Evening star., 1953-03-29
Train Trip Brings Threat
Of International Incident

I
English language Gas well as
every language on earth) is the
noun pogrom. That is a true
Russian word, meaning ma
sacre." and it undoubtedly comes
from the Russian verb gromit,
meaning to raid" smash up,""
sack" loot" "annihilate." It
must be that this little fact has
large significance.
The snow on the window ledge
Of my bedroom is already half a
foot deep, and it will remain that
way. pure and untouched. for
the next five months. And that
reminds me that I should begin
to measure the length of the
icicle hanging over the back
door in the courtyard of our
Office.
Last winter, in the last week of
March. it had dripped into a gi-
gantic, five-foot stalactite before
finally breaking off. I'll check
this on my walk to work this
morning-to such innocent in
tereStS. and simple joys. do we
here IN Moscow resort, Kremlin
charges to the contrary not
withstanding. ),
A Russian girl told me yester-
day that, according to an old
Russian tradition, q woman
would wear flowers with the
blossoms pointed up if her heart
were free, and with the blossoms
turned down if her affections
were engaged"
I would like to verify this
custom-but that. I know is i'm
possible for many reasons and
chiefly because, after nearly a
year in Moscow, have yet to
see a corsage, or a real flower
of any kind, worn by a Rus
sian girl.
I also learned from the same
woman that, in Russia, the COL
orS Of flowers have significance
red-love; white-purity: blue
fidelity; yellow-farewell; green
-treachery. :.
That's quite an idea the Soviet
authorities have of fixing little
metal ash trays on the sidewalk
walls of public buildings along
the main streets of downtown
Moscow. The only trouble is
that the trays are not placed fire.
quently enough-and, if you
don't time your smoking accu-
rately, you'll burn your fingers
before you get a chance to crush
your cigarette butt in the ash
trayson the next block.
But it is better to burn your
finger tips than to stamp the
cigarette out on the sidewalk
or street. Will I ever forget one
of my first days in Moscow when
I did just that-that is, stamp
out my cigarette stub on the
pavement and a militiaman
rushed over and, as haughtily as
he could, told me to pick up the
mess?
November rs, 1851
Private funerals can be held
in Greek Orthodox churches if
the family wishes, but all public
funerals take place in secular
buildings with no church connec-
tion or sponsorship whatsoever.
The first private funeral I saw in
Russia was quite by accident.
I was attending the morning
mass in the old cathedral in
Novodedichy None stery, the
floor of which was packed with
Russians crowded elbowqto elbow.
I nudged my way gradually
toward the center altar in order
to see better what was going on
and to listen to the wonderful
singing.
While I was making this prog
ress toward the front I bumped
into something and leaned my
elbow on a wooden shelf in the
middle Of the floor. The shelf
turned out to be an open coffin,
lined with satin, containing a
pale, old woman. Clinging to
the edge of the coffin were five
little children whose hands were
held high on the edge of the
open casket in order, I suppose,
to get a last look at their mother
or grandmother, whichever she
was.
All right reserved.
Released through % New YORK Herald d
| Tribune Syndicate
Tomorrow Mr.. Rounds will tell
/ of watching Russians at their
favOrite game-cheSS. And of a
snowy sunrise over the Sparrow
Hills overlooking Moscow.