1949-02-26 — Page 9

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1949.

Inside the Soviet

Union

Is Stalin now the world's richest man?

T

THE Kremlin is primarily the abode of the 13 families of the members. of the Politburo, the supreme rulers of the Soviet Union.

It is surrounded by thick stone walls, which at places reach the height of 30 feet.

Is access possible for the ordinary mortal? No.

Any attempt to penetrate Inside without an “invitation" would re- sul in that person nding himself

1 "guest" at the M.V.D. Lubyanka Prison,

What the Kremlin is like: Life of the '13

elite families': Stalin's food-taster: The 'royal command' receptions

by

1

Lieut.-Colonel

GRIGORI A. TOKAEV

highly-placed Soviet officer

who fled to the West

Your papers are ogolo examined,

People who do not belong to the bad for the first time sloce you have Soylet elite are never even simTATIOTA – ed to the Kremlin.

All the entrances and exits pre heavily guarded by fat-fared M.V.D. officers and men.

The walls sentries.

tire Riga Tined with

MY VISIT

'Not a word'

IN order to lustrate how dimcult

It is to penetrate alde,

even

If one is summoned, I shall rite the example of one of my etsits in 1930. I had been suuanned to discuss hellcopter construction.

I

Was ant

201 offer At the Zhukovski Air Arndemy when I was enlied to see the heat of the pollti- cal department.

closed "Comrade

The door into his roo behind me as 1 entered. Tokary." I was told, "you have been Stantoned to the Kresnila. How

long will it take you to get ready?"

ready

I replied that I could be within 15 or 20 minuten, "All right, be back here p 15 minutes and not

a word to anybody,"

We drove to the Spasski Gate,

This gale has two entrances-une for the comman her on foot. the other for B Noises in cars. Out- side each stand two sentries with automalle rifles, nud offlcers are run- stantly walking up and down front of them. Numerous sentrion te the whole thickness of the wall thresth which the gale is cut.

At the gate is the pass office.

skret for

WIS

try marie

I

いま

millary entity eurd. I was also

asked who hart summoned me,

Aly replies were checked by the -officer with the entries in a book in

front of him.

Aly entity card was ashajveted to ule examination. Arst by 014

officer and then another,

Both used a magnifying glass and scrutinised my telentity card from all angles, testing the tissue of the paper, looking at it against the light, etc., rete.

After this my gether with the

lality card, 10- book in which entries had been made by the first ofleer, was taken to another room.

A few minutes later the returned and startet 11ing in

pass.

When this was done te tok

The

offee,

been spoken to in the pass the ofcer asks you In a half whisper whom you wish in see,

If the reply checks with the pass you are condueled to the "presence."

tx

This last singe of the journey. through long, richly carpeted pas sage where armed oflerr sentries are posted every few steps.

On the left are massive doors. and on each is a name: Dep. Chair-

Council of man of the

Ministers, Malenkov, etc. US.SH. Comrade Beriya, Mikeyan,

You have at fost penetrated the inner temple.

[

to

But it would be a mistake to sup- intended merely to pose that these precautions

protect the Soviet "waters" from a possible act of vengeance.

dian of all records.

The Kremur guard is the cusle-

11

Buying all manner of things on a large stale, such a deputy has wide knowledge of the distribution of runs which are in chronic short supply,

Jewellery. for example, is ex- tremely scarce in the Soviet Union, It can be purchased only In State commissioned shops.

But just try to buy a diamond ring for your wife. The moment a good plece of jewellery

appears the manager of the shop notifies the eutenants of one or other of the Ministers, official.

or Some other State

A lelephone call clinches the sale: the piece vanishes,

of

Much the same system operates in fond And furniture shops, Something good comes in from one the Satellite countries-the Ministry of Foreign Trade tips off someone in the Politburo, Central Committee or Ministry.

THE SPACIOUS Georgievski Hall in the Kremlin-palace, where Stalin-holds his receptions. Picture taken at a recent conference of deputies.

The stock answer is: "Fine, hold it unt arrive. My people will want that."

Suppose a Minister or another of officer

the Big Noises should be arrested as "an enemy of the People":

The M.V.D. is able to produce at n complele record of every-

my once

identity card, his book and the punk elmly whom the prisoner has seen

20 another rogin.

INSIDE WALL Any weapons

when he saw them, and for what avowed purpose.

