T
JOHN GORDON- just back from Russia --the first experienerd rlier to go there since Stalin died.
11 visitor from Britain, the life Russians live seems grim and dral.
But if I have given the impression that they are unhappy let me remove it. For that would be an untrue picture.
The majority are very happy. Especially those in
Continuing
JOHN GORDON
What
it's
THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1953.
like going
shopping
the towns. Happier, perhaps, farms sell the, little than they have ever been, produce which they grow apart from their work for the collec- tive,
They bellevo the worst is behind them. They
see Cli- couraging indications of ease- ment, especially since the death of Stalin, who had outlived his usefulness. Therplore the finu young generation now growing to manhood and womanhood is gloriously confident and pleased with life.
surplus Now the plaster is falling from the cellings. The walls have not been painted for years. The once beautiful chandeliers ore bits wreckage. The out- side of the shop Toules liko 4 slum bullding.
Not only is everything retalled by the State in State shops staffed by State employocs, but It is also bought in bulk and distributed by, the State through a further army of State servants,
There isn't, indeed, a man or woman in the whole of the The sight of shop shelves in mallon who is not a State em- the towns like Moscow piled ployee of one surt or another. high with goods of all kinds, All life comes under the Minis- The freedom to buy them with tries. Naturally it is the great out rution restrictions of any glory of life to become an ad- kind--both experiences young Russians have never had in their lives before-have a great deal to do with their happiness,
SHORTAGE
O has the remarkable recent chanke in the food situation --a change of course which again affects the towns more than the rural areas, where living condi- Hons are still by our standards very poor.
why
"
Indeed, I had the impression that in splic of the plenty in the towns there
national overall food shortage of some gravity. That seems to be con- firmed by the recent news of Russia's food purchases. abroad. Take a look at the menu of my Moscow hotel-the Metro-
pole. There are listed on it, and available to all customers, foreign or Russion, 20 choices of hors d'oeuvres, cold meats, and cold fish. Nine soups.
Sixteen choices of lot fish. Thirty-two hut beef, mutton, veal, and pork dishes. Ten varieties of game and poultry.
Where can you got such a choice in London today?
And I should add that some of the restaurants in appoint ments and service equal any- thing London can offer.
ininistrator.
To Socialists, of course, that is the perfect system. The State, in theory, makes no profits like the wicked capitalist. And, in theory. It is so wise that It mokes no mistakes.
Ax for the servico... I watched the selling of men's sults. There were only about 40 suits available. There was no choice of style or colour. All were the same, The only choice the customers had was in size.
PULLED AWAY.
CUSTOMERS were roped of,
well away from the stock. The shop assistant was dressed like a dock labourer and his salesmanship matched his ap- pearance. He estimated the cus- tomer's size and threw a suit ai Bul. fact, its profit-making him, If he had that size in stock. in Russia, is on a scale that The customer trlod on the
would qualify a capitalist tor Jucket and that was that. bolling in oll.
And its inefheleney and stan- dard service would put ony private enterprise business in the bankruptcy court in a year,
ONE SHAPE
BSENCE of competition hor
one Inevitable, effret. It re- duces goods to a drab uniformity. You get simply what the State considers good enough for you.
For example, jump-shades in Moscow seem to be pretty much of one shape and one colour-a rather trying, deep orange. Pre- sumably the State maker of lamp-shades selected the shape
and colour when he went into production. If you do not like his choice that is just too bad.
But isn't that just ke our You can buy as wide a choice experience with cool? In the of food, for home consumption, old days, when coal production in the gastronomes,
or food was competitive business, we shops of Moscow, although again hid a wide choice of execlicut I must emphasise that the situa coals at varying prices,
tion is not so good once you get away from the capital.
Indeed, in some of the smaller towns you may have difficulty in getting meat at all.
EXASPERATING
CHOPPING in Russia is an egg
asperating experience for forelguer used to Bie standards set by competition in the free enterprise countries.
the
Then weś nationalised nines. And now we get Just coal which, even if we cannot
burn it, coals a lot more money than we can afford,
ure
Most of the State shops of Raisin
rough-and-ready affairs by
our standards, al- though there are a few attrae- live ones, mostly relies of the old free enterprise days. These I noticed were piways used in the propagando pictures,
EYE-WITNESS
IN
RUSSIA
for
era, and Moscow open, by 1934,
to be completing 100 date of tho
to five qvorm every day.
