New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-08-21
Moscow, Center
|OfFood Supply,
Is Near Normal
All Russia Ships Supplies to
Soviet Capital, Although
Shops in Many Cities Are
Empty andForced toClose
War Booty Is There, Too
Favored Reds Fed at Gov
ernment s'Cuest House,;
Conditions Exaggerated

hELSlNGFORS, Finland, Aug. &c
(By The Associated Press).-Of all
the cities traveller sees in crossing
Russia, Moscow seems to present an
appearance the nearest to normal. The
whole country contributes to its up
keep. From as far east as Irkutsk
shelves of shops have been stripped of
supplies and manufactured articles
while even the household goods of we'll
TODD individuals have been shipped to
the Soviet capital. The city also houses
the war booty taken by the Bolsheviki
after they occupied Siberia.
During brief stop in the city, where
he was deported to Finland because of
making trip across Russia from
Nladivostok without advance Soviet
authorization, the correspondent was
particularly impressed by the busy
aspect Of the thoroughfares.
Upon entering Moscow one notes i'm
mediately the appearance on the
streets of large number of we'll
dressed pedestrians. There is also an
animated traffic of streetcars, automo-
blles and carriages. Parks and gar
dens are kept up and flower beds and
squares are we'll cared for.
Only few stores are open in the
city, there being block after block of
dirty shop fronts long used in the past
for posters of Bolshevik propaganda,
usually featuring the likenesses of
Lenine, Trotzky and Marx Markets
and bazaars are open, however, and it
is possible in such places to buy a
great variety of food, Including meat,
white bread, fruits and sugar.
Reports of Conditions Exaggerated
Many reports Of the condition of
Russian cities are exaggerated. One,
to the effect that Moscow's trees have
been cut down and wooden buildings
RACED, certainly seems untrue Yet
Moscow, like the entire country from
lrkutsk to Petrograd, is in a frenzy
OF wood chopping in preparation for
winter.
Forests in the vicinity of the city
to them. For a hundred miles south
east of Moscow the trees have been cut
back from the railroads only fifty
yards. After two years with wood as
the chief fuel the local resources
appear hardly touched
The picture of Moscow which an
American spondent sees is q CEN
sored view obtained while being
piloted about by Bolshevik inter
prefer. Without this attendant the
correspondent could not leave the Boil
shevik guesthouse. The officials con-
tinually probe visitors for their i'm
pressions. 1t is apparent that behind
the curtain of appearances is the real
Cd
appearing, it is said, are Soviet officers
and commissars end their friends or
favortes, who have been permitted to
requisition the supplies remaining in
Moscow or being sent in from Siberia
and other reclaimed districts.
Street Cars Garry Supplies
The street cars, which seem to be
operating normally, serve to trans
port wood, grain, hay and troops, as
well as the usual passengers. The
automobiles are the property of the
government.
The bazaars give fairly genuine
insight into the real life of Moscow
There a thousand spectators, made
up of soldiers, workmen and women.
daily risk arrest for trading in sup
plies other than the black bread, soup
and cooked grain which the govern
ment has issued.
Prices in the bazaars preclude pur-
chases except by spectators and by
those earning more than three to five
thousand rubles monthly, the amount
which the Bolsheviki pay workmen
In these markets the American dollar
brings from two to three thousand
rubles. The comparison with the
American dollars value apparently
pertains to the paper ruble.
While the masses of the people
struggle to obtain daily supply of
food, the extra-rationed classes of
government officials eat plentifully of
white bread and meat at the Bolshevik
guesthouse. The problem of obtaining
food has become q chief concern to
the cities. Garden-grown potatoes
and cabbages age expected to make
the populous centers partially indie
pendent of the country for supplies
this winter.