Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-01

tS&A aSCAAAPb w Dwell 1AA1SI ACHl
! thunder. Nations accustomed T.
: American aid take it for granted
But the Soviet thrust Is ia
from enough to hold any perma
Inent initiative.
In itself. the economic drivl
could never be decisive In a con
test with the United States. Tn,
lUSSR for years is likely to re,
main a net importing nation
lat the moment, Moscow seem,
Ito be probing. trying to deter
mine how far it can go In fhii
field. II is inexperienced. Ths
United States is miles and year.
ahead.
Still. the political effects Of
such sorties on peoples In de.
pressed areas are such that til,
West must come up with stroni
ANSWERS.
| Proponents Of long-term Amer
lean commitments in the flelt
Iof economic aid contended thi,
would assure tincommitted coun.
tries Of the continued interest Of
1.-THE United States land help turr
back the Soviet challenge. Al
1.-THE same time an argument car
lbe made out for the contention
THAT one Soviet aim is to stimu-
Hate the United States into q
competition that will bleed the
country progressively.
| The Soviet Union does not give
lanything away. Except for thu
satellite countries. no grants arr
Involved In its economic aid. TIT
essence OF the program is trade
land loans on a business basis
with Moscow expecting full value
flor everything it offers. But
this. too. has attractions for ma.
Ition which insist they want te
keep their self respect. THE So.
iviet Union asserts it does moi
Iattempt to pin nations down into
alliances In return for economic
lassistance.)
| People in the areas involve,
loften identify their nation witt
the USSR in this sense: Russi.
was q backward country which
advanced spectacularly to til,
role Of q leading industrial pow,
er. Soviet propaganda tries 4
identify their dreams with So.
Wet development, indicating Il
such people they cannot hop,
flor full independence unless the,
copy Soviet ways.
Propaganda Drive Urged
In the propaganda war t,
come. 1t presumably will be tn,
United States business to max.
these people look to the Yves
for the fulflllment OF their hopes
One Washington source VIII.
cannot be identified suggests tn,
United States should open
drive to depict the Soviet Unior
Jas the most striking success stor,
Tor American technical aid. Hi
suggests the story be spread al
lover the east of how the Sovie
Union imported impressive mum.
Ibers OF American and othel
Western technical help in tn.
days before World War II wher
the USSR was struggling to it
feet. Stain himself can b,
quoted on this. Additionally. tn,
$11 billion worth OF wartime lend,
lease included such items a
power stations. railway equip
Iment and materials for indus
trial development. as well a
American technical assistance OF
Ia large scale.
THE United States is missin,
ian opportunity In not exploitin,
this story" the source said, "ant
lin not welcoming gratefully tn,
shift In Soviet tactics to tn
arena Of economic competition
1T indicates we had the initiativ,
all along. and that was why the!
Started what they did---in al
attempt to steal our show. :
Is the USSR in a condition
to stand up before a determined
free world in the economic field
Indications are 1t win be year,
before that position Is reached
Temporary Advantages
The Soviet Union has som,
temporary advantages. For ex'
ample. 1t can absorb agricul.
tural SURPRISES from abroad be.
cause Of its own shortages, anc
this is a great help to the ma.
tons involved. But the huge
agricultural program at HON,
indicates that eventually the
USSR itself intends to be .
surplus nation.
Barring the capitalist worlc
crisis they devoutly hope for
the Red leaders themselves seen
fully aware they have q lonl
road to travel before they car
think In terms Of world DONNA.
ton. Soviet industry still mus
struggle against lopsided devel'
opment. 1t still must considel
q long-range program for a bet.
ter balance between production
and raw materials, fuel ant
areas of consumption. Despit,
talk Of the superiority of thu
Soviet training system. the Rus
slams themselves admit thei
technical training programs arr
far out Of balance. They admi
TO poor organization which
wastes labor and causes ma
chimes to be idle for long periods
They admit poor balance be-
tween demand for the suppl,
Of industrial specialists. The,
admit to a still grievous state ii
agriculture.
All these factors can tend +,
hamper Soviet freedom Of move
ment In an attempt to compete
with the United States.