From War to Preparedness

From massive, blue-eyed Latvians to small, slant-eyed Mongols, some 1,300 members of the Supreme Soviet gathered in Moscow last week. In four smoothly regulated days they met, heard speeches from delegates picked in advance, approved almost without change a 1946 budget that was already 80% spent, and adjourned. Russia had had its showing of democracy for 1946.

But though Russia's Congress did its year's work in less time than it takes for a minor Senate filibuster, the meeting was significant. For the long-delayed budget figures, when finally unveiled, showed that the Soviet Union was converting steadily from war to preparedness. The armed forces' share fell from nearly half the 1945 budget to less than a quarter in 1946 --from 128.2 out of 298.6 billion rubles* to 72.2 out of 319.3.

Preparedness is still the Soviet watchword. To ensure "further growth of the economic and military might of the Soviet Union," the allotments for scientific research (i.e., the atom) were tripled to 6.3 billion rubles. But the emphasis is on domestic reconstruction rather than foreign expansion. Appropriations for industry, agriculture and transport were all substantially raised. Education jumped from 26.4 to 40.2 billion rubles. The budget also: P: Estimated Soviet state income at 333.5 billion rubles. Chief sources of revenue: 200.8 billion from a turnover tax on all economic enterprises, 21 billion profit taxes from industry, 23.5 billion individual income taxes (cut from 39.8 billion in 1945), and 25.5 billion from bond issues and bank deposits.

P: Carefully concealed all foreign aid, such as the $250 million UNRRA has allocated to Byelorussia and the Ukraine. (No wartime budget ever mentioned Lend-Lease, though experts calculate that it provided one-fifth of the 1945 budget.) P:Increased the already liberal allowances for mothers as an incentive to still larger Soviet families. Payments range from 400 rubles for a third child to 5,000 for each one after the tenth, plus monthly allowances of 80 to 300 rubles. For bearing five or more children, mothers get the Medal of Maternal Glory.

Despite their docility when it came to voting, in speeches the delegates distributed "Soviet selfcriticism" with a generous hand. Even Finance Minister A. G. Zverev, who presented the budget, was accused of "laxity" and told to "give more attention to finances." Cinema Minister I. G. Bolshakov was blamed for a 23-million-ruble loss in the first eight months of 1946 and for making "unsuccessful pictures which cannot be shown." Fisheries Minister A. A. Ishkov and his assistants were told to "put their business in order." The Ministry of Light Industry was attacked for producing only 37.9% of the stockings it should.

The criticisms may well have some effect, for the delegates demanded "a decisive liquidation" of officials whose output lags.

*Officially the ruble is 5.3 to the dollar, but the diplomatic rate of 12 to the dollar is nearer its actual value.

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