"Hamanex"

Nine weeks ago to the huge relief of many a Washington official, the Soviet Government purchased 25 vessels of the U. S. board's dilapidated wartime fleet, ordered them made speedily ready for service. Wasting no time, 60 Red sailors and their officers arrived in Boston last week, ready to take over the first two ships to leave drydock. The sailors were quartered in the slightly sanctimonious St. Mary's House for Sailors, operated by Archdeacon Ernest J. Dennen of the Episcopal City Mission of Boston. Officers were sent to the slightly more pretentious Crawford house. When the Red seamen rebelled at this class distinction, officers and men together were moved to Immigrant Home, a Methodist Mission. Experienced Episcopal Archdeacon Dennen took over the management of Immigrant Home from his Methodist brethren for the length of its Red occupancy. Just as their fathers had rushed to look at Mr. Barnum's embalmed whale and Jo-Jo the Dog-Faced Boy, Boston reporters, vaguely aware of the importance of this Soviet-U. S. ship transfer, hurried down to peer at 60 genuine Russian communists. Those who expected to find bearded Moujiks in Russian blouses and felt boots were thoroughly disappointed.

"They are a fine lot of men," printed the patrician but honest Boston Transcript. "All of them are clean shaven every day. They keep their trousers pressed and their Russian shoes polished."

Waiting for their ships to be made ready, the 60 Soviet sailors seemed to have nothing to do but play pool, which they did exuberantly 18 hours at a time in the basement of St. Mary's House. Speaking no English, they preferred to eat at cafeterias where it is possible to order by merely pointing. A few of the braver ate in service restaurants, but limited themselves entirely to Hamanex (ham & eggs) an order internationally understood since the War.

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