The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-11-28
BY n. BUCHWALp

II was in a tea-room in Minsk, U.
1 S. S. r.
The young Russian was intrigued
by the ingenious buckle of my
American raincoat, and asked me
whether the raincoat and I were
German. I told him we were both
American, and we got to talking.
There was something striking in
the combination of high boots, cal
lous hands and the brand-new
black leather brief-Case, OF which
the Russian was obviously proud.
He was a worker fresh from the
bench. He came all the way from
Leningrad on mission of great
Importance: his factory entrusted
him with the job of purchasing a
quantity of various foodstuffs in
one of the regions of the White
Russian Republic.
At the mention Of his mission, I
perked up. The food situation in
the Soviet Union had been inn
pressed upon me while was still
in New York. I remembered the
stories printed in the capitalist and
social-faScist papers particularly
the Socialist "Forward") about
wholesale starvation" in Russia.
There was no installing the vicious
intent Of those stories, but from a
distance it was difficult to tell just
how far these slanderers and liars
went in distorting the facts.
Two days in Minsk were suffi-
cient to allay whatever misgiv-
ings I may have had about star
walton in the Soviet Union. Surely
there were no outward signs Of
starvation. In the milling crowds
on Freedom Square, in the damned
trolleys, in the tea-roonns, in the
parks, in the movies, one could not
find any of those pale, pasty faces
that one finds by the thousands in
New York. If looks mean anything,
the people in Minsk did not look
starved or even undernourished
The comrades in Minsk were
amused when told them of the
starvation" stories printed in
American papers. So was quite
treasured on the subject of star
walton. But what of the food stu
alton in general?
TWO CHIEF DIFFICULTIES
My Russian friend of a few min
utes' acquaintance was glad to
discuss the matter with me. The
food problem resolves itself into
two main difficulties: actual short
age of certain foodstuffs, and in
efficient distribution of available
bookstores. Both sides Of the
problem are being tackled vigor-
ously by the Party, by the respec-
tive governmental agencies, and by
the plants and factories individu-
ally. There is no complaint about
the unavoidable shortage of certain
food items and other articles of
general use. The Russian workers
are quite aware of the fact that,
because Of the strenuous efforts to
build up the basic (heavy) indus
tries under the most difficult con-
ditions, without the normal credit
facilities abroad, which are ac-
corded all countries but the Soviet
Union, the development Of the so-
called light industries which man
ufacture articles of consumption,
while also developing rapidly, can
not keep up with the constantly
growing demand.
We have also to be reminded
and a couple of years ago the
Soviet press devoted considerable
attention to the question--that the
first period Of collectivization
Q929-t930) was followed by a
specially fierce resistance Of the
rich peasants Qkulaks). One of
their methods to fight against col
lectivization consisted in slaughter
ing their cattle, at the same time
spreading anti-Soviet propaganda,
disbelief in the measures of the
government, and panic in the ranks
of the backward elements of the
toiling peasants. AS a result of all
this, the first year of collectiviza-
ton was accompanied by marked
decrease in the number of cattle.
IN the other hand, VIC have to
" note the general rise OF con-
Suming power both in the villageg
and IN the cities during IRE wears