RUSSIA: Notes, Jan. 18, 1926

At Moscow, the Soviet Postal Bureau again issued warnings that all letters arriving from foreign countries must be marked "U. S. S. R." (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) instead of "Russia."

The warning contained formal notice that letters not so marked are liable to be returned or destroyed: "The term 'Russia' cannot be tolerated. It is suggestive merely of the area once under the dominion of the Tsar."

Geographers noted that what was once the Empire of the Romanovs and what is now the U. S. S. R. are indeed two quite different areas. In the West the Baltic countries from Poland to Finland have split off; in the Near East the Transcaucasian Federation of Soviet Republics (Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan) have been created and linked with the other Socialist Soviet Republics which signed the treaty of union at Moscow on Dec. 30, 1922.

The area of the Russian Empire was over 19 million square versts (8 million English square miles) or one-seventh of the land surface of the globe. The area of the U. S. S. R. is considerable over 17 million square versts.

Despatches reported that such noted feminist Communists as the widow of Nikolai Lenin have instituted a movement for the purpose of discouraging kissing as a form of greeting between Russian males.

A bulletin was issued: "Hand kissing and hat tipping have been abandoned, for hygienic reasons; and the males and females of the U. S. S. R. are on a par. It now remains to eradicate kissing as a means of salutation between our males, who have displayed notable unprogressiveness in this respect." At the village of Pnieva one nicknamed "Pump" on account of his fondness for kissing persons of both sexes created a mild sensation by defying the new feminist organization "with a doggerel song," the accompaniment for which was furnished by one Gurok, village harmonica player.

Some weeks ago the superstitious peasantry of the village of Zikliev endeavored to determine whether one M. Vchov and one Mme. Petrova had committed certain petty thefts by forcing them to undergo a "trial by ordeal."

The local priest, one Kosheliev, caused the suspected culprits to be immersed in a freezing stream for an hour, and then beaten into insensibility. This did not however constitute the "ordeal," which depended upon whether those being "tried" recovered consciousness during the night (innocent) or at dawn (guilty).

M. Vchov and Mme. Petrova unfortunately recovered at dawn, and their heads were promptly crushed "with a heavy axle beam" while the mob howled "to drive away their evil spirits."

Shortly afterwards all the citizens of Zikliev were arraigned before a Soviet judge, on charges of murder, and defended by priest Kosheliev: "We have done no sin! Jesus, the Lord Himself, chastised sinners in the Temple with a knout. I encouraged my flock to follow His example."