No customer I saw seemed price cuts of from ton to 25 per- vory well pleased, and I noticed cent on all goods in one day, that most of the wives pullert their men
the With profit-making`on when they away heard the price.
Many of the apartments les the lovels have quoted, I should say that there is ample scope
older buildings
withou much more price-cutting-ex- sacitation of any kind. The uge public copt that the
State Compiers hayo to great
lavatories. Boma
in mächive can only be sustained und kopt moving by excessive Moscow poomed to me to be be low the level of the Nogro slums produ
of Chicago.
But the shop assistant did not core. it meant nothing to him whether he made à salo or not. And the State cared less.
Some of the grocery and bakery shops are attractive, And the sweet shops. But buying even the smallest article is a weary business.
You join a long queue at the counter, select and price your purchase, and get a ticket. Then you go to the cash deak, join another queue, and pay for ft.
Bock you go once more to the counter to collect it. It took me nearly 20 minutes to buy a bar of chocolate.
And, of course, there are no home deliveries exempt a re-
mail cently established
order department in one shop, But I must say that the Russians do not seem to mind either the slow buying or the carrying home.
LIVING SPACE
OCIALISM, as I said earlier,
boasts that it wipes oui pri- vate profit-making. I will give Just two examples of the sort of profits the State can make, when it is not subject to com- petition.
The Soviet Government re, cently bought herrings in Scot, lund for Is. a kilo (under 21⁄2b.). It retalled them to the people at 171⁄2 roubles (30s.) a kilo.
It bought oranges from Izrael at 11 roubles
a case (roughly Liz and sold them at from four to Ave roubles for each brange, Fine business, isn't it?
The Russians mako a proud boast that their Government hasn reduced the cost of living six times since the war by imposing
If the food situation in places ·
The top Ru96Luxus pre very like Moscow; là now CARBON- consikiya about the housing com- ably satisfactory I fear the same diens, Significarly, though cannot be said about housing. most things I sought to nee were Housing, of course, is a Stofely opened to me, I could business, like every king cle. side of aus apartment house.
nover Grange a visit to the in- You do not get a flat xat the wais bold that Russians don't re size you would like to yourself strangers in their homes. unless, of course, you are a secr important gure. You manely I had to epatent myself with get aying space which depenly admiring the magnificent ex- upon the site of your family torlors. That I could do, with full KAKO SQUAT metros (about' 11 official approval, all day. equiano" "yonds) a person,
Herò da un exemplo of what that can moun. 1. A. young woman I unes viño carpe entury which, by xeral standards, boo tence en highs, ya the average, is married to a man whose position Is equally good. They havo a 500,
three. And agod
with them live her mother-in-law (who also, works) and a young nurse to look after the child.
SENSITIVE
A LL five live in two rooms and shure the sanitary Ailments, including the bath, with another in the adjoining family view #partment,
AMERICA COLUMN
from
NEWELL ROGERS
Waterfront Warfare
TUIE
Anu-Crime Committco warns New York City that gangster warfare may start soon along the 770-mile
waterfront. Five factions are struggling for maling power over the stevedores. anc The authorities tremendous efforts to case this
Right in the middle of it aro Immense new housing problen. blocks at apartments are rising
British as well as American over the country.
Already thero Some in shipping lines. Moscow
have been minor bombings and skyscrapers. are vast One, recently completed, houses
brawls in dockland. 100 domics, and pers to
the to be a modern bedlam,
the
me
"I'a Says an official: mast explosive situation port has ever had."
Trades unions and Minis- tries bulld accommodation DABE, a frisky horse bothered exclusively for their own work-only by a touch of arthritis in the left leg. has celebrated her 47th birthday at Torring- ton, Wyoming.
OH, WHY must women grow up?
VENICE.
E were watching the sun making a spectacular exit behind the Grand Canal, and silhouetted against the orange sky a girl was feeding the pigeons.
She was about 18 and the most graceful unselfconscious elf you have ever seen. She had none of the sophia- ticated female artifices. She was com- was being pletely unaware that she watched. It did your heart good to her brimful of the zest and confidence- of youth.
see
Italy's Olivier says too many women lase their beauty too soon—and gives his reasons to LEONARD MOSLEY
Ann-Maria and Eduardo-all in fun.
