M. M. KUCHERENKO. Training New Labour Force Contingents During the Great Patriotic War

The article highlights the process of vocational training of new workers at Soviet industrial enterprises and through the State Labour Reserves system in the years of the Great Patriotic War. The author illustrates in great detail the main directions, peculiarities and specific features attending the work of Party, government, trade union and Young Communist League organizations in training new labour force contingents, bringing out the difficulties of this work created by the wartime conditions. Much space is devoted in the article to an analysis of the social, class, sex and age composition of the newly-trained work force, as well as the part played by women and juveniles in the reproduction of skilled labour.

O. A. LEE, N. G. NEFEDOV. The Emergence and Development of Atomic Power Engineering in the U.S.S.R.

The article illuminates the development of atomic power engineering in the U.S.S.R., the activity carried on in this sphere by prominent Soviet scientists, the gradual appearance and systematic perfection of scientific research facilities, the purposive and sustained efforts made in the U.S.S.R. to accelerate experimental and theoretical research in the field of utilizing atomic energy for peaceful purposes. The authors shed light on the activity of the Communist Party and the Soviet government aimed at creating an industrial base of atomic power engineering, a graphic illustration of which is provided by the construction of the huge Atommash plant for the production of nuclear reactors at Volgodonsk, at developing and extending international contacts and co-operation in the sphere of atomic power engineering.

M. KOSMAN. Evolution of Paganism in the Baltic States

The article examines the evolution of the religious views of the Baltic peoples (primarily the Lithuanians and the Letts) from polytheism to the crystallization of cult scepticism. The author shows that the religious ideas of these peoples underwent significant changes. Elements of paganism continued to persist in the Baltic states for several centuries. Even the Reformation and Counter Reformation failed to eliminate the survivals of heathenism, which continued to exist up to the mid-19th century.

L. I. LUKIN. The Council of Mutual Economic Assistance and Its International Ties

The article examines the development of the international contacts maintained by the Council of Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA) since the 1950's. The author highlights the type of relations practised by the CMEA with the countries not affiliated to this organization. Much importance is attached in the article to the CMEA's relations with international economic organizations, notably with the specialized agencies of the United Nations Organization. The author comes to the conclusion that the international prestige of the CMEA is growing steadily.

G. A. TROFIMENKO. Means and Methods of U. S. Foreign Policy

The article examines the means and methods employed by the U.S.A. to exert its influence on world affairs and contains a classification of ways and means of exercising influence through the medium of foreign policy. The author makes a detailed analysis of the "non-military factors of strength" to which the U.S. is compelled to resort more and more frequently in conditions when its military strength appears to be neutralized by the combined might of the U.S.S.R. and the countries of the socialist community standing opposed to it. The article sheds light on the different methods of exerting foreign policy pressure, to which the U.S.A. resorted after the Second World War, and underscores that apart from using diverse economic, ideological, "technological" and sundry other non-military "levers of influence" on a far broader scale in the past few years, Washington continues to cling to its old course of attaching exceptional importance to building up its military strength so as to acquire additional possibilities both for exerting diplomatic influence and directly resorting to the use of armed force.

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S. V. LAVROV. Britain's Policy in the Caucasus and Central Asia in 1917 - 1921

The author brings out the anti-Soviet and expansionist character of Britain's policy with regard to the Caucasus and Central Asia in 1917 - 1921, showing its close connection with British colonial ambitions in the Middle East. The article contains a characteristic of some aspects of Britain's armed intervention against Soviet power, including new facts testifying to her direct complicity in the sordid act of massacring the twenty-six Baku Commissars. The ignominious failure of Britain's anti-Soviet actions in this area was one of the chief reasons that compelled the ruling circles of Britain to sign an agreement with Soviet Russia in 1921.

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