Evening star., 1948-08-29

Federation of Trade Unions member
with $4,000 men and women paying
1t dues out OF q total population
Of Only 10000?
Why can the Communists, here in
Iceland, frequently hold the balance
of power?
What are the tricks and the de.
vices the stooses Of Moscow have
used. and are using in their boring
from within tactics?
The story has striking appeal to
students of the trade union move
ment.
Political Facts Important
1t has long-range significance for
those who want to know more about
Communist methods of capture and
control.
First of all, it is necessary to
understand certain basic political
facts that are either peculiar to Ice
land or in sharper focus here than
In other democracies.
Political hostility, party against
party, man against man, plays q
very marked role here.
This hostility is bitter; it is highly
personalized; it Is as much part
of daily life as the afternoon coffee
break.
The Icelander, furthermore. Is q
victim of what can be called endemic
isolationism.
In business practices and in many
technical skills, especially In the
fishing industry, he Is modern and
international.
But. as one intelligently objective
1celander put it:
I'VE really have an ancient-his.
tory mentality here. Our mentality
Is of the past-of our folklore. oul
great classical eddas and sagas.
Thus we have developed a deel
feeling of self-sufficiency. Call i
exclusiveness If you like. Call i
mysticism.
out of this has grown our ex
cessive nationalism, which really L
excessive individualism.
IN our nationalism, our love o
country and independence and oul
early history, you find us, therefore
supersensitive.
That's why life in Iceland Is *
political. That's why our politics
are so personalized. -'
And that's why no politica
leader ever dares ignore this inbred
sense of individualism."
Clever Appeal to Nationalism
All this explains one factor O.
the background into which thu
Communists have penetrated-b!
clever appeal to this exaggerated
nationalism, Icelandic version.
Another important factor is tina
none of the Communist partie!
has a majority among the voters
That is why the wartime coalition
government system continues.
More to the point, that is why
also, the three parties in opposition
to the Communists often have
looked favorably upon the Com.
munist vote, as separate from the
Communist Party, for open or hid
den support.
Against this political backdrop o.
intrigue and personal hostilities, the
workingman often finds himself
confused or lost.
His normal affiliation, his obvious
gravitation, would be into thu
ranks OF the Social Democrats. the
Labor Party, as contrasted with th'
Conservatives. made up OF business.
men and business interests. or with
the Progressives, the Farmers
Party.
Enter now the Communists!
A decade ago the 1celandic Com
munlsts began to work here ir
deadly earnest.
They skillfully snalyzed tn,
unique political situation here, thu
confusion of the workingman dis
satisfied with the Social Democrats
the bitter hostilities rampant
among many right-wing leaders.
The Communists saw that the So
cial Democrats had never had an.
really effective educational program
Moved Carefully
Then they went to work.
Their long range target was-and
definitely, determination Of Ice
lands organized labor.
They began, slowly and carefully
to knock the props from under thu
Social Democrats influence in tn.
labor unions. and in the federation
Here are some of the tactics uset
by the Icelandic Communists in tn,
past decade as they wormed thei
way into control of labor:
/. They took advantage of tn
governments lack of any real organ
ized force and welded the threat o
crisis-general strike, series o
riots-as a means of intimidatinl
Communist leaders. Iceland,
will be remembered. has never hat
an army or a navy, and number
only some 1870 policemen for tn
whole nation.
2. The Communists were ruthless
but clever, in seeking to undermine
the Social Democrats by insidiou
propaganda, by attacks defamin
leaders and by skillful editorials an
policy stories in the Communist dali
newspaper, Will of the People.
3. They always bargained NOR
uncompromisingly inside the labo
unions and demanded more for tn
workers than was asked by the com
petif1r ORGANIZATIONS.