3 2 How The Soviet Met The Problem Of Vice By ADELE PARKER YEAR ago, reading Chapter 10 of Quentin Reynold’s book, “Only the Stars Are Neutral,’ I was in- terested in the author’s re- port of an interview with Commander Irwin L. Nor- man, US Navy, a noted sur- feon and specialist in venereal disease, who had gone to Mos- cow with the Harriman commis- sion and had remained to look after the health of members of the American Embassy. Dr. Nor- man told Reynolds that he had discovered to his amazement that the Russian armed forces were virtually free from venereal dis- ease and he wished to remain in Moscow for some time to un- ravel this mystery. HIS chapter carried me back to my own days in Moscow when, one morning, the news- paper, which rarely reported any news of crimes, carried a story about a “madam” who had at- tempted to organize a disorderly house in the city, and had been tried and sent to prison for five years. This item led me to make some study of this problem in Moscow and I secured an inter- view with Dr. Simashko, head of the Department of Health for the whole of USSR. Dr. Simashko had been in exile with Lenin in Paris and in Gene- va, and he was very popular with the young university students. He said that the old army under the Czar, which had been widely in- fected, had been slaughtered in the First World War. HE new army, made up of young peasants and workers, accepted medical advice readily, and was willing to take prophy- lactic measures and visit the clinic, where service and reme- dies were free. Anyone, Man or women, knowingly transmitting a venereal disease was subject to a severe prison term. The doc- ter was confident that the con- trol of venereal disease would be satisfactory. During my three With no organized vice anywhere in the Soviet Union, ven- ereal disease has been brought almost entirely under con- trol by the authori- ties. years in Russia, travelling wide- ly from Vladivostok to Moscow and the Caspian Sea, and seven hundred miles north of the rail- way in Siberia, not once dia I see a case of locomotor ataxia. In 1918, when Moscow had a population of 1,600,000, the city had 15,000 registered prostitutes. Today there are 4,000,000 people in Moscow and there are no reg- istered prostitutes and no disor- derly houses, no organization of prostitution. HE first blow to prostitution came with the rationing dur- ing the Russian Civil War when food was so scarce. A prostitute, as such, got no rations. The ra- tion tot those who were employed was too small to divide, and the prostitute received the meagre ration of the unemployed. Russian authorities, true to their standards, did not punish the prostitute. She was not ar- rested. The Russians punished the exploiters. Severe penalties were meted out to madams and procurers and these soon ceaesed to exist. The police were all on the side of the authorities. One of the New York corres- pondents told me that a promin- ent visitor asked, “Where are the girls?” and was told that there was none. I mentioned this in- cident to indicate that Moscow really was free from organized and protected vice. HE authorities did not stop, however, with the suppres- sion of these “professional” in- stitutions. It was found that many village girls, young peasants, struggle. angel, and Stalingrad. Great Rallies in Soviet Union Celebrate United Nations Day United Nations Day in Moscow, Leningrad, Khabar- ovsk, Sverdlovsk, Gorky, Kuibyshev, Archangel, Tbilisi, Baku, Yerevan, Tashkent, Alma Ata, Stalingrad and other cities was marked by lectures and reports in plants and factories about the struggle of the United Nations against Hitler Germany and her associates, and the growing fight- ing unity of the democratic countries. At Stalingrad the hall was crowded when the builders engaged in the restoration assembled for a meeting. In Moscow the occasion was marked by a broadcast of the music of the peoples taking part in the anti-Hitler A prominent place in the repertory was held by the patriotic songs of the peoples of the Soviet Union, Great Britain, America, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and France. Exhibitions dedicated to the struggle of the United Na- tions against Hitlerism were opened in Sverdlovsk, Arch- MOSCOW. coming into the city, were get- ting into bad habits, had unfor- tunate associates, and were being drawn into street walking. At this time food and lodging were dif- ficult to get, there was much un- employment, and unsophisticated girls were easily led astray. The Russian authorities were deter-~ mined to make an effort to pre- vent the demoralization of these young women. The powerful disciplinary force in Russia is the intelligence service—the GPU (Gay-Pay-You). This organization has a personnel of quite marked intelligence, in- tegrity and tact which under- takes to reclaim those just start- ing on what the Russians would call an anti-social path—a line of action detrimental to the individ- ual and to the community. IRST, these