JLife in Soviet Russia
jLacks Utopian Promise
By BAUKHAGE
/Slews Analyst and Commentator.
;WN? Service. ISIS Eye Street. N.W.,
Washington, D. C.
WASHINGTON. D. C.?As rela
tions between the western world and
.?
?iujoiu giuw tap
idly no better,
many reports are
coming in to
,show that Com
munism, which
reached the peak
of its prestige
with the end of
the war. is losing
some of its popu
larity in Europe.
The lack of proof
provided in the
eating of the So
viet pudding has
nan us enecis, Baukhage
'and many a wail
of anguish is dimly audible behind
,the iron curtain which stretches from
the Baltic through the Balkans.
This, of course, doesn't prevent
our own little family of loyal Amer
ican "Commies" from screaming
the praises of all within the Soviet's
gates.
1 have been looking over some
facts concerning two of the great
postwar American problems?hous
ing and union labor demands?with
an eye on similar conditions in Rus
sia.
Nobody but an optimist with rose
colored glasses and a five-year lease
would say that we have no housing
problem in America. But Stalin has
one in Russia too. And how, To
varishl (Don't answer me now,
there's a plain clothes man behind
the samovar.) I know about that
letter workers wrote to Uncle Joe,
pledging their tireless work and a
promise to "liquidate all shortcom
ings" on the housing industry. That
word "liquidate" has an unpleasant
sound. And when Russian papers
are allowed to criticize production,
putting the blame on "local Sovi
ets," it means?the situation needs
criticizing 1
But what were Russian housing
conditions before the war?
According to a recent Library of
Congress report, "Communism in
Action," even before the devasta
tion of western Russia the aver
age floor space in Moscow was only
45 square feet per head. But the
privileged (workers with high rec
ords on the speed-up plan) had
much more. Hence, the ordinary
Russian worker had much less. By
way of contrast In Washington, D.
C? under the National Capital Hous
ing authority, the smallest housing
unit (a one-bedroom apartment)
must allot 165 square feet to the
living room alone, and the total
space must be 250 square feet.
In Russia the usual arrangement
is one family per room in a six
room apartment with common use
of the kitchen and bathroom.
Figure Oat Floor
Space Per Perron
Thii was the situation before the
war. Today, in the Ukraine, ac
cording to an article in Harper's by
John Fischer, who spent some
months in the Ukraine and Byelo
'Russia with UNRRA, conditions are
much that the Russian press may
?well be allowed to criticize?if that
?will do any good.
In Kiev, says Fischer, a person is
jaupposed to have six square meters
(of living space, which is a strip of
floor about ten feet long and six feet
wide. Less than that is available in
Kharkov.
If you want to know how a typical
family in the Ukraine lives, Fischer
tells you to imagine you and your
wife and children occupying the
smallest room in your house, with
the clothing, beds, furniture and pos
sessions that are absolutely indis
pensable. You'U have a brick stove
instead of a radiator or cooking
kange, a bathroom with no hot
water shared by several other fam
ilies ? and probably a few rela
tives to share all that!
Probably you could stand this if
you knew it was temporary. But in
Russia, according to Fischer, be
cause of the flve-year plan for the
expansion of heavy industry (said to
be a part of Soviet war preparation)
Russians are going to have a bitter
ly hard life as far as consumer
goods and facilities go, for another
40 to 15 years.
I can't verify Fischer's views, but
I know that authorities agree that
Russia cannot possibly do much to
raise the standard of living of the
less privileged even if she doesn't
continue tha present military prep
aration.
And what has Communism done
dor the laborer as such?
Under the five-year plan industri
al workers' pay is supposed to go
up to 500 rubles a month. Fischer
estimates the present rate at be
tween 300 and 350, which he says
amounts in terms ot American pur
chasing power to about $30 to $35.
Labor Union* Under
Government Wing
According to "Communism in Ac
tion" (the U. S. government docu
ment I mentioned earlier) the Rus
sian labor unions started out under
Trotsky as independent, fighting or
gans of labor. But when Trotsky
was ousted and made his very hasty
departure from the Utopia he helped
found, one lap ahead of the liquida
tors. things changed. As in the case
of Nazi Germany the union became
a limb of the party.
