Status Of Wives In Soviet

Chronicle (Levin), 8 December 1948, Page 7

Status Of Wives In Soviet

PAEIS, Dee. 6. The Soviet delegate, M. Aiexei Pavlov, told the United Nations Legai Conimittee today that United Nations had uo light to intervene in liussia's domestic ali'airs. Divorce was the only answer when a Soviet wife was faced with the problem of not wanting to leave her country to join a British husband. i'he committee was discussing the ciaim of the former Chilean Ambassador in Moscow, Senor Luis CruzOcampo, against the Soviet Government of detainingj his Russian-born daughter-in-law. • M. Paviov said that neither the CliiC eans, nor the British, who supported the1 Chilean claims, could say their treatment of Soviet citizens was exemplary. lle claimed'that Soviet diplomats had recently been niachine-gunned in San-ti-ago. M. Paviov quoted the ietters of divorced iiussian wives of British subjects to show that Britain ' ' was a country of povorty and unAnployuient, wherc a wil'e had an inferior status and was expected to devote herself to her cJnldren and the kitehen and to obey her husband in everyt'hing. ' ' British wives had not the time for cultural pursuits, such as tlie theatre. In Eussia wives wero cousidered equals. Why, therel'ore, sliould British husbands dem and their wives to join theni in Britain? • * M. Paviov said part of the Chilean resolution referring to the lack of freeI eloin of ruovenieiit for foreign diplomats [ in Moscow was also a Soviet domestic matter. He claiined that foreign diplomats foreed Russians to adopt defensive measures and alleged that a former British Military Attache in Mogcow, Gene^al Hilton, was discovered taking pictures of military plants.