May Day: New Day?

The Soviet Union’s May Day holiday festivities have traditionally had ominous overtones. Light-hearted platoons of gymnasts, schoolchildren and factory workers are part of the march through Red Square. But they are usually overshadowed by thousands of goose-stepping soldiers, the sound of their boots slapping the paving stones echoing sharply from the Kremlin walls, by rumbling tanks and huge missile carriers, and by pretentious speeches and slogans proclaiming the glories of communism. It’s impressive--and a little scary.

This year the martial flavor is still there, but the Soviet people have reason to hope that their country is entering an era when it will be respected for reasons other than military power.

Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev’s overriding priority is the modernization of the creaking Soviet economy, and he appears to recognize that a relaxation of the arms race is an essential step toward that goal. Moscow and Washington may be on the threshold of unprecedented reductions in nuclear arms.

At home, Gorbachev insists that Western-style pluralism is not his aim; the Communist Party is not about to abdicate its monopoly of power. But exciting things are happening.

The Kremlin has relaxed its control over the news media, which have begun to deal with drug addiction, prostitution and inflation--problems that heretofore were said to exist only in capitalist countries. Censorship of the arts has been eased.

Soviet newspapers, traditionally as dull as dishwater, are actually being read these days; their circulation is said to have increased by 12 million to 14 million. The Soviet image has sharply improved in Eastern Europe, where resentment of Soviet domination runs deep. Gorbachev’s visit to Prague a few weeks ago generated an unprecedented degree of public enthusiasm because he has become a symbol of hope instead of repression.

It is important, of course, to recognize the limits of the Gorbachev revolution. America-bashing is still standard fare in the Soviet news media. Soviet newspapers, while free to expose wrongdoing at lower levels, are still not allowed to criticize Gorbachev or challenge the wisdom of his policies. It remains to be seen whether the Soviet leader’s interest in arms control will really lead to a less confrontational world.

But on this May Day there is reason for outsiders, as well as the Soviet people themselves, to hope that a better day is breaking.