Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-27

How would you like to spend
your two-weeks vacation in
Moscow and other points in the
Soviet Union?
According to Mrs. Neill Phil
lips, who has just returned from
such a trip, it is an expensive
undertaking, rather frustrating,
but very interesting.
And in case you are toying
with the idea, getting q visa to
the Soviet Union is about as
difficult as flying to Mars.
Mrs. Phillips and her hus-
band, Rear Admiral Phillips, U.
s. NJ, retired, went to Russia as
guests of the United States Am
bassador and Mrs. Charles Bob
len. They had to wait two
months for their visas. When
finally granted. the visas were
good for only IA days from the
time of the Phillips entrance
at East Berlin to their exit at
Viborg on the border of Rus
STA and Finland.
Our arrangements to go be-
hind the Iron Curtain" Mrs.
Phillips said, were made
through the Office of the United
States High Commissioner in
West Berlin. Even the payment
for our tickets was made
through them"
The Phillips arrived in West
Berlin on April %, but were told
that no reservations were avail
able until April 80 because the
planes to Moscow were filled with
guests of the Soviet Union going
for the big May Day celebration.
Until the last minute we
didn't know if we would get on a
plane-but then the Russians
never let you know anything in
advance. It was the same way
with theater tickets and train
reservations" Mrs. Phillips said.
Behind Iron Curtain
The minute one goes behind
the Iron Curtain to East Berlin
the appearance of everything
changes. The stores are all
government owned and the win
dow displays are drab. The
people aren't as well-dreSsed and
one sees many more horse-drawn
vehicles. And they use differ
ent type of gasoline which has a
particularly potent SMELL" she
said.
At the East Berlin airport the
Phillips boarded the two-engine
=DC-3 type plane which was to
carry them to Moscow.
The plane ride was something
of an experience" Mrs. Phillips
laughed, mo seat belts, no
pressurizing! They barely
warmed up the engines before
we took Off"
They few four hours to Minsk.
and after a brief interruption
there proceeded to Moscow, this
time flying for three and one
half hours over very low fiat
rolling country of beech, spruce
vand pine forests.
I'VE saw only an occasional
village which from the air ap-
peared all grey and brown with
q mud road running through the
middle. Nearby there were big
sheds, where cattle and grain
might be kept, which l thought
must belong to the collective
farms" Mrs. Phillips said.
At last, they arrived in Mos
COW, where they stayed at the
Ambassador residence, SpaSo
House. This place was built
around 1912 by a rich sugar mer-
chant and slightly resembles
Monticello with it's big -domed
central part and balanced
wings" she said.
Moy Doy Porode
The Phillips were just in time
for the May Day parade which
they saw from the windows OF
the National Hotel near Red
Square.
THE total impression Of this
spectacle was one Of tremendous
strength" she said. First, all
the military marched by to the
accompaniment Of Jet planes n.y.
ing overhead. Then came thou
sands of marching people, many
of them organizations Of trades
people, carrying red flags and
pictures of Lenin, Stain. Marx
and Engels."
Mrs. Phillips said that through
out their trip they rarely saw