Evening star., 1950-04-18
Russia
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ficials denied it: Western officials
said they did not know.
Russia's last big purge was in
the mid '30s. when a large num-
ber of generals and admirals were
whisked off to firing squads. The
supporters of Prime Minister Sta
lin managed by this to forestall
an attempt to seize the power
from him-but the purge wounds
were a long time healing.
Quiet Purge Likely.
The eXecutioners were overen-
thusiastic then, as even some
Communists since have admitted.
The purge of the '30s probably
would not be repeated in such a
way, before the eyes of the world.
If a new purge were under way
now, the chances are it would
proceed slowly and quietly, with
out fuss or fanfare.
Why might there be a purge to-
day? Stain is aging-possibly
even i'll. In the not distance fu-
ture the mantle of power must
be passed on.
Aggressive, ruthless Georgi Ma
lenkov, boss of the Communist
Party's apparatus, is likely bet.
And being a seasoned opportunist,
Malenkov might not hesitate to
put out of the way any one who
might thwart him.
There is some thought that this
was behind the recent flaying in
the Soviet press of Andrei A. An
dreyev, a member of the ruling
Politburo. Andreyev publicly
confessed he had erred in his di-
rection of collective farms, but up
to now apparently still has his
job.
IL Believed on Politburo.
The Politburo, there is good
reason to believe, has been
brought up to full strength with
a few additional aIternates for
good measure. The impression is
given that there are now II on
the Politburo-13 members and
four alternates. This is a large
number of alternates. 1t may be
that some vacancies are expected
With regard to the situation o1
the top military brass, it is re-
called that last spring the Soviet
union announced reaching
revision. 1t followed right after
a shakeup in the Soviet cabinet
i Marshall Alexander M. Vasilev-
sky succeeded Marshal Nikolai A
Bulganin as Minister of Armed
Forces. Then. two months ago
Russia set up a separate Navy
Ministry in a drive to build UP
her sea power. All this suggests
the possibility of a use-cleaning
in the Soviet armed forces.
The Russian leadership has TAX
en- pains to keep people from gos-
siping about what goes on in the
armed forces. Recently Maj. Gen
D. Kitaev warned all Russians
against loose talk because foreign
spies might be around-foreign
spies who might even be dressed
in the uniforms of Soviet officers
Here is the roll of recent mill
tary deaths as reported in the
Soviet press:
April 12-Maj. Gen. Dmitri
Krylov, leading Soviet medical ex-
pert, age not given.
April 7-Col. Gen. Max Andrei-
vich Reiter, World War II COM
mander, age not given.
| March 20-Maj. Gen. Ivan
Milin. AZ, an army political gen.
eral.
March 17-Maj. Gen. Dmitri
Tansky, IS, military communica-
tions expert.
March 16-Col. Gen. Porphyry
Chanchibadze, 40, World War II
commander in the Baltic states
and East Prussia.
February 22-Lt. Gen. Ivan
Federovich Fedyunkin, suddenly,
'in carrying out service duties" "
Age not given.
1 January 11-Mai. Gen. Nikolai
Medvedev, 81, a foremost medical
officer.
January 6-Rear Admiral Boris
Romanov, 48, Soviet Baltic feet
commander in World War II.