Chances for Comrades

The learned Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences (editors: Drs. Edwin Seligman and Alvin Johnson) learnedly observes: "Significant from a sociological and economic standpoint is the fact that . . . smaller lotteries . . . are patronized largely by the proletariat, whereas the patrons of the [bigger] . . . lottery loans are drawn chiefly from the middle class." Unless the Encyclopedia erred, which was indeed conceivable. Soviet Russia last week definitely moved from the proletarian to the bourgeois way of life.

Moscow opened its books for the biggest lottery loan in history--20,000,000,000 rubles (nominally $3,774,000,000) to be advanced by the Russian people for 20 years. Every comrade will be asked to subscribe at least a month's wages. In return, he will get non-interest-bearing bonds whose serial numbers will also be lottery numbers. One-third of the bonds will win cash prizes up to 50,000 rubles ($9,435). Initial subscriptions were heavy; one scientist signed up for 100,000 rubles ($18,870).

Time was when Soviet leaders, like many a Western liberal, considered lotteries just another device for exploiting the masses. In 1923, the U.S.S.R. banned them. In 1930, it permitted them again, if the People's Commissar for Finance found the purpose worthy. During World War II, lottery loans ran up to 2,200,000,000 rubles; they paid off in cash and also in kind, including women's shoes, silk dresses and a Persian lamb coat.

The current lottery-loan is to support the five-year plan and to "strengthen the military and economic might of the nation." One item in the plan: atomic development.

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