Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-28
Can Five Year Plan Succeed?
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Continued From First Page.)
having resulted in the reputation of
the national debt, there is no interest
to be paid.
The weakness of the system is that
when there is actually no profit to be
distributed there is no incentive to
make any profit Self interest, that
moving force OF the capitalistic regime
and even the basis of all human pro-
duction, is not taken into consideration
in this plan at all. Work is not done
with any calculation of its costs. either
| ret or gross: the engineer has free rein
and is undetcrred by any consideration
of financial responsibility. We know Of
more than one enterprise which has
failed because it was left to the mercies
of unrestrained engineering geniuses.
Communistlc Only in Name.
Let us make no mistake; the Soviet
system of production is Communistic
only in name; 1t presents all the at
| tributes Of a bureaucratic state, modern
in certain phases but purely Oriental
| in others. Its technical efficiency
seems to be mediocre, and the costs
much higher than in capitalize indus
| try.
| To speak of American methods OF
production" which have been empha-
sized SO often, can, it seems to me, only
provoke a smile under these conditions
The main point is to ascertain finally
whether the incentive of working for
profit can be replaced in the future by
mystical fanaticism regarding pro-
duction, combined with a complete sub
mission on the part of the masses. It
| is without doubt possible, but the proof
has yet to be hrought-and, above all
| 1t is necessary that this fanatic1sm con-
/ tinue to persist
Let us now return to our thoughts on
the Russian character.
| That factories can be built-or, at
least, that they can be forced to be
built by American and German engi-
neers-is entirely within the realm of
possibility; in fact, it is being accom-
plished.
Questions Maintenance.
The Planned creation Of machinery Is
not unlikely. But beware! 1t is one
thing to construct machinery and it is
another thing TO keep 1t in order. VIII
Russian gorkmen and engineers with
out mentioning the peasants to whom
the tractors will be assigned) know how
| to keep in repair this delicate machin-
cry which comes from the most per-
| fectly industrializsd countries in the
world? Will bureaucracy succeed IN
operating these infinitely complicated
| projects?
The answer will be that during the
war the struggle everywhere was O. gam
lied by bureaucraciCs. And with the
| Soviets it is really a question OF war,
conducted in the spirit and with the
| enthusiasm and let us add, with the
obsession inssparable from periods OF
| great conflict. 1t must be said that
over end sbove the great earnestnesS.
the tech nique and the real devotion of
the chiefs, there is also q certain
amount of blu.ter.
How permanent will all this be?
Can Enterprise Endure?
The essential question is to find out
whether this enterprise in fan2ticism,
:, which includes the ardent enthusiasm
of the militants a. well as the sscrihces
of the masses, can endure?
l would like to conclude what have
to say on this subject not by presenting
a formal statement, but, on the con-
| trary. by presenting categorical queS-
| tionnaire If I were going to Russia,
what would I'want t. know and what
! points would want calculated? This is
what propose and present in the fol-
lowing lines.
In reasoning this way. l nm neitner
! behaving as our predecessors OF the
years from 1880 to 1890, who departed
/ on their travels in order to see If
/ things were like that" nor like the leg
endary disciple of Taine, of whom TIE
master demanded on the eve of his de-
parture, What conclusions do you in
tend to verify?"
I shall try to remain in state OF
! doubt; that is to say. In the state OF
intellectual receptivity which will per-
nit the light of any truth to be &C
| cepted. I shall probably retain certain
| impressions that have tried to explain
| here ard in my former article.
Lists QUESTIONABLE.
Here. then. is the systematic ques-
| tionnaire to which would like to know
the answers:
! 1. Realization of the hve-year plan
! A. The degree of realization of the
plen:
| /. Is it true that the plan is eff
fectively executed? (a) Fol-
lowing the pace foreseen? tb)
Quicker even-as we have
heard-then the pace foreseen?
2 Are the factories that have
been announced really con-
B. Value of plants as regards the fol-
lowing:
/. Are the factories modern and
| OF good quality? ca AS to the
buildings? (b) AS to the
equipment?
e. Are they we'll situated and in
the right places? Ia Does one
| find a lack of harmony between
the location of a certain fac
| tory and the service expected
/ from it? (b) Are there not,
for example, factories which
| are far from the raw material
/ they must employ? Co Are
there not too many factories
! with too much motor power, too
great a means of production,
and therefore. unable to be
| run on full time?
| s. The part Of megalomania in
the conception and realization
! of the pan.
II. The operation and efficiency of the
! factories once they are started
A. The management:
| TOURS