During the summer and fall of 1953, Communist governments all over Eastern Europe announced in turn so-called "new economic courses." East Germany announced its "new economic course" on June 11, just before the East Berlin riots of June 17. Then came Hungary (July 4), the U.S.S.R. (August 8), Rumania (August 22), Bulgaria (September 8) and Czechoslovakia (September 15). Smaller adjustments were announced earlier for Albania, and later for Poland. The announced programs differed according to local problems, but almost everywhere the solution of agricultural troubles was a key objective. Better collection and distribution facilities for farm products were demanded. This theme was almost invariably played to the popular tune of helping the consumer--especially in the U.S.S.R. Deplorable housing conditions came in for a share of the attention. In the satellites the programs reflected openly the inability to meet many of the exacting goals that had been set. In some countries, the emphasis was on bigger industrial investments in scarce basic materials. In others, concessions to the peasants were paramount. The initial implementation, as well as some of the program announcements, was confusing and sometimes contradictory. =Malenkov's Big Announcement= The new economic course for the U.S.S.R. itself was unfolded in three major speeches during the second half of 1953--by Malenkov in August, Khrushchev in September, and Mikoyan in October--and in a series of decrees and lesser pronouncements. Premier Malenkov, addressing the Supreme Soviet on August 8, made repeated claims of Soviet strength and progress. For example, he said the United States had no monopoly on the hydrogen bomb and added that such facts "are shattering the wagging of tongues about the weakness of the Soviet Union." But in the section on consumer goods he gave a revealing picture of weakness. He spoke at great length about lags and failures in agriculture and in the manufacture of consumer articles. He severely criticized the poor quality and appearance of goods, the "serious shortcomings" in the organization of domestic trade, the "unsatisfactory leadership of enterprises," the "high production costs" and high prices of coal and timber, the "neglected state" of agriculture in many districts, the "serious lagging" in livestock, potatoes, and vegetables. He said the Government considered it "essential to increase considerably" the investment in consumer industries. The urgent task [Malenkov said] lies in raising sharply in 2 or 3 years the population's supply of foodstuffs and manufactured goods, meat and meat produce, fish and fish produce, butter, sugar, confectionery, textiles, garments, footwear, crockery, furniture and other cultural and household goods; in raising considerably the supply to the population of all kinds of consumer goods.