Evening star., 1925-12-01
RUSSIA PUTS BAN
ON GYPSY ROAMER
Soviet Government DEGREES
No More Wandering in
Covered Wagon.
Gyp.ies must stop roaming.

IypS1eS must STOP roaming
The Soviet government has issued
the fat. Three years of grace are
allowed the gypsies. Then there must
be no more wandering through all
the Russias. The covered wagon. the
Swarthy soothsayer in brilliant rags.
wild gypsy music at the roadside
campfire, must take up the trail To
limbo.
''Of the many new DEGREES and
programs of the Soviet republic, set
Ting the gypsy on the land proba bly,
has as little hope as any Of accom-.
plishment." SAYS bulletin of the Ma
tional Geographic Society from It's
headquarters here. Many nations in
many ages have tried to control that
strange figure-the sypsy-and have
failed
Nomad Life a Puzzle.
Since the early part Of the nine
teenth century students and scholars
have tried to understand the gypsy.
They have compared the gypsy of
Russia to the gypsy of Hungary.
Srsin, England and America. They
have charted his westward advance.
They have examined his language and
linked II with Sanskrit and tongues
of India. They have set down his
customs. They have accounted for
nearly every characteristic Of the
gypsy race except the one that sets
the gypsy apart from all other races.
Why has the fame Of nomadism lived
in the GYPSY? Why can't he deny
The call Of the open road? That is
the real mystery. 1t stands unex
claimed.
"Gypsies have had inducements 70
settle on the land in nearly every ns
ton they have invaded. In Scotland
they paid for vaErancy with their
necks in the time of James V. A few
countries can report permanent com
munities of gypsies. but generally the
law elides over their black heads and
fails 10 mold them into good. solid
ritizensS Sons and daughters of
Romany are inveterate nomads.
Obedience to Gypsy Law Cited.
Another mystery Of gypsydor, the
"a pacity for keeping the race strain
pure although they wander the world
over and mix with men Of all nations,
is easier to explain. Strict obedience
To three precepts of gypsy law has
saved their individuality from the
worlds melting pot. according TO
George Borrow. This British mis-
sionsry studied the gypsy nearly 1nn
years ago. YET so fine is his prose, SO
accurate were his observations. and
SO unchanging Is the gypsy. in both
lineage and language. that Borrows
books 10 this day are treasures Of
| lore. The three commandme ents of
Romany are:
Separate not from the husba nds.
BE faithful 10 the husha nds
Pay your debts 10 the husba nds.
Rom means man in the gypsy
tongue. The first and third com
mandments are directed to the rom
=
whose position in the tribe is hinted
by the repetition of the word 'hus-
bands Indeed. 'Romany may he
translated the sect of husbands
Debtor Custom Abrogated.
The first Injunction. separate not
| from the husbands is Responsible
spirit and the language. That the
| second has been strictly observed.
| here is ample testimony by the fact
| that gypsies the world over have
staring black eyes. rich black hair
and a swarthy complexion. The last
| comma ndment has lost force because
civilized law will not permit operation
| of the old gypsy law compelling the
; defaulting debtor to serve as slave to
| the lender for year and a day.
The name gypsy itself is the per.
| btN tNOoNl'll u al eIlOl- Uc HISJ
| tribes arriving in England told the
| British they came from Litill Egypt
IN the rough and tumble of language
! 'Egyptia MS became cypsies' The
| French fell into error too. and their
| mistake has been transplanted to
| English. Thinking Eypsies came from
! Bohemia. the French called them Bo-
| hemians. With the big B become
! dwarf. we have a label for a light.
! hearted, sophisticated man about
: town. A bohemian. perforce. is
! root relative TO Bohemia, the eastern
| knob of CZeChoslovakia, which Is not
| particularly famous for lisht-hearted-
ness. sophistication or men-ab bout
| town.
Aim of Soviet Edict.
THE Soviet edict was probably di
rected 10 the Zigani. This appella
ton is far more accurate than gypsy
and may be regarded as the true uni
| versal root name by which the race
itself prefers to be known. In the
Balkans it becomes Tsigan; in Greece
and Turkey. Tshingian; in Italy. Yin
! gari; in Germany, Zigeuner Their
escaped the English language entire
! ly, for some authorities find it in our
word tinker. The gypsies were the
| peddlers and the itinerant repairnlen
of Old Ensla nd-the tinkers'
1 lnE~nt ~