Evening star., 1941-11-04
(Efohth OF a Series.
Nv RALPH TNGERSOII.

been fitted up for us of the waiting
room at the Tashkent junction
This was where we spelled out, from
our language guide, a wish that we
might wash our hands-and were
marched q mile and half through
dusty streets to public bath. all
rusty pipes and faucets that didn't
work. and steam and noise.
The rest OF the time we lived in
our railway compartment and
foraged for our food wherever the
train stopped. In cities with crowded
buffet restaurants in the station
and In villages or by sidings where
farmers came to line the track
and ladle out boiled milk, sour
cream, hard-boiled eggs and, occa-
Monally, pats of butter running pur-
pie with the ink from the news
papers in which they were wrapped.
Our girl conductors gave way to
two stout fellows in blue denim,
who apparently had orders to see
that our privacy was not disturbed.
It was some time before we recog-
nized what an exceptional favor this
was. We were bitten a little as we
slept, but not badly Except for our
impatience for Moscow and the fact
that We could get no news-what
newspapers In the stations were S
to 10 days old-it was a pleasant
trip and intensely interesting.
Northbound Troops.
We met the war almost immedi-
otely. In Alma Alta we had seen
recruits drilling In the squares. de-
ploying with machine guns, leaping
Ia and out Of trenches. At Aris,
tho junction of Tashkent. the place
where we spent the day in the sta
ton, We saw train after train of
troops northbound. There were cav
ary-the men in loose khaki blouses,
wearing the same kind of headgear
that Is part Of the United States
Army fatigue uniform. The Tank
Corps men were neater and wore
overseas caps. The Russian blouse
worn outside the trousers makes a
good uniform. The Soviet uniforms
are well-cut, look businesslike. Most
Of the trains were filled with re-
cruits without uniforms. Some
were singing, all were healthy look
ing, orderly, casual. I figured $500
men to a train. There was oil and
freight moving. too.
Russia in Asia is desert country.
The weather was clear and hot and
usually dusty. Standard equipment
on q Russian car Is samovar Just
outside the conductors compart-
ment at the end Of the corridor.
Tho conductors boiled water for US
In the samovar. They were short
Of tea. The lights didn't work in
our compartment, so we went to
sleep as soon as it was dark and
woke up at dawn to look out the
window all day and piece together
hating conversations until, a few
days later, we discovered an off1cer
who spoke English.
Youth and Good Nature.
The train Travelled at 20 or 30
miles an hour and halted fire.
quently, sometimes for hours, on
sidings far from any town. Then
the whole train dis1nounted and
spread over the nearby landscape.
Tho soldiers sang and showed OF
their muscles In gymnastics, even as
brave youths on the beach 1T Coney
Island. They formed circles and
sang and clapped their hands while
me Or two Of them danced In the
eenter-shufling, kicking Russian
dances, sometimes with their hands
over their heads. II there were
flowers about, many Of them picked
them and carried little bouquets
IN their hands or stuck them in
their blouses. They f1irted with the
girls and obviously got back as good
as they gave. The impressions were
Of poverty, youth, health, good ma
ture and sloppiness.
There seemed an amazing amount
q washing, at least to one who had
read that soap had no appeal for
the Russians. Every one on the
train seemed to have his own cake
Of soap and used 1t in one of two
washrooms on each car, which sur
pf4singly never ran out Of water.
only the toilets were everywhere
dreadfully mclean.
The impression Of poverty was
overwhelming - dilapidated town
after tsmbledown city, each with
iss wretched, miserable park Of
culture and rest opposite its station,
ets fences fallen down, its weeds
grown up, its signs almost obHter-
ated. In the stores, the stocks were
little piles of shoddy merchandise
on bare shelves. Only the in
svitable flyblown glass case full Of
perfume seemed well stocked-and
untouched. The peoples clothes
were tattered and patched and in
the country many were barefooted.
Over everything-people, food, stores,
stations and train-flies swarmed.
Even over the statues of Lenin and
Stain, sitting and smiling at each
other. hfe-xized. Lenin and Stain
sit smiling at each other on the
platform Of almost every station
that serves over 40 or 80 houses.
The statues are cast from the same
mold.
A Fight for the Counters.
Our foraging for food was some
dimes fun and neutrality-suspicious.
larly IN the larger stations-night-
marish. In the country the rows Of
peasants along the track usually
had enough to satisfy appetites on
the tratn-in the stations, never.
Men and women fought each other
with abandon to get to the counters.
The military were In better training
than the others and did well.
Women with babies under one arm
put foreigners, bent on aiming
well placed elbow to get q place in
line, At q disadvantage.
Often the worst confusion resulted
from lack Of facilities to make
change. At one point I thought
that tho most important contribu-
ton We could make to the Russian
var effort would be to provide them
With those simple little coin-holdins
tubes that help an American bus
driver change dimes and quarters
into nickels. The Russians have
ro instfnct for making life con-