Show W i i o to of the Kremlin n 3 ft I Rags Filth Poverty t ark Russ Crowds jail ha f 1 Robert Roberta G G. G Emmens CHAPTER SEVEN r- r 4 an go into a da day b by day i a n 6 or our trip out to weston westi west- west on the trans-Siberian trans L The exact of sequence 1 conversations ons is ha hazy it ii rather r inconsequential I trip taP p took look 21 days Mike 1 note I This Is the firsti first i s ace account 0 u n t of t the tho they then 11 4 by y a an n American since sincee e curtain was as lowered cos ns and four companI compan- compan Mt I In r Russia after the c raid Id a on Tokyo Tok o In April f their U 14 months of ofey t they ey traveled OUgh h the he Soviet union h br tn ens' ens stor story now Holy reh re- re the r defense defenso and state Dots ats appears dall dally daily in In arn n and In the Tribune t. t huge s Soli ma map p of ot the world 5 of on it et Union exactly in inI I 11 and appropriately pj the other countries S rated In different deferent col- col trans Siberian L s fora railroad map P so 80 we were able 1 ile r Pr progress We Ve were e Car r for the entire trip dab bath ath which we wo got in m on about the 1 day and the two or three times when we were walked up and down our own cars car's length just outside the car during some lengthy delays Everyone we saw on and off oft the train was In rags In stations we were never allowed off the train But during the day many many beggars would beg for a crust of bread through h our win win- dows Everyone literally ever everyone everyone every every- one in every station we passed seemed to be a pauper Old and young women alike old men there weren't any younger men children and even the stray dogs seemed to hump along along- in a peculiar shuffle ever mindful of the possibilities of getting a piece of bread Children Beg Food The children were the most appalling Bands of ot them dressed in absolute tatters no shoes and covered with filth filth completely completely black some of ot them them roved roved the railroad station area and begged for food Many times we saw station station station sta sta- tion guards always armed with a agun agun agun gun and a stick swing ruthlessly on people obstructing a passage or gathering around a n. car window win win- dow Once we stayed an entire day on ona ona ona a siding out in the country We Ve were on a double track and several See SeePageS rage Page 5 Column Columns 2 Fliers See Russ RussIn Crowds i In Rags f Filth Poverty I Continued from Page One OnD troop trains went by We Ve saw their soldiers riding in boxcars with only straw on the floor no bunks We Ve saw soldiers and horses together in the same boxcars The weather was warm and sunny A troop train stopped alongside us usand usand usand and there was a mad scramble of soldiers to the banks of a little stream on the other side of our OUI train They wasted no time stripping stripping strip trip tripping ping and wading in to bathe Some were vere women Getting clean was apparently uppermost in their minds because they seemed oblivious oblivious ious of each other What That are the women Mike we asked Are Arc they combat troops They are nurses said Mike They are taught to sew to shoot and are aIe trained in giving first aid You have nurses in your arm army too dont don't don't dont you Wonderful News Ness's NewsOn NewsOn On the evening ening of about the day Mike Miko suddenly said Tomorrow Tomorrow To morrow we will be lIt itt That Is the city to which a all l foreign foreign for for- eign embassies were moved during the siege of Moscow and that is where the AmeI American can embassy is located 1 think your people will willbe willbe willbe be expecting you This was wonderful news Can we get off and go to the American embassy we asked No N 0 you will ha have e to remain on the train It is unwise and unsafe fo for fo- you to go in towns You see we WC have many Japs in our country and we must protect you from them said Mike How long will vill we be there Mike All day I think We Vc get in early in the morning That evening we did our best to shine our shoes And we got out what clean clothes we had The next morning we were all allup allup allup up very ery early I think we pulled into about Mike left the train and we asked him to contact the American embassy just to make sure they knew we were there Tomm Tommy Gun Guns in Hand I We Ve waited We Ve were alone in our OUI car caI locked in Four eyes was standing guard with a tommy- tommy gun outside our door We Ve could see the lieutenant assigned to guard us Juleff also with a tommy-gun tommy inside the doorway of one of the station buildings about fifty feet teet directly out from our car We Ve waited The Thc morning was passing The station was crowded with the poorest hungriest and saddest-looking saddest people wed we'd ever e seen Once a group of old men heads bowed dressed in rags shackles on their feet slowly passed our car There were about 15 under under- the eyes of four guards and at least five vicious dogs dog's which had been trained to snap 1 at the heels of any These old people mostly white white-b white haired seemed almost too weak to walk They must have voted the wrong Tong ticket Ski said Skis Ski's re remark remark remark re- re mark might have been funny had hadit hadit hadt it t not also probably been true About 5 o'clock in came Mike Ve We were good and sore by that time ime We Ve barely baIely looked at him as ashe ashe asle he le came down the aisle of the car Of course the fact that he reeked of vodka and was still flush from the he hot bath he had evidently had hada a short time before didn't ease our frame of mind Did you contact the American embassy Ski asked No and No and the expression on Mikes dikes face looked as if he were thinking why why should I Con Contact tad Barred Ski and I discussed the affairs a few tew minutes later It was perfectly perfectly per- per obvious to us then that there had been no intention that we would be allowed to see our OUI people m 1 Mike was in charge of us He le wouldn't have dared leave us for the day had there been a chance that we would have official visitors Nor was it reasonable to think hink that Mike would dare call at atthe atthe atthe the American embassy on his own or at our request But Mike had taken the opportunity of being for a day in a city elty in order to get out for a drink of vodka and to wash some of the train dirt off oCt his neck Shortly after alter noon of the day Mike announced that we would be at our destination in another another an an- other hour or OI so About 4 o'clock our car caI the thelast thelast thelast last on the train was shunted onto a siding beside a small building There was not even a railroad station sta sta- tion Four automobiles were lined up along the tracks As we got gotoff gotoff gotoff off the car we were greeted by half a dozen Soviet officers They smiled and shook hands with each of us and through Mike welcomed welcomed welcomed wel wel- us to is a small village about 15 kilometers from the city of Penza explained one of the Soviet officers a captain It is a pleasant pleasant pleas pleas- ant village which contains rest homes where red army officers are arc assigned for rest periods We Ve hope you will vill enjoy it it I Our OUI little convoy of four foul automobiles automobiles automobiles auto auto- mobiles left the station and after about a minute 20 drive we ve approached approached approached ap ap- ap- ap a village of ab abut about ut population There were no paved streets and paths served as side side- walks The same sad and bitter- bitter looking ng people were trudging slowly slowly slowly slow slow- ly along the paths Just before entering the village the cars slowed and made a sharp turn to the ri right ht along a a. high board fence The fence and arid the house behind it bore the look of having been whitewashed so some e months previously The first car pulled up to a n locked gate forming a part of the fence I Sunday The fliers are visited bY bv the commanding officer of the I Penza Military District I I Copyright Robert G. G Emmens |