Sunday, 15 January
Third day of the twelfth lunar month, Yiwei year
From today onwards we have employed Wu Fu (伍輔)’s son, Paul, as second chef.
I continued to construct the door of my bookshelf in the cellar of the restaurant.
The Soviet Union has announced its Sixth Five-year Plan. It still puts emphasis on heavy industry. Probably a such policy has been decided because it is perceived that the cold war has not diminished. According to this Plan, in 1960:
1) The Soviet Union would build atomic electric plants which could generate about 2,000,000 to 3,500,000 kw.
2) Regarding industry: a) Pig iron, 53,000,000 tons per year, b) Steel, 68,300,000 tons, which is about two thirds of the 106,000,000 tons produced by the United States last year. c) Coal, 593,000,000 tons, which is higher than the current production of United States, though the quality of Soviet coal does not seem to be as good as the standard of what is produced by the United States, d) Electricity, which is about half of what the United States produces, e) Oil, 135,000,000 tons, which is about half the production of the United States. The total sum of heavy industry produced could reach two thirds of that of the United States. But at the moment it is only half.
3) As for the agricultural side, state farming has increased by seventy per cent in production, b) Collective farming has increased production by one hundred per cent.
4) Light and consumer industries have increased production by sixty per cent.
5) In construction, output has increased by fifty-two per cent.
6) Regarding education, general education for common people has been increased to ten years. (At present, seven years is still common in many cases.) The number of technicians and specialist workers would be increased to 2,500,000 people. (This number is higher than in the various states in the United States, Britain and Western Europe.)
7) Wages would be increased by thirty per cent, compared with the previous Five-year Plan. (Industry 85 per cent, heavy industry 91 per cent, light industry 76 per cent).
I thought this time it is certainly reasonable. The Soviet Union is not, as claimed by America, putting its emphasis on heavy industry. Harry Schwartz said that since the Soviet Union put its emphasis on heavy industry, it would have no capability to help Communist and neutral countries; something which could be considered a shallow observation. I thought that for those areas that the Soviet Union proclaims possible, the Soviets must have the capability to proceed. The Soviet Union also believes the US is not in agreement with the neutralization of Germany, and they are determined to assume that the US and Western Europe want to rejuvenate a strong Germany to counter the Soviet Union. Therefore, the Soviets have decided to adopt a self-strengthening policy to first further develop their heavy industry to the level that it could compete with or even exceed the US, before (doing) anything. During this period of time, light industry and consumer industry would be sacrificed, and the enjoyment of the people would be diminished. The government and the people still satisfy themselves with the dream that the United States is very strong. People are foolish as this. It was really laughable but miserable at the same time.