W.P. COATES

Telephone:Temple Bar 5032

FROM THE PRESS DEPT.                                                                                                                                                               LONDON, W.C.2

September 28, 1933

No.52 NEWS BULLETIN

We commented in the last issue of this BULLETIN on the recent journey of M. Herriot in the U.S.S.R. The impression made by his journey on the French ex-Premier, who is not only powerful in the councils of the French Government Party, but is well known as a practical man of affairs and Mayor for many years of the industrial town of Lyon, are particularly interesting. We therefore give below a translation of the speech (in so far as it referred to Russia) made by M. Herriot, on his return to France, in full as it appeared in the French Press, September 14, 1938

"I found in Russia an extraordinary fever for knowledge. This Is one of the manifestations of the splendid results obtained in all spheres and more particularly in the sphere of education and of Industrial development.

"We visited the famous Dnleper dam and the gigantic works erected there. It Is the second most powerful electrical station in the world and I know that the Americans have praised it very highly."

"I also visited numerous towns In which remarkable municipal work has been attained. Kharkov, in particular, is one of the most beautiful towns I have ever seen. I could admire there the wide avenues and squares along which modern buildings have been erected very finely adapted to the purpose for which they have been constructed. This is, indeed, a model town."

"‘But,’ Interrupted someone, ‘has not the U.S.S.R. to overcome very serious food difficulties? ‘ ‘No,’ answered M. Herriot. ‘It is necessary to guard against hasty Interpretations. Let me give one example; I saw women waiting In a queue in order to purchase petrol. I asked how could this be reconciled with the huge output of oil in Russia. They replied that the harvest being particularly rich this year, very large quantities of petrol were required for agricultural machinery. For the rest, a large quantity has been exported in accordance with the general plan in order to provide the foreign currency which the U.S.S.R. requires."

"The consumption of various products, particularly of milk, is increasing rapidly.

"As for the Ukraine, of which we sometimes hear—it is a Beauce [one of the rich French grain producing areas].

"At my request I was taken to a village which had been described as suffering great scarcity. Actually, I saw there gardens and orchards, I saw the harvesting being done by machinery driven by electricity. I saw a hard working population, but by no means poverty stricken; I saw fine, healthy children.

"No, all these problems have been regarded with too much passion on both sides, but if one makes one’s observations calmly and impartially one cannot but affirm that Russia is tending to become a Power of a strength equal to the U.S.A."

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Comment on the above article:                                                                                                                             The Soviets completely fooled M. Heriot during his visit to Ukraine by putting on a false display concealing from him any signs of famine.  He was completely taken in by his reception.  I can not comment on the next article's veracity either.  But no doubt the committee were prepared to believe all they heard and read.

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A very rich harvest is indicated in the Ukraine, Northern Caucasus, Central and Lower Volga, Central Black Earth Area and other parts of the U.S.S.R.

In the Ukraine, for instance, the harvest this year is estimated to exceed that of any year during the lasi thirty-two years.

Since 1900, the best harvest in the Ukraine was 1930, when the yield was 10~5 centners per hectare. In the best pre.war years, e.g., 1910, the average harvest was 9.3 centners per hectare and in 1902, 9.1 centners. This year (1933), however, the grain harvest is estimated to be 12 centners per hectare.

The Ukraine harvest of wheat is estimated at 13 centners per hectare as compared with 127 centners in 1913—only 1902 gave as good a wheat harvest. As regards barley, the yield is over 2 centners higher than in any year during the last thirty years.

Other areas are also characterised by extraordinarily good harvests.

Harvesting started this year later than last year owing to the late ripening of the crops.

In the Northern Caucasus and the Ukraine, harvesting started ten to fifteen days later, but the work, on the whole, proceeded far more rapidly and with less loss than last year.

By September 10, 1933, reaping had been completed in all areas of the U.S.S.R. with the exception of the Urals, Eastern Siberia, Far Eastern Area, Kazakstan and the Northern Area.

Last year by September 10, only 85 per cent. of the sown area over the whole of the U.S.S.R. had been reaped.

Stacking and Threshing

By September 15, 1933, stacking had been carried out over an area of 61,100,000 hectares (78.7 per cent. of the area reaped) as against 51,942,000 hectares stacked by September 15, 1932.

By September 15, 1933, the crops over an area of 41,826,000 hectares (539 per cent. of the reaped area) had been threshed as compared with 31,580,000 hectares by September 15, 1932

Autumn Sowing and Early Ploughing

The following tables show the areas sown and early ploughed (in preparation for next Spring’s sowing) by September 15, 1933, as compared with September 15, 1932 :-——

AUTUMN SOWING

(thousand hectares)

Early Ploughing

The Northern Area, Karelia, Leningrad District, Ivanov District, Gorki Area, the Tartar Republic, Western Siberia and Yakutsk had completed and exceeded their Autumn sowing plan by September 15, 1933.

ERRATUM to BULLETIN 51, September 14, 1933, on page 1,

Column 2 under the side head of "Harvesting and Autumn

Sowing Returns," August 31, 1931, in the fifth line should read

August 31, 1932.