
can be bought privately in Moscow.
There Is sugar from the Ukraine, ap-
pies from Crimea, butter, eggs. milk,
cheese and meat from the nearer coun-
try and other products. The govern
ment with all its diligence cannot con-
troll commerce.
Prices are sky-hish- In Moscow an
apple costs twenty-five rubles A ruble |
formerly .corresponded TO the Amer
lean quarter. Now II Is worth fve or |
six cents. Bolsheyik rubles are plen- !
tiful.
A few Moscow prices are: cheese, 60
rubles per pound; butten forty; lem
ons, sixty: milk, twelve ruhles per
pint; meat sixty; sugar, eighty; bacon.
fone hundred; potatoes, fifteen rubles
per pound.
petrograd prices are higher. Some OF
them are Butter, two hundred rubles
per pound one egg, twenty-five: sugar,
two hundred; sauerkraut, twenty-five;