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Seeret Charto GROSS AVAILABILITIES A comparison of the 1949 gross national incomes of the USSR and the US leaves the same impression of Soviet disadvantage that the first comparison of productive capacities left. The ratio of one to four is roughly the same--the United States with a gross national income of about 250 billion and the USSR with about 65 billion. However, again the strength of the USSR vis a vis the US cannot be adequately gauged by this simple comparison of national incomes. Several factors modify this comparison. For instance, with respect to military expenditures the money spent in the USSR goes much further than in the US. The use of slave labor, the low pay scale in the Soviet armed forces, and state control of the means of production enable the defense dollar to stretch much further in the Soviet Union than in the United States. It is also true that the United States actually leads the Soviet Union in capital investments even though the percentage of national income is less. However, in the United States the consumer economy determines that the predominant amount of investment be channeled back into con- sumer's industries. In the Soviet Union the major share of this capital investment is put into heavy industries geared to a war economy. The exact figures for this capital investment are difficult to determine. OTHER FIELDS In other fields--scientifio - development, general technological com- petence, skilled labor resources, productivity of labor force, etc.--the gap between the USSR and the US roughly corresponds to the gap in pro- duction indicated on the previous chart (No. 5). Secret

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    "ocrText": "Seeret\nCharto\nGROSS AVAILABILITIES\nA comparison of the 1949 gross national incomes of the USSR and\nthe US leaves the same impression of Soviet disadvantage that the first\ncomparison of productive capacities left. The ratio of one to four is\nroughly the same--the United States with a gross national income of about\n250 billion and the USSR with about 65 billion.\nHowever, again the strength of the USSR vis a vis the US cannot be\nadequately gauged by this simple comparison of national incomes.\nSeveral factors modify this comparison. For instance, with respect to\nmilitary expenditures the money spent in the USSR goes much further\nthan in the US. The use of slave labor, the low pay scale in the Soviet\narmed forces, and state control of the means of production enable the\ndefense dollar to stretch much further in the Soviet Union than in the\nUnited States.\nIt is also true that the United States actually leads the Soviet Union\nin capital investments even though the percentage of national income is\nless. However, in the United States the consumer economy determines\nthat the predominant amount of investment be channeled back into con-\nsumer's industries. In the Soviet Union the major share of this capital\ninvestment is put into heavy industries geared to a war economy. The\nexact figures for this capital investment are difficult to determine.\nOTHER FIELDS\nIn other fields--scientifio - development, general technological com-\npetence, skilled labor resources, productivity of labor force, etc.--the\ngap between the USSR and the US roughly corresponds to the gap in pro-\nduction indicated on the previous chart (No. 5).\nSecret"
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