REPORT ON THE />\
RUSSIANS /Kr _\
INSTALLMENT SEVEN
Our Leningrad trip comes to a
climax with a big dinner given in
Eric's honor by Popkov, whose title
I suppose would be Mayor of Lenin
grad. Anyway, he is head of the
local 60viet and more important
?till, he is for this region Stalin's
right bower in the organization of
the Communist Party, second only
to Zdanov. Like an American city
boss, he runs the town, regardless
of what title he holds.
Popkov apologizes because his
wife and family were evacuated and
cannot meet us. It is the first time
this has happened in Russia. So
far, these important Bolsheviks
have entertained us like Moslem
princes?without mentioning their
hidden families.
Then at Eric's request he tells of
the siege. He was in command the
whole time.
The palace dining hall and table
were what you would expect, some
thing out of an eighteenth century
set in the movies. We were im
pressed and showed it, and this
Signboard on way to Viipuri
pleased Popkov, who had settled
Into his great throne at the head of
the table.
The dinner now began to jog
along. Popkov turned loose with a
couple of Soviet funny stories, one
of which was mildly dirty and the
other mildly anti-Semitic. I begin
With the latter.
"It seems," said Popkov, or rath
?r the interpreter for him, "that the
First Imperialist War of 1914-1917
created such a rumpus that it pene
trated Heaven, so the Lord God sent
Saint Peter down to find out what
was the matter. Next day he got
a telegram: URGENT. NOT HAV
ING PROPERLY COUNTER
SIGNED TRAVEL PERMIT HAVE
BEEN THROWN IN JAIL BY THE
CHEKA. PLEASE OBTAIN RE
LEASE EARLIEST. PETER.
"The Lord God sent Saint Paul,
and next day got this telegram:
WHILE MAKING INQUIRIES FOR
PETER ENCOUNTERED CHEKA
POLICE AND NOT HAVING PROP
ER IDENTITY PAPERS AM HELD
IN JAIL FOR INVESTIGATION.
IMPORTANT SEND HELP AT
ONCE. PAUL.
"So the Lord God sent Saint Ja
cob, this also being a common Jew
ish name in Russia, and the fol- |
lowing aay opened tms " telegram:
PETER AND PAUL RELEASED
WITH APOLOGIES SITUATION
COMPLETELY IN HAND. AWAIT
YOUR FURTHER ORDERS. JA
COB, CHIEF OF THE CHEKA."
Popkov, by now, was reasonably
mellow, leaning back in his chair.
He said he was delighted to have
us with him. He hoped we were
learning about Russia, which may
be we hadn't understood. Now, for
instance, be said, there were some
things he certainly didn't under
stand about our country.
And the principal thing, he said,
squinting at us, was this: Here we
were, fighting a war together, or
anyway Russia was fighting, and
maybe we would be soon. But in
spite of that, we let a Fascist Press
exist in America, clearly fascist be
cause it frequently criticized Rus
sia. That, he said, he certainly
could not understand; why we let
Russia and her leader be criticized
in America.
Now, of course, this was Eric's
show, but I wanted handle this
one and signaled as much to Eric.
He gave me a nod to go ahead.
I said I could well understand his
confusion and perhaps could clear
it up because I was not a busi
ness man but ran a newspaper.
America was a free country, and
therefore had a free press. And
while most Americans supported
both President Roosevelt and Rus
sia. all of us would fight anyone who
tried to stop criticism of them. Be
cause a country where criticism is
dead is not free. This right to criti
cize, I said, is the most important
freedom for which we are now fight
Is*
i : . J - ? -
Then a curious thing happened.
Some of Popkov'a henchmen at the
table were old-timers?men in their
fifties and sixties. They were smil
ing and nodding approval. One thin
old man even had his hands poised
to clap, but then he looked at Popkov
and he didnt clap.
At this point Joyce got up and
said that in a free country we al
ways criticized our friends. We had
been supporting and criticizing the
British ever since this war began in
1939, and we saw no reason why we
shouldn't do the same with Russia.
