The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1935-05-02
SANGERS' HELP
To SOVIET POOR
DESCRIBED
(Continued from Page y

NSonItnuG0 ITO" rugs -
privilege and graft and callous
cruelty under the so-called work
erS' and peasants government.
We became champions of the
oppressed upon a state farm-a
"sovkhoz," or Estate grain fac
tory" This type Of farm has
been widely publicized by Moscow
as the last word in Socialized agri-
culture; farms as efficient as a
Detroit assembly line. AS Com
munist SympathizerS aiming to
carry truth and enlightenment to
America, we thought we must
work upon and study one OF these
''farms of tomorrow"
We knew, by November, 1888,
that rumors of famine in Russia
were not capitalist propaganda"
Starvation was a fact in the
Ukraine and elsewhere. But we
did not want to study state
farm under distress conditions.
We sought one reputed to be well
run, and in a good farm district.
After inquiry, therefore, we
Travelled to sovkhoz, $50 kllo-
meters northeast of Moscow. This
was no famine area. The new
"grain factory was presumably
a model-20O,000 acres, 1000 work
ers, ia tractors, 81 combines"
furniture shop, repair shop, model
housing program under way. You
will have heard of these giant
farms" no doubt. But you will
not have the zeal of belief with
which we approached this one.
Perhaps we had been led to ex-
pect something like q modern
scientific dairy.
I have said that moderation
is my watchword in this series.
Well, picture us, a little shaken
bv some of our Moscow expert
ences but still strong IN taltn,
approaching a great state farm,
the apex of Soviet agricultural
achievement.
Restaurant in Barn
We arrived in late afternoon.
Seeking the farm restaurant, we
found it a drafty, wooden oarn'
A faulty electric generator gave
pickering yellow light. Three Ian"
terms also struggled against the
murk.
About long tables, shapeless,
bundled peasant figures. They
wore ragged great-coats, fur hats
and torn gloves.
We were given a wooden spoon
at the door. We bought meal
tickets for a ruble. Food we
collected through a hole in the
kitchen wall. We sat at a table
on which "tea" spilled by the
last diners already had frozen.
The meal: Hot water with four
cabbage leaves floating in it; a
coarse-grained cereal covered with
evil-rmelling sauce; black bread,
SC coarse that grains of rye were
visible, so damp that squeezed
drops of moisture from it onto
the table; tea" made from some
unknown leaf.
A peasant said he recognized
one UNBEATABLE leaf of cabbage
that had come back day after
day.
We were hungry. We tried our
best, bravely. But we left much
of the food. AS we arose, gaunt
worker pounced upon what was
left, Stuffing it raVenously into
his mouth. I was told that 300
out of 1000 workers on this
farm had died from malnutrition
and disease.
AS we left that barn, a radio
loud-speaker began squawking an
address in Cultural Advances
Under Communism"
And that really marked the be-
ginning of our "disintegration" as
believing Communists.
Next day we were to apply to
the director for jobs. He was in
Moscow. We went on a private
tour of inspection.
The vegetable gardens were a
complete failure. Workers had
not been allowed time enough to
raise food for themselves.
Terrible Buildings
Beyond, rows of flimSy wooden
buildings. Workers barracks. So
badly made that workers had
stuffed cracks with paper.
Nearby, a small apartment
building being erected for married
workers. Only one apartment was
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