And no one would say that Amer
ican unions, like the Russian vari
ety, "are not organized to conduct
strikes." This is reported by "Com
munism in Action," which says that
there hasn't been a strike in Russia
since 1921. The document further
points out that unions in the United
States have as their primary pur
pose the privilege of their members
to deal on equal terms with their
employers on all matters of mutual
interest.
In the U.S.S.R., on the other hand,
the unions are a part of the appara
tus of the employer (the govern
ment) and since the government
is supposed to act in the interests of
all, the workers can't complain
against any of its decisions.
? ? ?
Tough Sledding -
For the 7ns'
There seems to be agreement be
tween some of the political leaders
of both parties that the voters are
going to indulge in a good deal of
indiscriminate hurling of brickbats
next month and it is entirely likely
that many an innocent, bystanding
congressman is going to suffer for
the sins of his colleagues. Clarence
Brown, No. 2 man in the Republican
national committee, admitted to me
that he was counting heavily on the
"throw the aiscals out" vote. In
other words people are going to take
out their various personal grouches
on the incumbent, regardless of rec
ord or party affiliation. This view
was reflected on the Democratic
side by that experienced politician,
Senator Russell of Georgia. He said
to some of us the other day:
"It's always like this after a
war. A great many people have
complaints of one kind or another.
It's a natural thing for many of
them to decide to vote against the
people who have been in office."
That line of reasoning, when pur
sued by a good Democrat, might be
wishful thinking if he were casting
his eyes at the gubernatorial con
test in New York state. Many peo
ple take for granted that Governor
Dewey, if he wins, will try to use
re - election as a stepping stone
toward the presidential nomination.
In any case, the way the issues are
being played now, if Dewey is re
elected, it will strengthen the argu
ments the Republicans are empha
sizing that the next presidential
campaign will be "safety and solid
ity" versus "wild-eyed radicalism."
Issues will be joined on this point
by the National Citizens Political
Action committee (CIO-PAC's twin)
when the latter makes the following
statement at the conference of "pro
Qesslves" in Chicago at the end of
the month:
"The November elections will de
cide the nation's future?the inde
pendent voters . . . will determine
whether the voice of privilege, of
hate and bigotry will dominate the
80th congress, as they did the old,
or whether the progressives who
fought against great odds in the
79th congress will find new allies."
The Republicans are offering
themselves as "new allies" by mak
ing the claim that they represent
true liberalism, and telling the "pro
gressives" that they must either
choose the Republican brand of "lib
eralism" or support the so-called
"radicalism" of the Democrats.
Evidence to support the view that
the "ins," whether they are Demo
crats or Republicans, are going to
get the brickbats from disgruntled
voters was contained in a letter re
cently received by two Democrat
"ins."
"There Just aren't any diapers,"
an expectant, incensed father wrote
to his congressman, "and it's some
one's fault. Regardless of where and
how you place the blame, you rep
resent us in our government which
has allowed this national disgrace to
come about and are, therefore, to
a greater or a less degree, person
ally responsible for it."
BARBS . . . by Baukhage
A Kentucky physician received a
tribute from his townsfolk the other
day for delivering 5,492 babies in
47 years. And not a wrong address
in a pram-load.
? ? ?
An 84-year-old mountaineer whose
31-year-old wife had a nine pound
baby wants the government to in
* crease his old age pension. Not with
ghose young ideasl
Terminal leaves end just like the
one* that grow on trees.
? ? ?
A short circuit which tied up the
telegraph line in Lombard, Mont.,
was caused by a big fish lodged on
the cross-arm of a telegraph pole.
Probably dropped by a fish-hawk
which didn't realize there were some
currents even a fish couldn't swim
against
GROMYKO HEADS SECURITY COUNCIL . . . Andrei Gromyko of
Russia, shown with gavel after he assumed the chair as president
of the United Nations security council. Gromyko, who will preside
for the next 30 days, succeeds Polish ambassador, Oscar Lange.
