Evening star., 1951-01-19
Won1en's
Clubs
Citizens of Russia
Victims of Caprice,
Mrs. Stevens Says
By Frances Kuhn

The Russian citizen is victim
Of administrative caprice, men,
bers of the YWCA World Fellow
ship Committee were told yester-
day by the wife of a former
American Naval Attache in Mos
COW.
Even science must conform to
Russian ideology and must slant
its research in accordance with
Communistic ideas" Mrs. Leslie
c. Stevens, who returned to this
country a year ago, said at a
luncheon meeting at the YWCA.
There is also socialization of
emotions in Russia Mrs. Stevens
declared and pointed out that
modern musicals are forbidden
because they might cause unrest
and dissatisfaction. Some of the
ones in the States have done the
same to me-" she said dryly.
Mrs. Stevens suggested, how
ever, that the Russian theater,
ballet and opera are perhaps bet
ter than that of the United States
and told of a performance of
Boris Godounov' in which the
actual coronation robes of the
17th century Car were worn by
the singer portraying his life.
The sheer organization ability"
of the Communists, could be a
lesson for the United States, Mrs.
Stevens observed. Tracing the
rise of the Communist party in
Russia, she said that only a few
members were in Office following
the assassination of the Car but
by disrupting the efforts of the
government from within, they
succeeded in gaining power. "The
Communists are following the
same tactics in the United Ma
tions," she added.
Mrs. Stevens frankly said that
her own ideas about a possible
war with Russia were result of
''eavesdropping." 1t was her con-
clusion from the conversations of
representatives of many countries
that Russia would not attack q
nation unless it were weak and
without allies and unless it's people
were dissatisfied.
Mrs. Stevens added that one Of |
the basic beliefs of the Soviet
theology is that capitalism is dy-
ing out and will Inevitably be
replaced by communism"
Discussing life in Russia, Mrs.
Stevens said that 80 per cent of
the people live like those in
United States slums. She laughed
at Russian propaganda in praise
of it's electrif1cation program and
explained: "It consists of two light
bulbs in each house. OF course, If
you have never had electricity, a
mere two bulbs might become very
important"
Mrs. Stevens observed that the
strength of Russia lies in its young
people and the government is con-
centrating upon their cominu-1
nistic training. THE 300 babies
born each hour in Russia builds
UP the nations war power" she
said.
Soviet theology is taught to
children in the first days of
school," the speaker said. AS an
example. she said, the first song
taught to a 6-year- -old was to this
effect: Stain and Lenin love
childhood. We love them back be-
cause they love children"
Mrs. Milton Miles, chairman of
the World Fellowship Committee,
presided at the meeting and intro
duced Mrs. Waldron Faulkner,
president of the Washington
YWCA. Other guests were Mrs.
Philip Jessup, wife of the Ambas-
sador-at-Large; Mrs. Slotemaker
de Bruine, wife of the press coun-
selor of the Netherlands Embassy;
Mrs. Carl Farman, Mrs. Julia
West Hamilton. president of the
Phyllis Wheatly YWCA, and Miss
Mabel r. Cook, executive director