Kolhozes for Export
Nathan, M. T.
Kolhozes for Export Agrarian Reforms in Soviet Sphere Will Lead to Collectivism By M. T. Nathan THE Russian collective farms tkol botes) have been a tremendous sue cess, accoiding to friends of...
...If there is an intention to introduce the>Soviel pallet n in Ihe Russian zone, it is wise policy even now to oigani/e the'e station* as state enterprises...
...In 1937, when Hit-lei's armament program provided jobs for the unemployed, the average size of the settlement farms increased to 411.5 acres, The policy of creating millions of new tiny farms in the Russian zone is especially significant since in the USSR much larger farms were deviated inferior In productivity and were compelled to merge into large collective farms...
...Far reaching agrarian reforms have been initiated in all the nations within Ihe Russian sphere of influence...
...Under the conditions now existing in Hungary, one horse or one pair of oxen is not available even for 20 such farmers, and even if they were available th* small farmers could not afford to toy them...
...Most of these peasant families have no other land-Farms of this size represent the le-vcrse of economic advancement...
...Would it not lie good to bless with this miracle other countries, too, primarily the Eastern European nations in the Russian sphere of interest...
...It seems that so fsr steps lowaid direct collectivization have l<een taken in Bulgaria only...
...Despite tremendous investments for carrying out collectivization and socialization, the Russian agricultural output has not increased by more than 2 percent per annum since the start of the collectivization drive (from 1928 through 1941...
...They are being broken up into very small farms...
...On Nov...
...size of the individual holdings which survived after every other land property had been broken up, proved a serious obstacle to the industrialization nf Kussia...
...Far from being a mere concession to the urgent claims for land on the part of applicants, this disregard represents a deliberate policy of preventing the consolidation of these farms...
...The Final...
...With a spade...
...9. Ambassador llairiman saw him Ihere on Oct...
...The answer is given in the following article written, under a pen name, bt a prominent expert who has published s number of studies dealing with agricultural problems, particularly in Eastern Europe...
...As a matter of fact even if taxes and compulsory ileliveiies at low prices had not been increased, the average peasant would have had a smaller income Hfter the collectivization than before it...
...Similar measures have lieen taken also outside the Russian sphere of influence...
...Nor are cows available in Hungary...
...though Mo* row msisls that he in still in excellent health and denies the alory about Communist and Red Army leaders scrambling to rspture the poets thai Stalin has vacated...
...If we converted into giain al) the receipt of a Kolhnz member, his income would not have exceeded 10 pounds of grain...
...According to a recent Hungarian announcement, about 650,000 persons have received a total of 6,760,000 acres, or slightly more than 10 acres per household...
...tin email farinn are nil mm Id ii In nu i ye it He collective forme, it i* (i wiei policy to make their inile-11 ml) nt fsietence imnoeeible hum the an teet...
...Almost twenty years have elapsed since Ihe start of the collectivization drive...
...Unfortunately, sweeping land ie'°fms are often initiated when unemployment in the cities tends to swell the number of applicants for land...
...The hol-huzen have been, and continue to be, a new form of slavery...
...In Germany, for example, where the output per acre is much higher than in Hungary, and more than twice as high as in Rumania, the average size of the farms newly settled by the government was 28 acres in 1032, a year of tremendous unemployment and consequently of great inflow of applications for settlement farms...
...27 and said that the Soviet Fuehrer was in good heajfh...
...How is a farmer with a 10-acre lot •spected to grow his grain...
...The significant dif-fuence, however, is that in the Russian zone these stations are meant to become permanent institutions with a large scope opeiations, and that they do not necessarily have to be state-owned, Bui state-, owned machine-tractor stations are one of the cornel stones of the Russian system of collectivized farming...
...Such is the great achievement with which Kussia* western nelghboi* sre likely to be blessed, perhaps in the not ton distant future If the wind continues lo blow from the East...
...In Rumania the maximum size of these fauns was set at 12 acres...
...Even Ihe raving in labor resulting from socialization snd collectivization is negligible ('he population engaged in rat tiling decreased from about lflo.000, 000 in 192(1 to snout 90.000,000 In 10391, if we take into consideration the immense possibilities implied in the transformation of 25,000,000 small peasant holdings, partly using implements of the pre-Christian era, into 250,000 large (in ins operated with tractors, combines and Ihe like...
...it the AP reported from "aufhorilaf ive source*" in Moscow that the (ieneraliHiimo had decided lo take "a good long real...
...They are very small even judging by production and living standards of 50 oi 100 years ago...
...This measure is to be welcomed, especially in view of the postwar scarcity of draft power...
...What are the true implications of these reforms simul-lancouslv Marled in a immlsi of states...
...Stalin has been in Sochi since Oct...
...STALIN—SICK OR OUSTED...
...But there was an offsetting factor to ihis devastation in the'large Lend-I^ase shipments of food from Ihe United Stales...
...Stations are now being established throughout the Russian zone of influence to supply farmers with horses and inf-rhines...