Then Eric got up and smoothly
settled everything, freedom of the
press, Russia, England, and even
Popkov, who had been a little bit
taken aback by it all, and who now
said that this freedom to criticize
was a most interesting thing, and he
hoped we didn't mind that he had
himself used some of this American
freedom to criticize America,
So then he filled up his glass and
mine, and grinning, said he suspect
ed me of being a khitre moujik, a
back-handed Russian slang compli
ment, which means "sly farmer"?
one who knows more than he ap- c
pears to. 1
So I said I was sure he was a <
khitre Droletarian. and after that
we got along very well. We all liked t
Popkov. ,He meets you head-on. He
is tough but this is a tough country ,
and only tough men can ride this j
broncho. Talkers don't last. Keren
sky and Trotsky weren't quick
enough on the draw. These combi- :
nation city manager-Little Caesar ?
types are the only ones who can
handle it.
We start tor the Finnish front and 4
the reporters, against all experi
ence, are hoping. All previous front I
trips have gone no further than the c
headquarters of a general. But Eric >
Johnston, even in America, was ?
promised a look at the fighting. 1
We drive over one of Russia's few *
paved highways?from Leningrad to i
Viipuri, until 1940 Finland's second
largest city. Russia took it by the t
treaty of that year. (
In 1941 the Finns again reoccu- j
pied it, continued to their old fron- j
tier and then dug in a few kilometers i
beyond. In these trenches they i
stayed during 1942, 1943 and half of j
1944. <
Thev were there until a few weeks
ago, when the Russian drive easily ?
crashed through their first carefully
prepared defense line, and then their
second. We are told that they have
now been pushed back to their third,
just outside Viipuri.
The Russians profited greatly in
experience by that little war. They
were badly mauled in the first
months of fighting because, being
overly impressed by the success of
German tank tactics in fiat, tree
less Poland, they had tried to copy
them in Finland, a rolling, heavily
forested country studded with lakes
and swamps.
After early setbacks they correct
ed their errors. They abandoned all
open tactics, brought up their big
guns (which are excellent and which
they possess in great numbers),
banked them hub to hub in front of
the Mannerheim line and blew it to
bits, after which the Finnish infan
try could offer only token opposition
to the Red Army masses.
On June 22, 1941, Hitler attacked
Russia. As his armies crossed the
border he spoke over the radio. Sev
eral paragraphs were devoted to
praise of Finland's 1940 resistance
to Russia. Germany was ready to
defend the integrity of little Fin
land, he said. And even now Ger
man troops were on Finnish soil.
Technically this was true. It had
been explained to the Finns, who
had no foreknowledge of the attack
on Russia, that these German divi
sions were only en route to Narvik.
But the Russians jumped to the
conclusion (as Hitler intended they
should) that Finland was already in
the war. The Finnish version of
events is the Russians immediately
began bombing Finnish cities, that
the Finns sent unanswered notes of
protest. Historians will settle this
point. At present we only know
that the Finnish declaration of war
on the Soviets came (our days after
Hitler's attack, indicating the ob
vious reluctance of many Finns.
It was a beautiful June day, and
the countryside was vividly green.
The land is rolling, with {latches of
woodland and not many houses. We
share the road with truckloads of
Red Army boys rolling toward the
front. None of them seemed to have
steel helmets, also rare in Moscow.
Then we pass a curious sight?to <
our Western eyes?the wounded
coming back from the front?heads
in bloody bandages, arms in slings,
but Jolting along in horse-drawn
carts. They are the kind we often
whisk back across the Atlantic by
plane.
Maybe it was not typical. From
three creaking wooden cartloads it
is not safe to assume that human
suffering is so cheap in Russia that
you take a man to battle by truck
but, once his fighting usefulness is
gone his time is not valuable, and
a horse cart is fast enough. Only
there were the trucks and the carts
an the only front I saw.
We mount the crest of a hill, and
>elow us in the valley and on the
ill opposite we see the outworks of
he Finnish defense line, behind
rhich they camped from the fall of
941 until June 12, 1944?about a
reek ago. The valley is thick with
larbed-wire spun like spider web on
i stubbly forest of waist-high posts.
