The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-12-22
Lenin, Father of the 5-Year Plan

eral guiding line and the very idea of planned
economy, as well as in the working out of the
concrete projects of economic reconstruction, the
leader of the October Revolution, Lenin, had
quite an extraordinary part. The work of the
socialist reconstruction of the Soviet Union is
based on the great teachings of Leninism.
Lenin exhibited tireless consistency in calling
to the attention of the revolutionary workers and
peasants of the U. S. S. r., the problems of in
dustry in general and those of heavy industry
the production of the means of production-in
particular. All the essential elements of that
program of industrialization which has
grown so vast in the consciousness of the people
of the Soviet Union as well as in its practical
development can be found clearly and forcefully
formulated in LeninS last writings.
Industrialization is not only the high road to
socialism and the only way of protecting the
independence of the Soviets against the impe-
realistic world powers but is also the primary
prerequisite for maintaining and strengthening
the worker-peasant bloc and for the socialist
reconstruction of peasant life.
AS early as 1920, at the very beginning of the
period of reconstruction, Lenin said of the up
building of heavy industry:
1--WE know well that Russia's salvation lies not
only in good crops gathered by the peasants:
that is not enough; and :,ot only in the good
condition of the light industries: that is not
enough either We also need the heavy in
dustries. Heavy industry requires subsidies
from the State. If we fail to provide them, we
shall be doomed even as a civilized country,
-nuch more as a socialist one"
In 1921, in letter addressed to the VIII ALL
Russian Congress of Electrical Engineers, he
wrote as follows:
IT have had more than one occasion to express
myself on the Importance of the book The
Identification Plan, and even more so on the
Importance of identification. Large-scale ma
chine production and its introduction into agri-
culture is the only possible economic basis of
socialism, the only basis for successful struggle
for the liberation of mankind from the yoke of
capitalism; from the slaughtering and manning
of scores of millions of people in order to deter
mine whether it shall be German or English,
Japanese American looting that shall have
the greater share in the division of the globe
We could easily multiply the quotations from
Lenin's statements on the role of socialist in
dustry, remarkable for their consistency, broad
ness IF outlook and deep conviction.
These cursory remarks in regard to the gene
gram are designed to emphasize the fact that
this program, which is IN outgrowth of the
general principles of Marx and Lenin on the
transition from capitalism to Communism, was
born the tempest of the october Revolution
and took shape gradually, as it was necessary
10 devise solutions of the pressing practical prob
lens incident to securing more firmly the pro-
letarian dictatorship and the socialist develop
ment of the Soviet Union. Attempts now made
to treat the present program of industrialization
as new departure, an Improvisation of the last
few years, a break with Le1lin's traditions and
revision of his doctrine, a-c therefore, no more
than the product of ignorance or plain political
blackmail on the part of the enemies of the
socialist development of the Soviet Union.
From The Five Year Plan of the Soviet
Union, by G. T. Grinko, one of the original
coIlaborators on the Five Year Plan Of So
cialist naturalization, complete account
of the Plan, containing the first two years
of its operation and political estimate of
its place in world economy.
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