South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-07-23
CLOSE SHOPS IN
@ RUSSIAN CITIES
Empty, Deserted Stores I'M
press Visitors TO Moscow
and Petrograd.

LONDON. July 22-"Shopless
towns" is perhaps an apt description
OF Moscow and Petrograd.
Rows on rows Of magnificent
shops. empty and closed Is one OF
the first striking impressions a Wis
itor obtains Of both cities The au-
thorities have closed them and CON
fiscated their contents, as private
trading Is supposed 20 be. and Is
practically abolished under tho
Communist scheme. The few that
remain open are State affairs. where
ono sets, on the production Of cards.
on special days and at certain times
allowances OF soap. sugar. tobacco.
crsatz tea or coffee. or whatever the
authorities decide 10 distribute
Notices appear in the official
newspapers (aud there are no
othersl that on such a day coupon
No. blank Is good for. say, a quarter
OF a pound Of tobacco or pound
OF sugar only the specified articles
can be obtained, and only on the
specified times The huge queues
stretched outside these government
shops. patiently waiting. are the
sights OF both Moscow and Petro-
grad. The hardship of waiting Is
also increased because IL generally
happens that different shops have
20 be visited TO get different artiC-
les.
Few shops Open.
There are q few other shops that
still remain open. but those I saw
were either antique shops or mainly
those whose contents were perfumes
cosmetics. and face powders. for
even I'm Soviet Russia there are
some things that the bolshevik
them IS 20 deprive women OF the
opportunity 10 beautify herself If
she wants 70.
There Is something peculiar about
the existence of these few poor lone
shops. One day YOU pass one with
its doors open and the next day YOU
will md Il closed by the police only
20 reopen quietly q few days later.
by what process the reopeniug is
accomplished is difficult for the
stranger 10 learn. People speak
very respectfully of the police i'm
Russia, and il would be dangerous
even 70 suggest that bribery" had
any part IN the happening.
Still private trade does exist. but
at the traders risk OF arrest and inn
prisonment The Soviet govern
ment Is death on what 70 calls
.speculants~ and &c is one OF the.
daily sights OF both Moscow and
Petrograd 20 see professions Of ar
rested speculants marching between
files OF berrified policemen and pol
icewomen In Russia and they han
die their rifles IN "a mighty business
Ike way.
Police on Alert
The poliSe are particularly on the
alert for spectators I'm gold and
Jewels. bat a great deal OF this
speculation goes on despite the Sc
we're penalties which are imposed
Up 10 the beginning q this year
there was even death sentence for
arraut malefactors. and now Il is
Imprisonment for as Ions as ten
years.
Yet = goes on successfully. de-
spite the risks. In Finland one man
with whom I was spending an eve
ming carelessIy reached into his
trousers pocket and drew out q
handful OF the most gorgeous Jewels
7 had ever set eyes on They had
been struggled from Russia
Historic gems that Catherine the
Second had given 90 a court favor
tie. emeralds. nawIess and the size
OF n cube OF sugar sapphires and
pearls az a purity and beauty be-
yond description diamonds bv the
pound-this man had enough val
liable stones On start a shop in Re
gent street Just one days haul
they were. brought over the border