Tie green hill beyond is scarred
rith zigzag trenches. A number of
lussian tanks pass, big ones and
[ood-looking, on their way up to the
ront.
Behind us comes a dull roar and
re look up to see a formation of
Itormoviks on their way toward the
liipuri front.
Finally at about noon we arrive
it the little village of Terijoki, which
had visited almost five years be
ore when it was a front-line town
>n the other side of the Russo-Finn
sh lines.
Kirilov leaves us to visit the lo
:al commander who will decide how
nuch farther and by what road we
nay go to the front.
? > Hual tin uuur luicr, n?
tames back and imperturbably mo
ions us to follow. We drive to the
iutskirts of Terijokl.
Kirilov strolls over. But the front,
re ask.
"The commander has said today
re can go no farther. There would
* danger."
We argue, plead, expostulate. We
xpress dismay, chagrin, consterna
ion. We point out that we have
leen nowhere near the front.
"The commander has said no fur
her. Now we picnic."
The Soviet standard of living ia
i shock to anyone from the Western
countries. During the world depres
lion, a number of young English
ind American workers, intellectuaW
y inclined, took passage to the So
riet Union because in this land there
s always work for everyone.
Swept away by the enthusiasm of
he first few weeks, they surren
lered their British or American
>assports and took out Soviet citl
;enship. Within a year practically
ill of them were back, clamoring
it that ffnnr* nf fVtnir /nemo*
jassies, pleading (or help to get out
)f Russia.
It was, of course, Impossible,
rhey had freely given up their pass
ports and with them their rights,
md under any interpretation of in
ernational law they were indistin
guishable from any other Soviet citi
zen, bound to their assigned jobs
md with no hope of leaving.
And when they exercised their
'ormer Anglo-Saxon rights to pro
est about living conditions they got
he treatment meted out to any oth
:r Soviet citizen who stirs up dis
rontent: they were arrested and
brown into labor battalions. All
race of them was lost and no long
er could they plead with their em
>assies in Moscow.
But one man's family made per
ils tent inquiries for news of him,
tnd his legation brought pressure
o bear on the Russians for at least
lome information. So after some
nonths, it was announced that the
nan had died in his labor camp,
hat according to law his effects had
>een sold, and the legation was giv
?n a check for 15 roubles to be
luroed over to his next-of-kin
ibroad. These relatives, however,
would not believe that he was dead,
md darkly suspected that it was
vorth those 15 roubles to the Soviet
jovernment to -be rid of the tedious
nquiries.
Americans frequently express
unazement that the Red Army
Bit of Old Kassia In Una town of
V'iipori la 1939.
ihould have been able to resist tha
German attack, and feel its exploits
are a miracle.
The Red Army Is good. Russians
make good soldiers. They are well
disciplined, competently led, and
equipped with good rifles and plenty
af heavy artillery which they handle
with skill. But this is not all. Sol
diers must be young, and the mili
tary strength of any nation is de
termined not only by its total popo- |
lation, but by the number of boys
In their late teens sad early tares- .
ties. I
fro sa coarroruxDi
IMPROVED
UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
Sunday i
chool Lesson
By HAROLD L. LUNDQU1ST. D. D.
Of The Mood* Bible Inelltute of Chlc?|0.
Released by Western Newspaper VnUm.
Lesson for April 28
Lesson subjects and Scripture texts se
lected and copyrighted by International
Council of Religious Education, used *7
permission.
DECISIVE MOMENTS
IN PETER'S LIFE
LESSON TEXT?John 1:41: Mark I T7-B:
Luke 22 54-37. 41. (1: John 11:11-11.
MEMORY SELECTION?Wo oufht to obey
Cod rather than men.?Acta i >
Men are of primary interest to
God. Our Lord Jesus has always
been concerned about men, eager
that they should he filled with all
the fullness of - His love and the
beauty of His grace. He it is who
stands by in the hour of weakness
and failure to give renewed strength
to His repentant child.
The life of Peter runs the gamut
of human feelings from the height
of joy and assurance to the depth
of despair. He learned many of his
lessons the hard way?by a stubborn
struggle in the school of experience
?but he came out into a glorious
and triumphant faith in Christ.
