Evening star., 1952-04-13
By ChorIes Cooke

V1SlCl0S various OuLpOSCS OF
the Soviet Union in this hos
pitable city is. for an American
journalist in search of legitimate
information, a unique and in
structive experience. It is not
alone that he feels himself
sourly unwelcome behind these
doors, or curtains: he soon de-
velopS an additional, and family
comic, impression that every
person he talks to stands before
him in a solemn. fists-up, ready
to-swing posture reminiscent of
an old print of John l.. Sullivan.
Last month, with f1ourishes
and ruff1es, the Soviet Union
announced its 1852 budget of
508.8 billion rubles, of which
1873 billion was ticketed for
military purposes. That works
out to $127.2 billion and $28.-
450,000,000, respectively. at the
Official exchange rate" cur
rently used by the U. S. S. r.
There was a good deal Of
grousing among American econ
omists about the undependabil-
ity, indeed the mystery. of this
exchange rate. for the Soviet
Union has not, to date. ex-
planned how it was arrived at.
Nothing Attempted :.
This reporter. after a month
of mulling. finally decided that
the mystery was not only unnec-
esSary but fatuous, and that it
ought to be possible to get the
answer to the riddle from the
Soviet people here in Washing
ton-and perhaps score, thus, a
sensational newSbeat.
And so it was that the other
noon 1 found myself approach
ing the U. S. S. r. Information
Bulletin Office, a three-story
red-brick building at 2112 Mas
sachusetts avenue. In my hand
was q slip of paper on which
was typed: How did the Soviet
Union arrive at its official ex-
change rate of 4 rubles to the
dollar?"
The front door of the infor-
nation building was wide open,
as though to give the lie to any
foolish capitalist notion that the
local Soviet folk ever play hard
to-get. I made a swift initial
advance into the hallway, where
stood a table covered a foot
thick with magazines, booklets.
leaflets and press handouts
all in English and all obviously
to be had for the taking.
Red Suspenders
In q room off the hall were
visible a Russian looking man
with thick-lenSed glasses VINO.
standing, was sorting papers;
a colored girl, who, seated. was
also sorting papers, and a
coatless, un Russian = looking
man wearing a white shirt and
the reddest suspenders this side
of EupeI1e TalmadQe.
The man in the red sus-
penders took the slip of paper,
read it. frowned and disap-
peared.
Soon he was back. "You'll
have to see Mr.. Yudin," he
said. HE is editor of the Bulle-
tin and Second Secretary of the
Soviet Embassy"
Delighted" said I.
He isn't here" said the man
in the red suspenders.
"Y-u-d-i-n," said I, writing
it down. what is his full
name?"
His initials" said the man
in the red suspenders, rebuking-
ly, "are v. D."
"Oh. And what is your
name?"
''Hedrick. Try again at 2
o'clock" Mr.. Hedrick piled into
my arms a bale of printed mat
ter from the groaning table.
They'll all repay careful
study" he said, land. as re-
CARDS your specific question, I
recommend perusal of this re-
port"
Homework
I retired to the quiet of the
nearby Phillips Gallery to do
my homework and wait for 2
o'clock. Mi. Hedrick's load of re-
quired reading consisted of
copies of the U. S. S. r. In
formation Bulletin Ca semi
monthly slick, u. v. Stain
on the Atomic Weapon"
Speeches of A. Y. Vyshinsky."
Constitution of the Union of