Evening star., 1947-12-14

't Central Europe, while behind
expansion.
&C. Masaryk, whose political genius
and high idealism is comparable to
that of our own George Washing
ton. Masaryk envisioned his coun-
try as a liberal democracy wherein
all elements, being assured equal
rights, would submerge their ma
tionalistic differences in a common
patriotism like that of Switzerland
Unfortunately, it did not work out
that way.
Joint Liberation
The liberation of Czechoslovakia
was the joint work Of the western
powers and of Soviet Russia, al
though Russian arms penetrated
most of the country, while Russian
occupation Of the lands lying both
north and south intensified Russian
influence on the country's postwar
evolution. AS matter of fact, the
Czechs had long looked to Russia as
their Slavic big brother" and well
coined the Russians as liberators.
Likewise. communistic ideas had
become widespread among the in
dustrial workers of Bohemia and
Moravia, who formed the nucleus OF
Q strong local Communist party.
The foundation was therefore laid
for Czechoslovakia's Transformation
into Soviet republic on the Mos
cow model. III
However. there were strong coun-
terinduences. The Czech lands had
been culturally and spiritually part
OF the western world, while the lib
eral democracy of Masaryk had
struck deep roots in the generation
of independent national life. Fur
thermore, the national spirit had
been thoroughly aroused by the re-
cent subjection to Hitler's detested
Third Reich. This led to the mass
expulsion of the Sudeten Germans,
who numbered over 5000 ,000-one-
third of the inhabitants of Bo-
hemia- -Moravia and one-fifth of the
entire population. This mass ex-
pulsion, plus a similar expulsion of
the Magyar or Hungarian minority
from Slovakia on smaller scale,
has had two notable consequences.
In the first place, 1t has made
Czechoslovakia for the first time
nationally homogeneous. But it also
has greatly increased the numerical
Importance of the slovaks as against
the Czechs. In the old Czechoslo-
vakia the Slovaks numbered about
100000 out of a total of $4,000 0Oo
Today, with the Germans, Magyars
and other alien elements eliminated,
those same 100000 Slovaks share
the country with approximately g.
5oO,OOo Czechs-virtually one-third
OF the total postwar population
Complex Pattern
Czechoslovakia today exhibits a
complex pattern of cross trends
The cause of national unity op-
poses both the alien dictation of
Moscow on the one hand and Slovak
particularism on the other. The
ideals OF liberal democracy struggle
with totalitarian' communism. The
institutions of private property and
Tree enterprise struggle with COM
munistic socialization. Although the
present government is largely in
Communist hands, it still remains
nominally a national coalition re-
gime and the Communists have not
yet dared to throw out the opposi-
tion elements and rule by arbitrary
force.
Likewise, there is no Russian Army
OF occupation and Moscow would
think twice before sending its troops
into the country. Any such move
would presumably arouse the embit-
tered resentment Of all save the hard
core of Communist fanatics who are
ready to do Moscow's bidding under
any circumstances. Czech national
ism is too tough and stubborn a
force lightly to affront.
Czechoslovakia thus continues to
be the weakest Link in the chain of
domination that Moscow has
stretched across Europe from the
Baltic to the Adriatic. Onicially, 1t
is behind the iron curtain" But
1t is there reluctantly and, in a
sense, under protest.
The country's economic life is be-
ing tied in with that OF Soviet RUS
sia and its satellites, yet the losses
and hardships involved in that dubi-
GUS experiment are another source
Of popular resentment. Economical
ly, as well as culturally and ideolog-
ically, Czechoslovakia is historically
turned west rather than east. The
attempts now being made by its
Communist leaders to reverse the
traditional pattern run against the
national grain. Mounting friction
would seem TO be logically IN ftcated.