Evening star., 1946-02-11
Russiu and the Future

the rivalries of world capitalism lead
to WARMTH the capitalist "have-
nots" seeking to acquire by force
some of the things monopolized by
the capitalist "haves"-may be re-
garded as a gross oversimplification,
and their significance ought not to
be exaggerated. Actually, read in
their context, they are qualified and
do not seem to have any sensational
implications, being merely repeti-
tion of familiar Marxist thesis.
Far more significant than this bit
of Russian style Campaign oratory"
was Premier Stalin's election-eve
announcement of a new five-year
plan-the fourth since 192S-de-
signed to rebuild the devastated
areas of Russia, to restore the coun-
try's prewar level of industry and
agriculture, and to go on from there
to higher levels, with emphasis on
the production Of goods for mass
consumption, on increasing the pop
ulation's standard of living, and on
scientific research and development,
including undoubtedly the develop
ment Of atomic energy. AS for the
longer future the Russian leader
has set forth a goal calling for the
output of 50,000,000 tons of pig iron
per year, 60,0O0,OO0 tons of steel,
500,000,000 tons of coal and 60,000,000
tons of oil In other words, he looks
forward to the day-perhaps twenty
years from now-when the Soviet
Union will achieve productive
strength approaching that of the
United States at the present time.
Moreover, if Soviet statistics may
be taken at face value, there Is every
reason to believe that the Russians
will be able to do what Premier
Stain hopes for, despite the fact
that they are far behind us now. At
any rate, as he reports'it, the record
shows that their three previous FIVE
year plans succeeded, before the
wars interruption, in transforming
their country from a weak agrarian
to a strong industrial economy. The
record shows, too, although he fails
to give credit to highly important
help through lease-lend, that the
U. S. S. R. as whole-on home front
and battle front-has clearly DEM
onstrated in the last five years a
marked degree of power, morale and
what he calls vitality" However
much one may abhor the all-con-
trolling planning and statism of the
Soviet system, and even though one
may cogently argue that the same
or better things could have been
done If Russia had been a capital
istic democracy of our kind, these
realities must be recognized. Viewed
in the light of this vast lands
enormous and undeveloped natural
wealth, they mean nothing less than
that the Soviet Union has emerged
to change the balance among. ma
tions, economically, militarily and
otherwise, as world power of the
first magnitude.
This is historic development of
profound Importance. What it may
mean twenty or thirty years from
now, however, is scarcely predictable
in view of present suspicious and
uncertainties. There are disturbing
signs that the Soviet Union is tend
ing to create closed economy out
Of itself and the smaller lands sur
rounding it. If such a thing should
happen-and the possibility must be
reckoned with in any negotiations
for an American loan to Russia
there would arise those dangerous
frictions which Premier Stain has
attributed to capitalistic rivalries
alone. On the other hand, given a
genuine desire on the part of all
powers concerned to build a decent
and lasting peace, the rise of the u S.
S. r. to economic greatness could
help make the whole world happier
and more prosperous. At the mo-
ment, we can only hope that that
is how evervthinp will t1,rn o,It