Evening star., 1943-11-21
Russia
Continued From Page CID

Orals would come under the soyiets'
zone of influence.
Nowadays political supremacy also
means an economic dictatorship. Russia
is fighting bravely alongside the Allies.
Our political views are no more OBJ
noxious to her than her political system
Is obnoxious to us. But at no time has
Russia indicated that she is willing or
finds it advantageous to do away with
its totalitarian form Of economic life.
Russia has made tremendous strides
under her economic totalitarianism,
which is not much different from that
of the Germans or the Japanese Eco
nomic totalitarianism means that the
government is the principal producer
and employer; the raw materials pro-
duced in totalitarian state are at the
disposal of industry to produce whate
is needed.
Private Initiative Disappears.
A government cannot 60 bankrupt
commercially. Hence, a totalitarian
government can undersell anybody else
in the world without its people suffer-
ing any disturbing consequences. There
are no strikes, no wage and price argu-
ments. Everybody works for one en-
ployer-the state-and private initiative
must necessarily disappear.
This system works we'll in soms
countries and there is no reason why
it shall not continue to work well in
them. But in other countries such as
the United States, which owes its prog
ress to the initiative Of individuals and
where. in spiae of it's maiuy drawbacks,
individualistic economics have not been
failure, it is doubtful that economic
totalitarianism would be accepted.
isolated form of economics there were
only insignificant repercussions in our
own system which is now described by
some as antiquated.
But a Europe under the wing Of the
Soviet Union must follow the pattern Of
its chief protector and necessarily Is
bound to become as totalitarian as the
Soviets are. The principal benefits Of
political supremacy invariably are trans
lated into economic advantages. There
Is no question in the minds of those
who look without bias to the future
that Europe within a short time after
her liberation from the fangs of the
German system will by necessity embrace
the Russian form of totalitarianism.
Europe is no mean competitor. She
has skilled workmen, fine engineers and
almost everything she needs to expand
economically, provided there are no con-
flicts or wars. Under the totalitarian
system Europe can produce goods far
cheaper than the country with an indi-
vidualist economy.
Serious Problems Ahead.
Once tariff barriers are broken down
between the various European states
and the raw materials produced by one
are available to the other without ma
tionalistic restrictions, some American
economists venture to say that Europe
will be able in less than a quarter Of
century to excel our own production.
Her production eventually will more
than suffice for her own needs. A
totalitarian and well-disciplined Europe
will then seek economic expansion and
head-on clash with our American
economy will appear inevitable. What
the consequences will be, it is dificult
to forecast.
The Moscow agreements have given
us immediate security We know that
the Russians will fight until the Nazis
are beaten. They have signed doc
ument to that effect and to doubt their
signature would mean losing faith in
all treaties. Our leaders say emphat-
ically that we must not do so.
But the Moscow agreements have in.
creased the prestige of Russia through
out Europe to such an extent that q
brand-new set of problems, not antici.
pated in the beginning, are taking shape.
The good thing about the Moscow con-
ference Is that it seems to have laid the
framework for a rational and friendly
approach to the solution OF these
problems.
q