The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-07-21

secret organization I'm the towns in all
parts of Russia. The immediate object
of this organization Is to provide ad-
ministrative machinery for the danger
Gus period which will probably inter-
vene between the overthrow OF the
Bolsheviks and the establishment OF a
new Government. 1t goes without say
ing that If the Social Revolutionaries
were to obtain control OF affairs dur
ing the interregnum their first step
would be either to summon the old Con-
stituent Assembly. in which it had
large majority. or to convene a new
one II my informant's statements are
correct. the opinion generally prevail
ing here that the exit of the Bolsheviks
will be succeeded by prolonged period
of anarchy may easily prove unduly
pessimistic.
Another interesting and encouraging
fact reported by my informant is that
complete reconciliation has taken
place between different classes of So
ciety. At the opening of the Bolshe-
vik epoch it was even dangerous for
lady to show herself In the street wear
ing a hat. That has long since passed
away, and now the old cordial and
courteous relationships between ex-
tremes OF the social scale have been
reestablished. Unfortunately the youth
OF the country Is an exception OF this
rule Thanks to the influence of Boil
shevik educational methods on the inn
mature minds of young people, both
sexes are selfish unmannerly and ar
rogant But in the adult population
the rich and poor of former days come
together on a common ground of equal
ity of suffering and antipathy to the
Bolsheviks.
The Bolshevik epoch has brought
about a curious change in the aesthetic
tastes Of the ma sses. Till the revolution
bright red was the peasants favor1te
color. and in various articles of attire
generally added vivid touch to the
Russian landscape. The new sinister
political associations have destroyed this
colorst popularity. and the peasants
avoid 1t like an unclean thing.
well known civil engineer who
played a large part in building modern
Petrograd and recently escaped from
that city gives a very doleful account OF
its present structural condition. He
says that for the most part all that re-
mains of the houses are the foundations.
outer walls and metal framework CIR
ders. For lack of paint the iron roofs
have rusted away, and there is no pro-
lection against rain and snow. Where
the woodwork was not used for fuel 1t
has rotted and crumbled. Damp has
peeled the plaster off the interior walls,
and the cellars are full of water. The
engineer, who is exceptionally qualified
to make such an estimate. calculates. at
the prices of labor and material prevail
Ing before the war. that seven hundred
million sterling will be needed to restore
the houses of Petrograd to habitable
condition.
The personal experience of another
refugee who arrived here is an illustra-
ton of the engineers statements. He
lived in his own large house In fash
ionable quarter of the city. AS he had
no means to repair the roof 1t was trans.
formed into sieve. When the plaster
peeled off the walls of the three top
stories he was very glad to move into
much more modest quarters which had
escaped the ravages of the weather.