The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-07-21
D. EDDY cnMoRE

DUBWABE &0llE SDULEtA tOA ivan
ivanoyich, the average Russian.
It's too early 10 say II this Is
because the aarty ard the govern.
ment sincerely want 10 do some
thing for the people; or because
they are afraid Of the people, or
for both reasons.
But things are happening. And
4 GeOrgi Malenkov and the others
can hold the gailoping Russian
trofka ID the road, and resist go
Ing for one another's throats,
things are going 70 continue to hap
pen / mean things that viii
make life far easier for the Rus
sian people.
Malenkov Is pledged to raise the
standard Of living. The Russian
people have heard that one before,
but this time the party and the
government are oehaving as II it
matters somewhat how the people
feel about things.
Take the recent citywide panic
In Moscow. I do not believe this
story has been reported to the out.
side world. for the censor was
very active with bis big red pen.
ell when left Moscow.
Toward the last days Of June
The rnm0r GOT plit IN Moscow that
The money was olng to be changed
again. We heard 1t everywhere
We went and II got so serious the
foreign embassies sent people out
20 look around. Moscow had had
one devaluation since the war.
Czechoslovakia had Just had one
II was at the half year, a logical
time
I'D seen deyalualion, or reform
as they called II. happen before in
Moscow. The symptoms were the
same. The people knew about sew
eral days In advance.
did some investigating. The
subways and the buses and the
street cars had no metal money.
During the last devaluation metal
money was not changed. The
people we're elinging to Il.
Heated arguments took place on
the subway. The conductors de.
fnanded metal money, or refused
TO give change. The people offered
paper Fubles, or Z and 5.rubIe
pieces They'd get a ride and some
metal money back IN change. But
the conductors weren't having any.
Or they'd simply run out Of change
Maybe that was il.
The commission stores Estate
pawn shopsl were packed and buy.
ing was brisk. All sorts Of things
were going. The food shops we're
tull. There seemed TO be d run on
everything. and everywhere the
people were saying Have YOU
heard about Il? Do you think it's
going to happen"
The last devaluation hurt ivan
Ivanovieh plenty. Never a banker
at hear, he kent his precious
rubleS ct home. When the govern.
ment devalued, Ivan rot / ruble
for 10, 4 poor batting average in
any league.
] looked at two banks. Long lines
Of depoSltors before the savings
account windows. All the last de
valuation, the folks who had their
rabies 10 the bank got the new
money Ct new ruhle for / old
Fuble.
Every indication was that de.
valuation lay ahead. Yet II didn't
read right, II was inconsistent with
everything the Malenkov govern.
rlent was doing.
Devaluation would be highly nm.
popular with the people, for the
people don't like governments 10
monkey with their money--unless
y IS % give them more of ii.
Il was = panic. all right, and
finally the Ministry Of Finance had
70 come out with : communique
IN all papers denying all idea al
uevaluation. or change in the
money.
That was a rare step. Under
Joseph Stain il would not have
happened, The people would have
been lefl to panic: they didn't mat.
ter. But the Malenkov government
assured them, Did II have to? was
u having to answer to q public
opinion for the first time siRee
Stain got his sseely grip on the
natiOn9 Or was il behaving rs any
normal governmea; would under
the circumstances Of a eityWIde
panics
You guess, caai know
Then there was the day OF Stal.
ms funeral. The BOYS took no
chances, Hundreds upon hundreds
Of trucks filled with soldiers moved
into the city in the early hours
Of the morning They parked
bumper to bumper 81 hundreds Of
street Intersections. To get through
vas possible only Il an officer gaze
an order and : truck was pulled
0ui ct line Then Il rolled back
into barrleade position.
O1t u the suburbs there were