Soviet Woman, 31 Desember 1954: Supardjo, 'Distance Is No Bar to Friendship'

=== [PDF page 1] === DISTANCE IS NO BAR TO F R I E N D S H I P SUPARDJO Indonesian p u b lic le a d e r, m em ber o( Taman Sisva, an o rg a n iz a tio n (or the p ro m o tio n of national cu ltu re and e ducation far from p e rfe ctio n. W e saw houses d e stro y e d b y the w a r and still n o t re p a ire d, w e saw u n cu ltiva te d land. But w h a t has been d o n e in this co u n try, things w e saw, g iv e us e v e ry reason to co m p le te d and say that all these unfinished all the d ifficu ltie s o ve rco m e. The tasks w ill g u arantee this is the m ultitu d e of machines a va ilable and th e fe rv o u r w ith w hich the p e o p le are w o rk in g and studying. W e feel that d e sp ite the short tim e w e had at o u r disposal, w e have g ra sp e d the essential things ab o ut S oviet life and gain e d an insight in fo the p e o p le 's soul. From e ve ryth in g heard and saw w ith o u r ow n eyes w e d re w the conclusion that the S oviet p e o p le are w o rk in g d e v o te d ly in e v e ry fie ld of e n deavour. E ve ryw h e re in in d u stry th e re is o rd e r and d iscip lin e. E veryone realizes that w o rk in g fo r the com m unity. A p o p u la r w a y of p u ttin g if here is: "E v e ry th in g d e pends on ourselves, and e ve ryth in g is fo r us." W e saw an exam ple of this in Soviet schools, w h e re the c h ild re n are taught from a v e ry e a rly age to h e lp one a n o th e r and respect th e ir elders. In S oviet p e o p le 's faces w e saw an expression of resolve, as if th e y w a n te d to say: " W e are fu lly aw are that w e must w o rk fo r the happiness of all p e o p le, fo r p e a ce on e a rth." W e Indonesian w om en have n o t fo rg o tte n the h o rro rs of war, w hich does n o t spare e ith e r the yo u n g o r the o ld, men o r w om en. W e are taking an active p a rt in the fig h t fo r peace. The Indonesian Members of the Indonesian women's delegation at the U.S.S.R. Agricultural Exhibition in Moscow Peace C om m ittee a lrea d y has certain successes to its c re d it. W e take this o p p o rtu n ity co n ve y h earty g re e tin g s to Soviet p e o p le the Indonesian p e a ce -lo vin g from Peace the C om m ittee entire and the Indonesian p e o p le. W e w a n t to assure o u r Soviet friends that w e Indonesian w om en are d e e p ly in te re ste d in peace, he first d e le g a tio n of Indonesian w om en has com e to the fo r w e treasure the life o f o u r ch ild re n. W e are d e te rm in e d to S oviet Union. W e have com e from continue the fig h t fo r peace. afar. But our p e o p le have a wise saying: " W h a t seems far to the eye can be W e salute the va lo u r of the S oviet p e o p le and th e ir peaceful constructive y o u r co u n try from afar, w e have p a rte d w ith o u r fam ilies, to see e v e ry th in g you o u r th re e w e e ks' to u r of the U.S.S.R. and to fin d w o rd s to express have co u n try. our fe e lin g s to w a rd s o u r S oviet friends w h o have d o n e e ve ryth in g achievem ents w ill p ro v id e us w ith exam ples to fo llo w in o u r w o rk. near to the h e a rt." To te ll the truth, it is not easy to d e scrib e our im pressions of to make o u r stay as in te re stin g as possible. W e have been given endeavours. W e accom plished yo u r have com e O ur study o f y o u r finest In o u r co u n try m any things are still far from p e rfe ct. H ow ever, e v e ry o p p o rtu n ity to stu d y S oviet life. W e visite d factories and w e can fe ll our S oviet friends that the c o lle c tiv e have a lready shown th e y can b u ild: schools are b e in g raised in farms, M ausoleum, the parks, sanaforium s, U n d e rg ro u n d, lib ra rie s, Russian the O rth o d o x Lenin-Stalin church, have fe lt q u ite at hom e here. our villa g e s fo r the p e o p le (a lth o u g h b u ild in g techniques are p rim The h o s p ita lity w e have W e are co n fid e n t that u n d er the le a d e rsh ip o f our g o ve rn m e nt e n jo ye d is so like the h o s p ita lity of o u r ow n Indonesian p e o p le, w e w ill w h o are e a g er to liv e in peace w ith all p e o p le s. W e have seen land cu ltiva tio n, culture, and sports. that the S oviet p e o p le e n tertain the most sincere fe elings o f frie n d The friends w h o a ccom panied us sh ow ed us n o t o n ly the achieve in various fie ld s o f life — w e w e re also able to see that w hich is still to be d o n e and w h ich is still make fu rth e r p rogress in p ro m o tin g animal husbandry, M a y e ve ryth in g w e have seen in the S oviet U nion h e lp us to serve our ow n co u n try b e tte r! ship fo r our p e o p le. ments o f the S oviet p e o p le to o itive ), and w e are g ra d u a lly d o in g away w ith illite ra c y. m osque, and many, m any o th e r places. Indonesian p e o p le M a y th e re be p eace in our countries, may the life of o u r p e o ples be a p e aceful and h a p p y one! Let us d e d ic a te o u r efforts to the happiness of future g enerations!