NEW RUSSIA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 285, 1 December 1934, Page 13

NEW RUSSIA.

TOURIST'S VIEWS. MONEY COMPLICATIONS. a AIR-MINDED » PEOPLE. Unusual impressions of a trip to Russia, were recounted by Mr. M. Frank Albert, music publisher and merchant, of Sydney, on board the Monterey yesterday. Ho formed the opinion that Eussia is forging ahead and that the people are happy and contented. Mr. Albert,, who came from Switzerland '50 years ago to make his fortune in Australia, has visited Europe many times in the past 30 years and was able to make interesting comparisons. He tpcaks several languages, including Russian. fluently. "Although the extravagant pomp of the Imperial Russian Empire as I knew it before the war has gone for ever, a new Russia has come into existence," lie said. "There is little luxury now, and tilings have become shabby, although everything is spotlessly clean. in Moscow we stayed at the Hotel Metropole, which has changed little from the days when it was tilled with the grandees of the Russian aristocracy. You still get the best caviare in- the world at the Metropole, and the cost is only about an English pound a day. ' "The propaganda that one reads of the Russian population being one vast collection of hungry workers is completely wrong. Everybody .we saw was plump and happy,, and they are most courteous to foreigners. Fine Musical Talent. "Music plays a very important part in the life of the people, and at the big theatres in. the main centres the talent is equal to the best in the world. All the big factories have their own theatres, and companies are constantly touring them. Every Russian is entitled to all the .musical education that he wants, and assistance is given to those who wish to make, musip their life work. Although there, is. still much to be done in Russia, I think that in another five years she will have proved the success of her experiment. "A thing that shocks Westerners is the way the women work side by side with the men, but one should remember that that has been the custom in many European countries from the earliest times. In Moscow work on the new underground railway, stretching, for seven miles under the jieai-t of the metropolis, was in progress and women were included in the tunnelling gangs."

Mr. Albert explained the complicated money and shopping systems of Russia, by which foreigners get about one-sixth the number of roubles they- should for their money. There were three types of stores' ih the big. cities —the workers' stores; where pay coupons and roubles had-tO'"be presented to purchase supplies; the open stores, which accepted only roubles and changed very much higher prices than the workers' stores, and, finally, the foreigners' stores, which accepted only foreign money. The latter stocked many foreign commodities at the same prices as were charged in the country of manufacture. Change was given 111 the currency that was tendered. It was true that. if a foreigner changed his money into roubles and bought goods at places that charged" in roubles, lie ■would lose heavily. Mr.; Albert said he bought a. pound of peaches at the wrong store and they cost 19/ worth of roubles. The idea was, to encourage foreigners to spend their own money and not to change it for roubles.' If that was understood, travel in Russia was not expensive.

Huge Air Force. Asked if he saw military- activity in Russia, Mr. Albert said that there were nor more soldiers about the towns than in other countries. "What did impress me," he continued, "was the extraordinary number of aeroplanes everywhere. Over Moscow the sky was often thick with all. types of aircraft. .Even the women and children are r.ir-minded. While we were in Moscow there was an amazing exhibition of this. Over a hundred 'planes flew in formation over, one of the city aerodromes, and 40p women and children popped from them by parachutes. When they landed, they were quite unconcerned, and laughed and chatted about. their little outin ? , which was quite a usual afternoon a amusement. 'Russia's air forcamus be giving .a good deal of worry to the army officials of other powers. . From Russia, Mr. Albert went to Germany, where he was struck .by the intense admiration the majority of the people had for Reich Adolf Hitler. He was domg a great wo r k fo Germany and was building up a pros perous country from the wreck of the war. However, until she abandoned tte gold standard, Mr. Albert did think Germany would return to her forme position as a great, tri.. d ,, on . "Of all the countries we visited, con rfnflpd Air. Albert, "there was none that approached England m solid pros perity and national security.