World Notes SOVIET UNION

It is jam-making season in Moscow, and unhappy housewives find themselves in a jam. There is no shortage of strawberries or currants. What is in scant supply is granulated sugar. As it turns out, authorities are rationing sugar, but not because they have initiated an offensive against tooth decay. According to Izvestia, Soviet officials are convinced that citizens are getting around the recent crackdown on vodka by making moonshine at home, with sugar as a prime ingredient. Caught between low supplies and high demands, the Soviet housewife can hardly be blamed if her mood lately has been less than sweet -- especially if she likes to make a mean cocktail as well as a tasty jam.