Show Soup and Black Bread Brad Fa Fare of Tour Ding on NEW YORK Jan 16 16 It It will take the he Russians generations to again lift I themselves to the high standards of living iving and civilization which they ruthlessly cut down In the brief years Jears that hat passed between 1917 1017 and 1921 declares J. J N. N Ding Darling internationally in in- known American cartoonist cartoonist car- car in his book Ding Goes to Russia lussia The book based on the experiences ot of f the author during miles of travel ravel through all the principal cities and many villages and hamlets seldom sel sd- dom reached by the foreign traveler in n Russia gives an entirely different picture of physical conditions and the mental attitude of the Russian people than ban has yet yel been brought back from that hat country by an American writer The illustrations by the author whose drawings are arc familiar to most Americans were made on the spot during his trip They include portraits portraits por- por traits of Russians at work and at play The author gives intimate black and white glimpses of the interiors o of Russian Russian Russian Rus Rus- sian business offices and homes and scenes of desolation in irs the remote country districts Other drawings show the population enjoying its fifth day or day off which it does principally by bathing nude in inthe inthe inthe the rivers which is one of or the few lew amusements left in the countr country NEGLECT SEEN EVERYWHERE One of the great tragedies of the thc revolution the author points out is evidenced by the complete disarray and ne neglect lect apparent in all of the well vell built buill houses and landed estates which have been occupied by the peasants since the revolution Each new place he states as we rc approached contributed to the impression impression im Ira- o of a great baronial estate where the retainers had locked their masters in the cellar thrown the key I In the well and moved mo in in bag bal anc and baggage They had quite evident evidently I 0 settled down for good but buL with no 0 intention of ot altering their manner of living to conform to their new luxurIous lux lux- urIous surroundings Instead of ot raIsIng raisIng raising rais raIs- Ing themselves to the level of ot the new position they had assumed they were letting the surroundings sink to the level to which they had been accustomed tomed NUDE BATHING Naked bathing during durIn the warm months is the rule rather than the exception in Russia Ding ascribes this to two reasons The first is that baths always scarce in Russia even before belore the resolution arc as rare as polar bears henrs in the United States today today to to- day and in order to keep clean which the author gives them credit for lor doing the Russian people was wa l themselves es in the rivers a feat feal which would be made difficult If bathing suits were worn The second sec see ond and reason for such universal naked bathing as one finds in Russia the theauthor theauthor author ascribes to the thc fact that there arc lre very few bathing suits available since their manufacture is not included included in in- eluded in the year five plan He Headds Headds Headds adds There will be universal disappoIntment disappointment disappointment dis dis- dis- dis appointment however among those who vho like to lo believe nothing good about Russia to know that the women women wo woo wo- wo men and girls stay in groups by themselves and the men and boys go goin goin gon in n the water several hundred yards away This segregation is entirely voluntary but I 1 seldom saw the custom cus- cus j CUS-j tom om violated My own bathing suit American made was an object of I envy amon among my garmentless bathing companions BREAD AND TAXES All Russia gets Its food in bread lines lines-it it is a permanent policy according according according ac ac- ac- ac cording to Ding The Thc most important import important ant single document to the Russian worker is his bread ticket It is with tills this that the soviet government disciplines dis dis- dis the country If the worker does his work ork to the satisfaction oi ot othis his liis bosses he is in good standing and gets ets his bread ticket regularly But if In the opinion o of his bosses his work is not sa satisfactory or his general general gen gen- eral fral behavior displeasing the bread ticket is taken from him This means that thal the man automatically loses his job lob and is evicted with has famil family from his house for a period of six months and is forced to buy his food with wilh whatever rubles he has saved on the open market conducted by other temporary outcasts The value of ot his ruble in the meantime by vir tue of the fact that the worker is not notable notable notable able to show his bread ticket when spending his money drops from 50 cents to about abouL 4 cents or at best 8 3 cents WORKMANS WORKMAN'S POOR FARE FlUtE Food conditions are arc gradually improving improving im im- im proving as as' as distribution becomes perfected perfected perfected per per- according to the author who adds But the workmans workman's fare in itt Russia is not what the poorest American Ameri Amen can would call inviting In my swing around the big circle I visited and ate at all of ot the communal eating establishments that were available The eternal cabbage soup black bread and muddy looking porridge made from ground millet seed and eaten without milk or cream are arc sustaining sus taming enough but one needs a hearty appetite to enjoy such a diet diel When the Russian worker is in good standing and possesses a bread card the rubles that he earns are arc worth the full 50 cents which i ithe ithe is the value alue that thal has been established for fOl them by the soviet government Wages vary but every worker who earns carns 75 rubles or a month or more is required to pay a tax on his earnings every month Ding warns Intending tourists to Russia not to change chane their mone money into rubles before before be be- beI I fore forc they get gel there for Russian rubles purchased outside of the border border bor bor- I der are arc expatriated rubles which are arc confiscated at the border and held for the traveler until he leaves Rus Rus- sia Foreign money to have any value alue in Russia must be exchanged into rubles only in Russia and nd only by jy a government o bureau est established for that purpose I I |