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

BY EUGE
United Press st
MOSCOW, April 4.-Rus
year plan, renewing the most
history.
The citizens of the Soviet
new sacrifice and more strenu'
economic situation of the rest
leaders in contrast with the d
The Soviet leaders picture
capitalist society cropping
through fog-banks while the
Soviet union widens its ma
tional horizons by another
half-decade.
Even after political rhetoric is
discounted properly, enough solid
truth remains in their version of
world affairs to challenge attention.
With the non Soviet world en-
joying a seemingly limitless pros
perity and the Bolshevk scheme
merely words on parer, it was pos
sible to ignore, or to ridicule the
original five-year-p plan when it was
revealed.
World Scene Changes
Since then the words have been
translated into gigantic industrial
combings, large-scale merchanized
farming, Russias return to the
world wheat market, the develop
ment of hitherto waste regions;
and the non-Soviet prosperity is
for the time being in state of
collapse.
To the writer, who has been on
the scene of the "Piatiletka" since
its inception, the most impressive
indication of Russia's advance is
the reception which the new plan
is meeting abroad. There is no
such disdain as greeted the first
plan.
The world at last is taking the
Soviet economic scheme seriously.
Astounded by Soviet success in
some directions, it is overlooking
palpable failures in other directions.
Surprise for Scoffers
Surprised by the magnitude of
accomplishments, it tends to forget
the price at which they were bought.
The very ones who scoffed loudest
when the original plan was an
nounced, now pray loudest for de-
liverance from the red trade men
ace"
The control figures" for the cur
rent year represent the final phase
of the first "Piatiletka.' If they
are fulfilled by the end of the year
the Soviet regime will claim that
its five-year program has been car
ried out in four years.
The claim must be verified, of
course, by reference to the program
as first published in 1929.
At the same time the general
aspects of the Soviet Unions eco
nonic and cultural development for
the five years between 1888 and
1897 have been blocked out by the
recent conference of the ruling
Communist party.
Some Goals Set
A few of the goals for 1887 have
been definitely fixed; 100000, 900
tons of coal, 22,000000 of pig-iron,
100000 tons of wheat, 100000
100000 kilowatt-hours of electricity.
The rest have been sketched rough
ly and will be brought into clearer
focus before the year is over.
The Soviet nation stands at the
crossroads of the two plans. 1t
stands there not merely physically,
but psychologically. The hopes and
thoughts which we're centered upon
1888 must be shifted to 1937-an
adjustment that is not as painless
as it sounds.
The world is asking many ques-
tions. What are the results of the
first five-year PLAN as nearly as
one can estimate them at this
time? What are the prospects dis
closed by the second flve-year
plan?
What do these kilowatt-hours and /
mile-tons mean in terms of the 160,- !
100000 men, women and children
whose lives form the ultimate in
gradients of all statistics?
The attempt to answer such
questions is a strain on the courage. |
The Russian scene is so tremendous !
and so unique that few of the time
honored methods for measuring and /
Judging land have any value.
Charts Don't Tell Story
Profits and losses-or completed |
factories and collectivized farms
do not tell the whole story. In the |
excitement over Soviet economic |
charts and figures, it is too easy to
forget that industrialization is not |
the chief purpose of the Russian
revolution, although good many |
Communists themselves tend to
lose sight of the larger purposes in
their preoccupation with immedi-
ate tasks.
Essentially the building of an
industrial structure, the mechanical
ton of farming, are not ends in
themselves for the Soviet leaders. |
They are means to an end, namely, /
a socialistic society of happier hui
man beings.
Ito Be Continued)