| Show I I Czech Refugee Confirms Crack in Iron Curtain By Dy BAUKHAGE News and Commentator Is WASHINGTON Is the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics lies ics crocking cracking That's an on Idea Ideo which is being toyed with by some orne wishful thinkers in Washington while others consider it U one of the most dangerous playthings that ever got Into the hands bands of unwary diplomats In any case the theory if is worth examining It appear to k have been beeR encouraged by some members of the little group of highly intelligent but also highly prejudiced people who form a constantly growing segment of Washington society the society the political refugees from the countries on the Soviet borders borden One can however trust this thi group for certain basic bulc facts Recently I learned one of these facts which may surprise you Of Of course you recall that Soviet diplomacy diplomacy diplo diplo- macy always has hasp p explained what we call its aggression as IS simply a 8 desire f to surround itself Itsell with what It describes de de' scribes as friendly friend 0 ly Iy countries The refugees of whom I spoke are living proof that not all of the inhabitants of Russia's satellites satellites satel satel- lites are friendly However most ofus of ofus ofus us have been led to assume that at least the governments govern ments and the controlling Communist Com Corn minorities which support them have bave been able abe to produce a degree of mutual affection satisfies the Kremlin After Tito's Titos action we we wondered What about the frontiers between these countries ond nd Russia The answer came from an antiCommunist anU anti Communist recently arrived from one Czechoslovakia one of ot the many persons person who are seeping out of that and other satellite countries every enry da day He lie was asked ked In iny my presence I U Sf the frontier between his country and Russia was open In the sense I that travel was permitted under the same ame conditions that obtain between normally friendly nations The Czech laughed He lie said The border between my country and Russia Is no tighter than a dam I would have to be to keep a drop of water from getting through I have heard the Russian frontiers of other satellite nations similarly described d. My informant also alzo outlined other significant conditions In Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia first reminding us of three important facts 1 la Is the most Industrialized of ef all the satel sate Ute Sites 2 It Is I. also alo the most mOlt democratic demo demo- cratic In the realistic sense we view II democracy e moo r a 0 y In ether words the country countr Is thoroughly Indoctrinated with the kind of methods method we know This Is due duo In part of 01 course I to the fact tact that bat BO so many maDY of 01 the tho themen themen thomen men responsible for lor formation of 01 the be Czech Czoch r r. r republic e p n b 2 II 1 0 spent pent many year years In the United States and were wore made thoroughly fa familiar familiar la- la with Americas American methods Ii It Is also aillo duo due to the fact that they had a long period ef of practical flea 1111 experience per leD e e In III putting these methods method tat Into effect In their own country 3 The Czechs had bad a very high standard of living compared compared com corn pared to the other satellites These Theae factors facton taken together made mode the Czechs particularly vulnerable v to a Communist coup When it ft came because of their democratic demo demo- cratic atla training and high standard of living Uvin the Czechs were particularly partle partie unhappy as a. an aD aftermath of 01 Communist methods and Russian domination In III other words the Czechs Czech had more te to lose 1030 than any 0 of the ether other countries within the Red orbit Greater Problem A Are re in Prospect Czechoslovakia Is ts not Dot yet thoroughly thor thoro communized There is II still stilla a certain amount of ol criticism There have been boen no DO wholesale purges puree Undoubtedly these will wm come but wh when n the they d do do nd herein those who believe that the Soviet position is io weakening are encouraged aged the aged the prospects ar are that the harder arder the Russians Russian track crack down the greater problem Czechoslovakia will present to her ker Kremlin overs over over- s veers rs lIti coup that ended In lit the death of ot Mak took place it was wu estimated that perhaps 20 O 0 per cent ef of the people had b been n 1 Mated with communism Another 10 ID pet per were sympathetic chiefly y from kOla a th theoretical point of view My ITy y Czech declares declare that ft t can an be b. reliably estimated that the th th teste of ef practical communism ell tto tho people have havo had bad now ha has bu reduced that communist score COfO to 15 pee per cent He U. use alle confirmed on the recent statements about the tb army though army though he be gave no figures gures made by br Gen Oen Q n. n Antonia Antonin Hasa Hu who escaped ped 4 to the American zone sons of Germany Gennan in the Middle of