Chapter 55 Collecting the Single Tax

Coman was a young soldier who disdained beating around the bush. Now that he was in the Soviet Union, where Lubyanka could make anything about him vanish without a trace if it so desired, he preferred to do things openly and aboveboard.

Openly and aboveboard, he intended to study the management of the Gulag. After all, having operated for so many years, it was bound to be far more mature than France’s fledgling system.

His trip to Moscow to piggyback on the publicity of a major diplomatic event was equally open and aboveboard.

Just as he had envisioned, no one could predict how the future situation would unfold. On the surface, Britain, the United States, and France formed a single bloc, with London and Washington thick as thieves. France's overt show of a neutral inclination represented a quite positive shift for the Soviet Union as well. Following discussions at the highest level, Stalin decided to seize this opportunity.

On the diplomatic front, the Soviet Union turned a blind eye to France's bid for a permanent seat on the Security Council. Economically, French and Soviet trade was inherently complementary, and reaching an agreement would be a win-win.

The French economy had suffered severe damage, with industrial production capacity dropping by 40 percent, creating an urgent need for external resources such as energy and raw materials to resume production.

Although the Soviet Union had suffered heavy losses in the war, it possessed abundant resources such as petroleum, coal, and timber, which could make up for France's shortages.

However, regarding the trade mechanism, the Soviet Union proactively proposed adopting a bookkeeping trade model, which would avoid the use of the US dollar and thus prevent dollar dependency.

As for the trade institutions, Georges Bidault took the initiative to propose the establishment of a Joint Economic Committee to regularly negotiate trade quotas. Molotov readily agreed; this was a method Moscow was already familiar with.

After finalizing the details of all the clauses, the time for the official signing arrived. Amid the flashing lights of journalists, cameras faithfully recorded the moment the Franco-Soviet Mutual Assistance Treaty was signed. In that photograph, standing right behind Georges Bidault at the moment of signing, was a French soldier wearing a tall black cap.

"I am witnessing the Franco-Soviet Treaty." Coman kept a straight face to maintain his image amidst the dense barrage of flashes, a smile still lingering on his face as if he were genuinely overjoyed by the warming relations between the two countries.

In truth, he was simply happy that his attempt to ride the coattails of a major news event had succeeded. This kind of publicity could never have too much of a good thing; the only fear was not having enough.

***

As the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the provisional government, Georges Bidault was exceptionally busy on the eve of victory and could not stay long in Moscow. He headed to the Moscow airport loaded with fruitful achievements, though he had arranged a one-month inspection period for Coman, applying for it through the French Embassy to the Soviet government.

Standing straight, Coman watched as Georges Bidault boarded his plane and departed. The goodwill the other man had shown him over the successful signing of the Franco-Italian Union was more than enough, well-wishing that made him truly grateful.

Staying behind at the French Embassy in Moscow, Coman received the inspection itinerary arranged by the embassy, which not only accommodated his thirst for knowledge but also left room for free time.

However, Henri, the embassy secretary, felt the need to explain the differences between the Soviet Union and other nations: "Coman, you will not be able to slip out of their sight. Therefore, during your inspection tours, you will be accompanied by officers from the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs."

"I know. I never had any intention of slipping away. A soldier always does things in the open," Coman replied with a chuckle. "I am loyal to this country, no matter where I am."

*Is this even an issue?* Coman thought to himself. *Why do the French have so much internal drama? If Soviet soldiers want to tag along, let them tag along; it's no big deal.*

Even in Moscow, the capital of the Soviet Union, the scars of the ravaging war were still visible. It was already the end of the year; while the weather in Italy was not yet too severe, the same could not be said for a country at this latitude in the Soviet Union.

Coman could faintly empathize with the feelings of the Germans back in the winter of 1941 as they gazed longingly toward Moscow.

Next to a building undergoing war-damage reconstruction, women with scarves wrapped around their mouths and noses were hauling bricks amidst the ruins. Their handcarts were piled high with two types of materials: usable red bricks salvaged from broken walls, and newly delivered precast concrete slabs. These must have been the factory's first batch of post-war products, their surfaces still bearing coarse, porous air holes.

Looking at these female laborers who were holding up half the sky, Coman turned to Pavlov, who had been trailing closely behind him, and remarked, "It seems the Soviet Union has suffered a catastrophic loss of labor in this war."

Through the translation of the interpreter, Pavlov flatly denied it: "It is simply due to the wartime situation. The men are serving in the military, and under gender equality, women must also shoulder their national responsibilities."

"Is that so?" Coman cast a deep look at the Ministry of Internal Affairs officer, whose face wore an expression of fervent national defense, and teased, "Yet out here today, it is not just one or two places where women are doing the work. We in France understand all too well what kind of methods the Soviet Union used against the German army. During the First World War, the French army suffered over two million fatalities. The Soviet population at that time was nearly five times that of France, which means the Soviet direct death toll must be well over ten million, the vast majority of whom would have been men."

***

Coman's calm and analytical tone filled Pavlov's face with resentment. His rank did not give him access to the exact number of laborers the Soviet Union had lost, but Coman had seen with his own eyes that the labor force at a capital city reconstruction site consisted entirely of women. What about everywhere else?

"And that's a conservative estimate. Do you honestly believe the German military had stellar discipline and was righteous and disciplined without harming a blade of grass after invading the Soviet Union?" Coman shivered slightly from the cold and continued, "Let me tell you a real statistic: there are currently two hundred thousand children born to German fathers in France. I trust you know that rape is the most negligible atrocity committed during wartime. Need I mention other war crimes?"

Coman suddenly looked at the pretty interpreter, spread his hands, and said, "Look, even the translator provided for me is a lovely young maiden. I'm beginning to doubt whether I'm here for an inspection tour or attending an engagement ceremony."

"Lieutenant Coman, aren't you overthinking things?" Pavlov was practically driven to laughter in frustration, though he did not forget to refute Coman's speculation. "Once the war is over, all the men will return home."

"Population loss is merely a byproduct of war." Seeing Pavlov's denial, Coman chose not to expose him further, pivoting the conversation instead: "However, if you want to revive population growth, you certainly have to employ certain policies."

"Our French guests don't need to worry about that. The government has already instituted the Mother Heroine title," Pavlov retorted sharply, indicating that the Soviet Union was well aware of the problem.

"Not enough," Coman said dismissively. "Rewards and punishments must go hand in hand. You cannot have only rewards without punishments, or only punishments without rewards, otherwise the results won't be effective. Aside from establishing a reward system, there must also be a punitive system. Isn't that something the Ministry of Internal Affairs is exceptionally good at? The Mother Heroine title only covers married families. What about unmarried men and women?"

As a foreigner lecturing an officer of the Ministry of Internal Affairs on their lack of professional thoroughness, Pavlov felt his professional pride had been provoked. "Does Lieutenant Coman mean to suggest you have a solution?"

"Levy a celibacy tax. Considering wartime factors, some women may be unable to find partners, so objectively speaking, the celibacy tax could be levied solely on men."

Coman answered without missing a beat, "If only this could be implemented in France. France's current situation makes it even more suitable to levy it on both men and women, but unfortunately, the French system has flaws."