Evening star., 1932-01-10


was thus intensified. Now the continued
low prices paid them for these products
have induced the Soviets to curtail ex-
portation and to reduce imports of ma
chinery until prices of raw commodities
rise and better bargain is to be had.
BY this act the men and women and
children whose individual bodies suffered
the acute aches Of nations growing
pains will have some relief
Because the depression has made it
economic folly for the Soviets to con-
tinue the wholesale erection of giants
that is, the building on scheduled plan
of vast factories, mines and state farms
it is possible that the modification of
this wild adventure into industry may be
the nations fortune.
THE hardships endured by the Russian
people to install the basic industries
were not by any means due alone to the
expectation of foodstuffs. This was only
one factor The railways, though lifted
from their wartime incapacity, have been
taxed beyond their capacity for the past
three years. In carrying on the Five
Year Plan they have moved steel and
factories. Passenger traffic connected
with the movement of workers and
farmers to new centers of the develop
ment contributed further to the burdens
of the roads. The peasant of old Russia,
living primitively in his village, usually
secured the great bulk of his needs from
his immediate community. Now, with
the peasant rushed to collective farms
and specialized as farm laborer, all
the requirements of his life are being
manufactured in the cities and sent to
him-an item requiring still moro use of
the staggering railways. Such clogged
transportation systems have caused seri-
Gus breakdown in the distribution Of
foodstufTs.
But with the modified plan which the
world depression has forced on the am
bilious leaders some of the burdens of
transportation viii be relieved to afford
a better distribution Of foodstuffs and
clothing.
Labor which has gone into building
heavy productive industry was not avail
able for consumers. And the labor en-
ployed in reproducing raw products for
expectation was taken from the manu-
facture of food and clothing. Now por-
ton of this manpower is being turned
to refinements of food products and
clothing. This was reflected in the last
quarter of the year.
Though reluctant to abandon the swift
nov,ek,,,atfoy> of ho v,oorc of y,roSuptiop
Moscow's Communist masters have been
forced by world conditions to turn to the
actual production Of products-and they
can well use the better morale which will
be created by feeding hungry people.
A wartime propaganda frantically stim-
ulating workers and peasants has kept
them at fever heat despite privations.
But artificial morale, even though main
tanned at an exciting level, is tempera-
mental and may react in deep depression
If effective propaganda fails.
The Five Year Plan has brought the
people fine graphs and charts, statistics
and convincing photographs of steel
mills and hydroelectric plants. Huge
boards on which are drawn graph charts
are set up in public places. But this sat-
isfaction of knowing a great undertak-
ing, the final end of which is problemati-
cal, is under way has been the only sat-
isfaction of a hard-pressed citizenry.
More food, better and less crowded homes
may come to them as more tangible proof
of the plans efficacy and so build up
their enthusiasm and place it on a.
sounder plane.
Each day that these graphs have risen
to record new industrial achievement the
standard of living has been lowered to
pay for it. A story told in Moscow-one
of the few to be heard in that severe,
humorless land-has to do with a
yhn from q