Evening star., 1961-07-01
Horse Meat and Mr.. K.

AS he has done on more than few
occasions in the past, Nikita Khrushchev
has once again assured the people of
the Soviet Union that they will soon
enjoy great economic boom. And this
boom, he has promised, will put them
ahead Of the United States in all par
ticulars involving living standards.
Thus, while indicating in his latest
speech that the Kremlin intends to be
uncompromiSing as regards Berlin (an
attitude that could precipitate war
Soviet Premier has boasted to his
countrymen that they are already
catching up with us in the production
of consumer goods. Indeed, this is so
true, according to him, that they may
even now say to us Americans: "Step
aside, gentlemen, we are going ahead,
and you will never overtake U.S."
In support of this glowing and
altogether excessive assessment of the
USSR'S prospects, Mr.. Khrushchev has
cited planned projects designed to
guarantee that the Soviets will achieve
"unquestionable superiority over all
leading capitaliStic powers" AS he has
put it: "A tempestuouS growth Of all
branches of the national economy is
envisaged. The light and food indust-
ries will develop rapidly, side by side
with heavy industry" and as a result,
in the relatively near future (by 1970),
the United States will be in second place,
and the Russian masses will be materi-
ally better off than any other people
in the world.
Well, one must almost admire Mr..
Khrushchev's free-wheeling optimism.
However, lest anybody be miSled by his
ebullience into believing that he is
right, such facts as the following ought
to be kept in mind: (1) Soviet produc-
ton OF consumer goodS-automobil
washing machines, refrigerators, cook
ing utensils and the like-conStituteS
only a tiny fraction of ours. (2)
The average family Of four in such
cities as Moscow, Leningrad and Kiev
has total dwelling space roughly
equivalent to medium sized American
bedroom. And (3) while mere tenth
of our labor force raises vast and
troublesome surplus of food, approx
mately half of Russia's entire popula-
ton is engaged in an agricultural
economy that provides only meager
and dull national diet in which things
like good beef are rarity.
Interestingly enough, and perhaps
significantly, Mr.. KhruShchev himself
has just spoken of the meat situation
with kind Of forced jocularity. Having
in mind, presumably, that the Soviet
Union, despite its tremendous increase
in population, has relatively no more
head Of cattle today than in the time
of the Czars 40 years ago-a truly
shocking fact-he has come out in favor
of "the breeding of horses for meat,
because the meat is very tasty t.. i. . very
nourishing and has many calorieS and
is very cheap"
This is an unintentionally eloquent
Soviet statement It serves to sum up the
deficiencies of the USSRS civilian
economy. They are deficiencies of the
first magnitude, and Nikita Khrushchev
is resorting to sheer romanticist propa-
ganda when he eulogizes horse meat
and affirms that his countrymen will
soon be living higher on the hog (if we
may mix figures of speech) than we
are. The fulfillment of this promise is
certainly far from being just around
the corner. Indeed, as President Ken
nedy has indicated, 1t is not likely to be
seen in this century, or ever.