Evening star., 1945-08-21
Todoy's Wor Story
Benes Gives CzechosIovokio
Great Revolution by Decree

there is an opportunity for fail
competition among small manufac.
turers.
Fewer Parties Planned.
The arbitrary reduction Of parties
has been notable step. Aftel
Munich most of the ministers, som'
Of the more prominent party mem.
bers and a good many eminent in.
dividuals left Czechoslovakia ane
eventually found their way to Eng.
land. There they set up a govern
ment-in-exile. 1t organized ant
maintained, with British aid, tn,
Czech army and air force, and Il
laid down carefully prepared plans
for the restoration Of the country
when Germany was defeated.
There had been 20 Communis
members of Parliament. These fec
to Moscow. There they also hav,
been conducting governmental.
exile, dealing. OF course. almost en-.
tirely with the Russians and also
maintaining an army and air force
Naturally these two groups did mo-
always see eye to eye, but they
were able to avoid the dispute,
which have made the Polish prob.
lem so difficult. Now both are back
In Prague with President Benes
have Joined forces and appear tt
be working in perfect harmony
There is one thing which binds
them together over and above any
differences over economic and So
cial policies-the most intense and
universal hatred OF Germans l have
seen anywhere.
Four parties are recognized. the
Social Democratic party, the Ma
Benes the Communist party and
Benes, the Communist Party and
the Christian Socialist party. The
first three form a national block
1t is not opposed by the Christian
Socialists. Today there Is no op-
position. These four parties agree
on a policy and Benes, with hi,
ministers, executes 1t. There can be
little doubt that today the Com
munist party exerts the strongest
influence. This is partly due tt
the presence of the Red Army anc
partly to the vigor OF its policies.
Czechs Bar Compromise.
After seven years OF persecution
and starvation the Czechs wan
strong medicine. They have no in.
clination for compromise. But thu
Communists are represented by
only about 20 per cent Of the pre-.
war population, mostly factor,
workers in the larger cities. Theil
prestige was at its high-water marl
in the last year of the war, wher
Czechoslovakia looked to the Rec
Army for its deliverance. Thi!
prestige has been hurt, rather thar
helped, by the Russian occupation
troops. The commanders apparentl,
have ordered a hands policy a.
regards politics. Any army OF oc.
cupation is bound to be unpopular
even If it is perfectly we'll be.
haved. which no army Of occupa
ton ever Is.
Numerically probably the larges
party is the Christian Socialist. I
is definitely Communist, al
though at present it is co-operatins
so far as possible without actual,
joining hands with them, and ap
parently it Is entirely in favor o
the Presidents naturalization pol
icies.
With the advice of leaders of al
four parties President Benes is act
ing under powers conferred by tn,
constitution on the executive TO,
extraordinary occasions" when or
dinary democratic processes canno
function. The situation may change
although no great change Is ex.
pected after the national election.
in November, when the people viii
be called upon to ratify or disap.
prove what has been done. BY tina,
time naturalization will be an &C,
complished fact, and it is diticult
to conceive Of any Czech voter,
wanting property restored to Ger.
mans.