The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-11-25
RUSSIANS ANXIOUS
FOR OUTSIDE news
Know Little of America
And Western Europe
CONTENTS OF PAPERS
Lengthy Editorials and PoIemic
Articles Fill Up Most
Of Space
\ EDWIN w. HULLINGER,

Moscow. Correspondence of The
United Press.l-While the western
world has been wondering what has
been going on in Russia, Russia has
been wondering just as much what
was going on in the rest of the world.
The average man in Russia has
known just as littie-perhaps less
about events in America and Western
Europe these last four years as the
average American has known about
The So called truth about Russia"
The Chinese wall which has separat-
ed Russia from the balance OF civil
cation since the Bolsheyik revolution
has been just as impermeaDie from
this side as it was to us ON the otner.
Coming into Russia is like coming
into a beleaguered city, full OF people
furnishing for word from the nome.
Want Western Europe News
Time and again former professional
men, former merchants, have come
up to me on the street to ask for
news from Western Europe. Drotsh-
XIV drivers have twisted their increas-
ing avoir dupoid-they grow fatter al, a
fatter as the winter progresses with
each additional layer of clothing
around on their drivers sets in front
to enquire what was happening In
America. III
The most astonishing conceptions
have been revealed. Some thought a
Soviet Republic had been established
in washington Many had understood
that if such were not the case, it
would happen soon, as the workers OF
America were on the point of revolt
ing. This type of idea as for the
most part confined to the working
people.
The former bourgoisie enquired
principally about political events, and
abut living conditions. They knew
that the war was over. and that Is
about adj.
While a picturesque looking old
monk was conducting party or us
through Ivan the Terrible's private
temple in the Red Square. former
physician from Odessa. now in the
Bolshevik Red Gross. giimpsed my
American bone trimmed glasses and
edged through the crowd of sight
seers to enquire il any great scientific
discovery 11ad been maize IN the our Z
side worfdr since the war.
All commerce with the rest OF the
world has been stopped until short
time ago and ; it was on necently
pleasure travellers and no business
travellers except those on official
Governmental missions have come to
Russia since 1917. kilograms now go
freely to London and Berlin, but this
is only very recent arrangement.
Moscow BoIshevik Newspapers
The Bolshevik newspapers in Mos
COW are large one sheet affairs, re-
calling the editions ini London during
the war. They are filed with long
editorials and polemic articles against
bourgeois Western Europe, Ccmmun-
list party news, news about Russia,
and a column or two of short para
graphs from foreign countries.-a sin
gle paragraph from each land. These
items are generally labor news, how
ever, such as might be found in
lyrical trade union organ in the Uni
ted States. The classic paragraph
from the United States is about
strike at Pittsbura. an impending
strike of the New York wharfers, etc.
The biggest political events. such
orally chronicled hut briefly-gener-
ally in four or FIVE lines.
This news is gathered by the var
ious bureaux of Rosta, the Official
propaganda agency. in the capitals of
those countries having relations or
uuasirelations with the Soviet Gov
eminent. The news about Russia,
however, is con- paratively complete
surprisingly so in view of the gen.
eral disorsanization of transport and
means of communication throughout
the country.
CreditabIe News Enterprise
In their handling Of local news the
Moscow papers often disn'av rre 'i+
able enterprise. During the recent
sessions of THE All Russian Central
Executive Committee, Russia's "Par-
,iament.y' the Izvestia got out four
page editions, including nearly two
entire pages of news about the meet
ings, with many of the principal
speeches in full. None Of the papers
published more than one edition
day, however, on account Of the paper
shortage.
Moscow has three principal news
napers-the Izvestia. the official pa
per of the government: the Pravada
the official organ of the Communist
marty, and the Economic Life. the Of
fetal trade union paper. Two or
three other small sheets are publish
ed. devoted largely to craft news. All
are financed by the government.
MADpJEn IN MANKATO