The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-11-13
BY MYRA PAGE.
Foreign Correspondent of the American.
DAILY WORKER"

DAILY WORkER.
MOSCOW, Oct. 11-Several thousand work
ers from the United States as well as from Ger
many, England and other capitalist countries
are playing an important part in the vast pro-
gram Of socialist construction now underway in
the Soviet Union. In the giant tractor works
at Stalingrad and Kharkov, with total productive
capacity Of 100000 tractors year, in the Amo
alto plant in Moscow and in the large factory
in Mimi Novogorod nearing completion skilled
mechanics from Detroit and Cleveland are busily
at work, alongside their Russian comrades; while
scores of building workers from Chicago, New
York, and other centers help to rear new fac
tories workers apartments. and public buildings
that are shooting skyward in every section of
the country.
Men and girls formerly Sweated by Westing-
house and General Electric are now making So
Wet power generators and electric bulbs; miners
from Pennsylvania company towns are digging
Red coal; farmers starved off the land in the
States are harvesting wheat on Soviet collective
farms. Shoe operatives from New England's idle
plants are cutting and stitching boots while tail
ors from Americas dark esstsdes are making
coats and warm clothes for the energetic mil
lions of Russia's free toilers intent on building
new, working peoples world
Foreign workers in the Soviet Union not only
ere taking part in the creation Of factories and
necessary products but they are entering also
into all phases of its new social and cultural
life The seven-hour day (six hours in mining
and dangerouse trades, with every fifth day a
rest day gives them more free time than they
ever had before Also the general economic
which worker in capitalist America can hardly
vtch worker in capitalist America can hardly
picture. even in his Imagination, leaves their
minds free from worry So they and their fani-
lies spend their off hours in workers clubs where
SPORTS and all kinds of activities are under way
attend the best theatres and movies at a very
small price, or join one Of the many study circles
in order to get more OF the education which
they have always wanted but which conditions
of life in the States prevented them from Sc
curing.
This is not to say that the newcomers find
things all roses in the Soviet Union There are
still some hardships and discomforts. This the
Russian workers and comrades are the first to
acknowledge, as well as to explain why these
difficulties still exist and what is being done to
overcome them. For example, in most OF the
larger cities the influx Of population has been so
rapid that it has been impossible to build new
I'ouses fast enough-especially as the major eff
forts now must go into building up basic In
Gllstries, which lay the foundation for socialism
Hence temporary over-crowding has naturally
resulted. However, every month new apartments
are opened up, and the next year and half will =
see this problem largely solved. At
From the Russian workers angle there has
sometimes been another problem He finds that
his brother from overseas brings with him ideas
md habits acquired under boss-rule, and that it
takes weeks or even months for him to fully
enter into the new life here. The foreign worker
IS accustomed to being driven by foreman
Tor the profit Of capitalist and he gets little
or no pleasure out OF his work but merely
slaves u order to make living. When he comes