761.00/5–2754: Telegram
No. 623
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union
(Bohlen) to
the Department of State1
1485. On 25th New York Times correspondent submitted to censor story dealing with Khrushchev’s rise written around thesis of growing parity or duality of party and state. Buried in story however is clear reference to encroachment by Khrushchev into government field as revealed by parity of speeches at Supreme Soviet which in story is characterized as “government occasion”. Reference also made to Kaganovich speech citing Khrushchev ahead of Malenkov as further evidence this parity. After holding 24 hours censor passed story virtually unchanged deleting only reference to fact that Council of Nationalities which Malenkov addressed as second chamber and Council of Union before which Khrushchev spoke as upper chamber as well as speculation at end of story to effect that principal address at RSFSR commemorative session would be given by Khrushchev. Fact that story was held 24 hours and deletions made makes it perfectly clear that story received top-level consideration. Possibly story was passed since its [Page 1235] chief emphasis was “parity and equality party and government” although parts referred to above making plain Khrushchev’s encroachment into government field could hardly have escaped notice sophisticated reader. The paragraph in Voroshilov’s speech before Hungarian party meeting in Budapest published in all central press today which bears down very heavily on importance of principle of collective leadership (Embtel 14842) may have some relationship to developments in top leadership.