The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-03-19
.BrOOkhart
Lauds Soviet
Agriculture
Says Russian Peasant
Better Off Than
Many in U. S. 4

NEW YORK.-That the Sovies,
system of agriculture is the best
method in the world and that "the
Russian peasants are far better off
than at least 100000 people in
this country under our Wall Street
regime with conditions in the U. S
S. r., improving each day, was the
keynote of talk by ex-senator
Smith w, Brookhart on "Agricul-
ture in the Soviet Union" at the
New School for School Research
Friday night.
In the state and collective farm
which make up more than four
fifths of agricultural life in the
Soviet Union, the peasants are pro-
vided with F~nes, schools, play
grounds for children, tractors
and machine In fact, there is
no need to call them peasants. l
think they're real farmers now"
Soviet COllectiviZation a Success
Brookhart, who is special advisor
to the U. S. Agricultural Adjust
ment Administration with reference
to trade with U. S. S. r., stood on
the platform in front of black
wall covered with striking Soviet
posters and large map of the
Soviet Union. From time to time
he turned to a colorful poster to
illustrate a step in the great drive
toward successful collectivization in
the U. S. S. r.
The old miserable system of a
small strip of land, one room house,
wooden chairs and beds, is def
initely past. Huge collectives are
now there instead and the vast
majority of the peasants were in
favor of them. The kulaks who
opposed collectivization have been
liquidated.
Brookhart emphasized that Soviet
Russia can become a great GUS
toner of American goods.
They pay every bill to every
nation in the world when due, and
mostly in gold" he said. "They
have kept every contract they made.
I think they'll be pretty decent
people to do business with. It's all
a question of extention of credits"
Declaring that trade with Soviet
Union would help industrial and
agricultural conditions in this coun-
try Brookhart said
Agriculture in the United
States is in state of bankruptcy
in spite of all that has been done.
The present plan is not consid-
cred permanent answer"
He advocated bill in Congress
that would fix fran produce prices
and start a collectivization move
ment here similar to that in Soviet
Russia" The bill provided for The
purchase of surplus produce from
the farmers by the government and
the sale of the surplus on the world
market.
wouldn't that mean dumping on
the already overstocked world mar
ket, and a terrific drop in world
prices?" he was asked in the ques-
ton period.
mo" Brookhart answered. "If
handled right, selling by the U. S.
government would even raise world
prices" He neglected to say how
the dumping policy could be
handled
Another question asked him was:
Admitting that the Soviet success
in agriculture is direct result of
the Soviet system of economy
brought into existence by the revo-
luton of workers and peasants,
don't you think that no amount If
bills such as you advocate could
bring similar system of agricul-
ture in this country, but that only
proletarian revolution like they
had in Russia could do that?"
And the ex-senator answered.:
my bill is the revolution A
couple of bills like that and there
would be no more Wall Street"
Brookhart suggested that the au-
dience read Stains speech on agri-
culture, mimeographed copies of
which he distributed free. He mem
toned the Communist Party the
Soviet Union twice, and before each
time he did so he gulped and said
"er---!"
Most of the audience was COM
posed of business men who had
come to learn about the POSSIBILITIES
of profitable trade with the Soviet
Union.