First of Five

Just one year ago, Russia's famed "Man of Steel," Dictator Josef Stalin, inaugurated his drastic "Five Year Economic Program," an impressive scheme of industrial and agricultural expansion by which, by 1933, he proposed to make the Soviet Union entirely self-supporting and independent of the outside capitalistic world. Last week Dictator Stalin announced his budget for 1930, published figures which, if honest, showed astounding progress made during the first of his Five Years.

Russian industrial production and Russian factory wages have been increased, Stalin declared, almost exactly according to schedule. Moreover, instead of the 21% increase in production which the Five Year Plan hopefully called for, the Soviet Union's industrial production actually increased 24% during the past twelvemonth. Only by failing to achieve notably reduced prices for manufactured goods of sustained quality did Soviet Russia fall behind her schedule.

Proud of his success thus far, confident that he can jam the whole Five Year Program through, Dictator Stalin announced last week that he would add another billion dollars to Russia's budget for 1930. thus raising the Soviet Government's total expenditure to five billion dollars per annum (13% more than is spent by the U. S. Government). Further, the area of land under cultivation is to be increased by 8%, and most startling of all, Russian industrial production is to be raised 35%.

Wrote famed Walter Duranty, doughty dean of U. S. correspondents in Moscow, last week, commenting on Dictator Stalin's titanic project:

"Every economist knows what it means to increase an annual industrial production of a great country by say even 10%. To try to increase it by one-third sounds like madness.

"But Josef Stalin does not think so. He knows that Russia is a land of unlimited possibilities, almost unscratched resources and largely unused manpower. . . . Under the lash of his will I believe that the program outlined . . . will be accomplished. . . . Moreover M. Stalin has behind him young Russia, that never knew Tsarist slavery and is free from the faults and vices of servile psychology. He and they have a daring which Danton declared was a guide to victory and a faith which one greater than Danton said could move mountains."

To help shove some of the mountains which must be moved if Russia is to increase her industrial production by one-third, the Union Council of People's Commissars debated last week a decree which would abolish Sunday, institute a seven-day working week in all factories and other Russian institutions. Said Moscow's daily Pravda, seemingly confident that the measure would be adopted:

"All-week work will be a mighty factor in the country's cultural revolution and will deal a smashing blow to religion."