Chairmanship of the security council is rotated among the various
nations, each serving only 30 days, according to a compromise agree
ment reached during early organization days of the United Nations.
WINS OX-PULLING CONTEST . . . Operating like a veteran mole
ikinner, Ronald Wolf, It, is shown coaxing, with the aid of a whip,
his oxen in the ox-pulling contest at the Queens-Nassau agricultural
society fair at Mineola, N. Y. Ronald won the contest by inducing his
team to pull more than 3,000 pounds of steel on a wooden sled.
INEXPENSIVE ATOMIC POWER . . . F. Aides Miller, executive of
a Buffalo machinery company, has offered to demonstrate to scien
tists a device that will produce inexpensive atomic power. "Atomic
acientists are trying to dramatise atomic energy and are playing it
op with fancy charts and fancy-sounding scientific names trying to
make people think it Is something saper natural," Miller asserted.
Be has applied for a patent on a rectifier.
1 V " ', "if.
? ? - ? i??Ba -nrn???I??
'CEASE FIRE' TRAIN AT LAI Tl'AN . . . C. S. marine "cease Are"
train acts as intermediary between the Nationalist government of
China and the Communist party. It is composed of two officers and
three enlisted men. There are six sncb teams. This one patrols the
100-mile narrow gaore Cong Chin line in an armored train. It ap
pear* wherever hostilities have broken out anew and attempts to
bring a peaceful sf.l'tritol between the fighting factions. Both sides
praise the team's wcr!i.
JACK TAR'S PAL ,. . This Jack
daw, helping himself to some of
the tobacco from the ripped cig
arette of a sailor friend, is the
mascot of a balloon training cen
ter of the British Royal navy at
Palmore, England. No one knows
who taught him the habit.
NEW YANKEE PILOT . . . John
ny Neon, who succeeded Bill Dick
ey as manager of the New York
Yankees, has been Yankee coach
since 1914.
WINS GOLF CROWN ... Ted
Bishop, Dedham, Mass., with tro
phy symbolic of victory which he
won in the national amateur golf
championship at Springfield, N. J.
He defeated Smiley Qnick.
MISS AMERICA OF 1960 . . . Lit
tle Mist Anne Kennj, 3, of Miami
Beach, strikes her prettiest pose
after she had been chosen "Miss
Playground of 1946." She has a
big lead toward becoming Miss
America of 1960.
HERO CHAPLAIN LEAVES . . .
Comdr. Joseph T. O'Cillaiu, S.J.,
C.S.N.R., of Cambridge, Mass.,
hero chaplain of the carrier
Franklin and first cleric to get
the Congressional Medal of Hon
or.
BYRNES MAY RESIGN
WASHINGTON ?Friends of Sec
retary of State Byrnes have re
ceived word that he may have to
resign shortly after the end of the
Paris peace conference?for rea
sons of health. The news has come
as a great blow to President Tru
man, who has leaned heavily on
Byrnes.
Byrnes' doctors have told him that
he might be able to continue as sec
retary of state provided he took long
and periodic rests. However, Byrnes
does not believe he should do this.
Cordell Hull used to spend several
months a year away from his of
fice. In 1942, our first year in the
war, he was away a total of six
months.
Byrnes has told intimates that
conducting the foreign affairs of
the United States today is a con
stant, day-to-day Job. He does
not feel that a secretary of state
can be off the job a minute, and
he does not believe it would be
fair to the American people for
him to take a prolonged rest.
For instance, immediately after
the Paris conference is the assem
bly of the United Nations, now al
ready late. After that comes the
Pan American security conference
and the regular Pan American con
ference, to say nothing of various
meetings of the United Nations se
curity council.
WORKS AT TERRIFIC PACE
Byrnes has been hopping back
and forth across the Atlantic ever
since he became secretary of state.
In 15 months he has made seven
round trips. Cordell Hull, in 12 long
years, made only one air flight
across the Atlantic, plus two leisure
ly steamship trips to Latin Amer
ica.
