The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-17
A Soviet JeaO Speaks
An Intimate Picture of the Present Condition
of National Minority in the U.S.S.R.
By SAM GOULD

IT WAS deep in the Daghestan
Mountains, deep, deep in. One had
to float down the Volga six DAYS,
cross the ink-blue Caspian, Jolt over
sandy and barren shorelands, sway
up rock-peaked mountains, hang over
treacherous cliff roads, tumble into
deep and winding valleys, till one got
there.
lie WAS lean, his hair the steel
IL gray Of man who had worked
hard and Shouldered responsibility.
His eyes were clear-a keen, practical
man, one thought immediately-tne
starlight of a glorious vision there,
with but the faintest suggestion of
the lurking shadow of an ancient
ghetto. The slight stoop of his shoul-
ders only seemed to add dignity some
how, as did his rather sparse NOUS
tache. Even his cutting Of fruit into
big pan had quiet air about it:
and the aromatic, new straw hut, the
doorway of which framed him, did
not detract from the pleasant sight
he made.
approached him. DO you speak
Russian?" This In my own wretched
Russian. "a necessary question, for
in that locality many of the dialects
nowayS resemble Russian.)
Eyes, certainly. And your
This was encouraging. "You speak
German, perhaps?"
Surely"
This was still further encourage
ment, and knowing from past expert
ence what this usually meant, I went
on: "And perhaps you speak Jewish?"
"Of course. I'm Jewish myself.
Won't you please sit down. THIS is my
wife and SON.
THE sun was still bright on the edge
1 OF a mountain tip. and the corn
stalk leaves waved golden in the long,
late afternoon rays. Above me, near
one OF the dormitories, was sprawled
our group. About them were many
Of the workers who were taking the
cures, all telling our students how the
trade union had sent them to this
'kurot"-where the mineral springs
did SO much for ones govt and an
others rheumatism; other workers
were going with the doctor to take
some Of the Americans to the baths
The translators and the few Of the
Americans that knew Russian seemed
to be working overtime to ask and
answer all the questions on both
sides.
My Jewish friend had already got
ten two boxes out of his leafy hut.
He gave me one and offered the other
to our advisor, professor from
Maine. He himself chose a little key
to sit on.
why do you live in this straw
hut?" began.
Living In this hut, you mean
why, I'm just living here tempo
rarily," he smiled. 1.-THE sanitarium
is under construction"-he pointed a
bony finger upwards at the new un-
painted timbers on the roof of one of
the dormitories-"and not all of lis
who come here can find room in one
OF the completed sleeping houses. The
meanwhile We take the baths every
day, get the same medical attention
from the nurses and doctors that the
others do, take the other cures-and
live in our straw huts. There's
nothing the matter with them.
They're neat and clean. We all like
them" And all about me the inhabi-
tants Of the huts who followed his
thought, If not his words, nodded in
agreement.
why, I've lived in this house of
mine for almost the entire month
that I've been sent here" Here I
took out my notebook. He feigned not
to notice my reportorial brusqueness.
He continued: My trade union sent