Evening star., 1948-02-29
|SpIit Of Socialists
lover Marshall Plan
Believed Unlikely
By Helene Huntington Smith

By Helena Huntington Smith
WARSAW. (by airmain The
Socialists of the eastern bloc don't
propose to split with their western
colleagues over the Marshall Plan.
Instead they will remain In the inter-
national Socialist organization and
work for the unity of Europe, unless
future action by the western Social
lists themselves makes split newt
able.
Stanislaw Szwalbe, vice marshall
of the Polish parliament and chair
man of the general council of the
Polish Socialist Party, made these
statements to the writer. He set at
rest the rumors and alarms growing
out of last months London confer
|ence of the Comisco-Permanent
Committee of International Social
|ist Conferences-which indicated
that the eastern Socialists were un-
der Communist pressure to with
draw from further participation and
thus make the cleavage between
east and west complete.
Only two Socialist parties are left
alive and functioning in Eastern
Europe today-in Poland and Hun
gary-those of Romania and Bull
garia having been rather completely
|liquidated, the party in Czechoslo-
vakia having become powerless, and
the party in Yugoslavia never having
been permitted to exist. Thus if,
the rumors were true and the east
ern Socialists we're obliged to with
draw from the conferences, it would
mean the final eclipse of socialism
as an international force in Europe.
Rumors Denied.
But Mr.. Szwalbe denied the ru-
mors, saying: There is no more
likelihood of a split among the So
cialists over the Marshall Plan than
there was a split in the World
Federation of Trade Unions over it,
despite intense disagreements. We
are for other forms of aid to Europe.
We don't completely approve Of the
Marshall Plan because 1t demands
political subservience from the coun-
tries taking part.
"The Comintern won't force a
split because it recognizes too well
the part played by the Eastern
Socialists in influencing the West
ern Parties and holding them In
line" 81
He cautioned, however, that there
were certain actions on the part of
the Western Socialists that could
cause split, and that Unity
doesn't depend entirely on our atti-
tudes In the East" One such action
would be to behave like the German
Socialists of 1914 who voted for the
military credits Of Kaiser wilhelm,
or like those French Socialists who
supported Marshal Petain.
Split is Possible.
"If the Western Socialists show
that their main aim Ii to support
Western imperiaiists instead OF
working sincerely for European
unity and the aims of Socialism in
Europe-then there will be q split.
"Also, we don't like to hear too
much about the Third Force-which.
seems to be only o device for work !
ing with Imperialism and capital4
ism. 4
IF the Western parties try d
create an instrument whose main
purpose is. directly combating coms
munism, that also would be- causd3
for split because there in Poladd'
we think we cannot realize the airas1
OF socialism without comn1unisrnf 4
There will be a split, too, If the
Western Socialists try to force rs in
the East 10 have good relations
with Franco, as Blum is trying to
do. w
But a split over the Marshall
Plan? No."
Hopes for Loan.
Speaking as Pole and not Just
as q Socialist, MIR. Szwalbe voiced
the hope for loan to his country,
from the International Bank or
from the United States, to buy coal
mining machinery, a hope which
unites all Poles without regard for
party. With such q loan, he pointed
out, Poland would increase her ex-
ports of coal to all countries ir-
respective OF politics. and thus
would be in the paradoxical position
of helping to make the Marshall
Plan success.
We've been waiting three years
for credits to restore our mining in
stallations, while Germany has been
receiving new tools, new machines
and credits without any apparent
difnculty," he added.
A meeting of Western Socialists
interested in the Marshall Plan is
scheduled to take place on Anglo
French invitation in March. Mr..
Szwalbe said that some time in the
spring, when a date could be ar
there would be a corre-
spending conference of Eastern
Socialists who are opposed, with the
Italian party included. But he in
dicated that there was no hurry
about it.
(Released by The Bell Syndicate, Inc.)