"No Useless Chatter"

The first session of Russia's newly elected parliament, the Supreme Soviet (TIME, Jan. 24), closed last week in Moscow. During its closing days, spectators continued to mingle and vote with the elected deputies. One day platoons of soldiers and sailors (not armed) enlivened parliamentary procedure by marching in, filling all the aisles. Their spokesman assured the Supreme Soviet: "This is the most democratic parliament in the world!"

From first to last not a single roll call was taken, thus making it impossible to say officially who was there or who voted. No laws were passed, none submitted. Not even the new five-year plan was debated. As Government newsorgans put it: "There was no useless chatter. The deputies knew what to do, and they did it."

All votes were unanimous by show of hands, accompanied by rousing cheers. By this means the Supreme Soviet, before adjourning sine die, elected the Praesidium. This body of 37 members is not a cabinet. Indeed, members of the Russian Cabinet, called the Council of People's Commissars, are barred from the Praesidium. Stalin-- not a member of the Cabinet, therefore eligible--was elected an ordinary member of the Praesidium. Although "where Stalin sits is the head of the table," amiable old Mikhail Kalinin was elected chairman of the Praesidium, i. e., "President of Russia."

As in previous years, before the new Constitution, the Praesidium will rule Russia as the chief organ of Government, exercising by decree the executive and legislative functions, having the judicial right of pardon. But the Praesidium, once a roster of Russia's most distinguished Old Bolsheviks, now has a majority of New Bolsheviks, many so new in the Dictator's favor that they are quite unknown to the Russian people. Only one list of 37 names was offered as candidates for the Praesidium. An announcement was made in passing that this list had been prepared by the "Council of Elders"--an imaginary body which Moscow correspondents had never heard of, presumably a euphemism for Stalin.

Also elected by the Supreme Soviet was a new Council of Commissars whose names were presented by Premier Vyacheslav Molotov. Of these 27 Russians only seven were Commissars a year ago, emphasizing the drastic nature of Stalin's recent "purge." Notably missing from this new Cabinet was Commissar for Justice Nikolai Vasilievich Krylenko, the pouncing prosecutor of early Moscow purge trials. Successor to Krylenko is Judge Nikolai Richkov, who sat on the bench which condemned to death famed Old Bolsheviks Piatakov, Kamenev and Zinoviev. Named new chief of the Caspian--i. e., No. 1 maker of five-year-plans--was Nikolai Voznesensky, formerly vice-commissar under famed Commissar Valery Mezhlauk.

Some weeks ago Big Red Planner Mezhlauk quietly disappeared and so did his brother Ivan, a member of the Higher School Commission. Another Big Red who disappeared during 1937 was the Russian Commissar for Finance Grigoriy Grinko. Not one of the 1,143 deputies of the Supreme Soviet who elected the new Council asked any questions last week about Mezhlauk, about Grinko, about any of the other Big Reds who continue to disappear, put away by Stalin's Secret Political Police. They also asked no questions about the Government's policies or plans.

Instead, happy at having done their duty by attending a two-week parliamentary picnic, the deputies adjourned at 6:20 p. m. and rushed out of the Kremlin to be acclaimed in the Red Square by hundreds of thousands of cheering Russians who had been waiting in the snow for two hours. It was expected that the deputies would be given at least six months' rest before being called to Moscow for another meeting.

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