Socialism to Communism

Last week a U. S. correspondent brought home an interview with U. S. S. R.'s handsome, crisp Assistant Commissar of Finance R. J. Levin. It would have been utterly incomprehensible to anyone who holds to the world-wide fallacy that Soviet Russia now practices Communism. Clearly and repeatedly Josef Stalin has said that he is "building Socialism," hopes some day to start building Communism. Communism, the ultimate objective, is a pure, lofty idea: "from each according to his ability and to each according to his needs." Socialism is merely "the union of agriculture with socialist industry . . . such as will lead directly to the annihilation of classes." Today U. S. S. R. does not scruple to use such inherently Capitalist devices as money, payment on a piece work basis, budgetary accounting, income taxes, bonds paying a fixed rate of interest, lotteries, all to "build Socialism." Last week Practical Communist Levin was quoted on:

Gold. "So long as the Soviet Union is surrounded by Capitalist countries, we are likely to maintain a gold basis in relation to our foreign obligations -- as a sop to the nations with whom we are dealing."

Money. "We're striving, of course, toward the time when money will be only an incidental item in our economy. [But now] we increase the money in circulation as industry grows and we have more goods. We are in the peculiar position of having more money than goods."

Production. "During the First Five-Year Plan we concentrated our efforts on production goods, and got along with the very minimum essentials of consumer goods. Having a limited supply of food and clothing, and almost no luxuries, we sold the minimum essentials at low prices. When we have more goods than people can buy we'll increase the money--raise wages."

Budget. "The 1934 budget even shows a surplus [because] we don't include any payments due on money borrowed to build new industries. Each industry is supposed to pay off its own debts."

Bonds. "We pay 10% on our internal government bonds, because it doesn't matter how high the interest is because, after all, it goes right back to the workers."

Unemployment. "There will never be any unemployment under our system. There may be increased leisure for everybody, but never unemployment. When we can produce more goods than people want, then we shall have true Communism."

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