The month of July was marked by important world events, the most prominent of which was the expulsion of the four Soviet leaders: Malenkov, Kaganovich, Shepilov, and Molotov. The latter two had been foreign ministers of the Soviet Union. Their expulsion from government posts and from membership in the Communist Party means that the ruling Russian leaders are, it seems, inclined to pursue a more moderate policy with regard to the current

world questions, foremost among them the matter of disarmament now under discussion in the British capital.

For it has become clear to inter-national observers that the points of view of the Western powers and the Soviet Union, as concerns the halting of atomic tests and the reduction of armaments in general, were closer to agreement than at any time past in the disarmament talks.

As for the discussions of the

five powers meeting in London to deal with the questions of disarmament, it appears to diplo-matic observers that the American proposals, backed by her Western allies, still stand the best chance of winning the support of the Soviet Union,

which only days ago was insisting on its own point of view on this subject. Perhaps the final sessions to come will reveal to world public opinion who is responsible for the failure that