Soviet Succession ‘Established’

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30481, 1 July 1964, Page 15

Soviet Succession ‘Established’

f.V.Z.P.A.-Reuter— Copirtpht; OSLO, June 30. Mr Khrushchev, cracking jokes and waving his hands, told his Norwegian hosts last night he did not care about who would succeed him as premier of the Soviet Union. According to a Norwegian spokesman at a meeting of Mr Khrushchev with Norwegian parliamentary leaders and the Prime Minister, Mr Einar Gerhardsen, Mr Khrushchev said:

“We have now established the necessary apparatus of party leadership to take care of the question of succession”

Mr Khrushchev seemed tired and disinterested during last night’s government banquet, but he livened up afterwards, when Mr Gerhardsen invited him to meet the opposition leaders, and they all withdrew to a small, candle-lit room for drinks. Mr Khrushchev spoke of Nikolai Bulganin and Georgi Malenkov, both former Soviet premiers. Of Bulganin: “He was a book-keeper, has always been a book-keeper, and was never a politician.” Of Malenkov: “He could never make up his mind. Now he is a director of a power

plant That Is very easy, because the plant is fully automated.” “Malenkov was soft,” he added. “We had always to tell him what to write.” Mr Khrushchev did not mention the former Russian Foreign Minister, Mr Molotov by name, but said that “they had all been taken care of because they have been pensioned.” Mr Khrushchev was in very high spirits during the 80minute talk, joking all the time and drinking a pint of beer. He rose at a sign from his wife, who appeared in the doonvay.

The 200 guests applauded the couple when they left. During the dinner itself, Mr Khrushchev said little, and his face was expressionless in his speech. He arrived in Oslo that morning in the liner Bashkiriya to begin the last stage of his 18-day Scandinavian tour. More than 3000 persons, including the Chinese Ambassador to Norway, assembled on the quay to meet him at an official reception, but- local residents were disinterested. Only 600 policemen were in Oslo to protect Mr Khrushchev. In Denmark and Sweden there were more than 2000.