REACTION IN SOVIET

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27090, 13 July 1953, Page 9

REACTION IN SOVIET

“Welcome* For Dismissal” (Rec. 10 p.m.) MOSCOW, July 11. “Pravda,” the official newspaper of the Soviet Communist Party, said in a leading article today: “Millions of Soviet people wrathfully brand the criminal actions of Beria, the enemy of the party and the people.” The Government paper, “Izvestia,” said Mr Beria was an agent of international imperialism. “His exposure shows that the most crafty plan of the imperialists against our country has been smashed.” Tass reported that Mr Beria’s dismissal has met with unanimous approval in many cities throughout the Soviet Union. A joint plenary session of the Leningrad district welcomed his dismissal with prolonged and enthusiastic applause. The agency said that more than 1000 delegates to a plenary meeting Of the Ukrainian Communist Party unanimously approved the decision to expel Mr Beria from the party and dismiss him from official government posts. A plenary meeting of the Soviet Trade Union Council passed unanimously a resolution approving the decisions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party on the expulsion of Mr Beria and condemning “the criminal anti-party and anti-State activities of the traitor.” The council expressed warm gratitude to the Presidium of the party’s Central Committee for having “exposed and rendered harmless a despicable traitor and adventurer, the agent of international imperialism and the sworn enemy of the Communist Party— Beria.’’

The resolution added: ‘ ‘The liquidation of Beria’s criminal adventure shows once again that all and every plan of the foreign imperialists has and will be smashed against the indestructible might and great unity of our party, Government and people.”