I. A New Name and a Great Con
Cession (John 1:42; Mark 8:27-29).
When a man comes to Jesus in
true faith and devotion he becomes
a changed man. The Bible speaks of
it as a n?w birth, a radical change
from darkness to light, a going from
death to life.
A name is important in its bear
ing on the individual's life. How
often patents hinder or embarrass
a child with an unworthy name,
or a foolish Imitation of the name
of some giddy individual in the pub
lic eye, but lacking real character.
Simon, which means "hearing"
was completed by the name Peter
meaning "rock," a token of this
change of direction of life. The
Lord gave it to him, and He knew
all about the man, his past, present
and future, the longings of his heart '
which were to be fulfilled in serv
ice for Him.
The great confession of Christ
(Mark 8), which became the foun
dation of the church (see Matt. 16:
16), was the expression of the heart
of this spiritually changed man.
"Thou art the Christ I" Such is
the conviction and confession of the
man or woman with the reborn life I
n. An Awfnl Failure and a Deep
Repentance (Luke 22:54-87, 61, 62).
Peter had vaunted himself in de
claring his everlasting loyalty to the
Lord. His old self-satisfaction and
boastfulness had overcome him. He
had even come to the place where
he felt capable of telling the Lord
that He was mistaken.
He made the grave mistake of fol
lowing the Lord "afar off" (v. 54).
He did not intend to deny the Lord,
but he hid allowed himself to get
into a position where it was hard to
stand up for Him.
The lesson (or us Is evident. If
we want our faith to be steady and
true in the hour of the enemy's at
tack we must not get far from the
Lord, nor may we find our fellow
ship with this Christ-denying world.
Peter's strong denial of our
Lord, his use of language unbecom
ing to a believer, his quick false
hoods?all these mark the thing he
did for what he knew it to be when
he heard the cock crow?a terrible
sin against the Christ.
The look of Jesus doubtless car
ried conviction, but one somehow
feels that it was even more a look
of tenderness and of assurance of
the Lord's promised prayers for
him.
The thing which brought the tears
of repentance was the remem
brance of the Lord's own words (v.
61). It is the recollection of the
Word of God which brings a man to
his senses spiritually.
Peter's repentance was real. So
we find that Peter was restored and
reinstated in his place of service for
the Lord. _
III. A Complete Restoration and
an Obedient Service (John 21:15-17).
Jesus met Peter on the first Eas
ter morning, so he was assured of
forgiveness. But Peter and the others
had returned to their old life as
fishermen. They seem to have lost
their vision, or had become dis
couraged.
But the Lord had not forgotten
them. He appeared and told them
where to catch fish, and then we
have the lovely scene around the
fire as they breakfasted together.
There it was that the Lord met
Peter, and as he had denied Christ
thrice he is asked to thrice declare
his devotion to Him. He is standing
by Christ's fire now. There is no
hesitancy and no uncertainty in his
witness now.
The man who thus declared his
readiness to serve Christ to the end
had many an opportunity to prove
the sincerity of that profession. He
met persecution and imprisonment,
but to every effort of man to close
his mouth or to change his witness
he had the simple reply of absolute
obedience to the Lord.
Tradition tells us that this faithful
ness finally led Peter to a martyr's
death, but be was ready even for
that. So we see a life made over,
made powerful, made. glorious for
God through the matchless grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ. He can do
it for you, too. mil you let HimT
NO PLAN FOB ARMY
WASHINGTON - After the last
war, we let our best officers leave
the army, were content to make the
army a refuge for hundreds of mis
fits who couldn't adjust themselves
In other walks of life, and settled
down to complete complacency re
garding the armed forces.
Usually history repeats Itself.
After this war, however, there is
a little less complacency regarding
the future ? thanks to Russia.
But there is almost as much do
nothingness regarding the internal
organization of the army.
President Truman has now de
manded that we have a big peace
time conscript army. But aside from
Secretary of War Patterson's
healthy board for probing caste, no
steps have been taken to reorgan
ize the army's long out-dated sys
tem of promotions, its methods of
selecting officers, and, perhaps
most Important of all, its system
of eliminating misfits.
