Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1935-01-11
Dean Tyler Backs Down United Front Program Against War; Fascm
Living Standards
Rising In USSR,
Declares Nearing

Eagles AUDITORIUM 10 us uOOrs,
an audience of 5000 Sunday night
enthusiastically applauded the
noted lecturer, Scott Nearing, as
he told of developments and
achievements in Soviet Russia
during 1884.
Ably refuting the lies and dis
tortions of Hearst's fascist press,
DIR. Nearing aroused the hearers
to hearty laughter when he
Knocked the latest anti-red cam
paign of the capitalists, and as
he unfolded the amazing picture
of Soviet Russia, an awakening
giant leaping by giant strides
to world leadership, the assembl-
ed workers and the friends OF the
Soviet Union roared with approx
al. Time and again waves of spon-
taneous applause swept the
house.
This overflow audience vindi-
Gated support of the militant
class struggle by contrast to the
poorly attended audiences that
heard Norman Thomas, Socialist
leader, when he leetured in Sc
attic recently, despite the fact
that the Nearing address was lit
tie advertised while announce
ments of the Thomas meetings
were plastered broadside over the
town weeks in advance of his lee
ture dates.
Every word, each accumulated
fact, was authoritative. The con-
version since 1921 of a backward
country, predOminantly agricul-
tural, in these few years into one
of the foremost industrial states
DIR. Nearing showed could have
come only through economic plan
ming of the highest order-and
that only by economic planning
based on socialism.
During a period when every
capitalist nation was retro
crossing, the advance in manu-
featuring, agriculture, educa-
ton, and living standards in
the USSR could have come
only through abolishing of the
contradictions inherent in cap
italist economy.
With the success of the first
5-year plan, and the second plan
well on it's way, the Socialist
state could point to the irrefut-
able facts of its progress as
vindication of economic planning
based on Socialism.
After '29 all capitalist nations
showed a steady decline in the
wages and living standards OF the
working class. Russia has gained
enormously during the same per.
iOd.
Light Industry Developed
Machine tools, heavy and light
machines, agricultural i'm p | e
ments of design superior to any
before known, have been manu-
featured with constantly increas-
ing efficiency and in graeter
quantities yearly-keeping pace
with the production of heavy in
dustries, iron, steel, etc.
In the last three months Russia
produced more tonnage of pig
iron than the United States, more
electricity available for power
and light than Great Britain. Coal
mining and farming have equal,
led, practically, this sensational
advance.
Starving people do not pro-
duce pig-iron, they're too busy
grubbing for food" was Near
ing's answer to Hearst's SLAM
der.
Collective farms are the reason
for Russia's growing wheat and
grain surplus. The workers are
organized in democratic groups,
living communally, electing their
own foremen, planning their work
to meet local conditions and to
meet the quota expected OF them.
Nearing made it emphatic that
there is no starvation in Russia.
Bread cards have been abolished,
rationing of food is no longer ne
cessary. Textile mills are increas-
ing production daily.
Significant is the fact that de-
spite the vast concentration OF
effort on industrial projects, the
Communists have not neglected
to advance on the cultural front.
Adult education on a hitherto
unheard of scale is going on,
while Is million children are now
being schooled, there are more
than 60 million adult workers
studying art and technology of all
kinds. And being paid for doing
sol Time off from their jobs is
allowed, even to two-year fur
loughs while these workers at
tend trade, technical, scientific
and art schools.
Music and the theatre arts
are flourishing. New theatres are
springing up everywhere. There
are $1,000 places for movie dis
play today, and the stage has
kept abreast of this development.
In Moscow alone more Shakes
peare was played over a nine.