Russia: The Adventurer

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Planted Cronies. If the Chinese in Peking think that Khrushchev blundered, are there any "Chinese" in Moscow who think so too? Publication in Pravda of a year-old anti-Stalin poem by Evgeny Evtushenko (TIME, Nov. 2) was noted with fascination by some students of Soviet policy; to them it suggested that Khrushchev's crowd was issuing a warning to its Stalinist enemies. In addition, Izvestia stated emphatically that the Soviet decision to withdraw the Cuba missiles was "the only correct one in the prevailing circumstances," which sounded as if a defense of the move had become necessary. Finally, Moscow dragged from disgrace Marshal Kliment Voroshilov, 81, only last year berated by Khrushchev as an "antiParty" type. Now Pravda carried a long article over his signature praising the achievements of the Soviet Union as well as the "Leninist" leadership of Comrade Khrushchev, and pointedly recalling Stalin's errors. By thus using the broken old soldier, Khrushchev caused speculation that he might want a military man's prestige to bolster his own position against army critics, possibly rallied around tough Defense Minister Marshal Rodion Malinovsky.

While such evidence is paper-thin, the fact remains that if the Kremlin resembles other human institutions, Khrushchev must have rivals who would like to get his hide. The Cuban affair might provide a ready opportunity, possibly at the Communist Party Central Committee meeting scheduled for this month. But any move against Khrushchev would be exceedingly difficult. Since 1957 he has made sure that no potential rival can rise too high. On all the major platforms of power—the Central Committee's Presidium, the Party Secretariat, the Bureau of the Federal Russian Republic, the Presidium of the Soviet Council of Ministers—only one name appears more than once: Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev. He has planted his cronies in key positions everywhere. Even before the full-scale battle with the "antiparty group" in 1957, more than 70 of the members of the Central Committee owed their careers to Khrushchev or were his close friends. In fact, one Kremlinologist suggests that "Khrushchev's institutional strength probably exceeds anything that Stalin ever achieved."

As far as can be seen, Khrushchev at 68 is in good health, although there are always those rumors of a kidney ailment. His legendary political skill and common touch are unflagging; at the height of the Cuban crisis he managed to get off messages of congratulation to a dozen farmers (for their prize corn crops) and to a successful swineherd. To quiet any doubts about solidarity at the top, Khrushchev and the Party Presidium attended the theater one evening, a traditional display by Soviet party officials in time of crisis.†