The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-11-02
Socialist Construction IN USSR Blov at World imperialism
The 5 Year Plan and
Revolutionary Workers
RY L. I. WinoY

BY l.. +. Winov
In the Soviet Union the whole
working class and great masses of
the working peasantry have already
concentrated all their forces and all
their revolutionary enthusiasm upon
the carrying out of the Five Year
Plan. Outside the Soviet Union
however, the working class is still
to a great extent unclear as to what
exactly the Five-Year Plan is and
what Importance it has. Perhaps the
reason for this lack of appreciation
is the fact that this is the real sense
of the expression, world historical
revolutionary struggle of the Soviet
proletariat bears dry and abstract
title, j. e., "The Five-Year Plan," or
to give its title in full, "The Five
Year Plan for the development OF
the Soviet Economic System"
Behind this matter of fact title one
of the most significant and one of
the most heroic struggles of the
working class of the Soviet Union
since the seizure of power is being
carried On. 1t would be no exag-
geration to say that the carrying
out of the Fiye-Year Plan has no
lesser significance for the history OF
socialism in the Soviet Union, and
thus for the development OF the In
ternational' proletarian revolution,
than, say, the victory of the Red
A.n;os in the civil war, or the trl-
umph of the Soviet proletariat over
the famine and the economic decay
of the country, or any of those other
tremendous events which were fol
lowed in their development with
bated breath by the revoluti nary
proletariat all over the world.
At 'irst glance the Five-Year Plar
represents a complicated system Of
statistical information and calcuia
ton. The plan contains figures
showing the speed at which the
Soviet economic system can ant
must be developed upon its various
fields in the five-year period ex
tending from the LIST October 1923 tt
the Both September 1888. A glance
at these figures Immediately shows
the international significance OF thu
Five Year Plan. 1t is sufficient t.
point out that the plan provides
that for instance the stage OF de
velt pment of the industrial produc
tive forces achieved by capitalism II
many decades Of slow development
will be achieved threefold, in som'
branches of industry fourfold ant
even fivefold (electrification) insld'
period of five years by the eco
nomic system of the Soviet Union
To put It more simply, development
which cost capitalism whole genera
tions of time viii be carried out II
the Soviet Uni,n in few years.
Political Effect Greater Than
Technical
The revolutionary significance o.
tn, Five-Year Plan, howe yer, IA
excells the technical results OF III
CARRYING out. 1t is not merely
phrase wnen the Russian comrades
term the Five-Year Plan as LeniI
termed the identification pro
gramme of his time second Party
Programme"
What will the carrying out of thu
Five ear Plan bring the proletariat
of the Soviet Union?
First of all, an unesampled in
crease in the productive capacity Of
the country.
Secondly, an increase in rea
wages ranging from 70 to 500. II
other words a tremendous advance
in the standard of living of thu
workers, plus a general shortening
of working hours (the seven-houl
day..
This includes also of course a ire
mendous improvement in the stand
ards of the lower proletarian strata
A thorough and radical advance
in the cultural level of the whole
population.
The first tremndous steps towards
the socialist transformation of ag
riculture. Great progress in thu
mechanisation of agriculture and ;
great increas in the supply o
chemical fertilisers. The increase ii
the productivity of the poor AM
middle peasant agricultural under
takings and the general raising
their standard of living, and as
result, the consolidation of tn
workers and peasants alliance, an
the consolidation Of the leading rol
of the proletariat in this alliance.
A great advance in the process o