Olive Senior - PEN International

56
WORDS ... WALERIAN DOMANSKI
I sighed. ‘What is happening in this country? So many workers achieving 200
percent or even 300 percent of their production capacity, and still no goods in the
stores?’
Marian looked at me and grimaced. ‘It is bullshit, this “300 percent”. Mere
propaganda. Production is interrupted independently of the workers, though in
addition we employ many people who should not be employed: alcoholics, lazy
people. The full employment principle is a hiccup in the economy.’
‘Hence this crazy idea of smoke factories!’
‘Quiet, please,’ Marian chided me. ‘From an ideological point of view, this is not
a stupid idea. The October Revolution in Russia promised employment to everyone.
The Manifesto from 22 July 1944 in Poland promised it too. Otherwise, what would
the differences be between communism and capitalism?’
‘Well, the differences are significant at the level of the lives of the common
people. Fortunately, Poles cannot go abroad to compare standards of living.’
‘Believe me, Walerian, many Poles prefer socialism; whether you work hard
or not, your salary will be same.’
‘Of course, without socialism in Poland, we would not be in power as
Communist dignitaries …’
‘True. But how long will socialism remain in Poland? I wonder.’
‘As long as it persists in the Soviet Union! I do not like the Russians much,
but it is in our interests to remain bound to them as long as we can.’
‘Yes,’ I sighed, ‘but it’s costing Poland so much …’
‘“Nothing is for free,” he quoted Berman. “We must give to get.”’
We laughed and rejoined the conference, which was resuming. Detailed
discussions ensued, and several ‘improvements’ to the plan were introduced.
The gathering ended the following evening, and we all dispersed back to our
respective provinces.
My province was to build a total of seven smoke factories. From Marian I
found out that five were built in Lower Silesia. How many were built throughout
the entire country, I still do not know: the numbers were subject to military secrecy,
to which the intimidated smoke-factory employees adhered. Wily old Berman,
Stalin’s confidant, had been proved correct. Nor did news about the scheme leak
to the West, and if it had, it would probably not have been believed.
Had I not participated in the conference and later received hundreds of
encrypted instructions concerning the construction and operation of smoke
factories, I would not have believed it myself.
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