RUSSIA: Balkhazhstrov Conserved

Not to be confused with Clara Zetkin, the withered, tottering “Mother of German Communism.” is Zara Witkin of Los Angeles, the smooth, upstanding designer of the Hollywood Bowl.

In Moscow last week Civil Engineer Witkin achieved even greater eminence, was appointed “Chief Rationalizer of Soviet Construction.”

That “rationalization” (sternly applied coordination) is a crying need in Russia. every Russian knows. Horrible-example-of-last-week was an official announcement in the Government organ Za Industri-alizatsia! (“For Industrialization!”) that the “World’s Largest Copper Plant” on the shores of Lake Balkhazh (2,000 mi. from Moscow in the howling depths of Asia) will have to be “indefinitely conserved” (abandoned).

On this job the Soviet State has already spent 100,000,000 rubles “and there is not even a single house to show for this huge expenditure,” despaired For Industrialization!

Some 15,000 workers and their families (totaling 35,000) were shipped by barge and camelback to the job site, have lived there in tents and eaten up most of the money. Lack of rationalization (coordination) permitted the Balkhazhstroy project to be launched on a schedule calling for the arrival of 300,000 tons of construction materials yearly—whereas the most that Lake Balkhazh’s two tiny steamers and three barges have been able to carry is 10,000 tons for the year just ended.

Rampant on Lake Balkhazh’s brim last week was John C. Calder, the tall, two-fisted, blue-swearing U. S. engineer who drove, argued and pleaded Stalingrad’s famed Tractorstroy into successful operation. Last week not even John C. Calder seemed to think that anything can be done with Balkhazhstroy except “conserve” it.

Against this dismal failure in their Five-Year Plan, proud Soviet leaders set last week the success of a Russian and a U. S.

engineer. Nearing completion, Dnieprostroy, the monster dam and hydroelectric power plant on which Russia has spent more than 200,000,000 rubles, was officially dedicated.

While thousands of comrades hopped up & down on Mother Dnieper’s brim, U. S. Engineer Colonel Hugh L. Cooper received, the Red Banner of Labor as did five of his U. S. assistants. Russians, although they have heard of Colonel Cooper, give most of the credit to Soviet Chief Engineer Alexander Winter, whose name few U. S. citizens have ever heard.

Perhaps because facilities are lacking to use most of Dnieprostroy’s giant power, Dictator Josef Stalin, stern realist, stayed away from the “successful opening.” From Moscow he wired: DETAINED BY WORK.