The Washington times., 1936-08-06
By ARNE STROM


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My brain full of wonderfully con-
vincing arguments, I followed my
little friend up the dirty stairs to
the offices.
What on earth were all these
Swarms Of people doing? We en-
tered a huge room where at least
so men and women sat at or on
the tables talking at the top Of
their voices.
saw nobody do anything but
talk.
In my innocence I asked Mikai-
lovsky if this were the conference,
and he burst out laughing and re-
peated my naive question to q cou-
pie of friends. They also laughed
heartily and pressed my hand as
soon as they heard ! was the for
eign expert from Povorino.
I was surrounded by crowd Of
nice young Russians who behaved
exactly like lot OF children.
Gets Food Cards
A woman who would have been
good looking if she had not been
so badly painted that she was like
q Pierrot with a chalk-white face
and glaring red lips, gave me some
cards for q special restaurant,
where she said the food was eX-
cellent. That was good thing for
I was starving. This lady found
to be a very important person in
the office, as she was the head Of
the department for the diStribu-
ton of food tickets and restaurant
coupons. We all talked gaily to-
gether, and time passed until mid
day was drawing near.
Having eaten two big plates OF
soup in a restaurant I felt really
satisfied, but it was the first time
since I began my journey. Out
side the restaurant l could have
sold my remaining coupons at 10
roubleS a meal, but one Of the
young clerks from the office told
me in a whisper that he would
willingly pay me 20 roubles for
each coupon if I happened to have
any left over when I was leaving.
I myself had got these coupons
free of charge.
I did not understand this system
and it did not appeal to me. Why
could not everybody in the town
get soup? Why was I given soup
and not the natives? And why
could some Russians get these
cards and others not?
Divided With Friend
Take, for instance, my little
friend, Mikailovsky. He could not
get these cards, and in surprise
I asked him why. He whispered
nervously into my ear:
Because Pm not q COmmu-
MIST"
1 Immediately handed him two
Of my coupons, and he was just
going to disappear with them
when I stopped him to ask
whether he did not think the con-
ference would begin soon.
With an ironical, devilish grin
on his little polecat face. he an
swered:
mot until tomorrow. Not un-
Gil tomorrow"
One of the other huge poultry
farms belonging to this trust had
a foreign expert or specialist, as
they call it in Russia, an Amert-
can whom we will call Smith. At
that time he had already been
about q year in Russia, so I was
glad to be going to talk with him.
Mr.. smith, had gone on a business
trip to Moscow, but would be here
for the conference the next day.
The time-the so evidently
cheap Russian time-was frittered
away that whole afternoon in talk
and filtration, and, through the
sensible lady, MikailoVsky and I
got two tickets for the opera. This
trust was also in her hands.
At 4 o'clock the office was alb
solutely empty. and MikailoVsky
and ! went home.
Church Turned Into Smithy
We ploughed our way through
deep sand along empty, miserable
side streets. A beautiful old
church lay partly in ruins on a
steep slope. 1t had been turned
into q smithy.
In the evening we went to the
opera.
The orchestra played magnifi-
Gently and the singers had beautl-
full voices, but what impressed
me more than anything were the
chorus and the supers. They
were so excellent that one had q
feeling that they were all first
rate artists. The chorus sang
with such go and spirit that some
times was quite overcome.
Wherever the eye was turned in
the massed effects, it was glad
dened with talent and artistic un-
derstanding,
Had seen nothing of Russia
but Russian opera l should prob
ably have returned to Denmark
full of hysterical enthusiasm for
all that Is Russian. What actors
they are, these Russians! What
wonderful singers and dancers!
Never have I enjoyed an evening
in a theater as enjoyed this one.