...The article is based upon vast knowledge of economic conditions prevailing in those rounlries...
...Though this increase slightly exceeds the rate of population growth, this happened only because Iht collectivization caused the death of millions from slaivation, cold, etc...
...But though collectivization is considered inadvisable light now, why not do some spade work for the future ? The Russian land reform which was an impoitant part of the revolution was nioie sweeping than anything now happening in the adjacent countries...
...This can me** only that either Klalin in seriously ill...
...Since the food standard wss much higher in the cities than on the land, and since the proportion of the urban population gieatly increased after 1928, the general food standard in Russia before the war wss even lower than it had been prior to lollerlivizstion...
...This product cannot Ustibly coVer all the requirements of * household for food, feed, seed and also **•« income...
...It is possible, however, that, as in Russia between 1918 and 1928, the term "voluntary" will be interpreted in some harmony with the dictionary, until the time is deemed ripe for an all-out sweep...
...Large estates are being confiscated, but they are iu t to be operated as Isrge state or collective enterprises...
...This is cflen blamed on Ihe Germans who had overrun a large pait of Russia's surplus areas...
...What is striking in the present case is the utter disregard for the vital requirements which would enable the new farms, with some temporary help, to develop into independent economic units...
...Thus for his loss of independence the peasant actually receives no compensation whatsoever...
...As a matter of fact, statistical data give ample proof (bat (he family farm is everywhere gaiaiag ground at Ihe expense of large farms...
...Such a farm ran-aet'be operated efficiently, and cannot provide even a meagre income for a small family...
...Experience throughout the world has clearly demonstrated that a farm sufficiently large to utilize Ihe labor of a whole family employing reasonably modern implement* is by no means as inferior lo large farms as Soviet propaganda insists...
...Sweeping agrarian reforms are in progress everywhere within the Russian sphere of influence, except perhaps in Finland...
...Farmers whose laud is flanked by kolhozes are forced lo join them...
...The climatic conditions is Hungary exclude very intensive farming, large application of commercial fertiliser, and the cultivation on s large scale ef high-yielding crops, sach as heels and potatoes...
...even Ihe largest collective farms are prohibited from owning machinery...
...However, little seems to have been ©one to collectivize farming in those lands...
...DOTH befoie and after the revolution the Kussian diet had been the woist in Europe and one of the worst in the world...
...Dining the war Ihe urban population in Kussia was worse off as far as loud was concerned than in any country under German occupation except Greece...
...or lhat he hi no longer^the absolute ruler of the Kremlin--or both...
...If in good health and still in power, Stalin would never lake n real at this particular Juncture of history...
...A new generation has grown up which has never known individusl fsrming...
...Hut a holding of 10 acres or ken in Hungary cannot be lisled among sorb small farms...
...The same is true of Poland...
...The moderate increase in farm output attained before the beginning of the war was not sufficient to cover these new expenses...
...Out of the rural population a large and relatively highly-paid group had to lie formed for service at the machine-tractor stations...
...Both large Sad small farms have to concentrate en the growing ef grain, i. e. crops heat adaptable to small-scale production...
...In reality Ihe" main cause of the miseiy Iny in Ihe failine lo achieve I In mud expansion of agricultural output, for the sake of which almost 100,-000,000 peasants were pressed into kol-hojes and many millions deported and suffered death...
...The widely publicized achievement of Soviet agriculture, the fast lhat a large percentage of the arable land is plowed by tractors and harvested by combines, is practically of little avail since in many other opeiations carried out wilh animal power, collective farm* are no won, or even lee*, efficient thou iiuliriiluai peasant faime...
...There is obvious reluctance to start with collectivization at once, for fear that Rumanian, Polirh, ami other peasants will prove unenthusiastir about the Russian "miracle...
...Its opponents were mostly executed or died in fhe forest, nt fhe Fsr North or in Siberia...
...Finally a 10-acre farm in Hungary cannot produce—in addition to **t*tables and feed for livestock—more about 100 bushels of grain, mostly *beat and com...
...The mechanization of agriculture imposes upon it payments to other production branches for machines and fuel...
...And yet, had the kolhox members been given a chance lo make a free derision, few collective faima would have survived...
...They aie said to have gieatly increased the output of fmu, products, con veiled the dreary, hiingiy life of individual population Moreover, the kolhoies are supposed to have lieen ct great help in defeating the Nazis...
...Kolhozes for Export Agrarian Reforms in Soviet Sphere Will Lead to Collectivism By M. T. Nathan THE Russian collective farms tkol botes) have been a tremendous sue cess, accoiding to friends of the Soviet system...
...Yet, according lo Russian production and living standards, these small landholder* felt themselves independent farmers, ami their stubborn desire to maintain this status proved a haul nut when the decision was made to deprive them of their independence...
...tin in runt land irfiii in in thv Ifneeian tfihtr* of influence is Imt u temporary Oi ionffeoit nt, nut...
...For the others, membership is voluntary, though it is well-known what "voluntary" means in the Soviet concept of democracy...
Vol. 28 • November 1945 • No. 48
