Imperial Valley press., 1922-02-02
ONCE ARISTOCRATS
WORKING FOR
A. R. A.
By EDWIN w. HULLINGER

by EOWlN w. IL OLLlNGEN
UNITED Press Staff Correspondent)
MOSCOW (By Mail to United Press)
-Moscow's former intelligencia and
aristocracy are ekeing out a slender
living chiefly by selling off their per-
sonal belongings and by specializing
on furs, objects of art, or anything
else they can find to speculate on.
All had jobs in some government
department and many are still at their
posts. But accounts agree that the
salaries they obtain are not large
enough to meet more than one-fourtn
their minimum living expenses at the
present scale of prices. Even those
with jobs consequently, are obliged to
make up the remaining threefourths
as best they can. Being as a class
untutored in business and sharp bar
gaining, many are suffering pitifully
from lack of food and fuel.
Scores have found employment as
stenographers or interpretations in the
A. R. A., their early training having
equipped them with two or three
languages. Many girls Of former noble
families, including one princess. are
clicking away at machines or taking
dictation in the various offices OF the
"A. R. A. as happily as any little
Broadway stenographer.
The first result of the freedom to
trade. granted under the new economic
policy was to convert Moscow into
nit of speculation. Everybody, even
inside private families, Immediately
began buying and selling. Every home
became a miniature market. When
host showed you a piece OF art, the
conventional remark became not chow
beautiful but "skolko" Chow much).
Acquaintainces 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. Ihis
free lance reign of bartering knew no
limit or ethics. Prices ran wild. 1t
was a question Of how much each
could get out of the other fellow.
The eventual buyers were peasants,
who in this region, are weather. than
ever before, and small class OF new
rich, who acquired their money from
successful speculation, or from profits
during the war. i
Realizing that no general revival of
industry could be expected before
spring, MoscoW's former ,intelllgencia
and aristocracy tried to take advant-
age of this situation and turned specu-
lators. 1t was a speculation, not to
"get rich quick" but literally for life
or death. Success meant food, lodging
and fuel for the winter; failure, little
food, no fuel, and danger OF death
from cold and hunger. i
The A. R. A. with its small army OF
dollared Americans, became Mecca
for people with furs, paintings, and
iewelry. Every pretty secretary, ana
there are many, has her few "close
friends" with fur coats, necklaces, etc.
ready to exchange for American
greenbacks. =, -
oprapher in the "A. r. A. children's
feeding branch in Moscow, has devel-
oped growing fur clientele among
her American employers. Her sympa-
thetic smile and knowledge of fur val
ues gained when she was princess
have become real commercial assets IN
this time of need.
Maria Morozova, daughter OF kus.
sia's former richest linen manutac-
turer, is supporting herself and her
aged parents by dancing at cabarets
theatres and Soviet parties.' Young
women of we'll known arlstocractic
families are in the ballet chorus at
the Bolshoi theatre.
81 learned to dance from my COVER.
ness when l was little girl" one OF
them told the correspondent. Il al
ways wanted to 60 on the stage, but
my father would never think OF 1t. he
did, however, compromise by permit
ting me to attend ballet school for
few wears. Now he is very glad indeed
that l know how to dance"