RUSSIA’S ARMY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 April 1939, Page 4

RUSSIA’S ARMY

PURGING OF RANKS CONTINUES JUNIOR OFFICERS PROMOTED. CHANGES IN ORGANISATION. The purge’that is still continuing in the Red Army, though apparently on a smaller scale, is being accomplished by promotions of thousands of junior officers to responsible posts, wrote Harold Denny from Moscow to the “New York Times” recently.. These include both veterans of long service and new people, especially from among zealous members, of the Young Communist League who are adjudged to have proved their loyalty to the Stalinist line.

A large proportion of these promotions are to posts in’ the political department, which is made up of the political commissars under the system of military councils inaugurated in May, 1937. This system was opposed by Marshal J. B. Gamarnik, Assistant Commissar for Defence, who was denounced as a traitor following his suicide shortly before the trial and execution of Marshal. Mikhail Tukhachevsky and his seven brother generals. . Articles and editorials in the Red Army organ Red Star accompanying the announcements of the promotions glorify the role of the political commissars, making clear that the Soviet regime counts on them to “Bolshevise” the army thoroughly and ' insure its political loyalty. “The commissar, is the representative of the Communist Party and the Soviet Government in the unit,” says the Red Star. “He is, an equality with the military commander. “The commissar bears in full measure responsibility for the unit entrusted to him, for the military preparedness of the men and commanders, and for the discipline and political morale of the forces. “The commissar is the father and friend of the Red Army man. He must maintain strong contact with the masses and be able to lead the fighters and commanders. He must not only lead work on a mass scale, but also with every man as an individual. He must.be a specialist in military ’affairs.”

The new network of political commissars replacing Marshal Gamarnik’s organisation, which is described as having been composed of “toothless cultural workers,” will be made up of tested and hardened fighters—Communists and Young Communists it is asserted. It is under the command of Joseph Stalin's trusted aide, Lev Fakharovitch Meekhlis, First Vice Commissar for Defence.

The behaviour of political commissars and lesser political leaders in the fighting with the Japanese at Lake Khasan last summer, which is still receiving enormous publicity in the Soviet press, is cited as a demonstration of the commissars’ value and heroism in the field.

Many young. , leaders who distinguished themselves in that fighting are among those now being appointed to political posts and Ivan Pozharsky, a political commissar at Lake Khasanr, who died with Stalin’s name on his lips, has been made a national hero. The “Far Eastern front,” consisting of all the troops in the Far East, whose existence first became known at the time of the battle for Changkufeng, appears to have been abolished. It is no -longer mentioned in army news from the Far East. Instead, the “First Independent Far Eastern Red Army,” under command of General G. Shtern, and the ‘Second Independent Far Eastern Red Army,” under General Konyev, are constantly mentioned. Marshal Vassily Bleucher was the first commander of the “Special Red Banner Far Eastern Red Army,” which was superseded by the “front.” There is still no mention of Marshal Bleucher in the Soviet Press. Among the reasons advanced for the purge of the high command of the Soviet Army was the opposition of the command to the installation of political commissars to watch the military men, says the New York Times. Joseph Stalin was said to have been convinced, by this attitude that the commanders were not loyal to the Government.

When the purge was well under way commissars were installed all through the army to see that the officers and men were educated politically in the way the regime desired. They played a large part in the fighting on the Siberian-Manchukuoan border, many accounts saying that they led the men into battle after firing their patriotism. Some of these political leaders have previously been highly praised in the Soviet press and have received honours. Marshal Bleucher was believed to have opposed their activities and Russian reports have said that he was recalled from the Far East in disgrace and had even been placed under arrest.