Ext 6116/46(S) 'Secret Weekly Political Intelligence Summaries, nos 356-416, August 1946-November 1947' [‎35v] (70/978)

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precise information is lacking about last
year’s harvest, it is not possible to reach
an exact estimate of this year's crop on
the basis of this year's data. Nevertheless,
it is known that by the 5th October,
7,700,000 hectares more land had been har
vested than in 1946 and that, moreover, in
the centre, south and south-east of
European Russia, yields were very much
higher this year than last year after the
catastrophic drought. While all figures
regarding the present harvest must be
entirely conjectual pending an official
Soviet statement on the subject, there is
some reason to suppose that last year’s
total grain harvest may have fallen as
disastrously low as 60,000,000 tons. On
this assumption, the Gos'plan statement
would mean that this year's increase had
been of the order of 35,000,000 tons, bring
ing the total harvest to a minimum figure
of between 90 and 100 million tons.
In line with a recent decree instituting
decorations for coal-mining workers, the
managerial technical and mining staffs of
the Ministry of Geology are now, by a
decree of the Supreme Soviet of the 14th
October being rewarded with orders and
medals in recognition of length of service
and irreproachable work. As a precaution
ary measure to ensure continued good ser
vice, the decree states that, in the event of
unfavourable reports being made on the
recipients’ work or behaviour, the award
for length of service may be suspended.
The awards in question are : the Medal of
Labour Distinction, the Medal of Labour
Valour, the Order of the Red Banner of
Labour and the Order of Lenin.
(See also under “Italy” and “Latin
America.”)
SCANDINAVIA
Finland
Introducing in the Diet the budget pro
posals for 1948, the Minister of Finance,
M. Torngren, made a comprehensive review
of Finland’s economic position. Dealing-
first with foreign trade the Minister dwelt
upon the importance of the United States
in this field, and then went on to say that
Finland’s best customer, the United King
dom, found herself in the throes of a severe
currency crisis which might compel her to
impose restrictions on the import of sawn
timber. This, should it come about, would
place Finland at a great disadvantage. On
the other hand, M. Torngren expressed his
satisfaction over the recent negotiations
which Finnish representatives had had
with the British Treasury regarding the
convertibility of sterling balances and
which had resulted in an agreement which
was comparatively favourable for Finland.
The picture which M. Torngren painted
of the progress towards industrial recovery
was on the whole fairly bright. Including
goods delivered under the terms of the W®?
Reparations Agreement, output had
already reached the 1935 level and was
rapidly approaching the peak volume
attained during the years immediately pre
ceding the War. The industries engaged
on supplying the home market, the Minister
admitted, had, it was true, shown a much
faster rate of recovery than those pro
ducing exportable goods, but it was most
encouraging that the free exports of sawn
timber (i.e., after the demands of the War
Reparations had been met) during the
second quarter of the current year should
have reached 70 per cent, of the pre-war
volume. The difficulty in obtaining coal
from abroad still made it necessary to
utilise considerable quantities of timber
for fuel at home which otherwise could
have helped to swell the mounting flood of
exports. Free exports, nevertheless,
amounted to 68 per cent, of the 1935 volume
during the second quarter of this year,
whereas only a year ago the figure was no
higher than 56 per cent. In addition,
Finland had benefited from the fact that
the prices obtainable for her exports had
risen in a proportionately greater degree
than the prices which she was required to
pay for essential imports.
Turning next to the agricultural indus
try, M. Torngren regretted that he was
unable to report any progress comparable
to that made by industry. Finnish farming
still suffered from the effects of the war,
and with the sole exception of the potato
crop yields were far below pre-war. The
returns for rye, the most important home
grown bread grain, were only 50 per cent,
of 1938, and those for oats and hay even
lower. Milk production which last year
was nearly one million tons below pre-war
was expected to drop even lower this year.
Striking a sombre note, the Minister then
turned to examine the monetary situation
which had become critical owing to the new
impetus which the inflationary tendency
had received. In comparison with 1945,
when the cost of living index rose by one
hundred per cent., the year 1946 had been
fairly favourable and the index had
increased by only 16 per cent. During the
first eight months of the present year,
however, an increase of 30 per cent, had
had to be recorded and everything pointed
to an even sharper rise during the remain
ing four months. The reason for this,