SHORTCOMINGS IN RUSSIA

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 126, 13 March 1950, Page 3

SHORTCOMINGS IN RUSSIA

GREATER EFFORTS URGED NATIONALISM SEEN IN ARMENIA i (N.Z.P.A>—Copyright) , LONDON, March 12, Reuter says that Mr Anastas Mikoyan, one of Russia’s Deputy Prime Ministers and a member of the Polititburo, criticised Communist “shortcomings” and called for the uprooting of nationalism in Soviet Armenia in an election speech-reported yesterday by the Tass Agency. Mr Mikoyan was speaking at Erivan, the capital of Armenia, where he is a candidate in the elections to-day for .the Supreme Soviet.

Referring to nationalism in Armenia. he said: “We hope the Armenian Communist Party will be able to rally round itself the working pecfple and bring them up in the Bolshevik spirit in order to uproot the nationalism in their midst.

Dealing with trade’and production. |dr Mikoyan said: “We cannot conceal* nor should we conceal, the shortcomings we have. We still have a considerable number, particularly in the sphere of trade turnover. A- big shortcoming in trade is the shortage of shops, the numbfer of which has not yet reached the pre-war level. “In spite of the successes achieved one has to admit that the rate of development of local industries and industrial co-operatives is not sufficient. The task set the party has not been fulfilled. The production of building materials, the setting up of a network of workshops for repairing footwear, clothing, furniture, and household goods and the organisation of trades for performing services for the population are lagging behind.” He added that it was also essential to reduce production costs and increase output.