The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-01-09
SCIENTISTS AND S0VlETS
By BURCK


ment of the Soviet Unions Five-Year Plan
loomed large in the discussions of the American
economists gathered in Cleveland in connection
with the convention of the American Association
for the Advancement of Science and its affiliated
learned societies. Contrasting with the evidences
OF captalStc decline in other countries, their
significance was not denied by even the most
anti-Soviet speakers, and the sessions dealing
with the Soviet Union were among the most
crowded and animated of the whole convention.
Attacking the Soviet regime as one of force
and fear" Prof Calvin B. Hoover of Duke Uni
versity, conceded that the Soviet economic Sys-
tenn has scored some impressive successes" He
cited the Is per cent increase in Soviet industrial
production in 1928-29, comparing it with the in
crease of only per cent in the United States
during this boom year before the present de-
preston. He also mentioned the Soviet successes
in collectivzing Is per cent of all peasant farms
and restoring Russia as an important factor IN
international industry
Describing the economi and social experimer4
which is Soviet Russia" as "the most crucial de-
Velopment in our capitalist era Prof. Hoover
said: 1T appears inevitable to me that the sur
Vival of the Soviet regime through the next two
or three years means a beginning within the
decade, of desperate struggle between Colnmu-
nism and capitalism" The only chance of avert
ing such serious social conflict he thought, was
If the capitalist system could constantly offer
labor higher standard of living than could be
obtained under Communism.
That the Soviet regime is not an experiment
but rather natural step in social evolution in
dicating the type of society which is destined
to supercede capitalism, was the contention of
DR.. Leslie A. White of the University of Michi-
gan in an "anthropological appraisal" made be-
fore the American Anthropological Association
Tracing the development of man from primitive
tribal conditions to the present highly organized
urban social order, in which the middle class
has succeeded the nobility in power White
reached the conclusion that capitalist society
cannot continue to exist. 1t has almost realized
itself, and signs of disintegration are visible
all sides. And already post-capitalistic So
cety has formed itself in our midst"
Imperialism, and hence capitalism, can exist
only as long as it can exploit fresh markets and
untouched sources of raw material" he said
Practically all of the worlds raw materials
have already been appropriated. 1t is obvious,
then, that the margin upon which capitalism has
been operating is rapidly diminishing The col
lapse is inevitable"
Tar and working class struggle will end capt.
talism DR.. White content Il. Anyone who has
any vision and grasp of cultural processes must
realize that war is not only likely but even i'm
minent,' he said. Indeed, one might say that
capitalism needs war now, for it would solve
the two most pressing problems of the day. 1t
would consume our excessive reduction Of COM
modities, and it would slaughter the unemployed.
But the new lease on life would be only tenn
porary at pest war will eventually destroy the
system that promotes it. The logical conclusion
Of capitalism is martial suicide.
Another weakness of capitalism is internal
The working people are slowly but surely grasp
ing the ~ignifcs ce of their situation They arr
becoming fed up with centuries of oppression
and exploitation impatient with labor juno
tons, hostile legislation Cd ba ID judicial de-
cisons.
"They are becoming tired of dying by the mill
lion to make the world safe for democracy and
investment bankers. They don't like to walk
the streets hungry while warehouses are craunmed
with overproduction' They are beginning to
realize thai production, the very core and source
of industyialism lies within their own hands.
And they are beginning to realize that we'll
directed ard concerted effort on their part will
give them political and economic control of our
social existence.
I'm the history Of class struggles the move
ment has always been upward, The bourgeoise
displaced the mobiles, and the proletariat will
dsplace the bourgeoisie. Feudal arstocracy,
bourgeois democracy socialist society, constitute
sequence in evolutionary development.
THE tremendous significance of the Russian
Revolution lies in the tact that it hes ushcred
into the world social order which is an evolu-
tionary sequence of captalistic society. 1t has
dissolved vertical class qualification and ex-
ploitation
"Russis's afve-year program may fail. Or the