The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-04-07
VITAL CHANGES
MADE IN RUSS
FIVE-YEAR PLAN
Program as 1t Nears Finish
Altered in Many Ways
From Original One.
This Is the fourth article Of series
on the first and second hve-year plans
81 the Soviet government.
BY EUGENE LYONS
United Press stan Corresnnndeni

United Press STAFF Correspondent
MOSCOW. April Prophecy in
cold quotable type is a dangerous
business, but one prediction can be
MADE with minimum risk:
Next December, perhaps even in
November, in connection with the
n1teenth anniversary Of the Boil
snevik revolution, the Soviet gov
eminent will tell the world with ali
us genius for dramatic presenta-
tion that the five-year plan has
been successfully completed in four
more exactly, four and a quarter
years.
Inc plan as it stands today, en-
bodied in the control figures for the
current year, is related only roughly
10 the one undertaken in October.
1873. Not only every year, but every
month, has brought radical altera-
tons.
Inc outstanding feature of the
whole plan unquestionably is the
startling spread of collectivized
farming, to the point where extinc-
lion OF private agriculture in a year
or two seems inevitable.
ColIectivization Is First
From the angle Of ultimate pur-
poses Of the revolution, the estab-
hshment Of a real Socialist COM
monwealth, collectivization is the
most decisive single fact. From the
angle of immediate DEVELOPMENT il
has forced a thorough revision of
The plan by necessitating vastly in
creased agricultural machinery
building and expansion of other in
dustries upon which modern farm
ing is dependent.
Collectivization overshadows all
other achievements of the last
years. Indeed, by affecting food
supplies it impinged more directly
than any other single factor upon
everyday life Of the Soviet citi-
zenry. Yet collectivization was not
lforeseen by the original plan.
Unemployment Wiped Out
The first published program called
for only 9.6 per cent of the farming
households collectivized by 1853
instead Of the rs per cent scheduled
for the end of 1882; for $4,000 900
acres under collectivized cultivation
instead of the 260,00OO0O acres now
announced.
Another accomplishment is the
elimination Of unemployed. But
that. too, was not foreSeen by the
plan 1t foreSaw a reduction Of
1dleneSs, but did not promise TO
abolish it.
Two million new workers were
drawn into Soviet industry last
year and another 100000 must be
added before the plan is brought to
a close.
Agricultural machinery for $780,
100000 rubles will be built in the
last year instead of the 610000,0 900
rubles' worth originally scheduled.
Where $4,000 tractors were indicat-
ed, $4,000 will probably be taken off
the belts.
The railroads will have to carry
320,000,000 tons of freight instead OF
the expected 280,000O00 tons. The
largest single enterprise, the Mag
nitogorsk Kuznetsk iron-steel-and-
coal complex, was not expected at
all.
Results Not Gratifying
The straying from the plan, how
ever, is not always as gratifying to
Soviet leaders as these.
Projects stressed in the first draft
have been forgotten. Transporter
ton needs have been tragically I'M
derestimated. The mistake ham,
pered work at every step.
Alluring promises of ampler liv-
ing standards emphasized in 1929
are soft-pedaled now. In fact, sew
eral of the results of the plan, ex-
tolled as great victories, are thinly
yelled defeats.
Generally speaking the plan will
be fulfilled insofar as its physical
volume is concerned, assuming that
this years figures are realized.
If the SO per cent increase in to-
tai production over 1881 is attained,
the volume Indicated for the whole
plan will have been achieved with
some margin to spare.