Evening star., 1938-01-16
By JOHN r. WHITAKER,
Chicago Daily News Correspondent.

NhiCA8o AuAS NcWo SOTIeApONuCHt.
MOSCOW.-The lusty young Com
munist. born November Z, 1917, is dis
satisfied as he comes Of age. Com
munism has undoubtedly given the
masses more OF the good things of
life than they had under the Car
But 1t has increased their appetites
too. There is a perverse streak in
the human being. The worker who
never had butter before complains
now because he doesn't get enough
butter.
As It celebrates its goth ami
versary, Communism consequently
finds itself caught In q vicious cir
Gle. Stain cannot get more consum-
ers' goods to the workers and peasants
unless they produce more. The work
ers and peasants cannot, or will not,
produce more unless they get consum-
ers' goods. They aren't going to work
any harder unless their wages will
buy the things they see in the show
windows. and prices Of things In the
show windows aren't coming down
while they are still so scarce.
The young Communist doesn't want
everybody's standard Of living lowered
TO that Of the 1917 soldier. He wants
TO enjoy what he produces. And he
is getting tired Of waiting.
You need only to 60 into the res
taurants to see that they are tired
Of waiting and that the early P1ri-
tanism Of the Spartan Communist is
cracking. I have seen young work
ers and their wives drinking wine and
eating meals which I thought almost
prohibitively expensive. How could
they do It? asked.
Bad Morale Indicated.
II can't do It," said one young
worker. This costs me more than
halt my months salary. But nichevo!
Why not? What the hell! We may
60 hungry the rest of the month, bu,
this Is q grand night"
This spirit is an important sign oi
bad morale. 1t confirms what We
have seen of the woefully low stand
ard of living, the breakdown of the
6takhanov movement and the gen.
eral failure Of production to meet the
mark. It shows the economic and So
cial situation which lies underneath
the purge.
One OF the most significant signl
o6 dissatisfaction is seen when work
ers begin to shift jobs, going from
one factory to the next, from ONT
town to the next, believing that the
grass is a little greener over the hills
Was 1t possible to find statistics or
this?
Job Turnover Is High.
Ohicial figures are available for the
last two years on the migration oi
labor. showing the turnover in work.
ers against the total number EN-.
ployed. The percentage of men leav.
ing their Jobs In comparison to the
total put on the pay rolls follows:
1885. 1886
Per Cent. Per Cent
All Industries ------- 86.1 g..
Coal industry ------ 99.1 112.1
Food industry ------149.2 141.l
Stain in the last few weeks has
recognized the gravity Of these migra-
tims. He has introduced the prin-
ciple Of extra pay for seniority Of
service. Wage increases Of from 10
TO 20 per cent are being ordered in
certain industries for men who have
worked for several years in the same
factory or farm. Within the next IL
months this principle will probably
be introduced in all industries.
I also believe that Stain will in
crease wages generally Raises Of
from II to 20 per cent are likely. The
regime is giving signs OF recognizing
the crisis. Within the month 1t has
been necessary to send extra con-
sumers' goods into the Don coal min
ing basin-that is, more food, clothes
and luxury articles than workers
there were to have had this year
under the plan" which rations every
thing from caps to soap.
Military Burden Heavy.
These are palliatives and they are
hot likely to break the vicious circle.
Like the Fascist relationships, Stalin's
dictatorship carries = terrific military
burden on its back. Stain could
swing his industries over into the
production Of consumers goods and
give the man in the street what he
needs in the way Of food, clothing
and the like. He could if he were will
ing to tighten the military burden.
There are 100000 men in Rus
sia's standing army-men who pro-
duoe nothing. They must have the
best Of the food, the best of the in
dustrial output. Russia must con-
einue to make not tractors but tanks,
not trucks for the farmer but lorries
tor the soldier, not gloves for the