STALIN, THE ENGINEER
SOVIETS CLAIM
HIM AS MAN
OF SCIENCE
By HENRY C. CASSIDY
(For Four Years Chief of the
AP'S Moscow Bureau)
NEW YORK — To the gallery
of portraits of Joseph Stalin, rev
olutionary leader, statesman and
soldier, a new picture has just
been added—Stalin, the precise,
patient, semi-professional engi
neer.
For years, Stalin has been pre
sented to the Russian people as
% ——
versations with Stalin, with quo
tations from him, they have de
scribed him as deeply interested
in, and thoroughly familiar with
technical engineering problems.
At the same time, they have giv
en fresh insight into the human
side of the man, making him
more gentle and tolerant than
I previously he had been portray
ed.
A Rare Pen Portrait
Such intimate snapshots of
, Stalin are rarely given. Before
being made available, they are
| weighed carefully for effect.
; When they do become public, they
form valuable additions to the
’
BEFORE AND AFTER —
Transition of Joseph Stalin
from the pipe-smoking, simply
garbed proletarian to cigarette
puffing, nattily-uniformed mar
shal is one of the most re
markable fashion notes of the
war. Famed for his ever
present pipe, black boots and
■fc*. -
an exalted leader of the Com
munist party, strategist of Marx
ism and disciple of Lenin. Before
the war, he adopted the mantle
of statesman as premier. During
the war he donned a uniform and
became marshal of the Soviet
Union.
Now, his new role has been de
pci ted in a series of articles by
two leading Soviet aircraft de
signers, Alexander Yakovlev and
Sergei Lavochkin, builders of the
Red Air Force’s best fighters,
YAK and LAGG.
In accounts of their own con
*
undecoraled, semi-military tu
nic, Stalin is now said to be a
chain cigarette smoker. His
faun-colored marshal's uniform
is decorated with the defense
of Moscow, the Order of Suv
orov, and the Order of the Red
Banner.
small album of information about
one of the most important but
least known men of this gener
ation .
The first of these articles, by
Yakovlev, appeared last spring in
Pioneer, magazine of the Com
munist children’s league. It was
re-published, in more mature
form, in Pravda, organ of the |
Communist party. The latest, by
Lavochkin, was printed July 29
by Pravda.
Lavochkin gives an illuminat
ing account of geniality on the
part of the Russian leader, even
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when crossed in discussion. It
!
happened during a Kremlin con
ference, called to consider in
creasing the range of fighter
planes. Lavochkin recounts this
dialogue between himself and i
Stalin.
“I stood up and said, “1 can’t
increase the range.’
i i
“You can’t?” repeated Com
rade' Stalin.
I “I can’t, comrade Stalin.”
“Stalin said, ‘In other words, ;
my suggestions for your plane are
not acceptable.’
“ ‘^Tot acceptable, comrade
Stalin. 1 cannot.’
I “ 'Sit down. Think it over.’
“I sat down. After me other
constructors talked about possibil
ities of increasing the range of
their planes. Then ne turned to .
me.
He Can Be Stern ,
“Comrade Stalin said jokingly, !
‘Now, what can I do with him?
i
He doesn’t want to. So let’s leave (
it at that’. ”
Rpt Stalin Is not always so
mild-mannered. Lavochkin re 1
calls another time when he. was
called in to answer for failure of
one of .his planes, as finally pro
duced, to have its specific speed
He explained it was the factory’s
fault.
’“Who is going to watch over:
the factories, who is going to;
take care of the machines, who;
is the right manager, you or I?” |
Stalin asked sternly. “If they
spoil your machine, then who is
to. blame, ] or you?” • <
“I. of course, was to blame,”,
Lavochkin replied.
Yakovlev gives more intimate ■
details of talks with Stalin, I
When he hes’tated, before reply
ing to a quesion Stalin laughed j
and said:
Nc ‘Yes Men* Wanted
“You don’t need to look at the 1
ceiling. Nothing is written there.
You’d better Iook straight and,
say what you think. That’s all
that is necessary.”
Again, when he had difficulty j
in replying, Stalin told him:
‘ Please say what you think. !
Don’t try to say things that
would please me That is unnec
essary There’s little use of our
; - ' ’ ■ ■ > *
ft.
talking if you guess what 1 want. ^
Don’t think it is bad when you
say something that does not agree
with my opinion. You dre a ^
specialist. We are talking to get
something out of you, not to
teach you.”
Yakovlev describes Stalin as
paying close attention to correct
ness both in writing and in
speech.
“Once I happened to write an
important document under Sta
lin’s dictation,” he says. “Stalin
approached and looked over my
shoulder as I went along. Sud
denly he stopped, inspected my
handwriting, and holding my
hand, traced a comma.'’
He quotes Stalin as saying, “If ^
a person cannot express his ideas
correctly, it means he has no
system in his thoughts.. How
could he ever bring order into
business?”
(Continued on Page Three
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