Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-03
..SOWETS HOLD GRIP
!. ON CENTRAL ASIA.
Admit Food Shortage, but
Declare Confidence in
Coming Harvest.
BY JAMES A. MILLS.
~ the Associated Press.

ny the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, June 3.--A trip of more
than 5000 miles through Central Asiatic
Russia by American newspaper men
showed that the Communist regime Is
making considerable progress indus
trially, but that the standard OF living
Is very low.
The correspondents were guests of
the Soviet government at the opening
of the new Turkestan-Siberian Railroad
at Ainabulak. Uzbekistan, and their OBJ
servations showed that there is ser1-
Gus shortage of such indispensable
foodstuffs as bread, meat, sugar and
butter.
Correspondents Meals Envied.
Most of the railway station buffets
and restaurants were destitute OF edi-
bles of any kind except black bread,
bad bologna sausage and fish. In sew
eral instances Russians came 10 the
correspondents and complained OF high
prices and lack OF food and articles OF
clothing. They looked with envlous
ewes upon the international dining car
in which the correspondents had their
meals But in spite of the inSunhclent
supply of food, the masses OF people
looking surprisingly healthy.
The Soviet government makes no at
tempt to conceal this shortage OF 1000
and other necessaries. 1t declares that
the harvest this year will more than
offset the present crisis and leave
generous margin for the country's needs
next Winter and Spring. Much, OF
course, will depend upon the success
of the Spring sowing campaign ana the
output of the collective and state
farms this year.
Soyiets Firmly Intrenched.
Observation and inquiry by the cor
RESPONDENTS also showed that politically
the Soviet regime is firmly intrenched
internally. Here and there, notably In
Kazakstan and TaShkent, rumors were
heard of sporadic risings and discon-
tent, but these apparently were con-
fined to small isolated groups ana we're
easily suppressed. All along the route
of travel Red army soldiers and secret
political police were seen in liberal num-
bers especially at railroad stations.
OF far greater interest to the corre-
spondentS than the formal opening OF
the new Turkestan- Siberian Railroad
we're their visits to Samarkand aud Box
hara, the last strongholds in Asiatic
Russia, of q medieval civilization found
ed by Ghengis Kahn and Tamerlane,
which, for 500 years, has been slowly
dying.
Apart from the appearance of few
Soviet cooperative stores, the influx OF
o large number of Russians and the IS
tabliShment of a Soviet gendarmerie,
these ancient cities remain pretty much
as they were at the time Columbus dis
covered America.
It was highly I'M testing to observe
the efforts Of the S>Viet government to
introduce q modern socialistic regime
among the primitive peoples of the
changeleSS desert, who, for q thousand
years, have lived the same darkened
lives and followed the same barbaric
customs.
Live Primitive Existence.
The majority Of these children Of
the steppes," for children they are in
mentality and simplicity, do not under
stand what communism Is and seem
to care less, They follow a primitive,
patriarchal form Of existence and dwell
in great dome-shaped tents made of
felt. which resemble the tepees Of the
North American Indians.
They seemingly want only to be al
lowed to follow the trails of their
fathers and to have tent to live in, a
camel to ride on and two or three wives
(the Koran allows them four each, but
most of them are too poor to support
more than one).
The Workers and Peasants Republic
appears to mean nothing more to them
than q name, Tor they consider the
limitless desert their country and Gods
sky above them as the limit Of their
freedom.
Nevertheless, the Soviet government
has made considerable strides In form
ing these migratory tribesmen into
larger political groups, for today there
exist in Turkestan no less than I'VE
distinct autonomous republics
stan, Tadjikfstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbe-
kistan and Kirghiz-all enjoying local
independence but under direct control
of the central Communist government
at Moscow