The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-05-30
GRAFTERS ARE SHOT IN RUSSIA
Famed Engineer Says Soviet Is Building Great Nation
BY ROBERT TALLEY
MA Service Writer

MA Service Writer
CLEVELAND. o.. May B..
NThrough the eyes OF Colonel
Hugh L. Cooper. one Of the worlds
greatest waterpower engineers.
who has spent six years on a
400. 900 900 Job in Soviet Russia
and admits he still Is opposed to
Communism. Bolshevism. Social
ism. rheumatism and all other
isms." Russia today looks like this:
One hundred sixty million peo-
pie. only a generation removed
from virtual serfdom, are building
up now what Sone day will be
the strongest nation in either Eu-
rope or Asia.
The first "five-year plan is 80
per cent complete and is TO be fol-
lowed bv another. the two totalinr
thirty billion dollars.
The supreme desire OF the Rus
sian people is TO improve their
standard of living. now only about
one-sixth as high as that of the
United States II measured BIZ a
material yardstick
In this ambition. the Russians
are making great progress.
T don't believe in Communism.
Bolshevism. Socialism. rheumatism
or any other ism that is contrary
20 common sense with respect To
human nature Colonel Cooper
said in an interview here. but re-
gsrdless OF that. the Soviets are
getting ahead"
THE famous engineer who built
Il the Wilson Dam at Muscle
Shoals. the great dam across the
Mississippi river at Keokuk. Ia.
heightened the Assusn Dam on
the Nile and developed Niagara
Falls waterpoWer, now is COM
pleting the great Dnieper river
project for the Soviet government.
It. was begun six years ago and
represents an outlay of $780,
600 900.
The Russians Colonel Cooper
said, ARE among the most honest
and industrious people in the
woodland I ought TO know. be-
cause have $4,000 OF them work.
ing for me on the Dnieper river.
AT least $500 OF these are
women. and they work even hard
er than the men. The women do
all sorts OF work-they are
engineers. draughtsmen. super
visors and even policemen and
common laberers.
The magnitude or the human
sacrifice that is being endured
daily by Russias millions for the
hope of better days is amazing.
Their standards OF living are
low now. but they are shaving for
the sake OF their ideals and the
promise OF the future"
IN his big project involving
Il 100000. 900, Colonel Cooper
SAYS he never has encountered q
single case Of graft by a Russian.
Grating isn't so popular over
there" he explained. because any
one who tries TO graft is shot by
firing squad
II we shot all the grafters in
the United States, We would have
10 reclaim land TO get enough
room for their graves"
Colonel Cooper is president Of
the American Russian Chamber
OF Commerce and is interested
lust now in trying to promote
trade between the two nations.
He does not advocate formal
recognition Of Russia until
the mountains of misunderstand-
ing have been leveled in both
countries"
But Colonel Cooper does urge
that this country accept an Of
fetal proposal from Russia for q
round-table world trade confer
ence
THE American people will
Il wake up some day to find
that Russia has become the
strongest nation in either Europe
or Asia" he declares. The big
question we should consider now
is whether we shall be on good
terms with such a great nation
and profit thereby. or whether We
shall throw away our opportu-
nifty"
The Soviets have purchased
&I00,000000 worth OF products
from American firms and have
never defaulted on a single dol
lar. Colonel Cooper asserts.
Conversely, American imports
from Russia during the same time
have been only about a fifth as
much as our exports.
Trade with Russia is handi-
capped by lack of credit facilities.
Because OF the relations between
the two countries. Russian paper
can not be discounted readily and
orders suffer because many man
NAoNtbA CAS dt lAOt nave euIlCltnl
capital TO meet these conditions.
With credit barriers removed.
Colonel Cooper saws. American
Russian trade would make vast
increases.
COLONEL COOPER is 2 PER
~ sonel friend Of Stain. the
Soviet dictator. whom he de-
scribes as a marvelously square.
clesn-minded man"
I know Stain well. and even
II I don't concur with his ideas
I think he is great man." Coo
per said. 1T is q pity that Ameri-
cans do not know him better"
The famous engineer. who is
building the Soviets' biggest