Evening star., 1933-11-18
u. S.-SOv|ET TRADE
HELP IN URBAN|Z|NG.
Machinery and Goods Impor-
tant in Plan Affecting
120, 600, 900 Peasants.
BY ELIAS TOBENKIN.

The Soviet Union is engaged in
gigantic enterprise of urbanizing and
improving the lot of its 100 600 600
peasants, and the resumption of Soviet
trade In the United States will be di-
rected IN large measure toward accom-
plishment of this task
Machinery and capital goods will
continue as heretofore to occupy an
important place in Soviet imports from
the United States, but imports that
contribute to the buildings of new
cities and the making of new homes
VIII hencetorward find an added and
substantial market in the Soviet
Republic.
Though NJ Litvinon secs no one
Wnlle IN Washington, the above infor-
nation has been conveyed to KEY
men in the exporting world. In his
London statement NJ Litvinon said
the Soviet government was ready To
give orders for consUnsers' goods to
the sum of $4,000 900 American
Trends Of the Russian commissar. in
a position to know. assert that a very
large part of these orders viii b. placed
in the United States.
Strides in Urbanizing.
That the urban zing movement in
Russia is of truly momentous pro-
portions is evident from the strides
which 1t has made in the past wear or
two. More than 1000 rural centers,"
/ TePI3clng large numbers of dilapidated
haH.etS, have already been cons ructed
by the Soviet government and others
are bzing built. These rural eenters
nave the aspect of progressive country
towns. In addition, the Soviet govern
nenl has since the inception of the
, hrSt hve-ye@r plan built up 200 new
cities
The building of these rural centers
, IS OF the utmost economic Importance
TO the government. It has collective
I lzed the farms and must now have the
peasants i've on communes just as they
! work in communes.
The construction Of such rural CEN
te,s, as well as the rise of new cities
IN the Soviet Union, have repeatedly
peen held back of late by the shortage
OF materials. particularly euuipnlent
| WhIcl the Soviet has to import from
foreign countries. 1t has been a COM
mon thing in recent months to see
Wor kon building stop suddenly for
want OF nails, wiring material, electri-
cal supplies or plumbing equipment.
Wider Scope of Imports.
| The wider scope of Soviet imports,
which NJ. Litvinof announced in Lon
don, and which in Washington has
| gone through private channels to
{ American exporters, is made in re-
( sponse to the governments program
for removal Of all differences between
city and country and the urbaniza-
t-on OF the whole of Russia While M.
| LitvmoH here speaks only about the
imports of materials, in Moscow the
! suggestion is frequently heard that the
/ Soviet government would do well to
import certain number of American
builders along with the American
4 materials.
However, buildings alone are insufi-
/ cient to bridge the gap between city
/ and country in the Soviet Union. A
/ roof over ones head does not yet make
a home; other things must 60 with it.
! Russia is today short of the most elc-
mentary furnishings. Iron beds Or Gets
/ are at premium in cities like Mo-
/ COW, Leningrad or Kharkov; they are
I utterly unobtainable in the provinces
Since the beginning OF 1888. Stain
has repeatedly promised the Rush.
peasantry that the current year Uou
see vast improvement in their re-
! Sonal lives. NJ. Litvinoff came 10
, United States to bring about this !
! provement in the only way it can
brought about, which is by increa !,
Russia's import of consumers goods
point that will reasonably meet tt
| modest needs of the Russian peasan,
Raise of Living Standards.
! There are many reasons concerning
/ internal and foreign policy which make
1t desirable for the Soviet government
| to raise the standard of living Of its
I agricultural classes at this time. The
! collecttvization policy which Stain in
! troduced nearly four years ago is far
/ from being an accomplished fact and
! still further from being the success
which the government would like it to
be, AT least two good harvests are
! needed to lift the collectiviZation pro-
/ gram from its present experimental
! stage. A higher standard of living will
/ win the peasantry over to the new order
| much more effectively than even the
most subtle propaganda
| The Soviet government today can
| afford to begin to pay heed to the well
| fare Of the masses. The fve-year plan
has made Russia. if not safe from in
] vasion. at any rate confident that it
I can repel it successfully. Recognition
! by the United States will be a further
! guarantee Of continued peace for the
! Soviet Union. AS the Moscow govern
ment expected such recognition from
! the White House, NJ Litvinof came
! with a most extensive mandate for the
| purchase of American goods that the
| Soviet government has yet given to any
! country.
/ (Copyright, 1893. by North American News
paper Alliance. Inc)