So many tricks "SN'T it a shame," said Eduardo de Filippo, turning his eyes away from her with a sigh, "that women have to grow up. to compare with that of Bir Why can't they go on being Lence Olivier in Britain. like that. child over there female in every pore, but simple too?
He writes plays, stars in pictures, and produces films of
"That complicated hair-do, too, when all she had to do be fore was run a comb through her locks to look ravishing.'
his own. He has shared stardior We stood on the sidelines as "Why do women when wey (ond
with practically every beauty she made her triumphal entry. every great player) in und both of us feit o little sorry pass the age of 20 forget that Italy and his knowledge of both for her and for ourselves. It is pathetic to see the decay to be an intraclive woman you life and the theatre is acute. that has set in upon some of don't have to be complicated or There are, of course, no such them under Stato maungement. | artificial? Why they have to things as privately owned shops I went katoa men's wear shop tearn so many tricks?” with the exception of a few which, in the old days, mus!! small open markets In which have had something of the look peasants
from the collective of Harrods,
CERMAN
UNITY
CHURCH
GOT TO LIVE MÍ
Sho was such an acoom- perfected beauty She was conscious that i
was watching herr wasn't the same
because," he says, "they will the world him sigh and
And women sometimes make plished and
Leel
Bad. now. rides of their sex-which only at all,
learn all the And she
Eduardo de Filippo is Italy's best-known actor-director with try so a reputation in his own country
hard to
too often means they cover their most-effective attractions under a useless camouflage of sophistication.
She glowed
"How hate sophisticated "IF It applied only to
v'omen."
giri
film growing-up stars, this process which
dislike I We had
together the wouldn't been
do matter," saist previous evening at a fashion Filippo. "But if opplies
bie gathering on the Lido. ordinary women too.
to
A starlet came up the stairs "I know you can't stop time, to face the barrage of photo and lovely women have to grow graphers awaiting ber arrival older. But why do they grow compli- and de Flippo watched her more caleidating and with resignation. She epitomia cated too? Why don't they go ed everything he feels can go on being themselves?" wrong in a beautiful woman.
Two
was as
fresh
nowcomer.
ps an
At that moment de Filippȧ yours ago as a girl of caught sight of a 10 she was one of the dis approaching the stairs, and his coveries of the Continental eyes lit up. cinema--Q slight but surpely She beauty with long hair and Adriatic breeze. She fresh sparkle in her eyes, anxi an unthinking case of move ment that made every faci his pulses race a Iko Lorier.
Complicated
NOW she has grown up. She
NOW
simple white frock. touched har bare shoulders.
were d
Her hair sunburned
She had the faintest dusting of powder, no lipstick, and her white teethi were rather срел. But she glowed with attraction.
tu-
She was Italy's latest young has learn how to be a Bim stor, a miceespor to Pier woman of the World. And the Angell, called Anna-Maria
exciting freshness has gone out Forrero.
of her,
Eduardo do Filippo loaned
She is still am foyely as evor down to kiss her hand arwi to look at. But she somehow then stood back as I cane does not make the same impact. forward.
"Do you so the sureful way "Why were you two looking abe has made up her face for no coleman?” Anna-Maria asked: tonight?" do Filippo peks. "Eye "We were, making p wich, shadow that she doesn't nood; signorina,” I said, "that you ezuggabste lipaticle" opvaring will never learn how to grow. up the line, of” hær-lips,
17AREN BIDDLE, aged eight,
Kis the youngest contestant
in the annual radio-controlled I model aeroplane tournament at the U.S. naval air station, Willow
Grove, Pennsylvania. She has already won two prizes, one for standing ber.midget plane.
#MIS bustling Amerlea: Fac-f
tory workers' earnings for p 40.4-hour week, including ovET- time and other premium pay, reached a record of one dollar 70 cents an hour by mid-July, says the Bureau of Labour Statistics.
This is 21 percent gain in the past three years.
THE letters F.B.1. stand for not only, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federation of British Industries. In Washington's bureaucracy they stand for "Fired by Ike."
Newest payroll cul 1,082 | Navy Reserve officers, to be co-
leased from active duty,
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