Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-09-14
By DonieI De Luce
Associated Press Foreign Correspondent

Prague, CZechoSloVakla, Sept. ID
Russia's inability to match the
economic power and political free
dom of the United States has left
the Soviet sphere in Europe still
open to Western inhltration' after
three months OF the so-called 'Molo-
toy plan
/ have talked with government
leaders, the maJority of them Com
mtlnists, III tour OF the strategic
frontier countries under strong Rus
sian inf1uence-Poland. Czechoslo-
Vakla, Hungary and YugoSlaYla.
Some parroted the venomously anti
American campaign put out by
Moscow. Others limited almost
Voltairean tolerance for Yankee
brand Of capitalism.
All admitted having a desire in
common: Dollar loans and increased
trade with the Western world.
On strictly business propositions.
they are ready to make agreements,
but quick. They are apparently will
ing to keep theological tenets in the
background, at least temporarily, in
the face of economic hard facts.
British officials close to high
government opinion expressed the
belief last July that the Russians
had undertaken "Molotov plan"
as conference.-the to the
Marshall Plan. The Russians
would seek to coordinate and in
tegrate individual recovery plans
of the Eastern European states.
and encourage rejection OF any
dollar aid from the United
States which in the view OF the
recipients might imply accept
ance of political conditionsD
With Russian backing, the border
states engaged this summer in a
round of pact-making, both for
trade and military alliances. The
military phase looks like a half
hemisphere defense system, lml-
tating what the United States has
successfully arranged with Central
and South America.
AS for trade, a stubborn problem
cannot be ignored. Russia is I'M
able yet to barter to these countries
all bent on modern industrializa-
tion-the machines they need.
Developments Hit Reds.
Presuming that the Kremlin
counts on the decline of the West
through the latters supposed STU
pidity, two September developments
are contrary to dire Soviet predic-
tons.
One is the sponsorship by the
United States of a new Greek gov
eminent that has promised to
broaden it's base and act with char
ity toward opponents of the former
rightists faction in power.
The other is contained in the
work of the donation conference
at Paris, which in estimating recoV-
cry needs under the Marshall Plan
noted such items as coal which they
expected to obtain by normal trade
relations with the four Soviet
dominated states have been visit
ing.
If the Paris meeting had slammed
the door tight against the Russian
sphere. it might have gravely dam
aged the vital economic magnetism
which the West still eXerts here.
Heavy handed tactics by native
Communists have not enhanced the
party's prestige in this satellite area
recently. The Hungarian election
scandal Infatuated other left-Wing-
ers against the Communists anc
struck particularly sour note
News OF the Staying Of a Catholic
priest in Yugoslavia did not &C
down well in Catholic Hungary
Slovakia and Poland.
Reds Are Guiding Force.
Minority Communist elements are
the guiding forces, however, in the
four countries that received me. Il
seems obvious that Russia will com.
pei Communist representation In
their government at least as long
as the Red Army is on hand.
There also appears to be no pros
pect that these countries can safely
divorce themselves from dutifully
nodding to Soviet foreign policy.
But I have the impression that
siding with Molotov in the United
Nations on questions of the atom
bomb and Indonesia is considered by
non Communists a relatively cheap
! -