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CURRENT SUPPORT MEMORANDUM
RE-EQUIPMENT OF SOVIET TEXTILE ISDTJSTRV
OFFICE Of RESEARCH AND REPORTS
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
CIA HISTORICAL REVIEW PROGRAM RELEASE AS8
Tnb report raprewnti tha Irarmdtato vlewi of tha otiortiafing innt.'iaonee oonpewn ofQffka ol Roieoteh ond Report*. Comment* ore icJkrtod.
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BE-EQUIPMENT OF SOVIET TEXTILE INDUSTRY
Re-equipment of the textile mills ln the Soviet Union han been announced aa an important objective in thePlve Year Plan. 1/ The textile Industry, along; with other branches of the consumer goods Industry, has been neglected by theesult of Its contlnuod emphasis on development of heavy industry. For instance,4 cotton fabric production wasercent above thatut nteol output Increased twoalf times during the same period.
The new consideration being given the textile Industry la seen ln the investment figures of the five year plans. In light industry, where textiles comprise the major production, has substantially Increased. The planned investment in light induatry for the fourth five year2 billion rubles, whereas for the current five year period, tho original plan wasillion rubles. 3 aalenkov raised the planned Investment goals substantially.
Nevertheless, Bulganin in his speech before the Central Committee of the CPSU in July, criticized the Industry for its technical backwardness. its obsolete machinery in comparison with that of the United States, and for its failure to produce artificial fibers resembling silk and wool which in tbe fest
. 0appeal. 2/ Output of cotton cloth is presently abouteters per capita, which approximates ooe half1 por capita output ln the United/
Recent official statements indicate that during the next five years the cotton industry will be supplied throughout with automaticdate onlyercent of the cotton looms are automatic. Thisajor re-equipment program since cotton comprises S4 percent of total textile production with wool, silk and linen making up the remainingercent.
In the woolen and silk industries tho new circular loom which has been developed by the USSReriod of several years la scheduled for "wido application" during the Sixth Five Year Plan. This machineew concopt in loom designthe shuttles travel continuouslyircle instead of back and forth as in the conventional loom. In addition to modern looms, other automatic machinery ls planned for fiber preparation and the finishing and dyeing processes, 4/
... tlon ofaodels of textile machines shows that the USSR is producing machinery which compares favorably with US and British models ln both style and efficiency of operation. This machinery production, however, has lagged and. in orderiS0? rogram of new construction and remodeling, the USSR ls purchasing equipment abroad.
Soviet laports of textile machinery from tho United Rtnjtdon
otto more
/ in addition to this, the USSR last year arranged to purchase Trom0 worth of machinery for use in textile plants. 6/ While this sumairly snail oxpondlture ln relation to total investment ln light in-.tSt?Z' 11 significant that these are substantially the first textile machinery purchases from the fest
anuarySUPPORT KKMORANDUM2
GQNFlDENTtAh
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