LENIN'S SUCCESSOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18202, 22 September 1922, Page 7

LENIN'S SUCCESSOR.

M. KAMENEFF APPOINTED. PRESIDENT OF EXECUTIVE. A- and N.Z. COPENHAGEN. Sept. 20. M. Kameneff has been elected President of the Council of People's Commissaries in succession to Nicolai Lenin. After many rumours and contradictions, the withdrawal of Lenin from the political life of Russia was officially announced from Moscow in June last. The manner in which the statement waa worded is worthy of note, " The late President of the Council of People's Commissaries, Vladimir men Lenin-Ulianoff, is suffering from the consequences of serious mental strain, and ms condition has been aggravated bys, poisonine of his svstem. To restore his health, Comrado Lenin must withdraw for a) considerable time, anyhow until the autumn, from all State work. His return appears probable after ho has had. a prolonged rest, as, according to the opinion of medical authorities, the restoration of- ,ni& strength is possible." ,v About this time it was stated that a triumvirate of three commissaries, Kameneff, Rykoff and Stalin, had been appointed to succeed to Lenin's office. Kameneff, who apparently has been selected from the triumvirate to become titular head of Soviet Russia, is a Jew by race, and his real nanw is Rosenfeld. Be was born at Tiflis in 1883. His parents had embraced the Orthodox faith and he was brought up as a Christian. From 1904 be has been engaged in politics. In 1915 he and other Bolshevik members of the Duma were deported to Siberia for defeatist propaganda. At his trial he declared he did not share Lenin's views in regard to the war. Aft er the accession of the Bolsheviks to power he became President of the Moscow Soviet and a member of tho Central Bolshevik Executive. He has- a reputation for " prudential" methods, ana for being a*weak man. and on two. or three occasions preferred missions aboard to remainine in Moscow. In July, 19?Q, he was appointed head of a Soviet deputation to England, but the character of his activities caused his enforced withdrawal m little over a month. He is, however, ere dited both with "liberal" and "moderate" views, and represents the Centre Party in the All-Russian Executive or Presidium He is said to have married a sister of Irotzky. __ _