Evening star., 1947-05-04

into u invitation TO visit Russia On
/ the occasion of my trip to Europe.
Stalin Things are IN very bad
shape In Europe as whole. Is
that true?
StaSsen Yes, IN general, but there
are some countries that are not bad.
switzerland, Czechosloyakia. !. :
Stain Those are small coun-
tries.
Etassen Yes. Large countries are
ID . very different position. Their
principal economic problems are
coal, currency imitation, raw ma
terials for production, and supply
lot food.
Stain Europe IS 3 land where
there are many plants but great
lack OF raw n1aterials-the shortage
lot food and raw materials !. Is the
tragedy.
Stassen-The low production of
coal ip the Ruhr has caused a
shortage of coal throughout Europe.
Stain Yes. It Is very strange.
StassenIt is fortunate that We
had such large production Of coal
IN the United States. We have
shipped much to Europe. We are
mining 2,000, 900 tons of bituminous
coal . day.
Stain Things are not bad In the
United States. America Is protected
by two oceans. In the north there
is weak country, Canada, and to
the south weak country, Mexico,
and so you need not be afraid of
them. After the War OF Independ-
ence the United States did not have
another war for so years, and that
was q great help to the rapid de-
velopment Of the q. S. A. Amer
ica's population is made up of such
people as fed from monarchy and
tyranny and kings and landed aris-
tocracy, and that was also a great
help, and that Is why America de-
veloped In leaps and bounds.
Stassen-One Of my own great
grandfathers fed from the old SEM
pire militarism in what Is now
Czechoslovakia. OF course the geo
graphical position has been Of great
assistance to the United States and
we have been fortunate that the
enemy in recent wars has been de-
feated far from our shores. But
also under our free economic system
We have been able to rapidly re-
convert and resume large peace
time production since the war. Our
problem now Is to see to it that we
do not have depression, an eco
non1ic crisis.
No Crisis in U. S. Expected
II Regulation Is Careful.
stalin-Do you expect a crisis?
Stassen-I do not. I believe we
can regulate our capitalism and
stabilize our production and en-
ployment at a high level without
any serious crisis. But it is the
main problem to avoid depression
in our economic system. With wise
policies in Government and through
learning the lesson OF 1929 and the
1930s, We should have successful.
regulated, but not monopolistic,
capitalism with which we can avoid
economic crisis.
Stalln-The Government must be
vested with wide powers to accom-
plish that. The Government must
be strong and adopt broad
measures.
| Stassen-Yes, and the people
must understand the measures of
stablization and support the eco-
nonlic system. 1t is a new problem,
as there has not been a parallel
to our high American production
in the economic systems of the
world.
Stalin-There is one favorable
condition for the United States, in
that two competitors in the world
market - Japan and Germany -
have been eliminated. So the de-
mand for American goods will grow
and create favorable conditions for
American development. Such mar
kets as Europe, China, Japan are
open to the United States of
America and will be helpful to it.
No such conditions have existed
before.
| Stassen-On the other hand, those
areas have no means of payment,
and, and thus are actually q drain
on us. But the removal of two
imperial militaristic threats Is a
boon to us and to the other coun-
tries of the world from a stand
point of peace. And Of course world
trade has not in the past been a
large factor in the United States.
Our principal markets have been at
home or in our own hemisphere.