Evening star., 1948-02-27
CzeehCoup Held Proof
OF Soviet Weakness
Rather Than STRENGTH
Fear Of MurshulI PIon
Seen Factor in Seizure
Of Power by Leftists
Bv DaSd Laurence

There are several ways Of looking
at the Communist seizure Of the
government Of Czechoslovakia-but
they all add UP to manifestation
Of Russia's weakness rather than
strength.
Fear of the Marshall plan, fear
of America, fear of the growth of
the Western democracies in Europe
and, particularly, fear that at
her back door the Czechs might
prove hostile undoubtedly led to the
decision at Moscow to move on
Prague.
Certainly the situation must
have been desperate or else the So
viets would not have been 30 PAL
pably dictatorial and so crude In
their means of shutting out all op-
position and all democratic groups.
Bit Off Chunks Of Trouble.
The Russians have bitten off q
big chunk Of trouble. Gradually,
ss liberties are taken away, the "un-
dergrounds" start organizing.
Troops will have to be used to sub
due the dynamic people Of Czecho-
sloyakia, who know how to fight for
their freedom. This means more ex-
pense for Russia and more diff
Guilty In keeping the people inside
Russia from knowing the truth. II
there's friction in a. neighboring
country, sooner or later 1t gets
across the border.
The naturalization of the Russ
ian government Is being imagined
here. It Is supposed that the So
Wet rulers saw In Ozechoslovakia a
natural base for trading between
the East and West under the Mar
shall plan. They felt that they had
to get complete control of the gov
ernment and that a parliamentary
regime was out of the question. In
other words, the decision was one
Of expediency rather than ideo-
logical conviction. Back of the set
ting up of puppet government
s the knowledge that the police
must be under Russian control. This
Is disclosed before all the world and
whatever regard the Soviet rulers
have had for world opinion has
been deliberately forfeited. This
is what makes the move appear a
sign of weakness.
Protection Alibi Out
Certainly there can be no more
argument about Russian preten-
sions OF protection when vir-
tually the entire Balkan area has
been placed under Communist con-
troll. Plainly no country in Europe
least of all Germany, Is in condi-
ton to attack Russia.
The purpose then must have been
to insure domination of neighbor-
ing states for economic reasons.
The Russians must keep out all
other trade from the Balkans they
now control except that which they
wish to allow for their own self
interest. In sense, the seizure OF
Czechoslovakia Is part of the
"cold war" between the East and
West and hence the Russian realists
doubtless consider that the end JUS
titles the means.
The Marshall plan now has taken
form-that Is, the American Con-
gress is about to pass a substantial
appropriation. Russians know this
How then can they fight Ameri-
can dollars2 Only by getting con-
troll of the financial and economic
systems of as many countries In
Eastern Europe as possible.
Tactics Expensive.
Before another year passes, the
Russians will have discovered that
their tactics are far more expen-
sive than was believed and aren't
getting them anywhere They will
find themselves with an economic
mess on their hands worse than
exists inside their own borders. The
merging of the two problems may
bring the long-expected internal
dissension that can weaken the So
Wet regime still further.
This Is why gesture OF friend
finess from Russia, secretly or 9TH
erwise, in the hope of patching up
differences with America would
not be surprising. 1t is sad blow
to Czechoslovakia which, the dis
patches describe, and the tragedy is
not made less easy to bear by the
thought that 1t is the beginning OF
the end of Russian dictatorship In
Europe. But it does look as If the
Soyiets, like the Germans, have
miscalculated American public
opinion and American capacity to
help nations 5000 miles away. The
Russians do not understand the
reasons for the American policy but
they will in due time be conscious
of its effects and seek a way out
mot by war, but by negotiation