Pueblo chieftain., 1921-10-16

Moscow. Oct. 15.-tBy Staff Cor
respondent of The Associated Prcsso-
Russia is smilelcss land. In more
than 1000 miles OF travel on Central
Russian railways and rivers The As
sociated Press correspondent hasn
heard single hearty laugh. The ex-
uberance and oratory of the first year
of Bolshevism have disappeared.
Speakers no longer tell of the glor-
ner curbstones. Red army soldiers no
longer jeer at the bourgeosie, for all
have settled down together to the dif-
ficult task of getting enough to cat:
and persons who have not tried eNis-
tence in present-day Russia have no
satisfy the most primitive human
needs there.
Nearly every man and woman met
on Moscow or Pctrograd streets today
is carrying some sort of food parcel
or baretring with food dealers on the
street corners. There is practically
no wood and coal is not dreamed of.
Oil is the only fuel. Every family has
"A primus on which the hot water for
tea and tho simple meals are pre-
pared.
Under tho housing system most per
sons have only one room in which to
cook. cat, sleep and do washing. All
the talk one hears on the streets is of
food. There are laments everywhere
that the bread allowance isn't regular
and the frequent expression of fears
that the fannie in the Nolga districts
will make the bread supply of Cen
trail Russia even worse.
Potatoes at 1000 rubles pound are
the cheapest food on the market. but
1000 rubles is a small fortune to most
Of the population and 1t takes a lot OF
oil to cook potatoes.
la dos nf Gt n "a n
parently over. Russians have tired OF
theoretical politics. The anti-Bolshc-
visits no longer discuss the government.
Paper decrccs are showcred unnoticcd
upon Rolshcvists and non Bolshevists
alike. They arc too busy in their
strife for food and clothing to worry
about what is going on in the krcm-
lin.
Streets without food shops are prac-
tically deserted in all the cities. The
search for food Is at once tho work
and the recreation of the public.
Boulovards arc lined with food wag-
ons offering fruit, vegetables bread
and eggs and tho. people seem far
moro Interested in these than in the
listicss pedestrians and the little bands
which give occasional evening con-
ccris.
There seems to be no spirit Of play
left in Russia Even the children are
sad and quiet. Recently many toy
shops have rcopcned. The Soviet gov
ernmcnt never requisitioncd Noah's
Arks and Teddy bears, so dealers in
that class of goods arc unlocking their
old stocks and dressing Santa Claus
windows.
Few moving picture theatcrs arc
open. and those are given over chiefly
to government propaganda pictures.
Tho opera season has not yet opened.
Dramas are offered in several less in,
portant houses. II was In these thea
tors and in concert halls that the cor
respondent saw the only persons who
seemed to relax and divorce thcmscl-
ves from the gloomy Moscow atmos-
pherc.
Moscow newspapers, and tho news
pa pcrs in all The leading Russian cities
arc little more than government bullc-
tins, Because of tho shortncss OF pa
per they are generally only ono sheet
and tho greater part OF The space Is
given over to long political articles.
'rhe newspapers are pasted upon tho
deadwalls. Crowds gather about thcm
eagerly and scan tho few foreign dis
pa t"hos Tho great majority Of read
crs show no interest III the political
laz, dora