Moscow, Aug. 30.
Hot notes of jazz can be "heard from many military barracks through. out Soviet Russia. Within, spurred and black-booted officers can be seen prancing around to the tune of trots and rumbos with serious intent written all over their faces, 'This strange spectacle—about the last thing anyone would expect in connection with the Soviet Red Asmyis the result of an order issued by M. Voroshllov, Commissar for War, decreeing that all Red Army elficers' "must "Team modern Jace janeing.
The order is the result of an embarrassing experience at Angora, where a visiting Red Army. deleg tion were being entertained at a ball given in their honour. Tt was then found that only a few of the most dashing officers knew even the first thing about modern dancing. In response to. invitations from dark-eyed Turkish beauties, the officers had to shuffle out of the ballroom, muttering excuses, This, the Commissar for War has decreed, must not happen again.
Not only is the Red Army learning to dance to jazz music, but thousands of young Russians are fore-saking peasant dances in favour of "hoteha" jazz, Three years ago such a thing was unheard of, Only foreigners and members of the Soviet diplomacy anced to jazz, but now Russia h gone all modern and jazz is being officially encouraged.
As a result of the gramophone records of factories hitherto have not been able fo produce enough gramophones, 50 the privilege of being allowed to buy one is conferred as a prize for extra food work in factories and fields.
A sartorial revolution is also proceeding in Soviet Russia, The old embroidered Russian blouse and high black boots for men is and English clothes are prized almost as reh as gramophones. Similar} women in Moscow and Leningrad us Upstick and "powder, rouge their cheeks, enamel their nails and devour Trench fashion papers.
Further modernization is indicated by the spread of the use of the safety-razor which has swept away the traditional Russian beard, Thus, the U: is being develop under a Five-Year Plan with gramophone, safety-razor and per fume factories rising alongside bias furnaces, copper smelters and motor-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.