In Paris, Byrnes has worked at a
terrific pace. Sitting in the peace
conference all day, keeping on the
alert to watch the moves of rival
delegates, is a grueling job. It would
wear out a younger man. But by
going to bed every night immedi
ately after dinner, Byrnes has kept
going.
However, he is no longer young?
68?and when the peace conference
closes, he will have to decide wheth
er to follow his doctors' advice and
resign, or face eventualities.
? ? ?
MONTY'S POLITICS
Some of those who served In the
American command in Europe are
lifting their eyebrows over the U. S.
visit of dapper, publicity-wise Field
Marshal Viscount Montgomery.
Seared in their minds during those
bloody months in Europe are cer
tain events involving the famed
Monty which personally they would
like to forget, but which nationally
they hope won't be forgotten?espe
cially in view of the fear of impend
ing war.
General Patton's officers, for
Instance, remember Patton's
race up the west coast of Sicily,
in contrast to Montgomery's
snail's pace np the east coast.
Nobody can blame a command
er for having hard luck or nec
essarily going slow. But what
only a few officers around Pat
ton know, and what has never
been published, is the telegram
he received from the vaunted
Montgomery.
Montgomery actually sent Patton
a telegram asking him to halt his
offensive and wait until he, Monty,
caught up. In other words, Amer
ican troops were going too fast for
Monty. He was afraid Patton would
envelope not only the enemy, but
also the British army. Inside fact
is that Patton pretended he never
received the telegram, showed
it only to a few top aides, later told
Monty it never arrived. Patton's
army kept on moving.
Latef, in the Normandy offensive,
Gen. Omar Bradley's officers recall
all too vividly how Monty was sup
posed to break through at Caen, but
sat there day after day, yelling at
Eisenhower for more troops (Amer
ican troops). Finally Bradley, Pat
ton and Joe Collins made the Amer
| ican breakthrough at St. Lo, leaving
Monty still sitting at Caen.
British papers all this time
were featuring headlines:
' "Monty Pivots at Caen." Actu
ally all the pivoting he did was
to break up a few tanks In the
Normandy hedgerows.
Shortly after that Eisenhower
made General Bradley top field
commander, giving him a higher
j place than Montgomery?a shift
i that brought such a roar from the
> British press and Mr. Churchill that
: Eisenhower later took two armies
! away from Bradley and gave them
| to Montgomery.
? ? ?
MERRY-GO-ROUND
President Truman has told con
gressional friends he will summon a
special session of congress follow
ing the November election to deal
with skyrocketing prices, the contin
ued housing shortage and other mat
ters, providing the Republican par
ty does not win control of the house
of representatives or make materi
al gains in the senate. . . . Truman
again has offered the chairmanship
of the atomic commission to Under
secretary of State Dean Acheson, but
Atcheson again declined.
nurSi 51
ANOTHER I ;
j A General Quiz " J
The Questions
1. The Chinese'are believed to
have been the first to discover gun
powder. Was that gunpowder ex
plosive?
2. What was the seating capac
ity of the Roman Circus Maxi
mus?
3. What is the outlet for the
Great Salt lake?
4. The Constitution of the United
States requires congress to assem
ble how often?
5. What has the United States
spent on wars since 1776?
6. How many persons are nor
mally employed by the motor car
industry?
The Answers
1. No, but it was incendiary.
2. Estimated at 250,000 people.
3. It has no outlet.
4. At least once in every year.
5. Close to $414,000,000,000, or
more than all the wealth the Unit
ed States has piled up since the
Declaration of Independence.
6. About 7,000,000. Only 700,00$
are employed in the production of
cars and parts. The rest are em
ployed in the operation, main
tenance and servicing of cars.
CLASSIFIED
DEPARTMENT
FARMS AND RANCHES
REAL BARGAIN. WON'T LAST LONG
NEAR KUTZTOWN, BERKS CO., PA.
140-acres, 7-rm. brk. house. Also Sra.
frame house, each elec. and water; ban
adapted for steer feeding, can easily con
vert to dairy; outbldgs. in find cond. good
soil, all tractor worked, meadow, stream
with splendid water supply. Price
won't pay for bldgs. *13.000, half cash.