All these people will be tracked down and questioned, and the au- tomatic operation of this system ex- which

HE returned after a few moments plains the wave of arrests

and handed me the book in which invariably follows the fall of a high I had, to sign for the

pass. When

Soviet official.

this was done I was given my iden- Thicker than the Kremlin's walls tity card at the puss inside it.

are the barriers of privilege and

advantage material

thal Today separate the "Leaders" from thu worker and peasant. 0%

The pass is a slip of paper, criss crossed by multi-coloured lines, and

the colours and pattern as well the serial numbers

are changed every day by the head of the guard: I went in the entrance for pedes trinns alongside the main gate,

Before I reached it I was stopped by the officer who was walking up and down in front of the sentries.

The pass and identity card again scrutinized,

were

Literally two paces further along I was stopped by, the sentrles who had watched the whole procedure. and again I had to exhibit document and pass.

ענון

The same procedure had to be gone through several. times in- side the wall itself. Inside, the great outer wall in a second wall, some 12 feet high, which forms kind of passage one is obliged to follow in order to get to the main entrance proper.

and

roles

Their people, always do.

In the big cities there are super- special shops for the higher-ups: semi-special shops for the midd higher-ups and hest special shops for the lower higher-ups.

Stalls in theatres, the best seats for Big Noises. The class distine- in the good restaurants, are reserved

tions which fyday divide the Soviet population are the most rigid and exclusive in modern society.

pro-

In the dictatorship of the Jetariat everybody has some special status-everybody but the

pro-

to

ali

15 years from

corners of the Soviet Union must amount to a fun- fastic figure.

To see the "profetarian" upper circles in their true coloura there is nothing to equal a Kremlin recep tion.

Stalin uever people. At these receptions he alts down with the same people-drawn from amongst his trustlest followers,

meets the common

nearest arvi

very

any decorations except perhaps the insignia of the Hero of Socialist Labour and Hero of the Soviet Union.

Behind him walk his personal bodyguards, officers of high munk who follow all his movements.

Along with the cheers, everybody claps as hard as he or she can and Stolin invariably joins in the ap plause.

Now Stalin sits down. After the briefest hesitation, he rises again and delivers I speech, always short, describing the purpose of the reception,

of

The instant be finishes, the Master

Ceremonies calls for a toast

to

the great Stalin, and the hall shakes with tie houting and clapping.

What is known as the Georgievski Hall is really a number of adjoining halls. and at least one of the "Leaders" Is placed in each one of them.

The Master of Ceremonies places, one or more of his elaque at ench table.

Only the

wives of the highest-of-the-high ever accompany thele husbands to such receptions.

The guests are told when to ar

10 rive, where

stand on arrival, where to sl, and, if they should happen to be part of the claque, they they are to say, are further told what to say when to say It.

and

A Master of Ceremonies, usually a high party official, is responsible for organising the claque.

The door through which Stalin is to enter is left open.

The moment Stolln

Ceremonies Master of

appears the Jumps up,

which is a signal for everybody to fallow suit, and either he, or some- one previously appointed, calls out loud voice: "Long Live Leader of genhus and teacher, the father of the peoples, the sage, Com rade Stulim.**

171

mir

Stalin is usually dressed very simply. wearing the familiar coal buttoned up to the chin. without

4

These people are carefully coached what they are to do and what

THEY DRINK When Stalin drinks

AS if spontaneously, one of them will leap from his chair and cry: Comrades, let us drink to the health of the wonderful statesmina, Com- rode Stalin," or words to that effect.

Such outbursts result in noisy de- monstrations and clapping Stalin neknowledges.

which

When the ovation subsides it is immediately touched off afresh by someone else, who again proposes a tonst to the "Wonderful organiser, administrator," or whatever the case may be.

Drinks and food Intended for Stalin are tasted beforehand. and the person sitting next to hon (usually a Politburo member or ligh party official) will have been coach- ed from which bottles and dilsites Stalin is to be helped.

The procedure is watched closely by Stalin's personal bodyguards, whe stand at attention behind him.

None of the guests ever drinks unless Stalin cloes; the eliquette is Indexible on this point. When Stalin takes up his glass, all the people in the room reach for theirs. I he merely sits still, so [lo all the

guests.

The end of the reception is in ae- cordance with Soviet etiquette.

Stalin rises and leaves the hall, while the guests stand up and cheer him to the door.

After which the Master of Cere- monies rises and says: "Comrades, the reception is over."

[World copyright] NEXT WEEK Who will succeed Stalin ?

Holy Places In Israel Said Safeguarded

By Eliav Simon

13

"The

consider-

thirteen families occupy the

I21 the new aristocracy the letariat.