A thorough re-organization of
the army might make it more
enticing to good men and there
by "eliminate conscription. Even
Sen. Chan Gurney of Sooth
Dakota, most ardent conscrip
tion enthusiast, will admit that
a volunteer army is more effl
eient than one composed of men
who are forced to serve.
? ? ?
COULD USE HOR8E MEAT
An important debate has been tak
ing place among food experts in
side the administration regarding
the use of horse meat for feeding
Europe.
Horse meat is a type of food
which Americans know little about.
Within Europe it is standard diet
and certain countries, especially
France and Belgium, have repeat
edly informed the United States that
they would like to buy more horse
meat here. If two and a half billion
pounds of horse meat could be sold
to Europe ? which is the amount
available in the U. S. A.?it would
take care of most of Europe's feed
ing problems and eliminate any
need for U. S. A. rationing.
Soeh a program has been
nrged by UNKRA officials and
also by some experts in the
army and navy. However, the
plaa has ran op against sev
eral snags, chiefly that of U. S.
meat packers.
The big packers don't want the
American public to get the idea that
horse meat is processed in their
plants. They fear that the suspicion
would linger in the consumer's
mind. However, Harry Reed, who
does most of the meat procurement
for UNRRA in the deoartment of
agriculture, leans toward the big
meat packers and they never have
wanted small state packers to get
into the inter-state business.
HORSE MEAT FEEDS ZOOS
Another source of opposition is ex
pected to come from the many horse
lovers throughout the country who
probably would claim that the
United States was being denuded
of horses.
Officials point out, however, that
several hundred horses are slaugh
tered weekly all over the United
States to feed the zoos of the nation.
Furthermore, the United States to
day has a larger surplus of horses
than ever before in history. Agricul
ture department estimates are that
three million surplus horses are
now on the ranges and farms of the
country. The grain which they alone
consume would go a long way to
ward feeding Europe.
Officials estimate that these
three million surplus horses
wooid supply a total at two and
a half billion pounds of meat,
also give fats for soap, together
with hides to ease the scarcity
el leather.
MOTE?While prices of almost ev
erything tended upward during the
war, the price of horses did not.
Government buyers purchasing
draft animals for UNRRA report
1 that the country has thousands of
four to six-year-old horses which
have never been harnessed. Farm
ers haven't had time to break them
in, would like to sell them if prices
were right.
? ? ?
BUMPTIOUS GENERAL VAUGHN
Twelve years ago, famous Filipino
Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo sent Presi
dent Roosevelt a 914-foot carved
table of Philippine hardwood de
signed to serve as a cabinet table.
The other morning, however, Brig.
Gen. Harry Vaughn, White House
military aide, hurrying through the
White House lobby, bumped his
knee on a buffalo Promptly the
(our carved buffalo beada came off.
? ? ?
CAPITAL CHAFF
Secretary of Labor Schwellenbach
is secretly considering resigning
from the cabinet, in order to again
run (or the senate.
Bernard Baruch is hopping mad
at the state department (or releas
ing iu report on atomic energy be
fore he, Baruch, could make his
own investigation. Baruch has ad
mitted privately that the state de
partment report is an excellent one.
However, It's not known as the
"Baruch report"?which is impor
1 tant to Bernie.
SEWIHG CIRCLE PATTERNS
ScJLpeJ Jroct for Warm |
(jown an J#acUSel?asit9niaJe |
8010
32-44
I I ?
1432 '
12-42
For Summer Wear.
[X)R pleasant summer afternoons,
" a beautifully fitting dress that
comes in a wide size range. The
scalloped neckline is very flatter
ing, brief pleated sleeves are cool
and comfortable. Note the dainty,
feminine shoulder shirring. De
serving of all the compliments
you'll gather.
? ? ?
Pattern No. 8010 comes In sizes 32. 34.
36. 38. 40. 42 . 44 and 46. Size 34 requires
3',fa yards of 35 or 33-lnch material.
Nightdress and Bed Jacket.
