The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-04-06
FIvE-YEAR PLAN
BEWILDERING TO
RUSS PEASANTS
Keep Faith in Communism
but Manifest Vague
Disappointment.
BY EUGENE LYONS
United Press STAFF Correspondent

MOSCOW, April 6.-Ivan Ivano-
vich is Moscow workman, a SIM
pie middle-sged man, a little be-
wildered by all the political shout
ing about "PiatiletkaS."
II the truth be told, he is a trifie
bored by millions and trillions and
percentages. He prefers a fat salt
herring to a million kilowatts. Pork
Is closer TO his soul than pig-iron.
He has no doubt that the Com
munists are right In general, Ivan
Ivanoyich is not the kind to ques-
ton printed words and torrid
speeches. But despite everything he
keeps on thinking of the flYe-year
plan in terms of the empty shelves
in the cooperative shops and his
humble overcrowded room.
Sometimes, under the influence
OF factory meeting, or a demon
stration, ne forgets his lowly pref
erences and is caught up by the
vision Of an idyllic Socialist future.
Comes Back to Earth
But there always is his Annushka
TO pull him back to earth. An
nushka, his wife, has an old-fasl1-
Toned habit Of reminding him of
three young mouths to feed, shoes
and coats beyond patching, the
monthly rations of tea and herring
which we're used up in few days.
Now Kolya, his eldest son, is eX-
cited genuinely over the "Piati-
letka." The way he boasts about
the opening of a blast furnace you
would think it was his personal
property
Kolya is a Communist pioneer
He expects to be a Red engineer
and thinks that there only is one
civilized country in world of slaves
and savages.
When the five-year plan first was
announced, Ivan Ivanovich was
skeptical, but in the end he was
convinced 1t gave him a comfort
able sort of feeling, too-he'd work
hard and do without things four
or five years, then everything sud-
denly would be better.
In his simple way, he looked for
ward to the end of the plan as
though it were a prison term.
Optimism Is Held
When things got worse instead oil
better when bread began to be
rationed and the ruble lost some OF
its purchasing power Ivan Ivano-
Vich still was optimistic.
He knew there were good and
sufficient explanations: the wicked
ness of kulaks who slaughtered
livestock, sabotage, Intervention
he didn't quite understand how it
all worked but he was satisfied that
others, smarter than he, did.
The announcement that the five
year plan is almost over and new
one about to be started therefore
upsets him a good deal.
He reads and listens to the figures
on new factories and huge farms,
but his mind reverts to Annushka,
empty store shelves and leaky shoes.
Ivan Ivanovich is not bitter. After
all, things are better in many ways.
At least everybody has a job.
Personally he is still in that one
room with his entire family, but he
knows many luckier workers who
have new flats, with baths and all.
Piece Work Aided
Then again, since piece work
was introduced he earns 140 or
$50 rubles month. Before, he
received only 90 or 100 rubles. It's
just pity, he thinks, that prices
go up exactly when he begins to
earn more.
Ivan Ivanovich chides himself
for being so ungrateful. All his
children are in school. They re-
ceive free hot lunches. He him
self buys one rather good meal a
day in the factory.
He is not worried about illness
the social insurance fund will take
care of him.
Nevertheless, deep inside. he
feels that he has been let down by
the five-year plan.
How many Ivan Ivanoviches are
there? Is he typical? I shall not
venture to guess That their num-
Der runs into millions, is certain.
The side of the five-year plan
which turned out badly is unfor-
tunately turned toward the aver
age Russian
Soviet's Shock Troops
Millions, however, have been
touched by the ardor and the faith
of the Soviet leaders. They form
the shock troops in RuSSia's war for
industrialization
The failure of the plan to raise
living standards as expected only
fortifies their determination to work
harder, to build faster, to sacrifice
more.
Among them are the 100000
members of the Communist youth
organization. 100000 members and
candidates of the Communist party
ca good proportion though not alb
of the factory and collective farm
shock brigades.
They tell Ivan Ivanovich to be
patient and stop complaining. They
remind him that under Cyarism he
was nobody and now he owns the
whole country.