The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1962-06-22
Visit To Russia
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tCohtlnued from page u
to see that the people preferred
the streets to their crowded
apartments and two to three
family communal baths and kit
chens. 1.-The streets are damned
all the time. 1t must be because
there's more space outside than
in.' he observed.
Moscowvites are plainly, but not
poorly dressed, and they are
very intent. with few relaxed
expressions, and they're always
IN a big hurry, he said. There
IS a sameness about the people
and the buildings, like color and
style, that gives a drab effect.
There are few fancy build
lngs like Moscow University. but
these run to the ornate side, Rea
pointed out. Moscow is "a city
OF derrlcks' as the metropolis
works feverishly to erect apart
nlents and housing space.
There was one impressive
thing about Moscow, however.
Rea found. The ballet at the
bolshol Theater was 1.-The very
Lest | have ever seen. The per
formanceS made you forget COM
pletely you were in Russia"
Eea also said the airplanes for
the flights in Russia were good,
too. This is evidently one of
the fields in which they are max
ing great strides"
In the agricultural sphere.
the Russians are far behind
American standards. he found.
The people live in villages sur
rounding the huge state or col
lective farms they work jointly
Each family has a onehaf or
three-quarter acre plot for its
own use or to sell from.
Family Plots
The production from the
little family plots far out
strips the collective farm pro-
duction." Rea said. More than
half of the dairy products and
potatoes. for example, come
from them"
Everyone works, and the Rus
slams are constantly amazed to
learn that an American family
can be supported by the work
Of one man. the head of the
family. he said. From his own
calculations, the Russians must
use about 10 people to farm 100
acres compared to a normal pat
tern of about one worker for
that much in this country.
The group saw many women
performing such Jobs as hoeing,
putting up hay and joining in
other routine production tasks
on the collective farms.
| There is some up-to-date farm
machinery. but it seems cum
/ berSome by U. S. standards.
apparently they const true t
theirs to do a number of jobs,
and they don't seem to use it
much or efficiently" 1t seemed
to fall in the same comparative
basis as food and consumer
goods. well below what would
please or satisfy an American.
Treatment Excellent
The groups treatment was
excellent. Rae found. I'VE were
constantly in the hands of the
"Intourist' guides and interpre-
ters. These are state workers
in a country where the state
contro Is everything. "They
seemed to be good Party men,
bers. who know how to keep
you SO busy there isn't much
time to get close to the man
on the street,
When there was opportunity.
the Russians ovidly questioned
the visitors. At Rostov, Rea
stood for two hours answering
questions fired at him. From
these, two relevant observations
could be made.
when they ask you, Why do
American hotheads insist on nu-
clear testing while disarmament
talks are on you know some
body isn't getting the whole
TRUTH" he said.
And Jim Rea said, when
the common denonnnator of
close association would bring
them around to exclaiming,
Why you act and talk just like
one of u.s. you wonder what in
the world they're told about