SEES YEARS OF PROGRESS FOR SOVIET RUSSIA
January 9, 1932
Spencer Clarke, London, Tells Kiwanians of His Observations.
Paid Visit to Russia and Was Surprised at Accomplishments.
"When I look back over the 14 years of turmoil and the almost super-obstacles that were overcome and realize through my own observations the accomplishments of eight years, I can't see that there is anything that can stop Russia," declared Spencer Clarke, of London, to the Kiwanis Club at their luncheon yesterday. "I have discussed it with others and studied the situation in all its phases and while there may be minor setbacks and handicaps, I can only see many years of progress for that country. The time will come when we must accept them and we must try to understand them."
This statement of Mr. Clarke's came at the conclusion of an interesting talk on the United States of Soviet Russia, material for which, stated the speaker, was gained from a visit to the country last summer in company with a large body of professors and trained men, including Dr. S. Eddy, who had visited the country on a number of previous occasions and who had been able to watch the progress from the time of the Czar to the present day. The motive for the trip was the same that has probably stirred the urge of many to visit that country, the disjointed reports carrying few morsels of reliable information concerning the situation in the U.S.S.R with its experiments of such magnitude and importance.
Met Shaw Party.
Prior to visiting Russia, Mr. Clarke's party met the Astor-Shaw party in England and later again encountered them in the U.S.S.R. Speaking regarding Shaw's observations, the speaker stated that he was somewhat impressed and agreed with several lines on which Shaw had given his views. On the return journey, Mr. Clarke conversed with former members of the Russian nobility and attended the World Economic Convention at Amsterdam, where he heard further reports on Soviet progress given by Soviet officials
To understand the situation it was necessary to realize the extent of the U.S.S.R., declared the speaker. It was three times as large as the United States in areas with a population greater than that of the North American continent. It represented one-sixth of the total land surface of the globe and was almost inexhaustable [i.e. inexhaustible] in natural resources that were sufficient for the country to live to itself.
Five Year Plan.
Referring to the five year plan that is being closely watched by other nations, the speaker stated that while it was an important step in the development of the country, it was only a present development in the greater phase of "planned economy," a system to regulate and plan to economic life in advance. The country is taking some of the best methods that have been developed in a single industry and applying them to the whole of national life.
Takes to Industry.
Primary an agricultural country, a slave country up to the revolution, a base was being laid for the basic industries, planned to change the country to an industrial state and make it self-supporting. In industry, the U.S. S.R. had dropped to 20 per cent. in 1921 in comparison with the pre-war period, but now registered an increase of 300 per cent, with the yearly increase in production being 27 per cent. The yearly increase in the United States amounted to 5 per cent., while the largest ever previously recorded was 12 per cent. In showing this increase, Russia had been practically immune from foreign capital, having raised production mainly on her own resources. In preparing the plan, Mr. Clarke stated that 33,000 experts had been employed for a period of several years, formulating the plan which started in 1928 and will end in 1933.
There are some phases of the plan that will fall down, but in general the plan will be completed in four years, declared the speaker. He was confident of this and it was also the opinion of other economists. There were stories of the incompetence of the workmen in handling machinery and their falling down in certain phases of the work, but generally the plan was advancing.
Wages Increased
The average wage was now 70: percent greater than it was in 1913. The working day was lowered to eight hours while in the steel mills and mining industries the day was down to six hours. The workers were provided with unemployment insurance although it was unnecessary as there was at present a demand for labor and an influx of laborers into the country. Sickness and accident insurance and old age pensions were all provided while men's clubs were operated in connection with the various factories. These clubs were provided with gymnasiums, swimming pools, libraries and reading rooms and in one visited, the method of production was shown in miniature. They were' making great efforts to educate the workers in order to secure future technicans [i.e. technicians] from within the boundaries of their own country.
Tour the Country
On their trip, the speaker went with the rest of the party through the country and cities, talking with the peasants and workers in order to obtain an average viewpoint of the ordinary person to the new system. A lot had been heard regarding the happiness of the people. The vast majority of the people were not only happy but enthusiastic, an enthusiasm equal to that experienced by a nation at war. The individual peasant farmers were inclined to be critical but they were passing from the scene with the introduction of the big collective farms.
Farming Industry
During the reign of the Czars, the farms consisted of large tracts under a noble. Following the revolution the land was divided up into smaller individual farms. With the introduction of this system the total agricultural production decreased and it was found advantageous to go back to the larger farms. Collective farms were thus started, 200 individual farmers pooling their farms into one large organization, retaining an acre of land and their house. The farm was granted credit by the government for agricultural assistance and a technical agriculturist was loaned to assist in instruction. There was a 200 percent increase in grain yield per acre by collective farming in comparison with individual agriculture. Mr. Clarke saw no signs of force being used and in connection with the farmers tilling collective farms. There was now 60 percent of the land in collective farms and the government was having a hard time extending credit to them.
There was a system of mass education going on among all the people with ordinary kindergartens and schools, young communist movements, similar to Boy Scouts, schools in factories and technical schools. Posters as a form of educating the masses along certain lines were to be seen on every hand, Mr. Clarke at the conclusion of his address showed a number of these posters which were highly lithographed and told word pictures on temperance, physical training, the brotherhood of races and the progress in certain industries.
The increase in population that the country was experiencing was due more to the decrease in death rate through health education than an increased birthrate. The influx of labor also accounted for a portion of the increase.
Mr. Clarke stated that all his facts were from authoritative sources and could be readily backed up. The daily press was unreliable and he advised people to be very sceptical and to reserve their judgment in reading accounts of the happenings of the U.S.S.R.
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