RUSSIA: Dangerous Curiosity

If Secretary of War Patrick Jay Hurley chose, he might order U. S. soldiers thus:

“Write home and ask your families what they think of the Noble Experiment. Send me their replies.”

In Moscow a similar order was issued not long ago by Commissar of War Klimentiy Voroshilov. He was curious to know what the families of 715,000 Red Army men think of Dictator Josef Stalin’s program of “liquidating” (exterminating) the kulak or “rich peasant” class and herding poor peasants into Communist “collective farms” (TIME, Jan. 13).

Came news from Moscow last week that the Dictator was furious at his War Chief’s untimely curiosity, had “warned” him by cashiering his right-hand man, Under-Commissar of War Yosiph Unshlikht, who was then transferred to a seat on the Soviet Economic Council. If the Commissar of War wants to keep his own job. correspondents averred, he must curb his curiosity.