Tougher On Soviet Art?

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31028, 6 April 1966, Page 17

Tougher On Soviet Art?

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) I MOSCOW, April 5. The Soviet Communist Party’s 23rd National Congress ended the first part of its work yesterday amid increasing’ signs that the Kremlin intends to crack down on ! liberals in the arts. Five thousand delegates in the modern-style Palace of Congresses in the Kremlin heard final speeches in the debate on the report by the party’s central committee, delivered by the First Secretary, Mr Leonid Brezhnev, and then voted their unanimous approval of the party’s general line. Vietnam Volunteers In another speech yesterday General Alexei Yepishev, political chief of the Soviet Armed Forces, announced that thousands of Russians, including whole military units, had volunteered to go to Vietnam. But he gave no indication that any had gone, nor that any would be going. Mr Brezhnev first spoke of Soviet volunteers in March, 1965, and yesterday’s statement was not regarded as a new development. Earlier, the first secretary of the Soviet Film Workers' Union,Mr Lev Kulidjanov,

criticised the showing in Russia of what he termed “commercial" films which had little ideological content Some speakers have called for a more careful selection of foreign films imported into the country. Mr M. S. Solomentsev, chairman of the party organisation in Rostov, demanded that any films shown in Russia should “help to educate people in the direction our society needs.” But the main object of criticism has been the failings of many writers, especially those in the “liberal” camp, to follow the party line close enough. Although Mr Brezhnev in his key-note speech only made a brief reference to the party’s concern at the growth of a political literature, subsequent delegates have developed the theme and specifically attacked the liberal literary journals. “Novy Mir” and “Yunost” (Youth). “Party Consciences”

There have been reports that the editor of “Novy Mir,” Mr Alexander Tvardovsky, has already been replaced by Mr Konstantin Simonov, a more conformist writer who has already taken over from Mr Tvardovsky once before ,in 1954 when “Novy Mir” came under fire.

Some delegates have hinted that writers who failed to conform to the party’s demands would find it difficult to be published.

Others asked how Communists at the head of magazines and publishing houses could square the works they published with their “party consciences."

Afterwards Mr Brezhnev, the Prime Minister, Alexei Kosygin, and President Podgorny, joined a Hungarian party reception in a Moscow restaurant.

Mr Kosygin asked the Communist Party Congress today to endorse a new five-year plan for the economy from 1966-70

Mr Kosygin said the plan directives, made public in February. had already been “unanimously approved everywhere.”

The new plan sets the following basic goals—gross social product. 40 per cent increase; national income, 38-40 per cent increase: real incomes per capita, 30 per cent increase; a faster rate of labour productivity: rapid technical re-equipment of the whole economy; reduced production costs, with a big boost for profits as an economical goal; higher living stands “the most important social task of the plan" and reducing differences in living standards between town and countryside; continuing priority for heavy industry, while allocating more funds for consumer goods.

Output of heavy industry is to go up by 50 per cent (compared with 58 per cent between 1961-1965), and consumer goods will increase by 46 per cent (compared with 36 per cent}.