HOUSANDS of articles in the
capitalist press of the world
have, in recent months, posed the
question: “Is the Soviet Union
really concerned with the promo-
tion of world peace?”

The authors have indulged in a
series of speculations derived
from ther own prejudices. They
have refrained from examining
what the Soviet government is
really doing.

It is a Safe rule to study not
only what a government says but
what a government does.

The speeches in the Supreme
Soviet, which has just been meet-
ing, provide abundant material
for commentators on the Soviet
Union. Maybe the critics will con-
sult this material more and their
own prejudices less. :

The essence of the policy an-
nounced in the Supreme Soviet
is:

+ The pursuit of negotiated
agreements on all questions at is-
sue between the great Powers.

+ The reduction of armaments
as compared with last year.

. * The switching of resources
to ensure greatly increased sup-
plies of consumer goods and high-
grade foods to the Soviet people.

The pursuit of the last two ob-
jectives is only possible on the
basis of the resolute pursuit of
the first objective, of the nego-
tiation of a series of peace settle-
ments.

The announcement that the So-
viet Union has the hydrogen
bomb has been overplayed by the
millionaire press to such an ex-
tent that it has obscured the tre-
mendous importance of the gen-
eral line of policy enunciated by
the Soviet government.

It is, of course, a pity that there
is a hydrogen bomb at all. Given
the existence of hydrogen bombs,
however, most people will be glad
that they are not all in the pos-
session of trigger-happy American
generals.

The breaking of the American
monopoly of the hydrogen bomb
may be a prelude to a realistic
international agreement on atomic

energy.
*

The possibilities of a swift in-
crease in the supply of consumer
goods to the Soviet people is bas-
ed on the tremendous develop-
ment of heavy industry—particu-
larly the steel and engineering
industries—in the Soviet Union.

This year the Soviet Union
' will produce 320 million tons of
coal, 38 million tons of steel, and

Now that the Soviet Union has the hydrogen bomb, stories are
being circulated from Washington about a ‘“C-bomb” that could wipe
out the world. Above is shown an artist’s conception of the H-bomb
supposedly detonated by the United States some time ago at Eniwetok

Atoll in the Pacific.

Premier Malenkov addressing a meeting of the Supreme Soviet,

Re ee See ee By J. R, CAMPBELL (age iat Te ee

133,000 million kilowatt hours of
electricity.

Soviet production of coal is 19
times what it was in 1924; steel
21 times; and electric power 45

- times.

These tremendous achievements
in heavy industry were not paral-
leled by a similar development
of consumer goods industries.

The output of means of pro-
duction is 55 times what it was
in 1924. But the output of con-
sumer goods only 12 times.

Year after year, the Soviet
Union has concentrated on the
industries producing means of
production. A great heavy indus-
try foundation has been created.

Now it is possible, while con-
tinuing the development of heavy
industry, to switch considerable
resources to the industries pro-
ducing consumer goods.

There has to be more invest-
ment in the food industry, in fish-
eries, in agriculture and in con-
sumer goods generally.

There has to be a diversion of
sections of the engineering and
metal and other heavy industries
to the production of consumer
goods.

It is clear that this policy can
only be pursued by a government
which is not only not preparing

‘for an aggressive war, but which

is confident of achieving nego-
tiated settlements everywhere.

As part of this policy the So-
viet Union is advocating the lift-
ing of all restrictions hampering
international trade, not only as a
contribution to economic prosperi-
ty but to a peaceful world.

Great stress was laid in Malen-
kov’s speech on the building of
houses, hospitals, schools, nursery
schools and children’s creches.

School building is 30 percent,
nursery schools and creches 40
percent, and hospitals 50 percent
higher than last year.

*

It is impossible to deal with all
aspects of foreign policy touched
on by Malenkov. Here are the
highlights:

+ The authority and role of
the United Nations has to be
strengthened. wd

“Today this international ore
anization has been reduced to be-
ing one of the levers of the North
Atlantic bloc,” said Malenkov.

The attempt of Eisenhowel
Dulles and Syngman Rhee to by-
pass the United Nations with T
gard to the forthcoming negotla
tions on Korea is a glaring e©
ample of this. ; i

+ Contrary to the United
States policy, the Soviet Union
does not seek to interfere in the
internal affairs of other countries
and to deny them’ their interlé
tional rights. :

So the Soviet Union demands
that the Chinese People’s Repub
lic be given its lawful place in

‘ the United Nations.

