RUSSIA ECLIPSES HER ARMY

Chronicle (Levin), 12 March 1947, Page 3

RUSSIA ECLIPSES HER ARMY

Correspondent.)

(Snecial

JReceived Tuosdav, 8-.15 p.m. LONDOX, Mai'. 11. British p ress comment and reports from Moscow draw attention to the faet that reeent polltieal ehanges in the Soviet Union aniount to wliat the Eednotuist describes as "a considerable shake-up in the admiitistration. " Most important of these ehanges, outside Stalin's resignation of the £)ost of Dcfenee Miuister. is the deposition of Kruscliev — deseribed as the Stalin of the Ukraine — who has been dismissed from his post as Secre-tarv-General of the Ukraine Politbureau and replaeed by Ivaganovicli who was a successful Miuister of Transport during the war. In addition, Zhadanov has resigned his post as ehairnian of the Supreme Soviet and the Minister of Health, Miterev, has been replaeed. The Manchester Guardian^ which has just published an infonnative series of three articles dealing with the internal organisation of the Politbureau and yoviet political system generally, says that, although the Central Control Gommission has had an extremely busy year inquiring into eases of alleged irregularity, the demotions and reshutt'lings which have taken place as a result cannot be deseribed as a purge in the sense of the purge held in 1937-38. There appears to have been a number of arrests but they have uot beeii nuiuerous coiupared with pre-war days. There appears to be no doubt, says the Guardian's correspondent, that during the war a considerable number of cases of corruption accumulated and that these have now been dealt with. In addition there has been a campaign against "social decay" such as blatant druukenness, moral laxity, prostitution, and so on. One of the most significant developments of the past year, however, has been the relative eclipse of the arniy. It is not true, the correspondent claims, that the administration feared an army coup but the official attitude is that the army, having done its wartime job, should now concentrate upon postwar efficiency. liecently Velenkov, who is one of the leading spokesmen for the Politbureau, warned .Russian exsoldiers from sittiug back and admiring their wartime exploits, and adjured them to turn their energies to the hard realities of reconstruction. It has been noticeable that in the Russian press, the army has been receiving considerably less attention and that photographs of generals now appear very seldom. The hero worship of generals bJnot encouraged and'the adulation of the army is regarded as unnecessary. The Economist says Stalin-'s resignation of his post as Minister of Defence would seem to indicate that the Russian Government wishes 'to emphasise that defence is no longer regarded as of first importance and that th'e Russians are bent on maintaining peace. Bulganin who has taken over the portfolio, can be regarded as a second rate personality.