The Washington herald., 1922-01-29
FORMER WEALTHY
RUSSIANS Sell
FURS TO PEASANTS
Members of AristOcratic
Families Work for
A. r. A.

ner intelligencia and aristocracy
are ekeing out a slender living
chiefly by selling OF their personal
belongings and by speculating on
turs. objects of art. or anything else
they can find to speculate on.
All had jobs in some government
department and many are still eat
their posts. But accounts agree
that the salaries they obtain are
not large enough to meet more than
one-fourth their minimum living ex-
penses at the present scale or
prices. Even those with jobs con-
sequently, are obliged to make up
the remaining three-fourths as best
they can. Being as a class untu-
tored in business and sharp bar
gaining, many are suffering pitt
fully from lack Of food and fuel.
Scores have found employment as
stenographers OF interpreters in the
A. r. A. their early training having
equipped them with two or three
languages. Many girls of former
noble families. including one prin-
cess. are clicking away at machines
or taking dictation in the various
omces of the A. r. A. as happily as
any little Broadway stenographer.
Driven to Speculation.
The first result of the freedom 10
trade, granted under the new eco
nomic policy was to convert Mos
cow into a pit of speculation. Every
body, even inside private families,
Immediately began buying and SELL
ing Every home became a minia-
ture market When a host showed
you a piece of art. the conventional
remark became. not how beautiful
but "skolko" chow much). AcquaIn-
tances met on the street to trade.
People tried to sell their own things
or their friends things. II someone
heard of someone wanting a fur
coat, he tried to sell him his own
or his friends On commission, This
free lance reign of bartering knew
no limit or ethics. Prices ran wild.
IL was a question of how much each
could get out OF the other fellow.
The eventual buyers were peas
ants who in this region are wealth
Ter than ever before, and a small
class Of new rich" who acquired
their money from successful specu-
lation, or from profits during the
war.
Strive to Get Feed.
Realizing that no general revival
OF industry could be expected be-
fore spring. Moscow's former intelli-
gencia and aristocracy tried to take
advantage OF this situation and
turned spectators. It was a spec
ulstion. not to get rich quick" but
literally for life or death. Success
meant food. lodging and fuel for
the winter; failure. little food, no
fusl. and danger OF death from cold
and hunger.
The A r. A, with its small army
of doIlared Americans, became a
Ascca for people with furs, paint
fnEs and tsvelry. Every pretty sec
Rotary, and there are many, has her
few -eiose friends" with fur coats,
necklaces, etc, ready to exchange
Tor American greenbacks.
Princess K, . capable stem
oErapher In the A. R. A children's
feeding branch In Moscow, has de-
yeloped . growing fur clientele
among her American employers. Her
sympathetic smile and knowledge
Of fur values gained when she was
q princess have become real COM
mercial assets In this time of need.
Maria Morozova. daughter OF
Russia's former richest linen man
ufacturer. is supporting herself and
her aged parents by dancing at
cabarets, theater and Soviet parties
Young women OF well-known aris-
tocratic families are in the ballet
chorus at the BolshoI Theater.
'T learned to dance from my
governess when I was a little girl"
one Of them told the correspondent
II always wanted to 60 on the
stage, but my father would never
think of II. He did, however, COM
promise by permitting me to attend
a ballet school for a few years. Now
he is very glad, indeed, that I know
how to dance"