WM. H. LECHNER, READING
1322 HAMPDEN BLVD.. READING. PA.
74 ACRES DAIRY AND TRUCK FARM
Modern house. 7 rooms, hot water heater,
burning oil; electricity. New dairy ban.
10 stanchions, new silo. Large f"""!
house with farmer's quarters. Magnifi
cent location. Gorgeous views every di
rection. On good hard surface highway
only 2 miles to Mullica Hill; 20 mtu?
Philadelphia; 2-car garage.Large poultry
house. Never failing spring in pasture.
Ideal for farmer or country gentleman's
estate. A really wonderful set-up. Priced
for quick sale S20.000; Vt cash. E. A.
PETTIT REAL ESTATE. 706 Cedar An,
Pitman. N. J. Phone Pltmaa 3-0638.
HELP WANTED?MEN
TIMESTUDY ENGINEER, with wood
working experience. Prefer college grad
uate. with four or five years' experience.
Salary commensurate with experience.
Write THE MENGEL CO..
P.O. Box 509. Lanrel,
giving experience, education
and qualifications.
HOME FURNISHINGS & APPIA.
NEVER-RUST WIRE CLOTHES LINK.
SOLID bright aluminum wire. $1.25 him
dred ft. postpaid. Cash with order.
8. A. COHN A BRO. HazleUs. Pa.
INSTRUCTION
CIVIL SERVICE POSITIONS
Men-Women. Valuable Information Free.
Colombian Correspondence College.
Washington 2, D C.
MISCELLANEOUS
WE WILL BUY ANYTHING ANYWHERE
'white or colored! suitable for subdivision.
See. call or write UNIVERSITY AUCTION
CO., GEDDIE FIELDS, AUCTIONEER.
Chapel Hill. N. C.
WANTED TO BUY
WANTED?U. S. GOLD COINS
for my collection. Will pay following
prices for coins in fine condition, $32
for $20. S16 for $10, $8 for $5. $7 fOr $3.
$4 for $2Viz, $2for $1. Write for details.
P.O. Box 2646, Baltimore 15, Maryland.
Buy U. S. Savings Bonds!
THE NATIONAL FARM SCHOOL
AND JUNIOR COLLEGE
Three-year courses on college
level for high school graduates.
Cultural and agricultural sub
jects. Majoring in Poultry Hus
bandry, Dairy Husbandry, Flori
culture, Landscape and Market
Gardening, Horticulture, and
General Agriculture. Approved
for Veterans. Fiftieth year. Write
Registrar, Farm School, Bucks
County, Penna.
BUILDUP RED MOOD
TO GET MORE
STRCNGTH
It jfow Wood LACKS IMN!
Tou girls and women who suffer so fraMi
tliL.pl* anemia that yours pole. ? ?1
-dragged out-?this may be due to ktt
of blood-Iron. 80 try Lydla B. Plnkham^
TABLETS?one of the beet home wya
to build up red blood?In such cases.
Plnkham's Tablets are on* of the great
sst blood-Iron tonics you can buyl AG
all drugstores. Worth trylngl
WNU?4 40?4i
May Warn of Disordered
Kidney Action
Uodera lift with Its harry sad psmjl
Irregular habits, improper eating ami
drinking?its risk e! exposure sad iafae
tion?throwi heavy strain on the work
o! the kidneys. They are apt to tiaiis!
over-taxed and fail to filter exeass sad
and other imparities from the lifs-sivies
blood.
You may suffer nagging bag kerbs.
headache, dtsvinras, getting op aighta.
leg pains, swelling?feel lussfatly
tired, nervous, all worn oat. Other nuns
of kidney or bladder disorder ars asaaa
times horning, scanty or too (j i isaaS
urination.
Try Doan'i Pill*. PeeVa help lbs
kidneys to pass off harmful exeass body
waste. They have had more thaa half a
omtury of publ^approTaL^Arareeoea
A*k four tuithbor!