The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1953-07-24
Just Among Ourselves

4 /
Passing Comment con,idersd or lneonsider.t.
If Russian imitator of the late o. o. MCINTYRE
were 10 do column on Thoughts while strong
around Moscow Tor Moskva)" il would likely be in
sharp contrast TO the thoughts of youth which ac-
eording TO LongfeoW, long. long thoughts
For Muscoyite needs to think short quick thoughts
about the way TO the nearest exit he also needs to
be fast on his feet
The reporter might also give some thought in
quiet intervals to the matter of spelling. We can
assume that Lavrenty is Lawrence, and Pavlovch is
Paul. But what clue has the capitalist westerner in
Vyacheslav TO lead him TO suppose that the name is
Wenceslaus? Andrei is easy, and so is Sergei al
though here IN America we do not often hear the
great Christian name of Sergius. Through the cen
turtles thirteen holy men Of that name have been
canonized One of them was Pope, his feast day
is September 8.
All these odd looking Russian names are Chris
tian and Catholic names. II is ironca that the saw
ages who want to be rid of God and Christianity
have not managed TO rid themselves of the names
of Christian saints. The brutal Bera has Tor had)
the names of two great heroes of God Lawrence
and Paul, for he is called Lavrenty Pavloyieh. He
VIII likely have TO endure sufferings Of he has not
already endured them comparable to those of the
two great martyrs whose names he bears yet in
what a cause!
One Of Berias gsngster predecessors was named
Genrikh Yagoda. Have YOU considered that name
Genrkh? Remember that the Russians pronounce
our II as G. They would speak of our Republican
eX-President as Gerbert Goover. They actually do
speak Of Shakespare's tragedy Of "Gamlet" II is
not hard, therefore TO interpret Genrikh plain
Henry
In ears, one OF the funniest of names. when
the person to whom 1t is applied Is considered, is
Georgy Georg prefer to spell it, 1t sounds
TO like affeconae dimnutive suitable for
little George. aged SIX. Or ii makes think of
that young wolf Of nursery literature who kissed The
girls and made them cry. II is sheerly laughable to
hear this cute of Georgy applied TO the obese
and obscene object called Malenkov.
Maybe il is good thing for the nsscent genera
lion of male Americans that not friendly
terms with the Russians, now that these odd names
are so prominent in the news. Our people have
way oil clapping newsworthy helpless
babies. few years ago there Winsome doll
like little actress out in Hollywood, and result
Of her popularity and her press, have today
shoals of Shirleys coming into womanhood.
=
And we have not few Niras TOO. You recall
that the National Recovery Act began, and for brief
time remained the National Internal Recovery Act:
MIRA instead of the more familiar NRA. Inevitably
lot of little girls were named Mira. Today they
young women, probably wondering what their
parents could have been thinking of.
Feminine names are not prominent in the news
from Russia. Most of the women are Tania or Ia
or Olga or Ana ii seems. But little boys would
he in for time OF II if We were chummy with the
Sovets There's limitess hany of throat filling
names ending in pich and lac, not to mention Gen
rikh
And yet Genrkh would be as suitable for an
American boy as many of the names that came out
Of another unbelievable country called Holly
wood. Strange indeed are the sounds that
come from behind the Iron Curtain and from the
Silver Screen. Lowell and Enrol and Humphrey and
Lon and the rests not Genrigh good as these?
Better Clip zip, gurrah for Genrikh!
Another srong thought for our Russian cor
respondent as he lodges from doorway TO doorway
to cheat the Cheka is the matter of pronunciation.
We arc told that Georgy MaenkoV (our grandfath-
ers would have spelled Malenkoff as RomanolD
pronounceS his name with strong stress the final
syllable Not MAlrenkoY YOU understand, nor
MaLENkov but MaenKON It's important to
know this, to be sure. In doubt, you may call him
Georgy.
And the Busted Beria? What Of him? How do
we pronounce the name of tavrenty PavioVch
who has suffered such sad reverses? Four short years
ago his countrymen pinned upon his chest the Or
der of Lenin and publicly declared: We wish you,
our eomrade In arms, our dear LaVrenty Pavsovich,
many years of health and of further fruitful work
The citation changed lately TO the following APP
preciative words. we demand that the severe nand
of Soviet Justice should merclessy punish this
freak deVationist" All poor Lavrenty poor Paw
lovich He killed not hundreds, not thousands not
tens of thousands but by his own public claim mil
lions of his eountrymen Alas that this champion OF
he. Kali ia fhn abs 4
of all dead men,-should come to such sad come
uppance.
But how do pronounce him.
Now, do you think luscious cherry
Delightful bit for l.. r. Bera;