RUSSIA ADDS TO ARMS BUDGET

Southland Times, Issue 23585, 12 August 1938, Page 5

RUSSIA ADDS TO ARMS BUDGET

One-Quarter Of Total Expenditure

MISSING MEMBERS OF SUPREME COUNCIL

(United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received August 11, 10.40 p.m.) MOSCOW, August 11.

The Soviet Commissar of Finance (M. Zveryev) announced at the session of the Supreme Soviet that armaments would absorb one-quarter of the Budget. The military budget is 27,000,000,000 roubles compared with 20,000,000,000 roubles last year. In addition 7,500,000,000 roubles is provided for the defence of industries and 4,300,000,000 roubles for the Department of the Interior, which controls the border troops and industrial and military projects.

The total expenditure is 123,000,000,000 roubles, and revenue is estimated at 125,000,000,000 roubles. The expenditure on health is 8,000,000,000 roubles and on education 20,000,000,000 roubles. The rouble is nominally worth l/9g. The equivalent internal value cannot be quoted. The ravages of the purge were apparent at the opening of the Supreme Council. Nine of the 25 People’s Commissars chosen in January this year have disappeared, those missing being: Vice-Premier Chubar and VicePremier Kossior, both members of M. Josef Stalin’s Political Bureau. The Commissar for the Navy, Admiral Peter Smirnov. The Commissar for Internal Trade, M. Michael Smirnov.

The Commissar for Agriculture, M. Eikhe.

The Commissar for Machine Construction, M. Bruskin. The Commissar for Public Health, M. Boldarev.

The Commissar for Food and Industry, M. Ghelenski. The Commissar for Agricultural Stocks, M. Popov.