Frye's skill in Russian was not matched by other Americans in the Soviet Union, however. Indeed, as the scholar learned when he was in Moscow, most of the American correspondents there do not know the language at all. "I did some translation for Welles Hangen of the New York Times, Frye reports.

Walk in Red Square

When once identified as Americans, both Harvard men found their Soviet acquaintances quite friendly. Berman noted no hostility and considers typical a conversation he had with a Russian lawyer one night after the theater. Meeting in a cafe at eleven o'clock, they walked around Red Square and talked openly about Russia and America for two and a half hours. Then the Russian finally said, in the manner of one who is putting a delicate question, "We have been quite frank with each other; let me now ask you a frank question: Why does your government not pass a law forbidding discrimination against Negroes?"

"A year ago," Berman comments, "that would have been his first question, and he would have put it belligerently. Today he asks it 'in the spirit of Geneva'."

Friendlier Than Americans

Frye too was impressed by the friendliness of the Russian people, and his experience was even more favorable than Berman's. Of course, as an American in Central Asia be was much rarer an item than was Berman in Moscow.

At any rate, Frye feels that "the Russians were more friendly toward us than Americans would be toward them." Their most characteristic attitude was one of curiosity, he says, adding "they have none of the anti American prejudices so often found among the British and French."

Frye emphasized that he was speaking of the people and not the government, and added that he thought the people had grown largely immune to official propaganda over the course of years. But American propaganda in the form of the Voice of America, he continued, has no effect on the peoples of Central Asia because there are very few radios and those that exist receive only station.

Though neither he nor Frye had difficulty in traveling, Berman had a long wast to get his visa is the first plate. He first made an application in 1947, and had intermistenly renewed it afterwards. In February, 1954, he applied for a visa for the coming summer, best was once more unsuccessful. When he read last winter, however, that Nikita A. Khruschev, First Secretary of the Russian Communist Party, had told newspapermen he was surprised to hear that Americans were having difficulty in obtaining visas and would try to remedy that situation, Berman immediately cabled Khruschev, explaining the details of his own case and informing him of his previous application. Soon after that he received his visa.

Berman's advice to those who wish Russian visas now is simply to apply and hope. "It's just a matter of luck," he says, adding that a cable to Khruschev can't hurt.

For the American gourmet who does manage a Moscow trip, Berman recommends the Praga Restaurant. A Russian friend took him to dinner there once, and it was quite a meal.

They ate from 3 p.m. until 8, running the gamut of caviar, vodka, and all the other traditional ingredients of Russian feasts. However, since the bill for two was 400 rubles ($100 at the inflated exchange rate). Berman strongly suggests that you visit the Praga only with a paying friend.

Frye had no trouble getting his visa this summer, and was generally given no trouble at all in coming and going. He gratefully reports that no inspection was made of his baggage as leaving the country, and that his was allowed to take out undeveloped film, in addition to books, manuscripts, and even microfilms. But on one occasion Frye had a brief run in with the MVD. While eating with some Indian travelers he had met, he was discovered by a trio of MVD agents. At first they were unable to believe that he was an American, and apparently traveling without restriction. When he produced a passport and other documents, the reaction from the chief MVD agent was, "But this is impossible." The agents left the room perplexed, and, Frye surmises, went off to telephone Moscow for instructions. When Frye emerged from the room, only one of the agents was around.

"Tell me," the agent said secretively in English, "My accent when I speak English, is it bad?"

MVD English Lesson