Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-10-17
RUSSIA is "A ShRILELESS LAND:
. THE IMPORTANT QUESTION NOW
is TO OBTAIN ENOUGH TO EAT
Correspondent on 1000 Mile Trip Says He
Didn't Hear Single Hearty Laugh; Speak
ers No Longer Extol the Glories of Proletar-
ian Rule From the Corner Curbstsnes.

(Note.--The subjoined article,
giving graphic description of the
gloomy mental attitude of the hun
cry people OF Russia, was written
by q staff correspondent of the
Associated Press who entered Rus
STA with the American relief work
ers when the famine opened the
doors of that country after they
had been closed for more than
three years.
The writer not only visited Mos
cow but penetrated to the famine
stricken districts of Samara and
Kazan where the first American
food was distributed and whence
he sent by cable stirring stories of
the scenes he witnesseO.
(By Staff Corrcspondcnt.)
Moscow, oct. 13.-Russi4 is
smileless land. In more than 2,OOO
miles of travel on Central Russian
railways and rivers the Associated
Press correspondent hasn't heard
a single hearty laugh. The eX-
uberance and oratory of the flrst
year of bolshevism have disap-
peared. .,
Speakers no longer tell of the
glories Of proletarian rule from the
corner curbstones. Red army SOL
diers no longer ,jeer at the bour-
eeosie, for all have settled down
together to the difficult task OF
getting enough to eat; and per-
sons who have not tried existence
in present-day Russia have no con-
ception of how difficult it is 10
satisfy the most primitive humah
needs there.
Nearly every man and woman
met on Moscow or Petrosraa
streets today is carrying some sort
of food parcel or bartering WIN
food dealers on the street cor
ners. There is practically no WOOD
and coal is not dreamed of. Oh
is the only fuel. Every family has
n primus on which the hot water
for tea and the simple meals are
prepared.
Live i'm One Room.
Under the housing system mos
persons have only one room IN
which to cook, eat, sleep and 90
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 Tears
that the famine in the Volga DIS
tricts will make the bread supply
of Central Russia even worse.
Potatoes at 1000 rubles pounu
are the cheapest food on the mar
ket. but 1000 rubles is small for
tune 10 most of the population ana
il takes a lot of oil to COOK po-
tatoes.
The days Of political strife, are
ennarently over. Russians nave
tired of theoretical politics. The
anti bolshevists no longer discuss
f, tba government. Paper DEGREES
ave showered unnoticed upon DOL
shevists and -boishevists allKe'
Thev are too busy in their strlle
for food and clothing TO wotLS
about what is going on III tiie
Kremlin.
search for Food.
Streets without food SHOPS a.e
practically deserted in all the cl'-
ies THE search for food is at once
the work and the recreation OF ny ,
nuhlic Boulevards are lined with
FOOD wagons offering fruit, Vege-
tables bread and eggs, and the
neonle seem far more Interested III
these than in the listless peues-
trions and the little bands WhlcH
give occasional evening concerts.
There seems to be no spirit "
n,a,, left in Russia. Even the
cbildren are sad and quiet. Re-
Gently many toy shops have re-
ononed The soviet government
never requisitioned Noah's afks
and Teddy bears, so dealers III
that class of goods are unboNlns
their old stocks and dressing santa
Claus windows.
Few moving picture theaters are
omen and those are given over
chiefly to government propaganda
nictures The opera season mas
not vet opened. Dramas are Of
fered in several less important
houses. It was in these houses
and in concert halls that the cor
rosnondent saw the. only persons
who seemed to relax ana oiv3Lc7
themselves from the gloomy MOS
COW atmosphere.
Shortage Of Paper.
Moscow newspapers ana tne
newspapers in all the leading Rus,
sian cities are little more than
government bulletins. Because OF
the shortness OF paper they are
generally only one sheet, ana the
preater part of the space Is given |
over to long political articles. me
newspapers are pasted upon the
deadwalls. Crowds gather about
them eagerly, and scan the rev
foreign dispatches. The great ma
jority of readers show no inter-
est in the political leaders.
Street crowds in Moscow pre-
sent a strange and varied appear
ance. Unless the weather is sunny
and warm there are very few pc
destrians in the center of the CITY;
Markets which formerly existed
near Opera Place have been ahol-