MOSCOW, October 16--A slash of $10,571,000,000 in next year's Russian defense budget, along with a hike of about $566,000,000 for scientific research "for further growth of the economic and military might of the Soviet Union" was recommended by Finance Minister A. G. Zverev in proposals published today.
The budget proposed to the Supreme Soviet contains a defense appropriation of 72,208,000,000, rubles (56,031,000,000 rubles under last year's defense expenditures) and a proposal for 5,000,000,000 rubles to develop science in Russia. This was 3,000,000,000 rubles more than last year's quota of 2,000,000,000 for research.
(The ruble's official value is 5.3 rubles to the dollar.)
The budget predicted 11,000,000,000 rubles more in income than proposed for expenditure.
The two and one-half times increase in funds for scientists recalled Stalin's speech last February when he said, "It is necessary not only to overtake but to exceed in the nearest future the achievements of science outside of the USSR."
The official government newspaper Izvestia commented, "so the words spoken by Stalin in his pre-election speech have practically seen their accomplishment."
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