Recent Activities of Soviet Economists.

During years of World War II, Soviet economists, like their colleagues in the U.S. and Great Britain, concentrated the great bulk of their energies upon problems connected with different aspects of the war effort. This activity encompassed not only all aspects of the internal economy of the U.S.S.R., but was also directed at understanding developments in economies of all major foreign nations, with some particular stress in the last two years upon efforts being made to secure international cooperation in various economic fields such as finance, trade, agriculture and labor. During the past two years, Soviet economists concentrating upon problems of the internal development of the U.S.S.R. have been engaged primarily in planning the restoration of devastated areas in the U.S.S.R. and charting the future economic development of their country. Much of this work has been done by personnel of Gosplan and the Institut Ekonomiki, as well as by economics attached to various other governmental organs. The most important results of this activity were embodied in the Fourth Five Year Plan adopted by the Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R. in March, 1946. Considerable research and planning have apparently also been done on the longer range economic development of the U.S.S.R.