86 SOCIAL SCIENTIST A. Well, I would put China in the second category because it is so large. It was not very industrialized,, but altogether it had a fair amount of industry. Again in Africa, we have three countries which have recently moved to- socialism—Guinea-Bissau, Angola and Mozambique—which have different levels of development. Cuba was very backward industrially. So the starting point of socialism was in the second category of countries, moved to some of the third, but has not yet moved to the first category. This means we have to decide whether Marx and Engels were right or wrong in their prediction. I think they were right, because true to their theory, socialism could not really be victorious in backward countries except in terms of political line—Wt. cannot call it complete socialism. But if the proletariat took power in the USA or Canada. socialism could quickly be victorious because the material base is already laid. In Vietnam, the working class was able to take power only through alliance with other classes and achieving solidarity with them. The working class was able to have this success because it had to fight against international capitalism from France, then from Japan, from France again and then from the USA, and it took power during terrible wars. This was done by overthrowing not only the feudal regime, but also the invading imperialists and international capital. After taking power, the working class had to return to the point of production and begin to develop heavy industry. That is why what we have is only the beginning of socialism. Industrialization is essential: we must be as industrialized as Canada. The difference is that the capitalists took hundreds of years to industrialize, but under socialism the time is shortened to about twenty-five years. With one socialist country already established which has a developed industry and science it creates favourable conditions for new socialist countries. The biggest problem in Vietnam is industrial production. We have to develop the material base of a modern society. Until we obtain that we cannot have complete socialism: we can only build step by step. Our production is still small-scale and our people's life difficult. Only when we have a developed industry can the policies of socialism be realized. The task is new and difficult for us, beginning on the basis of a small-scale agricultural and not an industrial system. And now I am ready for your questions. Q,. What are the precise reparations demanded by Vietnam from the USA as their due for the ravages of war? How could they best be paid— in money, material or technical assistance? A. The twenty-first provision of the Paris agreement contains a fascinating point. Never before did the US sign such a provision. In the course of negotiations, the US refused to make amends for the war damage, but Kissinger was eventually forced to include the reparations clause.