Evening star., 1934-07-22

NE advantage OI pclUB q BTeeuHOfn
is that person gets many merry
little surprises. The fellow who
knows in advance exactly what to
expect must miss much fun.
When I started to Russia, I
was equipped with almost complete lack
OF information on such a variety of subjects
that had no chance to find myself bored by
repetition of the expected. Moreover I had
no bias or prejudices to overcome. Besides
having scant store of information about the
Soviets, didn't have even a decent supply
of ordinary standard misinformation.
had not been in Russia more than 10 min
utes when I suddenly discovered a bushy set
of whiskers in my face. They did not belong
to me, but to a comrade-a tovarisch the
Russians so aptly call one another.
The proprietor of this excellent catch of
whiskers was thriftily saving matches by get
ting himself a light from my cigarette. He
hattered me by not asking permission to do
this, assuming that I am of the sort always
ready to oblige. However, he said what COM
petent hnguists assured me was Thank you"
as he went his way.
One thing about this comrade which fasci-
mated me was the contrast between the top of
his head and his face. Though he had enough
whiskers for any reasonable purpose, all his
hair had been removed as if by a pair of horse
clippers. Some day I must clip of my hair in
that fashion, just for practice, in anticipation
of what fear is going to be badness
"A /HEN went into the fine, big hotel dining
Wv room for my first Russian breakfast, I
detected note of informality. Nearly all the
comrades were in shirt sleeves, usually with the
shirt or blouse on the outside of their trousers.
One particularly uninhibited fellow had on no
shirt except undershirt
Later tried the experiment of entering this
same dining room with my shirt-taI out drawn
in at the waist, Russian fashion, with q cord.
Nobody, not even other tourists paid the slight
est attention to this caprice. Probably the only
thing that would set these diners to wondering
would be formal evening dress.
Another shock came when I offered the
ehambermaid a few American subsidiary coins
after she had sewed a button on the shirt 1
wasn't wearing. She Smilingly refused to ae-
cept any gratuity. What a woman!
Then I recalled that the man who carried
my grips to the room had not stayed to fiddle
with curtains or turn lights on, or to perform
any other items Of idiotic dis-Service. Can it
be that I am about to realize a life ambition
and go through a country without tipping?
glimpsed into bar room Nothing fancy
or alluring about it under government monopoly
of liquor Take it or leave it, is the govern
ment attitude about drinks, and they much
prefer fewer customers.
Right over the bar is a big placard remi-
niscent Of old-faShioned temperance lecturers,
calling attention to the i'll effects of alcohol and
suggesting the wisdom of letting 1t alone. 1--WE
sell it here, but you are foolish to buy it," is
the import of the sign.
As in Finland, substantial part of the rev.
enue the government gains from sale of drinks
goes to pay for temperance education. What's
crazy about that?
My young woman guide, interpreter and ad-
wiser took me on an intensive sightseeing
tour before had been in Leningrad two hours
First she led me across the street from the
hotel TO a vast cathedral, now an anti-religious
museum. Among the exhibits were two num-
mics, one supposed to be that of a saint the
other of an ordinary peasant who froze to
death up in Siberia and became mummihed by
chance. The point to this exhibit is that in
czariSt days the proletariat were taught to be-
heve all saints were kept in g perfect state of
preservation by miraculous power.
CIGNS here say, in effect: "Seel The saint
- isn't preserved even as wen as the peasant"
There is plenty of truth in that While the
peasant did not appear to be feeling any too
well it must be admitted he was better pre-
served and better dressed than the saint.
Old Peter the Great who built the vast pal
ace known as Peterhof, now a museum, must
have been Q man after my own heart He