The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1943-05-07

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EASTWARD TREK OF U.S.s.R.
INDUSTRY
| The germ of industrial evacuation
was actually conceived during Lenin's
day when the Soviets were fighting
the White-guards and the interven-
zionist armies shortly after the Octo-
Der revolution. At that time Soviet
industry was rather primitive and
mostly located in the large cities as
Moscow, Kiev and Petrograd where
three-fourths of the entire Russian
machine building was carried on in
what is now Leningrad cit probably
produces. less than one-seventh now.)
Experience gained in the Wars of In
PREVENTION made it plain that indus
tries near the border were in immi-
nent danger in future wars and it
was decided that, as a last resort, the
government with all movable indus
make a last stand behind the Ural
mountains in Siberia. In accordance
with this decision, heavy industry was
started in the first 5-year-plan, 1928,
in an uninhabitated waste and what is
now Magnitogorsk, Siberia and, where
big plants were built, provisions for
future engagements were provided in
case of emergencies.
Obsolete industrial methods were
discarded in favor of modern tech
nique; thus, in Krivoi Rog NOW in
Hitler's hands, 10000 miners mined
the same amount of iron ore now pro-
duced by 1000 miners at Magnito-
gorsk, Siberia, an uninhabitated place
without a single house in 1928 and
now modern city comparable to
Seattle, Wash, with the second larg-
est next to Gary, Indiana) steel plant
in the world, the plant alone using
more water than Moscow with three
million population. This site on the
Siberia side of the Urals was a dry
river bed in summertime and a rag
ing flood when the snow melted in
the spring and now the water is regu-
lated by two dams to give it an even
flow the year around and now consti
tutes one of the biggest industrial
centers in the world
The same is true with hydro-electric
power and machine building At the
time the Dneprostroi hydro-electric |
plant was finished 100000 XIV. capa-
city as compared to Niagara's 100000 |
plans were being studied for the |
Greater Volga project with dynamos |
to produce II million kilowatts on the |
upper Volga and Kama rivers to be |
in the third 5-year-plan,
which, of course, the war somewhat |
Before the Axis invad-
ers occupied the Ukraine, much of the
electric equipment was salvaged be-
fore the dam was blown up even
though the last crews were unable to
escape and promptly hung by the
Germans. The salvaged equipment
was Invaluable to the Soviets and the
flood from the blasted dam stopped
the invaders for the time being.
The same story holds good with the
industries of Leningrad and
Kharkov where the worlds largest
harvester-combine plant was located,
as well as dynamos equal to the Gen
eral Electric's largest. From these
threatened points, equipment and
technical experts were moved inland
TO form the nucleus of modern war
plants and equipment thus moved pro-
1uced after period of three months,
as much as the previous record and
doubled it after six months This is
where the K. V. so ton tank origi-
hated, a tank which can hold it's own ;
With Hitler's best 60-toner.
AS the men increasingly left for the
ront the women took their places in
mines, mills and factories as we'll as
IN the collective farms and, in many {
places, taking full charge of every |
hing. Timetables and personal COM t
ort were shelved for the duration I
md, in many cases, conventions and Q
ordinary practices were ignored or 1
otally upset. Thus machines were 1
moved to the eastern bank of the L
caspian sea, safe from bombing, and c
tarted operations housed in tents or /
Without any cover running full blast I
While buildings were erected over S
hem. This was not conventional or
p to civilized standards but time was S
recious They could not wait till b