THE Holy See is expected to during the war. He said

commit itself shortly to a moment Israel gets real peace, But the rulers are prudent. They definite stand regarding the conditions will improve of the former Grand Dukes.

keep the best things in life conceal-

ably. The country estates of Stalin, ed behind closed doors, This holy places in Israeli- territory. In Jerusalem. Magr MeMalion Perkhushkovo, near Moscow, are far Kaganovich,

Juxurious living is not apparent

It is believed likely that the Father Patrik Coyli, whom he ap Voroshilov, at

held conferences with Franelscan the common people; but it is not Pope will go on record as being pointed as his representative · for Poro sumptuous than anything

hidden from foreign visitors. F

satisfied with Israeli measures Judea. have seen in Germany or England.

To the original loot from the for the preservation of Chria- All Politburo members have

Czars has been added the

war Lian pinces of worship. lcast one modern Americum booty of capitalist Europe. limousine.

This material-forniture,

LOOT-BUYING

at

paint-

to

He gave Israel 14 days and spent n fortnight on the Arab side. After that visit he crossed the lines again The Rt. Rev. Msgr. Thomas

10 Israel and then proceeded McMahon, who was sent to the Syrin and Lebanon. Spellman, Archbishop of New York, Holy Land by Franels Cardinal

HOLDS THREE POSTS told the press that his conversations with Israeli ministers and Chlef posts. He is head of

Msgr. McMahon holds three the Roman of Rabbi Isaac Herzog were "highly Catholic Committee for Near East

satisfactory

The Monsignor, who travelled Denominational Appeal of the Holy Welfare, vice chairman of the Non Stalin; through the country for two weeks Land and special representative of

studying candillons of Chelations

They all have their private staffings, objets d'art, tapestries, silver of retainers and Bunkeys, but ware-bas gradually been distribut- Instelul

of paying these people ed among the Soviet elite, wages out of their private pockets they are charged to the State.

From hundreds of examples luxurious living, I can quote from personal observation such people na Vasil Stalln, the son of Seroy, the Deputy Minister of the Interior, Lieut-Generat Grachev, Negev,

in Israel, visited the Galilee and the the. Catholle War Relief Services.

"As a result of my tour, I hope, O.C. the Government Air Division He emphasised that

to be able co-ordinate the reller' for Special Assignments, responsible

his mission for air

work of these three important or- was purely humanitarian, to organisations," he said, ite transport of the higher ganiac

Christian

charities in the due to give his observations to the ís niso country on behalf of the Roman N. Relief Organisation for Pale- Catholic Committee for Near East every town and village in Israel. Welfare. He made it a point to see

stine,

A corrupt system

Leaders."

Ilya Ehrenburg, who

LL trade in the Soviet Union is Stale controlled and, in theory, everybody receives according to his Then you enter a building which need. Indeed, in the first days after houses the Council of Ministers, but the October Revolution there were before you do this your papers are

the beginnings of a truly Spartan his writings in order to plense the prostitutes ngain scrutinised.

society, In which the mighty You walk down a few steps and share the same fare as the ordinary the richest inen in the U.S.S.N.

did "Leader," has now become one of come to a cloakroom. The who politely removes

Ruard, citizen. coat pats you expertly and for any weapons,

After

removing your coat you walk up a few steps to a glass door, guarded by two sentries officers.

your over-

But lightly

since then Ideological morality has been capped to is very foundations.

The thirteen families and and retainers hunger for the

of Eastern Europe and

On New Year's Eve the Monsig- nor organised charities for refugees RELIEF DISTRIBUTED

in Bethlehem. That followed alint- He organised financial help for lar activities in Galilee, Jerusalem various institutions and distributed and Transjordan. The money and the first instalment of foodstuffs, supplies for refugees came from clothing and medicines. He Bald churches In the United States. further shipments will arrive 'Before leaving Tel-Aviv, Mogr. shortly.

McMahon saw the Israeil Premier, The Monsignor sald 2,000 priests, David Ben Gurion, and monks and nuns now in Israel werd Minister Moshe Shertok. The 'Mon- Forelim continuing their normal life. Ha algnor would not go into details in Acro were caring for some 1,000 understood he said Franciscan and French nurs about his converantions, but it was Intimated to the refurces of all creeds.

Israel Government that the study During his visits to Lyddo, Ramla he made liere will enable the Holy and Jaffa, he dealt with immediato See to see things here in "the right, or needs of convents which suffered perspective.”—United Press.

THREE HOMES Black Sea palace their POSSIBLY the richest man in the treasures Soviet Union, if not the world, Your papers are again examined, brought within their grasp as war ment in the Kremlin, a

Germany, is Stalin himself. He has an apart and you are finally let through the booty, and this has accelerated the country place outside Moscow, and beautiful glass door. The moment you step

a palace on the Black Sea coast. over the threshold you find yourself process of corruption.

confronted by more guards and a Every Minister has a deputy In high-ranking officer..

charge of supply.

The so-called "presents" which he received during the last ten

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