Cold War: Lunch in Siberia

Every once in a while, Nikita Khrushchev leaves official Moscow for a tour of the hinterlands, where he dispenses earthy proverbs and lofty advice to spur lagging Soviet agricultural production. Last week, on his latest swing through the boondocks of Central Asia, Khrushchev again demonstrated that to the folks down on the farm he is still one of the muzhiks.

Addressing cotton growers in Tashkent, Khrushchev complained that although sown acreage had increased, production had decreased. "But those with low yields don't look for a smaller spoon at the table," he said....