Beria Arraigned There is an echo of the thirties in
the sudden announcement from Moscow that the case against Beria is complete, accom- panied by a vicious whipping-up of the " people's fury " against him and his six former henchmen. If these men really are in the hands of their accusers they are presumably now " con- ditioned " and ready for trial. The charge is no longer doctrinal heresy, but simple treason, their true crime being revealed as a straightforward attempt to place the Secret Police above the Communist Party for the purpose of seizing the Government of the USSR. This charge illustrates the distance which Russia has travelled politically since the purges which followed the murder of Kirov in 1934. The names of Beria's accomplices make interesting reading. As expected, the former Minister of State Security, Merkulov, heads the list. Beria's former lieutenant could hardly have been expected to remain in his key position as Minister of State Control. Dekanozov's role is less easy to assess for his work has lain principally in the diplomatic sphere, often in close association with Molotov, until his transfer to " Internal Affairs " in Georgia a year ago. It may be significant that Merkulov, Dekanozov add Kobulov, another of the accused, have all had post-war respon- sibilities in Germany. For, if there is to be a demonstration treason-trial, the German bogey is unlikely to be neglected by the " collective leadership " in the Kremlin. Meanwhile, the dismissal of Andrianov, the Leningrad Party Secretary and former close associate of Malenkov in the Orgburo, has passed almost unnoticed, an event which tends to show that the struggle for leadership is not confined to the Secret Police. Government by committee in Russia is running true to form, and it is not yet at all certain how many of the five Deputy Prime Ministers are Malenkov men.
Previous page