young officers, with a talent for winning the wayward to better conduct, would talk with one of these girls, show her that the career she was en- tering was a blind alley, that Russia would soon offer all young people education and opportunity and that it was important to find work and other associates. These girls were not arrested. No compulsion was used. But with uncommon sense the au- thorities reasoned that ali girls like to sew, and they made a plan which proved effective. In one of the big (Russian or- thodox monastaries in the heart of the city, sewing machines were set up. The girls were invited to come to these shops to sew. They were given standard wages and they were not confined here. They could leave if they wanted to. And not all of the workers in these shops were girls from the stfeet. Other women sewed there, too, and some orthodox nuns were among the ‘workers. The object was to create the at- mosphere of an ordinary shop. The experiment was highly suc- cessful. Most of the girls became ex- cellent workers, some became managers of shops or entered professions, and a few of these girls went to the local Soviets. Experience showed that these peasant girls had no criminal tendencies; they were not inher- ently mercenary; and as much talent was to be found among them as in the ordinary run of humanity. The Russians decline to accept the theory that there are those who cannot be re- claimed. ATER with the inauguration of the Five Year Plans, un- employment in Russia entirely ceased. Women were free to un- dertake any work which was not dangerous to health and to enter any of the professions. Excellent day care was at hand for young children should their mothers choose to work outside the home. This has resulted in actual or po- tential personal income for all women in Russia. Commander Norman conclud- ed his study of the absence of venereal disease in Russia by declaring that 99 percent of ve- nereal disease is due to prosti- tution and that 99 percent of prostitution is due to lack of adequate income for women. The almost universal employment of women in Russia he found to be the key to the situation. The Red Army is reported this week to have opened ited offensive in the Kharkow area, are said to have recap Belgorod. Fhoto shows Red Army men on the attack. ‘Pravda’ Warns Agains Nazi Peace Feelers MOSCO “As distinct from other wars, this war against Hil Germany is organically bound up with the vital intere all mankind,” and therefore all the Nazi peace feelers th neutral channels will fool no one, says the Soviet Comm paper, Pravda, in an article en- chatter about peace is dé titled “The Only Way to Peace.” to mislead the freedom “The Germano-Italian fascist peoples, to cause a split & camp has now begun to talk about sension among them. peace,” Pravda remarks. “This “The Hitlerite maneuve: chatter about peace is being cir- deceive no~one. As distine culated by Berlin through “neu- other wars this war again) tral channels,” through all sorts lerite Germany is ofrge of Quislings, bound up with the vital in “The Hitlerites are persistent- ef all mankind. ly spreading these rumors and “The way to peace lies versions about the hopelessness the complete rout of the of the war and the necessity for armies and the unconditior compromise in order thereby to render of Hitler Germani cause disunity among the United cisely the winning of vici Nations and gain the possibility this war fits in with the of preparing new gambles to re- vital and essential interé pair the very sbattered affairs of big and small peoples, b the German fascist brigands. ent and neutral states, “There is no mention of the peoples of Europe and the hopelessness of the war. The world.” a Famous Soviet Spo Team Maintained MOSCO The Moscow Spartak Eleven is probably the most Pp football team in the Soviet Union. Its popularity is di only to the successes of the team, but to the special fe of its style—the football individuality of the players. perament and a keen sporting ber of the best sportsme spirit are the most notable fea- assigned the duty of msi tures of this individuality. There as high a level as possibl is no trace of the saiety or in- forms of sports during @ difference which often marks the so as to ensure a rapid: professional player. | development in the futur Qld Spartak veterans who in of peace. the past five years have been In this respect, the | three times champions of the players have done their 1 USSR, have twice won the Sovi- team has remained inta et cup, and have played 150 reg- last summer in a2 briliiant ular league games, become as eX- won the Moscow Cup, cited before a match as any noyv- final score of 2 to 0 ice. their principal opponel When the Soviet Union entered Moscow Dynamo Club. TI into life and death struggle with um, over which fighter the savage invader, life in the kept watch throughout the world of sports continued al- was filled to the last sea though on a limited scale. A num- fore the war.