The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1921-11-01
TitliS Under Soviet
Rule Differs Much
From In Former DAYS

TIFLlS, Oct. 1t(By a Staff Cores
pondent Of The Associated Press)-
This city under Soviet rule bears
many resemblances to another city
of unique beauty, Budapest, Hungary
when that gay place of opera and
fine streets and houses and handsome
people was favored by a Soviet, un-
der the ardnet Bella Kun in the spring
and summer of 1919. Before that time
both were wealthy and well-cared
for, despite long and disastrous
war. Business was fairly brisk, shops
were filled with expensive articles,
with all that the heart desired in
adornment.
Sadness Supplants Joy
When the correspondent saw this
city of TffliS two years ago, its mag
niflcent Georgian Club. a huge muni-
cipal resort open to rich and poor,
was the scene Of unbounded gaiety.
Here public hospitality was handed
out broadly to all strangers. It's lit
tie theater was filled with good
dancers and actors and singers.
Now, until the opera reopens, it is
the sole place of amusement, except
the movies. 1t is attended by red
soldiers, its gardens filled by faded
street beauties of the other SEX while
those bourgeoisie who have been un-
able to flee hold forth in a modest
little restaurant downstairs called the
Cafe de Paris. It's manager is the
former proud owner of the Hotel Ori-
ent. He Is a Frenchman.
people do strange things in the
name of liberty" is his summing-up
of the situation. AS a matter of fact,
they like this new liberty so well that
both poor and rich would like to get
away from it.
In ifiis, some thingsT are better
ordered than they were in Soviet
Budapest. There is food to be had,
good food, and at not impossible
prices. There the comparison ends.
The street cars are not running, for
lack of oil or something. Anyway,
people might just as well walk, as
they have no special reason for get
ting anywhere quickly.
Rich Furnishings Pawned
The homes of Tiflis, once so vast
and elegant in their hospitality, are
still outwardly handsome but the in
teriors are different. Most have been
requisitioned and divided, with their
furniture slowly finding its way to
the pawnshops. One man, formerly
prominent as a politician, has had all
of his fine residence taken from him
| and each time he finds furnished
room, it is requistioned at the order
of some old enemy, until now he has
been made to move eight times.
| There is still enough clothes left
from the old days so that nobody ap-
pears shabby. OF work for a living
I there is little or none. Ghe only
civlizing influence let is Uhe Near
/ East Relief There the correspond
| ent met a woman looking for work
/ She was from Riga and had lived Is
/ years teaching languages in Tiflis
/ But now she had no one to whom to
! give lessons or who could pay for
| them. Work under the Soviet was
| of no use, she said because it paid
only 10000 rubles a month, the price
of few pounds of bread.
She was now engaged in selling
food and clothing in the markets on
commission but the profit was so lit
tie and courageous as she appeared
to be, she begged with tears in hei
eyes for any kind of a place, sewing
scrubbing ors-"anything." What
would happen when winter came she
dared not think, like many thousands
, of others.