To keep China out harms China;
reduces the status of the Unit
Nations. and endangers world —
peace.

‘+ In no Soviet speech of T&
cent years has there been SUuC
a sharp rebuke to the Western —
imperialists who are rebuildiné

German militarism: ‘

“They want us to agree to the
re-birth of an aggressive militat-
ist Germany and at the same t pe
allow themselves to talk of Le
suring peace in Europe. pe :
ever, our people» did not se
the blood of millions of its pi
and daughters in order to rest
once more this dangerous 0
bed of war in Europe.” :

+ Peaceful agreements 02 dis:
puted issues must recognize
People’s revolutions in Asia #
in Europe:

“He who does not understand
that 800 million people, consti
ing the great family of pel a
of the countries belonging to
democratic camp cannot be C0)
pelled to abandon their histor.
achievements, won with aa
blood and sweat, to abandon Mt
own people’s power, an Ry
establish the regime of exploit
ers, simply places himself 1?
foolish situation. A

“He who wants to conduct,
sober policy of international
sues must stand on the grount --
stark reality, on the groum 4
facts, be they pleasant oF no ons

The British and Canadian es
ple, too, want a peace policy
ed on reality. . in

They should, therefore, at a
the peace policy which has & ta
ed from the Supreme Sov t
policy which goes far tO 74).
their desires for an advance
wards a world without wal-

i

Skirting imbecility

———

URING our time we’ve read

some pretty weird statements.

from banal apologists for capit-
alist economics but it is obvious
that Stanley N. Jones, president of
thé Winnipeg Grain Exchange, is
a man who is satisfied with noth-
ing less than perfection as he
strives to be voted the person
most likely to open his mouth and
mumble gibberish.

Canada is loaded down with
wheat left over from last year’s
crop and the outlook is that the
farmers are going to be stuck
with millions more bushels from
this year’s harvest. A few mal-
contents, both from right, left and
centre, have suggested the wheat
could be moved, the farmer paid
a better price and the market
stabilized, by trading with the
world.

This opinion is based on logic,
something which Mr. Jones seems
to view as being in bad taste, for
in a brilliant analysis of the wheat
market he brings forward the su:
perior judgment that its ups and
downs are hitched to the hemlines
of women’s skirts. This is .a

By MEL COLBY

serious observation on the part
of the president of the Winnipeg
Grain Exchange and is not to be
confused with entries in-an im-
becility contest.

“The higher the skirt, the lower
the (wheat) market,” Mr. Jones
said last week in a serious com-
ment on the fashion designer’s
plan to raise hemlines to their
prewar level of just below the
knee.

However, wanting to be fair,
not wanting to allow the slightest
new trend in capitalist economics
to escape unexamined, we gave
J. K. Snagsby a roving commis-
sion to inquire into the effect wo-
men’s wearing apparel is having
on the market price of basic com-
modities.

“Find out,” we told him grim-
ly, “to what extent women are
wrecking our economic system.”

x * *

Snagsby has since brought in
his findings. His report is one
of extreme sensitivity and in it
he neither rants, rails nor com-
plains. He has presented the
facts exactly as he found them,

fake
aie
at

without dramatics

heroics: women are 10 w
sponsible for the fall in ay
market but must also take“ seel
sibility for the increase ? sntio®
and coal prices, not t0 ine oY
rubber, uranium and
bean.

.
- ae
But let’s: settle the 389% is
wheat. It seems that WRC) oom
are shortened the Wester gr aid
ers keep making trips t0 stone
elevators, ostensibly 0 ‘
wheat, but actually to rae New
town in order to ogle
Look. This jams the ©. ses
with unsold wheat and hen
slump in the market. Ww =i pot
lines are long the farms apy
interested in making © ice he
visits to the elevators Dect © jyst
hasn’t got the incentive | the

ile u
lets the wheat ols: ortage

fields, causes a § me
bumps up the markets | go wit!
“Absolutely nothin€ 4 snag

world markets?” we @ ee
by sharply. 0

"He ont aside the paper = told
was cutting. “Nothing,

us firmly, ;
pace '°

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — AUGUST 28, 1953 — ae