Evening star., 1948-03-09
Compromising With Communism
Control of Key Positions in Czechoslovak Government
Paved the Way for Ultimate Seizure by Reds
BY Garnsn d. Horner

The way for the recent Communist COUP In
Czechoslovakia was cleared at about the same
time that country was liberated from the
Nazis in l945.
Communists obtained In effect, the keys to
power when they assumed the ministries Of in
terror, agriculture and information in the post
war provisional Czech government set up under
Soviet auspices at Kosice, in Central Slovakia.
This was in April, 1945, = month before the
provisional government moved to Prague in
the wake of the 'liberating" Red Army.
Formation Of this government had been
agreed upon at Moscow, where President
Eduard Benes had gone for consultations. His
consultants there included Klement Gottwald,
Czech Communist leader and veteran Comm
tern official now installed IS Czechoslovak
Prime Minister, and Zdenek Fierlinger, . So
cial Democrat long sympathetic with Russia
and Communism, who was the first postwar
premier.
The Communist Party long had been active
In Czechoslovak politics, with members In
Parliament, but this was the first time Com
munists had participated in the government.
It was significant that at the beginning of
their participation they obtained the key in
terror, agriculture and information ministries.
Communists Poll SO Per Cent.
Fferlinger continued as Prime Minister until
the May, 1916, elections, after which he was
replaced by Gottwald. Those elections were
considered by practically all observers to be
free, without any particular police interfer-
ence.
The Communist Party received by far the
largest number OF votes in the 1946 balloting
They obtained ss per cent, as compared to 20
per cent for the next highest party. the Ma
tional Socialists.
Control of the Interior and Agriculture Min
istrtes was believed to have played its part in
running up the large Communist vote. The
Interior Ministry was In charge of deportation
Of Germans from the Sudeten area-where the
Communists received q clear majority OF the
total votes. The Agriculture Ministry had the
power of distributing land taken from the Ger
mans to Czech peasants.
Another factor was a general feeling through
the country that friendship with Russia was
. necessary thing. This stemmed from Presi-
dent Benes' policy entered into in 1943 for
close postwar cooperation with the Soviet
Union. Such close relations were considered
essential for the peaceful development Of
small neighbor of the powerful Soviet. And it
was the feeling OF supporters of democracy in
Czechoslovakia that policy Of give-and-taks
with the Communists would work-that by fol-
lowing the Russian line in foreign policy they
would be left free to develop democratic in
stitutions in Czechoslovakia.
The policy Of cooperation did appear to
work, making Czechoslovakia the "showplace"
for democracy in Eastern Europe, until that
nations turn came in Russia's expansionist
drive.
Control Of the Police.
Holding the Interior Ministry gave the Com
munists control over the Czechoslovak security
police. This was an essential factor in the
seizure Of power last week. More and more
Communists were gradually inflltrated into the
security police over objection Of the other
parties.
After the 1916 elections, the National So
cialists obtained the Justice Ministry. For
time this made for q sort Of balance Of power
Through the Justice Ministry, the National
Socialists for months were able to prevent any
serious Intervention in Czech life by the Sc
curity police. as