ABSTRACT
In May 1918 the First All-Russian Congress of the Soviets of People's Economy met at Moscow. This congress was significant, for in it there were gathered all the most important people who were actually engaged throughout the immense Russian region in attempting to work out in practice the semi-communistic, semi-collectivist system introduced by the Bolsheviks. During the first six months of their rule the leaders in the Soviet Government were few in number; they had many external distractions and they had little leisure for the formulation of an economic programme and practically no trained assistance for carrying such a programme into effect. The control of commerce by political committees is precisely the most doubtful point in the whole economic programme. Industries were all nationalized; but under the New Economic Policy, precisely such mixed state and capitalistic trusts are encouraged, although up to now there has been reluctance on the part of investors to embark funds in Russia.
