The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-12-22
BY EUGENE LYONS
United Press star Correspondent

United Press stan Correspondent
MOSCOW Dec. 22.-The eco
nomic revolution in the Soviet
Union through the five-year plan
has had profound effects upon the
everyday existence of the popula-
ton, not alone in the obvious eco
nomic ways, but in the deeper So
cial and cultural channels.
The very fact that the urban pop
ulation. 100000 in 1923, has
grown to $1,000 900, means an in
calculable alteration in the whole
temper Of life.
The life of those who remained
on the farms has been reorganized
completely by the advent of ma
chinery and collectivization.
Peasants Nearly Absorbed
About one-third Of the peasant
households still are holding out
against Specialization, but their
tenure as private owners is likely to
be short-lyed At the moment coll
lectiye farms are in a critical stage.
The government has not sue
ceeded in making them sufficiently
productive. But return to the old
private methods is out of the ques-
ton; the merged properties can not
possibly be unscrambled.
The familiar Russian village ex-
istence, known to the world through
Russian literature, therefore is
ended. The club, the movie house,
the school, have taken the place of
the church as the hub of village life.
Collective work-or collective re-
luctance to work, as at this writing
have altered old ways. A flow of
city goods to the peasantry-fac-
tory-made clothes, radios, city fur
niture, etc.-is certain as soon as in
dustrial output is large enough.
This further will revolutionize viii
lage existence.
Education Advances Rapidly
Literacy and elementary edu-
cation have made remarkable adj
vances under the Piatiletka
Where 100000 people were re-
ceiving education of some type in
1913, some 100000 are receiv-
ing it now.
In more advanced regions illit-
eracy has been almost wiped out.
In the country as a whole it has
been reduced by more than half.
Motion pictures, theaters, other
forms of culture, have been carried
to every locality.
Where 100000 newspapers were
read daily in 1918, some $4,000 900
are being read at present.
Under these figures is the pulls
ing reality of widened mental hor-
lions for many millions who for
the first time have come in init
mate contact with machinery, art
forms, the printed word.
The cultural achievements are
far more striking in quantity, of
course, than in quality. Educa-
roWly orthodox, intellectually limit
cd.
Tend to Narrow Communism
Literacy is being extended but the
press and literature tends to Com
munist parochialism. From the
standpoint Of rounded human be-
ing, capable of independent thought
and unregimented emotion, the
lacks are vast enough.
Power and posts are to the new
society what money was to the old
The ruling element-higher officials,
the G. P. U. personnel well-placed
Communicates so distinctly a
new class that its member easily
can be picked out in any crowd
1t is better dressed, housed and
fed, occupies the best theater seats,
fills the best vacation resorts, uses
the limited number Of automobiles.
Younger Soviet intellectuals, en-
gineers, Red professors, responsible
workers" constitute another rela-
lively privileged class. In many
cases higher earnings, rather than
political power, set them aside.
Factory Worker Gains
The ordinary factory worker, in
whose name the Soviet regime rules,
for the time being is not econom-
ically the most favored.
He has gained a self-respect and
a sense of economic safety through
social insurance which he did not
formerly possess, but the cream of
the nations economic advantages
thin cream, it must be noted-Still is
being Tapped up by other classes.
The story of the five-year plan
usually is told in graphs, figures and
percentages. That familiar eco
nomic language gives it a decep-
lively peaceful look and encourages
talk about applying the principles in
other countries under non-Com-
munist direction.
War to the Death
To convey the reality of its char
acter, however, the story should be
told in the grim language of war.
This is no mere literary figure of
speech, but real war to the death
class war, which is civil WARMTH
its victims in millions of dead,
wounded, eXiled and wrecked.
The outside world knows in
general way that there was internal
opposition which pitilessly was
crushed. 1t has no real conception
of the magnitude and the fury of
the struggle, still very much under
way.
To those who have watched the
course of the plan at close range it
is clear that every major achieve
ment was won by beating down
and sometimes destroying entire
layers of the Russian people