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University Daily Kansan
Tuesday. Sept. 22, 1952
Soviet Georgian State Official Hit by Purge
London—(U.P.) The premier and entire Communist party leadership of the Soviet Georgian republic have been ousted in a drastic purge, the fourth in 18 months, it was disclosed today.
Radio Tiflis, broadcasting from the Georgian capital, said Premier Valerian M. Bakradze, Communist party First Secretary A. T. Mirtskulava, and nine other party leaders had been fired.
No reason was given for the sweeping ouster, but it appeared undoubtedly to be one of the snow-balling results of the dismissal of Soviet Secret Police Chief Lavrenti P. Beria.
Turbulent Georgia is the homeland of Beria and the late Josef Stalin. Both gave it much attention.
Tifis radio announced that David D. Galatishvili had been named premier to succeed Bakradze and that Mirtskhulava had been succeeded by K. I. Mazvaladze.
Undoubtedly the latest purge was ordered by Soviet Premier Georgi M. Malenkov, Stalin's successor.
Bakradze, the dismissed premier, was appointed only last April when Beria personally directed a purge after Stalin's death. Then, in July, when Beria was purged as a traitor Bakradze denounced him.
At the time Georgian Interior Minister Vladimir G. Dekanozov was ousted, he held the post of Georgian chief of the Secret Police, corresponding to Beria's post in the Soviet Union, and probably was a strong Beria supporter.
It is believed that Malenkov is now attempting to crush the persistent Georgian nationalism that has plagued the Kremlin. Such nationalism interferes with the Moscow-below-all policy and endangers the grip of Soviet leaders on the many peoples of the Soviet Union.
Escaping Polish Flier Shot Down
Berlin (U.P.)-Three Russian MIG-15 jet fighter planes shot down a Polish MIG pilot attempting to flee to the West, the anti-Communist "Information Bureau West" reported today.
The "Information Bureau West" said the incident occurred over the Baltic Sea Sept. 13.
Information Bureau West, which obtains its news from Iron Curtain refugees and other sources, said the Polish pilot was fleeing westward over the old Nazi rocket research station of Peenemuende on the German Baltic coast.
Three Soviet Russian fighter planes intercepted it, and opened the agency said, and the Polish plane crashed into the sea and exploded.
The Russian planes came from the Soviet fighter base at Griefswald, northwest of Peenemuende, the report said.
Two Scholarships Awarded Freshmen
Two University freshmen, both graduates of the Hiawatha high school, have been awarded H. O. Middlebrook scholarships of $375 each, Myron M. Braen, secretary of aids and awards, said today.
The winners are Richard Allen Schroff, who is enrolled in engineering, and Gary Lee Snodgrass, who is in pre-medicine. Both also received residence hall scholarships
Ike Supports East German Plea for Clothes
Washington — (UP) — President Eisenhower, in response to a request from German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, today threw his support behind a voluntary American clothing drive for the people of Soviet-controlled East Berlin and East Germany.
Mr. Eisenhower proposed no federal expenditures for this purpose. But he promised Adenauer to urge the American people to contribute generously to the various voluntary organizations, such as the American Airlines, to nothing for the East Berliners before the harsh German winter begins.
Adenauer wrote the President Aug. 30 suggesting a clothing program as a follow-up to the American Food Relief program which was received enthusiastically by the people of East Berlin.
"I should be particularly grateful if the United States administration would see its way of promoting that relief program by making warm clothing, underwear, stockings, and shoes available to the men, women, and children in the distressed areas," Adenauer wrote.
Mr. Eisenhower replied:
"It is my belief that the American people will gladly and liberally respond to your plea as many of them have done in similar situations in the past through various voluntary agencies.
"I shall therefore bring your letter to the attention of the American people, knowing that they will contribute generously to the organization, and provide service to provide such clothing and other required and related items."
The United States put up $5 million for the food package campaign. It is supplying no funds at present for the clothing drive.
St. Louis—(U.P.)—Rival AFL chieftains are holding quiet, behind-scenes peace talks aimed at ending the "civil war in the ranks of labor," it was disclosed today.
AFL Chiefs Hold Talk To Settle War in Ranks
These officials have decided to tackle the critical questions of AFL union membership battles in separate peace pacts, without trying to bind all 110 federation unions to an overall agreement sought by AFL President George Meany.
The issue was considered the most important to come before the 72nd AFL convention now in session here.
Meanwhile, the 700 delegates awaited a blow-by-blow description by Martin P. Durkin on why he resigned as Secretary of Labor Sept. 10. Durkin, attending the convention as a delegate from the Plumbers' union, was due to spell out the steps of his dispute with President Eisenhower over the Taft-Hartley act.
Durkin quit the administration with the charge that they had gone back on an agreement to support 19 changes in the law he had proposed. The former secretary was set to reveal those proposed amendments for the first time.
Sen. Stuart Symington (D-Mo.) was scheduled to address the convention on recent air force budget outbacks.
The temper of the delegates on the membership issue was revealed explosively yesterday when Meany, in his keynote address to the convention, warned that the AFL had been unwilling to allow itself in the ranks of labor." Cheers' and table-pounding broke out when he added:
Leader of the off-stage meetings
"There is no excuse for competition for a few members on the part of organizations that have hundreds of thousands of members. . and no excuse whatsoever for squandering trade union money in a battle over a few members. ."
was Al J. Hayes, president of the 830,000-member Machinists union. Hayes told reporters he would meet today with Maurice Hutcheson, president of the rival Carpenters union.
Hutcheson had led the Carpenters in a month-long walkout of the AFL this summer because of the disputes over members and jobs with other AFL unions, including the Machinists. Hayes said he hoped to work out a plan with Hutcheson to "settle our differences."
GOP Puts on Heat Hoffman Claims
Washington—(U.P.)-Rep. Clare F. Hoffman (R.-Mich.) charged today that "high Republicans put the heat on me" in an effort to block an investigation of labor union racketeering.
But Rep. Hoffman told a reporter that he plans to continue his inquiry which has left a trail of 17 indictments in Detroit and Kansas City involving AFL teamsters union officials charge with extortion, embezzlement and illegal "gift"-taking.
The 78-year-old chairman of the house government operations committee declined to identify the "high" source of the Republicans whom he said brought "pressure" to halt the hearings.
Rep. Hoffman said the investigation will be continued by a House labor subcommittee headed by Rep. Wint Smith (R.-Kan.) of which Rep. Hoffman also is a member.
Rep. Hoffman said today he plans to ask Rep. Smith to extend the investigation to Chicago.
For Mildness and Flavor CAMELS AGREE WITH MORE PEOPLE THAN ANY OTHER CIGARETTE!