Communists: Nikita & the Other Cheek

As Peking's People's Congress met in secret to hear the latest word on the status of the Sino-Soviet feud, among other topics, Communist China cut loose with one of its most scathing personal attacks to date on Nikita Khrushchev. In simultaneous articles, Red Flag and People's Daily accused him of paralyzing the Russian armed forces, of kowtowing to the capitalists—and of sounding too holy by far. "It is clear," said the Chinese, that "in spite of Khrushchev's Bible-reading and psalm-singing, U.S. imperialists have not become beautiful angels. They have not turned into compassionate Buddhas in spite of his prayers and incense-burning." In short, said Red China, Khrushchev is "a laughing stock."

The blast may well open a new rift between Moscow and Peking, even though the Kremlin has been relatively restrained in recent weeks. For as Khrushchev once asserted: "There is much in Christ that is common with us Communists. But I cannot agree with him when he says that when you are hit on the right cheek, turn the left cheek. If I am hit on the left cheek, I hit back on the right cheek so hard that his head might fall off."