BROADCASTS IN SOVIET

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28321, 5 July 1957, Page 11

BROADCASTS IN SOVIET

Public Told Of

Purge

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 12.10 a.m.) LONDON, July 4. The Russian public learned for the first time today of the sensational shake-up in Soviet leadership—many hours after the news was picked up in the from Moscow Radio broadcasts. To the West the news came last night through a Moscow broadcast in Arabic. It was not until early this morning that Moscow Radio broadcast the news for internal consumption, and then it was in the Siberian service. Later came hourly reports.

Meanwhile party officials—many of whom have been sitting on the news for days—are meeting all over the Soviet Union to discuss the most vital event since Stalin died in 1953.

Meetings of privileged party members have already been held in Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev, Tashkent, Baku and other big Soviet cities.

“Pravda” claimed today that the meetings everywhere are warmly approving the decision to dismiss Mr Molotov, Mr Malenkov, Mr Kaganovich and Mr Shepilov for “anti-party’’ activities.

Moscow Communist Party leaders representing 400,000 party members were given news of the expulsion decision at a Kremlin meeting on Tuesday by Mrs Ekaterina Furtseva, now the first woman to become a full member of the Soviet Presidium, Tass reported today. The meeting gave “warm approval’ to the central committee resolution after it was read out by Mrs Furtseva. Eighteen speakers “wrathfully branded” the anti-party group, Tass said.

Protection for Melbourne Taxidrivers.—A meeting of 250 Melbourne taxi-drivers decided to seek compulsory installation in taxis of metal screen guards over the drivers to protect them from robbery and assault. —Melbourne, July 4.