Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1920-03-31
SPECULATION IS RARE OC-
CURRENCE IN PETROGRAD.
BY LINCOLN Eyre

BY Lincoln Eyre
Paris-We came to Petrograd from
Moscow Dec. 20. For some time our
only clear impression of the former
Russian capital was the cold. So icy
was the climate in Petrograd that we
literally had to disembark from the
sleigh which was carrying us to our
olllets from the Nicholas station and
walk beside it to keep from losing
noses, fingers and toes.
AS soon as my brain became suffi-
GENTLY uncongealed to record fresh
reactions, | remarked fundamental
difference between the former capital
OF the empire and Moscow, the pres
ent capital OF the soviet republic.
Spectators Scarce.
This difference lay in the compare
tive scarcity of spectators. Where in
Moscow enc stumbled against these
gentry at every street corner. in Pet
rograd they were discoverable only
after considerable search, being
hidden away IN back yards and other
/ obscure Enclosures. Perhaps in re-
venge for the indignities heaped upon
them by the Petrograd administration
they charged from 20 to 100 per cent
more for their wares than the rates
W.
! Explanation of Petrograd's compar-
atlve freedom from the speculative
parasites is found in the better or
ganization of the food distribution as
we'll as in the super-human and
therefore successful efforts that had
been made to avert famine after the
menace of Gen. Yudenitich's advance
was overcome last November. All re-
4 OOrtS to fhn cOOty,aru
ing, inquiry convinced me that the
population of Petrograd was better
/ supplied with both food and fuel than
the MuscOvites. All over Petrograd
one sees huge piles of logs stacked
up in the streets awaiting distribu-
ton, sight which does not exist in
Moscow.
EcOnmy Is Simpler.
Of course the problem of municipaI
economy is comparatively simpler on
the banks of the Neva than it is along
the Muskova, since Petrograd's popu-
latlon in something over two years
has dropped to little over 1000 900
from nearly 2,5O0,OO0, while Moscow's
has risen from about 1900 900 to we'll
over 100000.
There is no question, however, that
the business-like fashion in which
Petrograd's affairs are conducted is
the chief cause of her peoples lesser
suffering. For this great praise is as
suredly due to Dictator Zinovieff
Scion OF an oppressed race, this APP
parently impractical young Jew spent
all the years of his manhood in
preaching destruction. Today. as
/ president of the third internationale.
he is still preaching destruction
from the standpoint of world revolu
ton; but as head of the Petrograd
soviet he is engaged in practicing
construction.
Outwardly Petrograd presents a
more attractive appearance than over
crowded Moscow All the time we
! were there the street cars were run
ming normally and removal of snow
was being carried out with far
greater measure of efficiency
Phone Service Better.
Tue telephone service was also bet
ter. One might reasonably hope to
get number in one minute where
tour or five were required in Moscow.
There is less dirt and desolation. Win
doWs seem to be washed more fire.
quently, and soiled white paper is
not so much in evidence Neither
public edifices nor private houses
show any i'll effects from the revolu-
ton.
From this generalization, however.
must be expected those antique wood
en- cottages which formerly were scat
tered about in the most unexpected
places. One would be found. for in
stance, aside of huge apartment
house in modern residential street
/ n
OF fuel and with a view Of embellish-
ment and standardization at the NUM-
cipality the Petrograd soviet last au
tumn directed that all such structures
should be torn down and more suit
able accommodations be provided for
their tenants elsewhere.
Another means of augmenting
stocks OF fuel was the burning of
big wooden barges embedded in the
ice on the Nova. This was done on
the assumption that it would be easy
enough when spring made the trans
port of wood for burning purposes
unnecessary to ship enough lumber
to build big barges. All such de-
structive activity was. of course. car
rled on in methodical fashion under
the direction of authorities
Sov1ets were also DESTROYING one
historical feature of the winter pal
ace-namely, the lonely wall sur
rounding the garden at its western
end. Having turned the palace itself
into peoples museum. Zinovieff
decided that the garden also should
be place at Petrograds disposition,
wherefore there had been begun a
short time before our arrival the work
OF leveling the forbidden barrier that
encircled it.-Milwaukee Journal.
1 DTSECTNsC