Evening star., 1944-04-22
Soviet Civilian Morale
Scars as Unrationed
Food Stores Open
By EDDY GILMORE.


MOSCOW, April 22.-The Soviet,
who have won such brilliant VIC
tories on the military and diplo-
matte fronts, have turned on a home
front offensive with the opening of
unrationed food stores and a gen.
eral improvement program.
Foreign observers well versed in
Soviet policy-making attach consid-
erable Importance to the stores,
which have been opened in many
places throughout the country and
have made deep impression on the
people.
With every one well aware of the
great sacrifices, the tremendous cost
Of the war and the struggles which
have been going on since Hitler in
vaded Russia, the very fact that the
government has been able to open
not one but dozens of these well
stocked stores Is designed to con-
vince every Russian and his wife
that their country is the mightiest
In the world.
What other nations in the world
can do what ours Is doing?" they
ask.
Proud of Victories.
They point out proudly that Ger
mans, Romanians and Hungarians
are daily being driven from the
Soviet Union by the Russians and
the Russians alone, while the COM
bined forces of the United States
and Britain are stalled in Italy In
what the Soviet people regard as
only a minor operation.
They know meat and other things
are rationed in the United States
and Britain and that there is hardly
a citizen of those two countries who
could go out today and buy what a
citizen of Moscow can buy on the
open market.
This is very simple, very con-
vincing to the people of Russia.
just finished tour of one of
these commercial stores, as they are
called.
Prices Are High.
Prices are as high as people ex-
pected, but you can buy what you
want without coupons, ration cards.
papers, Identification or red tape
Just pick out what you want and
pay for it.
In the meat section I found beet,
mutton, pork, sucking pigs, chick
ems, geese, turkey hens, tiny deli
cate sausages and many varieties of
larger sausages and game birds.
In the fish department there were
herring, sturgeon, perch and black
and red caviar; in the dairy depart
ment, cheese, butter, condensed
milk, cream, eggs, sunflower seed,
oil and lard.
Stocks also include mushrooms,
vermicelli, rice, coffee, black bread,
white bread, -four, candies, cakes.
apples and delicacies.
As a matter of fact the stores
appear quite as well stocked as
anything one would see in Britain
or the United States before the war.
Buyers Are Radiant.
AS refreshing to see as these
foods were the expressions on
peoples faces. They were radiant,
1t Is a great comfort for them to
know the things are there If they
want to buy them.
Another morale builder was the
recent appearance of state CANDY
sellers, dressed in white coats and
white aprons, who, with neat little
trays around their necks, patrol the
streets
Candy previously had been sold
on Moscow streets, but USUALLY bv
private persons, principally women.
and prices were higher than those
OF the state vendors, whose goods
were neat and clean.
People are talking about the
clothing stores which soon are tn
open over the ceuntry, apparently
on the same basis-high prices, but
not rationed.
Along with other changes from
grim wartime conditions the entire
city has been undergoing painting,
polishing, cleaning. Buildings every
where are being spruced up.
Kremlin Being Cleaned.
The big Council of Peoples Com
missars Building in the heart of the
city Is shiny and white after weeks
OF sandblasting.
The Kremlin has been under
going refurbishing too, and little
groups of people stood by watching
as workmen cleaned the ancient
walls.
There was much happiness in the
city as tobacco and cigarette stores
threw open their doors this week.
Long, orderly lines form daily be-
fore stores that sell two packages
OF cigarettes and one large box of
tobacco to each customer.
Commercial store crowds appear
somewhat smaller now that people
seem convinced that stocks are
ample and the stores apparently
are here to stay.
Numerous children's shops have
opened, stocked by the government.
Many Kinds of Dolls.
Dolls line the shelves-from
pretty, girl dolls in various native
Russian dresses to soldier dolls in
Red Army uniforms. aThere were
coils in clown suits, animal dolls.
teddy bears, elephants, dogs and
cats.
Many stores sold big colored
sheets of paper for cutting out
paper dolls and some of these fea-
ture a Santa Claus for next New
Year Day, which is the time
Father Frost brings children
presents in the Soviet Union. But
you can't tell-Santa Claus him
self may be coming back.
At many of the stores a dozen
different games are offered, from
Gominoes to chess.
This face-lifting Is general. All
store fronts have been repaired and
sandbags have been removed. The
campaign has had a definite effect
OF raising the spirits of the people.
The revival has spread even to
apartment houses. 1 have two
friends whose elevators commenced
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