The Washington times., 1920-07-25
SHOPS S|NRUSS|A
CLOSED, DESERTED

Contents Seized by Government.
Women Allowed to Buy Co.'S
metics-SmuggIerS Busy.
written for the International News
Service.
ny AMBROSE LAMBERT.
Late Daily Express special Corre-
spondent I'm Russia.
LONDON. July 20. - "shopless
towns" is perhaps an apt description
Of Moscow and Petrograd.
Rows on rows Of magnificent shops
empty and closed. is one of the hrst
striking Impressions a visitor obtains
of both cities. The authorities have
closed them and confiscated their con-
tents. as private trading is supposed
to bo and Is practically abolished un-
der the Communist scheme. The rev
that remain open are state anairo,
whero ono gets, on the production OF
cards, on special days and at GER
tain times, allowances OF soap, su ga.
tobacco, ersatz tea or coffee, or what
ever the authorities decide to dis
tribute.
Notices appear in the official news
papers land there are no others) that
on such a day coupon No. blank Is
good for, say, a quarter OF q pound OF
tobacco or a pound of sugar. only
the specified articles can be obtaineo'
and only on the specified times. The
huge queues stretched outside these
government shops, patiently waiting:
are the sights Of both MOSCOW ana
Petrograd. The hardship Of waiting
is also increased because it generally
happens that different shops have to
COSMETICS "IMMUNE-o
There are a few other shops that
still remain open, but those l saw
were either antique shops or mainly
those whose contents were perfumes,
cosmetics and face powders, for even
in Soviet Russia there are some things
that the Bolsheviks have not dared 10
do. and one Of them is to deprive
woman OF the opportunity to peautity
herself IL she wants to.
There is something peculiar about
the existence of these few poor,
lonely shops. One day you pass one
with Its doors open and the next day
you will find it closed by the police
only to reopen quietly a few days
later. BY what process the reopen
ing is accomplished is difficult for the
stranger to learn. People speak very
respectfully of the police in Russia
and it would be dangerous even to
suggest that bribery" had any part
in the happening.
Still private trade does exist, but
at the traders risk of arrest and i'm
prisonment. The Soviet government
is death on what it calls "specu-
l., ond II iS of the da1ly
sights of both Moscow and Petrograd
to see professions of arrested specu-
lants marching between f1les or
policemen and policewomen. Yes,
they have policewomen in Russia
and they handle their rifles in
mighty businesslike way.
The police are particularly on tho
alert for spectators in gold and jew
els, but great deal OF this spccula-
tion goes on despite the severe penal
ties which are imposed. Up to the
beginning of this year there was even
a death sentence for arrant malefac-
tors, and now it is imprisonment for
as long as ten years.
Yet 1t goes on successfully, despite
the risks. In Finland one man with
whom ] was spending an evening
carelcssly reached into his trousers
pocket and drew out handful of the
most gorgeous jewels ! had ever set
eyes on. They had been smuggled
from Russia.
GEMS SMUGGLED FROM RUSSIA.
Historic gems that Catherine II
had given to a court favoritc; emer-
aids. flawless and the size OF a cube
OF sugar; sapphires and pearls OF
purity and beauty beyond descrip-
ton; diamonds by the pound-this
man had enough valuable stones to
one days haul. they were, brought
over the border. think l know the
man who brought them.
/ met him in another part of Fin
land where he and a pal were con-
graduating themselves on a narrow
escape from four Red sentries who
fired at them the previous night as
they were making a final dash from
Russia. First real narrow escape l
have had" this man nonchalantly
told me. 1--WE will have to be more
careful on our next trip"
The man is only one engaged in the
business Fishing smacks and sail
boats manage to get across from
Kronstadt to the Finnish coast with
the most valuable loads OF Jewels.
Reval, the capital of Esthonia, is
filled with business men of various
nationalities waiting for Russia to
reopen trade with the world. Mean
while their principal and profitable
business is dealing in these smuggled
gems A great many will be sorry
when they have to resume their lcgit-
innate businesses.