The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-02-07

which Kharkov is the chief city, is
an independent workers state,
running its own affairs, using its
own language and with a culture
all It's own. The Bolsheyik slogan
OF se1f-determination for all peoples
has become q reality here.
A LOOK AT KHARKOY
A couple of Ukrainian comrades
drive us around in a rattly old car.
They are SO proud Of everything
they show us that--I was almost
going to write you'd think they
owned the town." That's what
you'd say In America. But the
very. reason Soviet workers are so
proud of the cities, factories or
whatever else they show you, is that
they do own them.
And there's plenty to brag about
in KharkoY. Just look at the
buildings. In Moscow and Lenin-
grad there are still more old build
ings than new. But here the old
city is completely overshadowed by
the brave new Socialist city that
has grown up over and around it.
In every direction you look are big
modern buildings striking new
post office, completely machinized,
fine new workers apartment houses
without number, new factories, new
schools and clubs, new public build
ingS Of every kind. And there are
almost as many again in course OF
construction.
We drive out to what we're nG2ce
W dumping grounds on the out
skirts OF the city. Here has arisen
the biggest building in the Soviet
Union-and it must be one OF the
biggest in the world. It is really a
half-dozep or so buildings, all
joined together with bridges and
arches. 1t houses administrative
offices for Ukrainian industry, and
other public buildings and work
ers' apartment houses have sprung
up all around. The finest square
In Kharkov is being laid out on
this former dumping ground.
IN DYNAMO PARK
Then on to the Dynamo Park.
Here everything is bright and new.
On what was wilderness a few years
back there are today a big new
stadium for athletic events, open
air theatres, 8, moving picture
house, bandstands, restaurants and
facilities for all kinds of games
and sports. All these are spread
around among trees, gardens and
laWns-with many quiet walks on
lovely evening like this when thou
sands are out enjoying the park.
Nothing here of the hectic,
money grabbing rush Of Coney
Island or other such American re-
sorts. These throngs Of workers
all have jobs and don't need to
worry about losing them. Their
working hours are shorter, their
rest days more frequent-and above
all they feel their future is Sc
cure. They take their pleasures in
more leisHely and carefree fashion
than any American crowd.
WE enjoy the crowd, the gardens
w and the open-air music SO
much that we look in at another
park, the ''Profsad," on our way
back. Here we find similar amuse-
nents and thousands of more
workers enjoying themselves in
much the same fashion as at the
Dynamo
And. before we go to bed, we visit
still another garden-the little park
of the foreign workers and special
lists, Of whom there are 500 in
Klar6ov, numbering with their
families about 900 persons. They
have clubroomS, orchestra, restau-
rant and amusements of different
kinds. Here we find American,
English, German, Czech and other
workers strolling about under the
trees or sitting to listen to the
music.
KHARKOv A BOOM CITY
Some OF the Americans we speak
TO have ali the enthusiasm Of pio,-
neers. Kharkov is q regular boom
city, they tell us, but building at a
pace that makes even Americans
dizzy. 1t has all the shortages Of o
boom city, too. It's as hard as the
devil to get a haircut. Nobody
wants TO barber when there's so
much interesting and better paid
work to do. And about the only
walters to be had are men too old
for anything else. There is such
8 shortage Of skilled labor that al
most everyone is training to be-
come q mechanic or an engineer
and men OF organizing ability are
taking on two and three Jobs at
the same time.
THE next day we drive several
! miles out Of Kharkov, along
smooth new highway. We pass a
huge electric appliance factory on
our way. And then suddenly, right
in the midst OF desolate prairie
land, rises Tractorstroy.
The Soviet Union must have
tractors by the thousands for its
new collective farms. 1t must have
them in hurry-to satisfy the ris-
ing living standards Of l60,0O0,oO0