RUSSIA: All God's Chillun

Between the Communist promise of plenty and its fulfillment, Russians always had a time of trouble. Last week Moskovsky Bolshevik reported on one:

"Kratovo village received a supply of canvas shoes. . . . When they were displayed in the stores, they stopped traffic. People had only to look at them, and their hands would instinctively go into their pockets for money to buy. By evening many people were wearing the season's novelty—these light elegant shoes.

"But on the following day, going along the street, you'd first see the heels .all by themselves—and then the owners wearing different shoes. Two days later the street scenery changed somewhat: the streets were now spangled with soles. It would be too much to say the customers were delighted.

"Two purchasers—laboratory workers —prepared a Manual of Instructions for Owners of Canvas Shoes: 1) keep shoes in hermetically sealed place, preferably under glass; 2) do not wear at temperature higher than —12° Centigrade [10° Fahrenheit]; 3) best of all, don't wear them at all, as it is bad for them."

The shoes had been made in Zarya Svobody (Dawn of Freedom) factory.