U.S. has list of Brezhnev ills

Press, 7 April 1978, Page 6

U.S. has list of Brezhnev ills

’'IZPA-Reuter Washington’ The Russian President (Mr Leonid Brezhnev) has emphy-, sema, a non-fatal form of’ teukaemia, gout, and a heart irregularity, according to’ United States Intelligence sources. The sources say the 71-year-old Mr Brezhnev ap-i pears to be mastering his afflictions reasonably well) and seems to be healthy! enough to visit the United! States for a possible summit meeting in the Northern Hemisphere spring. The state of Mr Brezhnev’s health has been the subject of gossip, rumour, and unsubstantiated reports for several years because of his unchallenged position at the pinnacle of Russian power—he is Communist Party chairman as well as President — and because of his occasional lengthy disappearances from public view. His departure would lead

’to the first drastic reshuffle ’of the Kremlin power structure since Nikita Khruschichev was ousted by Mr ■ Brezhnev and his colleagues jin 1964. United States Intelligence {has been watching the Russian President closely for i signs of serious ili health ’since it was reported, two [years ago, that he was apjparently suffering from canIcer of the jaw. j That report was apparently wrong, although officials note that he now seems to have trouble forming some words. Mr Brezhnev, however, is ’now engaged in a lengthy, ■ itiring trip along the Trans- ; Siberian Railway, inspecting defence installations along the Chinese border. The Intelligence officials jsay this alone seems a sure sign he is in reasonably good {health despite his various ’medical problems.