The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-10-25
BY ANNA PORTER

III Cduo dccluenLdlly TO my nOClc6 the
other day. The government is max
ing Roadway slowly but surely in this
respect as in most others, but the
waits do not take altogether kindly
to being reclaimed from the cutters
and their adventurous life, and being
troublesomely civilized It is so much
easier in summertime to curl up in
the angle of wall at night in your
dirty clothes, and not bother about
baths and hair-brushing. But here the
Young Leninists come in. These little
folk af an age below that of the
Young Communists-down in fact to
the tots who struggle so valiantly to
keep up in the professions, all under
stand, to the youngest, what their
task is in building the new Russia.
Several hundred thousand of these
there are thruout the country "Be
prepared" is their salute, and quick
as a flash from the tiniest comes the
response with hand high, Always pre-
pared!"
The following incident shows one
direction in which they are working
always prepared" to handle it effci-
emily. had been having sort of
dinner-lunch-in the Russian fashion
anywhere from three to skin the
cooperative restaurant across the
way. under the Second House of the
Soviets,-where officials of one sort
or another are housed in the old Hotel
Metropole,-with Russian speaking
comrade who is especially interested
in the child problem. 1t was Sunday
and as we finished, we saw great com
panies of the Young Leninists come
marching from the Red Square, so
many that / think it must have been
their DAY" Past and past they
tramped with bands and banners,
dressed in their varied gymnasium
suits and uniforms, all united by the
red neckerchief, until finally one com
pany stopped just in front of our en-
trance, and went through their drills,
interpretive posturing it might be
called, in perfect accord with the
music, while half dozen little beggar
boys who had been hanging about the
restaurant lodging the manager, join
ed the crowd who stood to watch the
marchers.
This last company then swung
about and marched into the building
to a clubroom or hall they have, and
the crowd dwindled away, leaving us
alone with the beggar boys. My COM
panion tried to interview them. They
were reluctant of course. but they
gained courage and gathered around
as he crafty shifted his attention to
a young Pole who stopped and be-
came interested. He had run away
from a reactionary family to Russia.
he said, and joined the Communist
Party. Then gradually the boys al
lowed themselves to be drawn in, but
before we had made any Roadway, two
Young Leninists, in their red hand
kerchief ties, a brightfaced stocky
girl of perhaps fourteen, and a slender
boy of the same age, came out from
the hall, swooped down without warn.
ing upon the boys and carried them
off by storm, herding them alone with
loving arms about the ragged should
ers and dusty towsled heads.
All but onel The toughest of the
lot refused to surrender bull-doggy
little boy IN coat of ragged gunny-
sacking. We talked to him-to his
back-as he tried to escape us by
burrowing in a stone wall with his
hand. Yes, he would like to go into
a home and be fed-but he was
grumpy and skeptical in the acknowl-
edgement. Again we were supplanted
by the two little Leninists Of his own
age, generated by the bright-faced,
competent girl, and after very short
comradely struggle, they carried him
OFF in triumph-with a sulky reluc-
lance on his part it is true-neverthe-
less they had him. It took childhood