Serov Not' Dismissed, Says Mikoyan

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28792, 13 January 1959, Page 9

Serov Not' Dismissed, Says Mikoyan

(Rec. 10 p.m.) LOS ANGELES, January 12. At a press conference at the Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, today the Soviet First Deputy Premier (Mr Mikoyan) said that the former Russian security chief, General Ivan Serov, held a responsible positidn in the Army.

He said that General Serov was not dismissed, but transferred from his position as Chairman of the State Security Committee—and that he held 'a responsible position in the Army, where he used to serve.

Mr Mikoyan said that Western commentators who . saw signs of conflicts within the Soviet leadership in connexion with the Serbv appointment were mistaken. Mr Mikoyan denied that Mr Georgi Malenkov, the former Premier, was dead, or that he was executed. He said he was still director of a hydro-electric power station.

Asked whether Boris Pasternak’s novel, “Dr. Zhivago,” would ever be published in the Soviet Union, he replied: “It has no interest for us.”

Asked bibout his long term as a member, of the Soviet leadership, he replied: “Didn’t I say I was fortunate?” The journalists chuckled.

On his reported failure to speak out ar.ainst excesses during Stalin’s lifetime, Mr Mikoyan said: ‘‘We told Stalin when we thought he was wrong.” But, he added, other men around Stalin thought they should have kept their differences ‘‘within the official family.” Referring to the Berlin situa-

tion, Mr Mikoyan said the Soviet Union was prepared to withdraw a third of its troops from East Germany if the United States would make a similar move in West Germany. Asked if as a result of the Russian proposal to establish West Berlin as a free city Russia would withdraw its 22 divisions now stationed in East Germany, Mr Mikoyan replied: “We have no divisions in Berlin proper.

Today, Mr Mikoyan is expected to visit a film studio and also to attend a luncheon.

“If the Americans would be prepared to withdraw their divisions from West Germany then we would be prepared to do likewise in East Germany. We are prepared to withdraw a third. of the troops from each side as a start Then we could arrange for further withdrawals."

After the press conference, Mr Mikoyan hurried <off to attend a dinner* in his honour at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Mr Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, was his host. • In addition to Mr Johnston, the banquet included the actor, Kirk Douglas, who speaks Russian fluentlv and Frank Freeman, the president of Paramount Pictures.