July Jull Hasal said laid that 70 18 p per sent of ol u. u Ue tk enlisted men an and BOM aoa la tD the math army was anti My 11 informant put it this wayt way wayte Tb e air lr force OUI maD many of ot whoso whose members member berl fought with tk R. R A. A P. P is a. entirely nUrol pre We pro tern If It e t R Rl hal il drained the tanks tanka Q el all JI ha ibo planes plane ore be tor the coup CO 4 most of them would have flown own away Many did anyway and Czech planes are turning up continually continually con con- in Western controlled areas of Europe This occurs in civil aviation too because many of the pilots are former members of theair the theair theair air corps But Dut if it the Red government cannot cannot cannot can can- not trust the air corps it has even less confidence in the Czech armored force It has been necessary to immobilize it ft nut But the r greatest rea t e t friction caused by partial Hon Is felt feU In the nations nation's econ econ- omy Everyone suffers at least Indirectly because of 01 this but It ii can be seen most clearly among amonI workers worker Recent figures fig ures fires which were made available available avail avail- able to the public Indicate that there Is I. a h sharp rp off falling-off In Inthe Inthe inthe the man-hour man productiveness This could be attributed either to conscious sabotage or to a feeling of 01 Indifference and resentment resentment re re- te- te caused by reduced pay and restrictions on the union ulon abor labor increment Before Detore the Russians moved in 73 75 to 80 per cent of Czechoslovakia's foreign trade was with non nonCommunist non Com m. m countries This has been considerably reduced under pressure pressure pres pres- sure from from Russia but even now some 60 to 70 per cent of her ex cx- exports ports go to Western Europe Virtually the entire output of the great Skoda arms factory goes to Russia The output is largely heavy artillery Production of small arms for Russia also has been stepped up greatly Chance of 01 Revolt Termed Small Objective observers admit that there is small chance of an open revolt That isn't the Czech method They are great underground workers work work- ers era but they haven't the enthusiasm for letting blood that people like the Yugoslavs have If however the Soviets became involved in war undoubtedly the Czechs would join heartily with those they consider their liberators Those persons who predict a crack in the iron curtain base part of their argument an on attitude among Czech leaders lenders which is said to parallel that of Titos Tito's supporters in Yugoslavia That Thatis Is this question question ques ques- tion of nationalism There have been recent reports from Europe that Czech Premier Gottwald who always ha has been considered Moscow's Moscow's Mos Mos- cows cow's right man In Czechoslovakia akin v-akin Is la about to fall from Soviet grace for the same reason Tito fell Gottwald is a lifelong Communist who was won over to the Marxian philosophy before be had an opportunity op to see it put into effect in his own country He was an apt and willing student in Moscow but butha buthe buthe he ha apparently cherished the illusion that his own country could accept the communist form of government and still maintain its identity and its Independence The utter domination domination domin domin- by Russia has become not only distasteful to Gottwald but also alsoto alsoto alsoto to at least two other members of ot his hi cabinet including the minister of justice Gottwald is not the leader that Tito THo is and he probably can be brushed aside But Dut the viewpoint be he has come to represent is pointed out as one of at the weaknesses ef ot the Russian system There Is I. one other fact which cannot be hidden from the eyes of 01 any careful observer with some ome military knowledge of Czechoslovakia That Thai Is II that the military preparations in the country which the he Russians have bave carried out are aro almost almod per cent een defensive Apparently the Russian fear leal of Invasion from the West We is I. greater than their desire or ability to prepare prepare pre pro pare for lor offensive warfare 1 As AI proof of this thi m my inform Informant an f told me that although one of the tM scarcest consumer pro products due h la in Czechoslovakia is paper two cit erf the Ike biggest bluet zulUs mills manufacturing H it were limiting their output to blackout pi paper per only I These Theo are some ome of the reasons back baell of the theory which the people who believe in the old military axiom that you Oll mustn't under wad estimate the enemy earmy n say is Li dan du I Britain Britain's labor government of t Att Mt Attic ic lee end and declared the dock dock- er strike a national emergency the first lint such proclamation since sines 1926 1116 when Devin himself was wal ashike astrike a strike shike leader Proves Prove how you OU can eu make the shoe lit fit even w n Its iti on 00 the other ther foot tooL I I 5 I If U you otI keep on your toes toe o t 7 youre you're pot not likely to get iet down at taa keel aeJ i i |
