Stranica 1 [1]
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XA .Nof for October 1952.
THE SITUATION IN THE USSR.
Ever since the reports were released for publication on
the Fifth Five-Year Plan late in August, the international press has
been dwelling in the ciffers and numbers published. Even for those
reaching the West or those kept secret the reading of the innumerable
columns 1s tedious. Still they contain some very important facts,
which, curiously enough, the press seems to have almost entirely dig¬
regarded, though they permit the widest possible conclusions as to
the Soviet plans and possibilities. It is thus rational that this dis ¬
patch should begin with a few comments on the matter.
The present Five Year plan period runs from January 1st,
1951 to December 31st, 1955. It should be put in the light of Stalins
words of 1946, that is to say of the first year of the fourth five
year plan, that the USSR should have two or three more five year plan
before reaching the golden age of plenty. And in this all to forgotten
speach Stalin gave the following signs of the goldén age. Production
would have to reach 50 million tons of crude iron, 60 million tons
of petrol, 60 million tons of steel and 500 million tons of coale
As soon as this is reached the second phase of Communism would be
reached, the so-calied People's Communism, ín which everybody would
share in plenty and abundance, while the State would gradually losen
his economic controls, ín order to permit everyone to get what he
wants. This creed in a millenium is deeply anchored in the hearts of
the young Russians, who watch with keen interest the present reports
go as to see the progress towards it. In this light the presently
published numbers are importent for the morale of the Russian people@e
Seen in this light, the production in 1955 will be as follows %
crude iron 34 million tons against 50, petrol 66,2 million tons
against 60 ( here, then, the goal wouid be already surpassed ¬
steel 37,4 million tons against 60, coal 373,7 against 500 million
tons. If we watch the whole geen 4% would mean that et the end of
1955 and taking as a base 1940 the total industrial production should
reach the index 294 as compared to the index 500 which will indicate
that the era of plenty has arrived. It is interesting to note, that
on January 1st of this year the same index AkéyZd stood at 199,
indicating an over-all rise of 51% for the fourth five year plane
These numbers are studied and repeated at present in ebery
factory and every enterprise of Russia. They are the basis of a great
optmism in the younger generation, while the old people are to weary
and disillusioned really to have any lasting hopes. they are likely
to be proven right, if we objectively compare the goals in raw materi
als with the goals in finished products. It is 4ndeed interesting,
that Stalin hes put forward only the production in raw materials to be
studied by the people. Why not the finished products ? Because these
can be only released in their part for civilian production, and that
if people's attention was called upon the finished products, they
might suddenly realise ths staggering discrepancy which exists betwee n
the very ambitious goals for the production of raw materials with the
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