STORIED CITY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20603, 3 November 1941, Page 9

STORIED CITY

GROWTH OF MOSCOW INDUSTRIAL CENTRE FOCUS OF RUSSIAN LIFE Shrine of Russian history for more than GOO yeai's, seat of the central Soviet Government, hub of a gi’eat ’ transport network and a focal point of industrial activity, Moscow, toward which the German armies are now thrusting, is probably the greatest single prize which could fall to Hitler in the whole of his Russian campaign. Moscow may not be Russia in the sense that Paris was France, for it has been stated that when the decision to abandon Paris was taken last year the collapse of France became inevitable. The Soviet may survive the fall of Moscow —if the capital does fall —but the loss would impose a severe strain both on national morale and on industrial organisation. As a town Moscow is nearly 800 years old, dating back to the time when a prince of Rostov erected wooden walls around his villa and estate and dependent settlements. In the eai’ly 14th century it became the most important outpost for the princes of Russia against the raids of the Mongol invadei's, but later its central position on the spacious Russian steppes was responsible for its growth as a great ti’ading town on the crossroads from Eui'ope, Asia, and Persia. With the development of rail communication less than 100 years ago. Moscow's place as a transport and industrial centre became assured. Napoleon’s Expeiience

Perhaps the most famous pages in Moscow’s history are those relating to Napoleon’s invasioit in 1812. The Russian ti*oops evacuated the city six days after the battle of Boi'odino, and on the following day (September 14) the French occupied tne Kremlin. That night the capital was set on fire and the inhabitants abandoned it. This was a signal for a general rising of the peasants against the invaders? and the lack of supplies, together with the impossibility of wintering in a ruined city extremely vulnerable to guerrilla raids, compelled Napoleon to leave Moscow on October 19. After a few years of desolation the city was rebuilt.

Moscow is to-day—or was until a few weeks ago—a ci'owded modern metropolis of more than 4,000,000 people. Ihe city had suffered during the Bolshevist revolution and during the wild period which followed, arid by 1920 its population had fallen from 2,000,000 to 800,000. Planned industrial development, however, soon attracted new citizens, with the result that an acute housing shortage developed. Rapid Factory Growth

In 1923 electrification schemes were inaugurated in Russia, and these paved the way for the intensive development of Moscow as an industrial centre. Railways from all parts of the Soviet led to the capital, and rich and varied supplies of raw materials were available for the city s growing factories.

With one of the most extensive electric power systems in Europe, and with newly developed fuel from a nearby brown coal basin, the factories of Moscow during the last few years have been turning out most ol the ball-bearings for all Russian machinery, quantities of automobiles and trucks (Russia is second only to the - United States in its production and use of trucks), chemicals, electrical equipment, railway locomotives, machine tools and textiles Apart from its rail communications, Moscow’s transport needs are also served by canals and waterways. The Moscow-Volga Canal, in size comparable with the Panama Carxal, makes this inland city a port which actually supports its own shipyards. Kremlin and Churches The central Government of the Soviet is principally located in the Kremlin, the ancient fortress around which the city has gradually grown. In the surrounding districts are gi'ea! theatres and museums, while many ol the famous churches, with theii typical cupolas and spires dominating the landscape, are still used foi religious purposes. In appearance the city presents a striking summary of the national life, with wooden houses in the suburbs, the low-built houses of the formei aristocracy. the many - storeyed modern fiat buildings, the huge factories, the Oriental splendour o' churches and cathedrals, the magnificence of the former Imperial palaces and the strictly utilitarian aspect ot the most recent buildings. All this goes to form the city which the Russians still regard as “Holy Mother Moscow,” the capital of a country which comprises a sixth of the earth's surface and which contains a twelfth of the world’s inhabitants.

Apart from all questions of historical and national sentiment, however,' and in spite of the planned development of industry in the Urals and in Asiatic Russia, the military'importance o.f Moscow lies in the fact that the combined Moscow-Leningrad area is still responsible for nearly half ot the factory output of the Soviet. U Moscow has to be evacuated, the prior destruction of industrial plants will rob Hitler i f their immediate use, but the loss to Russia herself will be none the less severe.