The Washington times., 1936-08-12
Overcoats Difficult to
Obtain in Russia;
Weather Bitter
BY ARNE STROM

| III G1lS AAoG Adyo VI OCJODCA CllC
cold set in so strong that I had to
try to get an overcoat before
thinking of anything else. AS Of
course nothing could be found
hereabouts, I decided to go to
Voronezh again as I could then
bring our monthly food supplies
back with me.
The InSnab as usual was
crowded with interesting people.
A long maypole of a German had
arrived. He reminded me exactly
of funny drawings I had seen in
an old German children's book IF
one Tailor Fips. He wore his en-
broidered shirt over his trousers,
on his legs were smart, high,
brown riding boots which must
have been made before the revolu-
ton, as were all good boots in
Russia. He wore a smart little
imperial and long hair; his man
ner and speech were mincing and
effeminate.
Next to him stood his antitheSiS,
a heavy Austrian, healthy, clean
Shaven and rosy. He was an agri-
cultural expert in sugar beetS.
The cultivation of sugar beetS was
doing badly, he said. The peasants
were so underfed that they could
hardly keep on their feet in the
fields, let alone use hoe. Often
they lay down and died amongst
the beetS, which we're in their
turn Strangled by weeds. Now the
Communists had asked him TO
make a record of the output OF
sugar this year and it had been
a record of disaster.
Peasants Defended
He asked me in German, with
big, dimmed blue eyes and a stiff.
fened smile:
How can one ScOld and blame
these poor people when they are
dying of hunger?"
Tailor FipS jumped up, pushed
forward his chest and gave a
beautiful young JewesS a bold
glance. She had become the
friend Of the little Italian I met
during my first visit to Voronezh.
Said Fips:
"ThOse damned peasants
won't work, and the sooner they
disappear from the Socialist
state the better"
The Austrian flushed purple
and yelled till all the Insnab rang
with it and everyone looked at
him.
you long cared donkey! Four
fifthS of the Russian population
are peasants, and one can't let
them die without running the
whole country"
He turned to me excitedly and
asked Aren't I right?" and put
the same question to several
others.
No Winter Clothes
My education had at last
reached such point that I unre-
Servedly agreed with him.
No winter clothes at all were to
be had in the InSnab, nor could
anybody tell me where to get
them.
The snow had come to Povorino.
Leda had been of great help to
my wife. Amongst other things
she had taught her how to light
the big stove. This was not as
easy as it sounds, for this stove
was very moody and very compli-
Gated.
Without Leda's help we should
have been frozen and starved, as
we had no idea how to handle
these huge primitive stoves; but
Leda was a perfect marvel at max
ing damp wood catch fire. She
polished our brass candleSticks
with powdered brick till they
Shone. Proper polishing powder
was not to be had. She washed
our floors, standing, till they were
so clean that we could have eaten
Fish Heads Reclaimed
One day my wife had cleaned
some fish and had thrown the
CUTS and heads to a poor dog
which used to feed on our refuse.
1t was nothing but skin and bone.
and during our first month in
Povorino it had been very shy,
but now it had become quite tame
and knew us for its friends as we
were probably the only people
who gave it anything to eat.
had forbidden my boy to toucn
the dog for it was NANCY and full
of lice. and I was always afraid
it would go mad, as Marushka had
told me that there were many
mad dogs in the Volga district.
The poor cur had just scented
the fish CUTS when Leda rushed
out and kicked it soundly so that
it fled bowling. She then eagerly
and carefully collected all the offal
in her apron, with solemn steps
she then approached my wife, who
had stood watching her in won
der.
She almost screamed, lifting an
admoniShing finger to my wife
and trying to smile while her lips
trembled and her blue eyes filled
with tears:
Madame! Madame! Don't
have anything to do with the
dog"
Used For Soup
She said that Ivan adored fish,