Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-10-03
STATUE OF LENIN NOW HOLDS
HONOR PLACE In ROYAL CAFE
Illuminated Red Flag Flies in Once Gorgeous Moscow
Restaurant, Where Nobility Was Wont to Gather
in Pre-War Days.

bronze statue of Lenin. the father
of the revolution, backed with an FLU.
minated red flag. occupies the place
of honor in the ample entrance hall.
The pictures have disappeared and the
walls bear the insignia of the Union
Of Socialist Soviet Republics" The
gilded reception hall is a lecture room
where Communist doctrines are daily
expounded.
The main dining room is show
place for the vegetables, grains. ami
mails (all' realistically stuffeD and the
other products and natural resources
of Russia. The garden where erst-
while flowers bloomed in profusion is
now the we'll nourished soil for prize
cabbages, carrots and turnips. with
here and there a surviving rose tree
that suggests what once was. In the
stone arcade is an exhibit of agricul
tural implements such as are used or
are recommended for use on
the farms. (Among them. of course,
are many American machines-traC
tors, ploWS, harvesters, etc. OF the
$4,000 tractors in use in Russia 10000
are of American make.)
The former grill is now a rest room,
and the upstairs apartments are
smoking rooms, dining halls. chill
dren's play rooms, nurseries and sleep
ing apartments. Some of the old fur
niture is in use, and the seats of the
mighty are now the lounging rooms
of the workers who have come to the
capital to find occupation or to re-
Ceive instruction.
The point of it is that the peasants
are to feel that nothing is too good
for them, and that what was once eX-
elusive must be common to all. Com
munism and the dictatorship of the
proletariat" are not to be allowed to
die out. Never, perhaps. on an equal
scale was anything equal to the Rus
sian program undertaken. The past
is wiped out, the present is to be made
safe, not for democracy but for Com
munism, and the future is to be in
sured for the same cause. To that
end are the children to be educated.
and to that end the peasants, num-
being IS or 80 per cent of the entire
population, are TO be brought into
sympathy and held in line, for with
out them no government can long sur
ViVe in Russia.
Contribution to Uplift.
This Hermitage" house of the
peasants Is the city of Moscow's con-
tribution to the peasant uplift. The
proposition is like this: Suppose that
a commercial club in an American
city sought to extend a practical vel
come to all newcomers and to insure
their loyalty to municipal government.
Ii the situation were the same as in
Moscow the club could take posses
sion Of the best hotel in town, build
ing, furnishings, equipment, without
cost to the club. Thus equipped. 1t
could say to all who sought to change
country for city life: Bring your fam.
lily and be the city's guest for a day
or two at our expense until you get
your bearings. We will help you to
find yourselves. We will instruct your
children in the resources of the city
and country, teach them what the
government is and what we propose
to make it, find food, baths, beds. read
ing and rest rooms, doctors, clothing,
everything you need: and if you are
not able, you need not pay cent. All
we ask is that you remain loyal.
Not having to pay for building or
plant, principal or interest, the club
would probably be able to finance it
operations. At least, this Is what the
Moscow municipality is doing. It pro-
vides clever lecturers who instruct
groups of children in all the things
needful for a good Communist. This
is only an illustration Of what is done.
Schools are led through the museums
and the factories, to the places of his
toriQ lptazests and lessons drawn FROM