A YOUTHFUL and gay night
dress to add a glamorous note
to your wardrobe. Huge ribbon
bows accent the drawstring neck
and waist. To match, a simple,
easy-to-make bed jacket. Make
the set in a pretty all-over flower
print with soft harmonizing ribbon.
A wonderful shower gift for a
bride-to-be.
Locks in Large Hotels
Operated by Seven Keys
Door locks for large hotels are
complex and costly because they
are operated by seven different
keys, says Collier's.
Besides the regular key for the
guest, a hotel lock has a submaster
key for the chamber maid, a mas
ter for the supervisor of the floor,
a grand master for the housekeep
er and a great grand master for
the manager, the last being the
only key which will open a door
that has been locked by the sixth
or seventh key?the "display" key
given a guest who does not want
any employee to enter his room,
and the "shutout" key which locks
out the "nonpaying" guest.
Pattern No. 1433 la for sizes 12. 14. M.
It. 20; 40 and 42 Size 14. gown. 3% yards
of 33 or 38-inch material; jacket. 1%
yards; 4% yards 3-tnch ribbon for bows.
Send your order to:
SEWING emeus PATTKKN DEPT.
1130 Sixth Ass. New York. N. Y.
Enclose 23 cents In cote lor each
pattern desired. x
Pattern No.
Address
CONSTIPATION ENDED
WITHOUT DRUGS
Millions Turn to
Famous Cereal
for Lasting Relief I
Too, too, may get luting relief,
if you suffer from constipation
due to lack of balk in the diet. Do
as millions do, eat a daily dish
of crisp, delirious KELLOGG "S
ALL-BRAN, and drink plenty off
water. Do this every day, and too
may never have to take an outer
laxative as long as you live!
ALL-BRAN'S magic works by
providing gentle-acting balk util
ized in the colon to farther normal,
easy elimination. It's not a purga
tive. It's a highly nutritions regu
lating food.,.
Mere dslilllm (Sis
Whole Wheat!
Because ALL-BRAN is made of
the vital outer layers of wheat, la
which whole-wheat protective food
elements are concentrated. One
ounce provides over 1/3 your daily
iron need?to help make good, red
blood. Calcium and phosphorus ?
to help build bones sad teeth.
Whole-grain vitamins ? to help
guard against deficiencies. Protein
?to help build body tissue seven
tial for growth.
Eat ALL-BRAN every day. Get
this delicious cereal at your gro
cer's. Made by Keliogg's of Battle
Creek and Omaha.
ok
Bakbg fnrfw
A with Hm BALANCED DmAU AcHm
0| Oobkar CM k hdiy'l boldng povtdar . . .
Jy i)m noturol foe tfw nodtni ftdptk fti
?Cf\ kataacid doubl* acta yamunlaaa (art ta
?Jri rtgM ocden in lb* adxing bo*t> pta tat taal
^ ria* to RgM and My flavor In ta ova*.
THREE O'CLOCK . . .
AND I HAVE NT SLEPT/A'WINK*
WAKEFUL NIGHTS?how the time diagil Mhmtee
?cem like hour*. we worry over thine* done and left
undone. After each ? night. we get op in the morning
more tired then when we went to bed. Nervous
Tenemn emeu many a wakeful night and wakeful
night* are likely to cauaa Nervous Tenakm. Neat time
you feel Nerrcua and Keyed Up or begin to task
tumble and worry after you get to bed?try
MILES NERVINE
(Liquid or Effeneeeent Tablet.)
MILES NERVINE bdpa to aa Nerraoe Tenaon?to permit refreshing
?jeep. Whan you ere Erred L>, Creaky. Fidgety. Wakeful, take MUee
Nervine- Try it lor Nervoue Headache end Narcne Inilljiellee
Get MOce Nrrnne et your dmgetore. Effervescent Tablet!. Lame Tubaae
TSe. Smen Packace *Sc, Lnjrnd. Lerye Bottle gl-M, Small Bottle Be. both
equally effective aa a sedative, both guaranteed to mtufy or yum money
back. CAUTION?Take only ? directed. w
V
Wh ite A