The Washington herald., 1921-09-11
People Still Discuss Fu-
ture Outlook of Starv-
ing Country.
WRITER MEETS TWO
WHO LIVED IN u. S.
Former Frisco Kitchen
Worker Envies Ameri-
can Working Class.
Especial Gable to The Washington Herald
and Chicago Tribune.)
OBy FLOYD GIBBONS)

SAMARA, Sept. 1o-In the midst
of famine and death politics is
still alive in Russia and anybody,
who has strength enough. and the
people who have are usually of the
official class, is ready to tell you
what is the matter with the ccun-
try and how much better, or worse,
1t is going to be at an early date.
Benny Grabsby, whose first job
in America was washing dishes in
a San Francisco restaurant, is now
connected with the Communist
forces commanding the Samara gov
ernment. That Is how 1 happened
to meet him there, where even the
memory of a job in a restaurant con-
tains nourishment and is not to be
despised. Benny denies that he has
been officially assigned to propa-
gandize and make a proper red out
of me-he says he likes to talk to
me because II seems homelike and
besides the bouquet of my cigarette
was enough to tempt any idealist to
desert a cause.
Envied q. 8. Workers.
He says he wants to test his
strength and, like a Spartan he re-
fuses my smokes.
What made you a revolutionist?"
/ asked him tonight as we threaded
our way through ragged bundles of
refugees in the crowded Samara
railroad yards, where the starving.
homeless and sick could be seen
shivering and scratching under
their scanty coverings. Intermit-
tanf alArfrin h,tl he
each surrounded by a cloud of in
sects, threw a ghastly half light on
that bivouac of misery.
America" replied Benny. Dish
washing was a bad start, but 1t was
the best job I had ever had-more
money and lighter work than / ever
had in the Russian leather factory.
Besides I did not speak a word of
English and in room at night In
several weeks II learned to say
whoa and get up and left dish
washing for job as a driver as
sistant on a delivery wagon. I
ratified around San Francisco on
that wagon for two months deliver
ing stun to all kinds of places
big hotels. swell fiat buildings and
bungalows on the edge of town.
That gave me a big chance to see
the city-to learn how America
worked and lived. That Is what
made a revolutionist out of me-"
Was 1t SO terrible as that?" /
asked.
America Was Heaven.
Hell, no. It was like heaven
compared to what our people were
used to in Russia. Every time
saw the American workingman.
with his home and family. wearing
good clothing. eating three square
meals a day and sending their kids
to school, thought of the workers
In Russia-ignorant-half fed, liv-
ing in cellars. two families to
room-ro schooling-working from
morning to night and then doing
piece work at home-eating moth
ing put black bread and dried fish,
and little of that"
While we were talking we walked
on a platform between two trains
OF box cars loaded with refugees
Hello, Yank, got a light?" came
the greeting in Americanze with a
Russian accent from the darkness
OF the car. As we stopped. a
medium-sized. heavy-set man, with
a seedy black felt hat of American
make, jumped from the car door
to the platform.
Worked for bethlehem Steel.
Are you an American" we
asked the stranger as he lighted
a new cigarette.
Not so you could notice It," he
replied. IT saw enough of that
joint. I took out my first papers
but no more of that wage slavery
for me. am never going back
there until 1 go back with a gang
and change the government"
What happened to you in Amer
ica?" I asked.
Il worked for the Bethlehem
Steel Company and they are the
slickest gang of capitalist czars in
the world. If / could blow that
place off the map would be happy.
We almost done 1t, too. We had
bunch and we belonged to the
All-Russian Workers and Anar
chists."
What do you think of this gov
ernment after America" Bennv
asked.
Lot of grafters," replied the bad
man Of Samara. Look at all Of
us poor people starving to death and
then look at all of these commissars
and Soviet officials running around
In automobiles and drinking booze
and keeping women in their places.
I thought that this was going to
be the land Of freedom, but it is
Just the same as all the other gov
ernments-red tape and fat officials
and starving people"
Good night comrade, wish you
good luck" said Benny to the dis
gruntled one after he had casually
incurred the latter's name and
lodging in Samara. Benny \stepped
fifty feet away and wrote them in
his note book.
HE won't have to worry long
about going OUT of here" said
Benny. MY report on that goes
into the Samara headquarters to-
night. He will leave "a damn sight
soner than he expects"