Never a Cleavage

A U.S. official who should know, if any outsider does, which Russian leaders are friendly to the Western powers is U.S. Ambassador to Moscow Walter Bedell Smith. This week, after "Beedle" Smith had visited the White House and asked President Truman to let him retire (he has ulcers), he said to reporters:

"I imagine there are in the Soviet Union certain leaders who are more desirous of being conciliatory than they are of pursuing the policy of harshness we have encountered. But it would be difficult to say who they are. There is never a cleavage in the Politburo. There are certain differences of opinion before policies are made and adopted. But as to a cleavage . . . that is a little bit beyond the scope of my imagination."

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