Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-10-19

munist Party OF the Soviet In
ion, in an interview with II. G.
Wells. the novelist, published
today in No. II Of the Journal
"Bolshevik," explained clearly to
Wells the difference between the
aim of the NRA program In the
United tates and the aim of the
Socialist construction program in
the USSR.
Wells had recently visited the
United States. This visit, accord
ing to Wells. had keen effect on
him. The old financial world"
he said. was crashing, and econ
omie life In that country was be-
ing reconstructed in a new way"
Wells imagined, he said. that
in the United States, the ques-
ton arises of profound reorgan-
ization and the creation Of
planned economy, that is Social
list economy. Is there not" he
asked Stain. "in this case an
theological similarity between
Washington and Moscow"
Stain replied: 'NThe United
States has a different aim from
the USSR. The aim followed by
Americans arose on the basis OF
economic disorder and economic
crisis. Americans want to get
rid of the crisis on the basis OF
private capitalist activity. with
out changing the economic basis.
They are striving to reduce to
minimum the devastation and
loss caused by the existing econ.
omic system. AS you know, in our
country, In place of the old &C.
onomic base, which was smashed,
has been formed an absolutely
different, new economic basis.
Even if the Americans of
whom you speak achieve their
aim partially, that is. reduce the
loss to a minimum, in this case
also they will not destroy the
roots of that anarchy which Is
inherent in the existing capital
list system. They preserve that
system which without fail must
lead and cannot help leading to
anarchy In production. Thus at
best it won't be a question OF re-
constructing society or of de-
stroying the old social order
which gives rise to anarchy and
crises, but OF restricting certain
undesirable sides OF it, and lin
iting certain excuses.
"Subjectively these Americans
possibly think that they are re-
organizing society, but objective
ly the present basis OF society is
preserved among them. There
fore effectively no reconstrue-
ton OF society will take place,
and planned economy will not
come about.
What is planned economy?
What are its various features?
Planned economy strives to abol-
ish unemployment. Let us sup
pose that, while maintaining the
capitalist system, unemployment
can be reduced to a certain mini
mum. But no capitalists will ever
agree at any price to complete
the abolition of unemployment,
the abolition of reserve army of
unemployed, whose mission is to
put pressure on the labor mar
ket to ensure low paid workers.
Here then is already one hiatus
in planned economy in bourge-
ois society.
Moreover, planned economy
presupposes that output increas-
es in those branches of industry
whose products are particularly
needed by the masses of people.
But you know that under cap
italism the enlargement of pro-
duction takes place from other
motives, that capital gravitates
toward the branches of economy
where the rate of profit is bigger.
You cannot ever compel a cap
italist to cause himself loss and
consent to lower rate of profit
for the sake of satisfying public
requirements. Without getting
rid of capitalists and abandoning
the principle of private owner
ship in the means of production,
you cannot create planned econ
omy."
Wells agreed with much that
Stain said. but suggested, how
ever, that IF the country as a
whole accepts the principle OF
planned economy, and II the gov
eminent little by little and step
by step begins consistently to
apply this principle, then in the
long run the financial oligarchy
will be destroyed and the social.
ism will be introduced in the
sense in which 1t is understood
in the Anglo-Saxon understand
ing Of this word"
STAIN: But what will this
socialism mean? At best some
restraint for the most unrestrain-
! ed individual representatives Of