The New York herald., 1921-09-18

You walk along the main street Of
Moscow. People in military uniforms.
with the buttons covered in cloth and
red cockades on their varied hats. hurry
somewhere looking occupied and con-
tent. Elderly people with distraught
look In their eyes. thin and bent move
slowly, carrying small tins. to Join a
long queue at the peoples dining room.
The people in the queue look pale and
desolate.
losing order, dashes forward: some are
knocked down. some are squeezed In the
doorway, and there Is q nght. with much
shouting and swearing. You stop to
study the peoples faces and can see
that most OF them know what politeness
Is and havo once lived what Is gcner-
ally called a civilized life, but now they
are little better than a pack OF hungry
wolves However, being hungry your
self you understand them, and II you
had no hope Of anything better than
what they are waiting for. that is. pint
Of watery soup. you would do anything
not TO lose 1t. But you have some very
valuable friends. You know one or two
State bakers. and therefore you need
not stand in the hungry queue. Yes.
you are lucky indeed.
You walk further. All the shops ex-
cept the booksellers are closed. There
arc no private booksellers or publishers
now. The State has monopolized
thought and the press In just same
way as 1t has monopolized everything
else, education. industry, trade, &c. You
are expected to think on no other lines
but the Bolshevik. If you have differ
ent view about things you had better
be silent unless YOU want to be irnpris-
oned. Nothing goes into print but what
the Bolsheviks approve of. Where are
all the noble minds and hearts? Yes,
progressive thought and feeling have
long since disappeared.
You walk along. What Is this crowd
In the street7 You go nearer and find
that 1t is crowd Of town people, clerks
students, shopkeepers. equipped with
spades. iron bars, pickaxes. There are
men and women, old and young. IN
shabby and insufficient clothing, some
leaning on their tools and resting. some
languidly picking with pickaxes 100
heavy for their inexperienced hands and
backs. They are clearing the street OF
snow and Ice. which is almost foot
deep.
Those with spades are throwing the
Jumps upon n sledge In front OF which
are standing Ave or six individuals with
ropes over their shoulders, ready to pun
the eledge when the load is completed.
Soviet steeds," you hear as a passing
remark. Red guards with guns walk
round the crowd.
You approach one of them and ask
''who are these people? Are they con-
victs? What have they done?" 1t is
briefly explained that they are "citizens
doing work of social Importance" You
stay little while to notice the various
expressions and to study the efficiency
of this system, and you see quite clearly
that a. dozen strong. capable men would
do the same work In less time than this
crowd Of hungry and angry people.
You approach a station. A train mas
lust arrived and a crowd OF people Is
pouring out OF 1t. They are all carry
ing bags--heavy bags which are carried
with difficulty. what have you go'
there?" you ask one Of them, and ne
shouts to you without stopping. "Pota'
toes, potatoes" where from?" you
ask. How much did you pay? Is II
long journey?" A former schoolmaster
resting beside his bag. explains to you
everything you want to know, and you
make UP your mind to so tomorrow.
Next day you go to the station WITH
a sack under your arm. The waiting
room and all the passages are full OF
people lying about on their bundles
some soundly asleep, some idly smoking
foul tobacco. The floors are wet from
the melting snow brought In on boots