Jewish Engineer Named Soviet Deputy Premier; Heads Economy Planning

A Jewish engineer, Benjamin E. Dymshits, has been named in the Soviet Union to the key post of chairman of the Gosplan, State Planning Committee, as well as to the post of Deputy Premier, it was reported here today in dispatches from Moscow. The Gosplan is the highest Soviet body in charge of planning the economy of the country.

The appointment made him the first Jew to hold such a high post in the Soviet government since Lazar Kaganovitch was ousted from his post as Deputy Premier in 1957. The rise of the Jewish engineer to the high post of Deputy Premier was considered one of the most rapid advances by a Soviet official in recent years. The 52-year-old engineer, who was born in the Crimea, has been employed in the construction of industrial enterprises. He has been mentioned by Premier Krushchev to refute allegations of anti-Semitism in Russia.

In the middle 1950’s, Dymshits was in charge of construction plans for the Soviet lead industry. He was then also a Deputy Minister for the construction of steel and chemical enterprises. In 1957, he was named chief engineer for the construction of the Bhilai steel plant in India, remaining in that country until the summer of 1959.

On his return to Moscow he was named head of a department in Gosplan with the title of Minister in the Soviet Cabinet. Earlier this year he was appointed a first deputy chairman on the Planning Committee, holding that post until his elevation to chairman yesterday. He was named a member of the Communist party’s Central Committee at the 22nd party congress last fall. He is also a Deputy to the Supreme Soviet, the national Parliament, representing the city of Khabarovsk.