New-York tribune., 1922-04-07

10 ~ 'io cAelClSe OlIy OF perpetual
9es arc kept warm. The wood supplv
r cent TO get a log Of wood one had
Yto go for it, carry it for miles ON
the back, or sled or in a carriage
/ and then chop it up on the sidewalk
before the house.
Viewed from tho exterior the houses
OF Moscow seem to be in fair condi
/ tloh. 1t IS when one goes inside that
! the buildings themselves give mute evi-
! dencc of the four-year struggle for liv-
ing Sixty thousand houses and apart
ments IN Moscow are now unavailable
Tor use. These supplied the raw ma
tcrlals out Of which came firewood and
brick for the other houses.
In the carly days of the revolution
! 1T was common thing for mobs ITO
'ooc the shops and great houses and
tnen set fire to the interior. Hundreds
OF ruined buildings have been disman-
Nothing has been done in hve years to
recondition the houses. A leaky roof
or hulging wall soon showed busy
| eyes where timber could be obtained
tor hrewood or bricks for building a
| stove. Piece by piece, bit by bit, 5000
houses in Moscow have been taken
away in the hands Of men and women.
One sees still the ghous steal into the
graves of these old houses searching
Tor something valuable with which to
make life more bcarabc.
Under conditions such as these life
cannot be expected to follow its nor
al
morality must become a thing oucs-
toned and questionable. Much Foolish
ness has been talked about the nation
allzation of women in Russia No such
decree ever went forth. Had it gone
forth it would have been effective to
the extent that women adopted it and
no more. But the revolution has laid
an abiding stamp upon the young
womanhood of Russia. Never, per,
haps, did the philosophy of the night
of Joy before the end Of the world find
such concrete expression as in revolu-
tionary Russia. The days were so
crowded with stirring events and death
came so soon and swift that it would
nc more than human if the young had
not seized the living moment, and the
Russians are human,
Marriage Is Made Easy;
No Ceremony Necessary
On its side, the government made
marriage easy. it even encouraged it
by giving a dover TO the bride Of a
certain quantity of bed linen and house.
hold supplies. No ceremony was neces-
sary One had simply to go before a
commlssar and sign papers Of agree
ment. And divorce was as easy. One
could 90 the next day before another
commisssr and get papers of annul-
ment. And it was not necessary that
the woman be aware OF the action.
1t is difficult to gcneralzc on such
matters, but 1t is safe TO say from per
sonal Impressions that the great ma
Jorty OF young women between the
ages OF twenty and twenty-five in Rus
STA to-day admit to having been mar
red. Marriage has been so common
that young woman is likely to apollo
glze for her spinstcrhood. The bulle-
tin Of hygiene Of the government
gives the following figures for mar
riages in Moscow; 1914, 10000; 1916,
$500: 1917, $500; 1919, 1880; 1920,
l9,6o0. II is to be noticed that there
is omitted from This record the year
1918. this being the year Of the great
est freedom in marriage codes. Even
=, IN the two following years marriages
were twice as many as in 1917, the last
year before the Soviet regime.
When We come to consider the condi-
! ton Of children III the great cities we
are on surer ground. Here the pro
| gram of decentralization was confessed
by the government and it has led to
serious consequences.
The following extract from a speech
by Nine. Lilina ono OF the heads Of the
Department Of Public instruction, is
given In a government pubicat ton and
is undoubtedly authentic;
I'VE must remove the children from
the pcrnicious influence Of the family,
we must nationalize them. From the
first days of their existence they should
be under the bcnciiccnt influence Of
kindergarten and communist schools
1t is there that they should learn the
alphabet of communism. 1t is there
that they will become true communists.
Our practical task is to force mothers
(Continued on page fou1