Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-21
MOSCOW POWDERS
ON RYK0FF'SFA
Resigned Soviet Premier's
Future Uncertain, but He
Still Yields Power.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, December 2o.-Retire-
nnent OF Alexis I. Rykon as head of the
Union Council of Peoples Commissars,
or virtual premier of Soviet Russia, to-
day caused considerable speculation as
to what would eventually become of a
leader who, since the death of Lenir,
has welded great power in Russia.
A member of the Right Wing" of
the Communist party and thus many
times in direct conflict with the policies
of Joseph Stain, all-powerful secre-
tary-general of the party, Rykoff is be-
lieved to have requested relief from his
post with the latter's consent, If not
at his urging.
Observers differ as to just what re-
suit his action will have. 1t is pointed
out that he still remains within the
party fold and retains his post as a
member of the important political
bureau. One observer put it this way
today: "He may be slightly down, but
he is long way from out"
Further Penalties Unlikely.
other big men, including the exiled
worse than Rykoff because they failed
to keep step with party policies The
present party majority wants no Right
or Left disSensionS, and most of the
former Rightists have been eliminated
from positions of power despite their
public repentance.
Virtually all the most important posts
are now held by upholders of the Stain
policies, which have the single theme
- Ts-s,a .
possible. Rykoff, like other Rightists,
repented, but recent criticism from
various parts of the Union of his for
mer activities led to his being ''re-
leved" as premier.
It appeared today there was no
present intention of further furnishing"
him, however.
Retains Vital Position.
1t was recalled that under the Soviet
regime Rykoff'S job, while correspond
ing to that of premier in other coun-
tries. is actually not as important as
it sounds, and membership in the
Political Bureau lends far more power.
The Political Bureau is really the high
est organ in the party. From it, and
from the Central Executive Committee,
government officers take their orders.
Viacheslav Molotoff, 20 years old, one
of the stanchest Of the supporters of
Stain and for some time the latter's
right hand man, succeeds Rykoff as
head of the Union Council. He has
been q member of the Communist party
since 1906, and was expelled to Siberia
three times under the czarist regime
for his radical activities.
Each time he was able to escape and
return to st. Petersburg, or Moscow,
where he was once one of the editors
of PravdR, writing under the names of
Michailoff, Ryabin and Zvanoff. Fol-
lowing upon the october revolution he
was made a member of the Revolu-
tionary War Committee in Petrograd.
He has held various important execu-
tive posts in the party and in 1929 was
elected to the preSidium of the Central
Executive Committee of the U. S. S. r.
Recently he has been one Of the three
secretaries who work directly under the
aI-powerful Stain.
Molotoff is of a retiring disposition
and is little known outside party circles.
He is one OF the best educated of the
party executives, and is the author of
number of books, principally on party
affairs and the socialistic reconstruction
of villages.
other Changes Made.
Other changes were announced to-
night.
Michael Tomsky, previously dismissed
as member Of the political bureau and
rs head of the trade unions; Alexander
Dogadod, former secretary general Of
the trade unions, and Valerian Ossin-
sky, who headed the Soviet Automobile
Purchasing Commission to the United
States in 1928, were relieved as vice
chairmen Of the Supreme Economic
Council
The changes were made by the Cen
trail Executive Committee. Tomsky has
been under fire for long time, and
some months ago made an abject apol-
ogy for his former right wing beliefs.