The daily worker., 1932-11-05

sing ike uug6 uuIlLIIllIlB- -JOES dIlQ Jll6
cables which mount up the river
banks on their high pylons, from the
great transforming station to the fac
tories, are alive. Let any bourgeois
critic now try to demonstrate that
these cables are not alive. He will
get a nasty shock.
Well, if Dnieprostroi, of which all
the world already knows, is. a reality,
what more remains to be said about
it? Much. What 1 should like to say
would fill book. 1t is not so much
of dams and turbines, cables and
kilowatts that I wish to write, as of
the meaning of Dnieprostroi as a
piece of socialist building.
IT'S PURPOSE
What is the purpose of this mighty
source of power? Concretely, it is to
provide energy for complex of in
dustrial works unequalled in the
world. An aluminium producing
works, a high-grade steel plant, a
ferro-alloy plant producing the COM
pounds for high-grade steels, a coke
and chemical plant, a work for highly
refractory furnace bricks-these are
among the new creations which will
be the immediate consumers of the
Dnieper's power.
"FOAIE back and see what we have
T. done in Russia in ten years
time. said Lenin.
That was in 1920, and he was talk
ing to Mr.. H. G. Wells. That famous
Utopian had been discussing with
Lsnin the FIRST plan for the electri-
fcaJion Of Russia. And in his book,
.7ussia in the Shadows" he sum-
-n7arisss the interview as follows:
"Lenin. who. like a good orthodox
NfaYAist denounceS "UtopianS," has
Succunlbed at last to an Utopia, the
Utopia of the electricians He is
throwing all his weight into a scheme
for the development of great power
stations in Russia to serve whole
provinces with light, with transport
and industrial power. Two expert
mental districts, he said had already
been electrified.
Can one imagine more courage
Gus project in a vast flat land OF
forests and illiterate peasants, with
no water power. with no technical
skill available. and with trade and
industry at the last gasp?
while ! talked to him he almost
persuaded me to share his vision &. 4.
But these are only sketches and be-
ginnings," the doubling Utopian OBJ
jected.
Come back and see what we have
done in Russia in ten years time"
Lenin answered.
Poor MIR. Wellsl If he could stand
on the banks of the Dnieper now, and
see the mighty river harnessed to the
production of electric energy equal to
more than eight hundred thousand
horsepower-he, who is SO ignorant
that he thinks that this vast fiat of
forests" contains no water-powerl
The history of the building Of
Dnieprostroi is one long story Of fight
with difficulties and doubters. And
the answer to all doubts is that the
dam was completed and the first
power generated on May 1, 1882. The
original plan provided that, on De-
cember /, 1882, two turbines were to
be set In motion. Thus, the shock
hrigaders of socialism beat their own
timetable by six months.
Was it because they found their
task easier than had been at first
supposed? It certainly was not. On
TIE contrary, many unforeseen diff
~ and problems arose in the
Is of constructing the dam.
Many a time the American engineers,
the worlds most experienced con-
structors of such works, employed as
consultsnts, were baffled by these
problems. And who solved them?
Let us talk to the men who did the
work, the engineers, the men Of pick
and shovel, sledge hammer and pneu-
matte drill You will find their words
more useful and more bracing than
the meditations of Mr.. Wells, the
crystal-gazer.