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WARNING ON STALIN'S !
CONDITION
Seen as Prelude
to His Death
LONDON, March 4 (A.A.P.). — The Russian people
have been warned to prepare for the "long absence" of
Marshal Stalin from Government leadership.
This was announced today by the Moscow radio, which
earlier had broken all precedent by reporting that their
leader was seriously ill, following a stroke.
The broadcast is generally regarded as preparing the Rus
sians for the possibility of his death.
The Russian radio
and press have never
before carried any re-
' ports, or ; speculation
about Marshal Stalin's
health .and- have
usually given no, hint
of illnes before an
nouncing only deaths :
of other Soviet 'lea
ders. <
The bulletin said that
tte ; 73-year-old leader
suffered a brain haemor
rhage in his flat at the
Kremlin early Monday
morning, leaving him in
a paralysed condition and
causing loss of speech.
The' later announce
ment; heard at 9 p.nri
A.E.S.T., . said: "Up to
two o'clock this morning'
the condition of Comrade
J. V. Stalin remained
serious." It was signed by
the Council of Ministers
and the Central Commit-
tee of the Soviet Com
munist party, who said
they were keeping con
stant supervision over the
treatment being given to
Marshal Stalin.
Only a fortnight ago
he was reported as
looking "remarkably fit
and full of physical and
mental vigor" by the
Indian Ambassador to
Moscow (Mr. K. P.
Menon) who had an in
terview with him in the
Kremlin..
Lapse in His Health
The .announcement was
followed . : by . another
grave-yoiced . message
from the Moscow radio,
giving the ;text of the
first bulletin on the pre-
. mier's health, and telling
of a lapse in his condi
tion. , ' ; "V-V."
This was the full: text
of the bulletin :—
"During the night of
March 1, 1953, Comrade
J. V. Stalin had a sud
den haemorrhage" of
the brain which af-
fected vitally import-
Mr. STALIN. Help
Mr. STALIN.
Mr. MALENKOV. Help
Mr. MALENKOV.
.ant" parts of the brain,
' as a result of which
paralysis of. the right
leg ' arid right arm oc
curred, together yrith
loss .of consciousness
. and speech.
: "Relevant : medical
steps were taken on
, March 2 and 3 directed
" towards improving the
disturbed functions of
breathing and blood
circulation which so
far . have not resulted
in a material change
in the course of the ill-
"As-v'at 2300 G.M.T.,
March 3, the state of
J. V. Stalin's health
remains grave.
"Considerable disor
ders in breathing are ,
being observed. The
rate of breathing is up
to 36 per minute. The -
rhythm / of breathing is
incorrect, with periodic
lengthy pauses.
. "His pulse rate is up
to 120 per minute and
completely ,. irregular,
blood pressure maxi
mum ' 220, minimum
120.
"Temperature 28.2
Centigrade (82.76 deg.
Fahrenheit) . v
Wii:o Succeeds?'
"In connection with
the disturbed breathing
and blood circulation, a
lack of oxygen is being
observed.
"The area of the dis
turbed functions of the
brain has somewhat in
creased.
"At present a series
of therapeutic measures
are being taken, di
rected towards rehabi
litating the functions of
the organs important
to life."
The communique, was
broadcast every hour by
the .Moscow Radio.
Other programmes, in
cluding music, contin
ued normally.
In New York, American
physicians today said it
appeared that the brain
haemorrhage which af
fected Marshal Stalin
was similar to a stroke
which caused the death
of another of the second
world war "big three" —
President Franklin Roose
velt. President Roosevelt
died almost immediately
after suffering his stroke.
It was pointed out,
however, that when Mar
shal Stalin's predecessor,
Lenin, became ill after a
stroke in 1922 he lingered
on for two years, with his
speech affected and his
right arm and leg para
lysed after sclerosis weak
ened the arteries of his
brain;
Speculation in world
capitals as to the suc
cessor of Marshal Stalin
centres on Mr. Georgi
Malenkov, a member of
the Politbureau and a
closfe associate of the
Marshal,
Other names mentioned
are those of the former
Foreign Minister, Mr. V.
M. Molotov, and the
O.G.P.U. head, Mr. Lau-
renki Beria.
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