The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-04-08
BY EUGENE LYONS,
United Press STAFF Correspondent


United Press STAFF Correspondent
MOSCOW, April "a curious op-
teal illusion has given the most
serious defects of the Five-Year
Plan every appearance of special
merit.
Speakers at the Communist party
conference recited proudly the totals
OF capital invested and workers en-
ployed since the Five Year Plan was
undertaken. They boosted that in
both respects the plan had been
greatly over-fulf1lled. In effect, they
prided themselves that their work
cost lot more in men and money
Than they had figured it would.
Summarizing the results of the
FIRST plan, Premier Molotov said at
one poin!
The Five-Year Plan contemplate
ed a huge reduction in unemploy-
ment, yet at the time of it's adop-
ton there was no foreseeing that
unemployment would be entirely
wiped out in the U. S. S. r. already
in 1930-31.
Claims Changes Help Workers
"As you see, we have somewhat
departed from the original plan, but
there can be no doubt that such
changes, or rather such improve
ments in the plan, are entirely in
the interests of the working class
and meet with full approval"
This is precisely as if I were to
inform my office proudly that the
work which they planned for me
to do alone I am doing with the
assistance of two others.
For the volume of production,
which will be turned out in 1882,
the plan had foreseen 100000
learners; actually there will be
at least 21,000,000.
In so-called census industry this
overfulfillment is even more strik-
ing, with 62,200O0o employed where
it was thought there would be A.
100,0O0-eXactly SO per cent above
the plan.
Of course, the plan is being fin
ished in four and a quarter years,
which accounts for Is per cent
additional workers; that still leaves
huge and expensive margin of
extra help" and explains in part
the Unfortunately high cost of the
whole business.
For the men and women who
otherwise might be joblesS, this is
gratifying state Of affairs
From the angle of planned ma
tional economy, it is doubtful adj
vantage.
The abolition of unemployment is
by no means an unmiXed blessing
Moreover, the capital put into in
dustry to attain this volume of pro-
duction is cited as being startlingly
bigger than planned.
Paid for "Out of Stomach"
Despite large emissions of cur
rency, the higher cost of the plan
in men and money is being paid for
out of the country's stomach. A
shortage of food and clothes. Infla-
ton prices on the free market, upon
which most people are dependent
to greater or smaller extent. Loans
which take at least 1912 per cent
of the earnings-a months wages
from every worker. Higher prices
even. in government stores.
The Soviet Union already has
much to show for this investment
of capital, labor and suffering.
On what was until recently a
bleak wind-swept stretch of North
Caucasian steppe there stands an
American plant turning out 1870
tractors daily.
Looking down from the Kremlin
in Mimi Novgorod one sees
brand new town of the American
industrial type surrounding a great
manufacturing unit; this has an
eventual capacity of 100000 Rus
sian "Fords" annually.
Great Progress Made
The rundown old Amo factory in
Moscow has been remodeled to pro-
duce annually 10000 auto trucks.
In Saratov factory equipped to
turn out 10000 combines year
has begun to function.
A copper smelling plant to yield
10000 tons year has been opened
for business in the Urals. The first
of six blast furnaces is pouring out
metal IN MaenitOpOrSk
In their totality these undertak-
ings are staggering. However large
the margin of waste and error, it is
already sufficiently clear that
enough solid achievement remains
to remove Russia from the list of
purely agrarian nations.