The Heirs

Russians say: "Georgians live forever." Even so, Georgian Joseph Stalin was old enough (66) and tired enough to distribute some of his concentrated power among his subordinates.

On the Bolshevik anniversary, the Soviet press and radio played up three men: P: Viacheslav Molotov, 50, made the speech of the day (see above). Outside of Russia it is sometimes forgotten that Molotov's experience is not confined to foreign affairs; a crack administrator, he was Premier for eleven years until Stalin took the post over in 1941. The fact that Molotov's name followed just after Stalin on a recent official list of Soviet leaders was a sign that the Foreign Commissar might return to the Premiership. C| Marshal Alexander Vasilevsky, 48, Red Army Chief of Staff (1943-45), signed the anniversary Order of the Day as Stalin's deputy. He left his planning job to acquire glory as the conqueror of Konigsberg in East Prussia and as commander in the brief war against Japan. Vasilevsky, now Deputy Commissar of Defense, may soon replace Stalin as Defense Commissar. General Alexei 1. Antonov, 44, who succeeded Vasilevsky as Chief of Staff, reviewed the troops in Red Square. Antonov's next job is to improve the discipline and morale of the victorious but uncouth Red Army.

Among other possible heirs to all or part of Stalin's power: P: Marshal Georgi Zhukov, 52, Stalin's deputy in Berlin, is the most important of the "Counts of the Marches" who guard Russia's borders.

P: Marshal Klimenti Voroshilov has long been Stalin's closest Army friend. Andrei Alexandrovitch Zhdanov, 48, secretary of the Communist Party's Central Committee and organizer of Leningrad's defense, represents the U.S.S.R. in Helsinki.

P: Lavrenti Beria, 46, chief of the secret police (N.K.V.D.), is a civilian. Stalin went out of his way to make Beria a Marshal of the Soviet Union last summer.

These were the favorites; but the next Dictator of Russia might be as unknown at present as the next Dalai Lama of Lhasa.

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