The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-10-30
POVERTYSTRICKEN
REFUGEES THRONC
',CAPTALOF RUSSIA
Red Troops Control All
|, Activities of Hungry
= Inhabitants.
ny EDWIN w. HULLrNGER.

MOSCOW, Oct. 2s.-our train
rolled into Moscow one afternoon.
and we alighted on platform filled
with refugees. Outside We saw
what looked like an entire market
place full Of them. all with packs.
colored shawls. and dirty handker-
chiefs or frousy caps on their heads,
with an occasional drotshky stand
ing out here and there among the
crowd.
1t seemed as IL a whole city full
of fugitives were encamped there
in front of the beautiful Gothic sta
ton. This is a daily scene at train
time.
Shouting and gesticulating. a
dozen izvoshtchiki (coachmen)
started for me. After bargaining
furiously a few minutes over the
price, one of them held out his hat
and all pitched their drivers tags
into it. bidding me to draw "as a
newly arrived tavarishtch (com-
rade) from America"
Ragged and Cold.
The driver. whose tag drew.
scooted for his horse and wagon.
Inc dBtu poitCASr Will tfc nOl68 III
their shoes stuffed with rags to
keep the cold out, Unanswered our
luggage upon the wagon. We
Herbert Pulitzer. of the New York
World, an English newspaperman.
and myself-climbed on top, and.
after the driver had distributed us
about like ballast to keep the OUTFIT
upright, we started off into the
great capital of the world revolu-
ton.
We were unescorted. Our pass
ports had been taken from us at the
frontier. We had no means OF
Identifying ourselves. IL challenged
by Red guard.
One of the first vehicles we met
was an armored motor tank. in
which We could see the nodding he'll
NETS of a dozen Red guards.
Our route took us first through
a deserted market zone. its long
rows of bolted shop fronts present
ing very much the appearance of
the river market district Of Chicago
early in the morning when the meat
trucks have just begun to circulate
Red Guards Everywhere.
Occasionally the monotony was
broken by the drab figure of a Red
guard. his long overcoat flapping
against his ankles. his drab helmet
lighted up by the big red star of the
revolution. These stolid soldiers of
the revolution are everywhere. as
much a part of the physical setting
of Red Moscow as the drab build
ings themselves. from which their
/ nj Ar n
color.
They are a silent lot-phlegmatic
stolid. unreasoning, yet not over
bearing or hostile, mostly peasant
boys, responsive to a pleasant smile
or friendly word.
No street repair work has been
done in Moscow since the revolu-
ton, and the cobblestone thorough
fares are pock-marked with Jagged
holes. Between ruts. we carried on
a spasmodic conversation with our
driver.
He was mo Bolshevik," he ex-
planned emphaticallyx Like the
masses of all nations'at all times.
he cut his political creed according
to the size of his bread ration. Bad
bread means bad government. he
reasoned.
Thought U. 8. Soviet Too.
Have you a Soviet republic in the
United States, too" he inquired
eagerly.
He was surprised when ] an
swered no" He had thought every
country had them.
The resuming Of petty commercial
life. following the governments re-
cent decree permitting small trade.
became increasingly evident as we
neared the center of the city. Shop
after shop. recently opened, broke
the monotony of the long blocks OF
boardt dup window fronts. Apple
women were bending over their
stands.
We stopped in front of hotel
that seemed closed for the winter,
the Savoy, one of the hostelries re-
served for foreigners. The man
ager of the hotel. an earnest young
proletarian, who may have been a
plumber or machine-shop worker.
sent us up to the commander of
the hotel. Each hosiery, being a
government institution. has both a
military and civil stan. The man
ager Is in charge of the civilian de-
partment-bellboys. chambermaids.
porters, etc. The commander is re-
spOnsible for the nrOtectiOn of the