Evening star., 1949-09-18

revise their estimates. That some
thing is Hito and Yugoslavia.
Even the most suspicious OBJ
servers admit now that the Soviet
Yugoslav break is not a fake. It
is a deep split which will be irrep-
arabic unless the Kremlin de-
cides to swallow it's pride and
patch things up with the Ma
tionalist- Communist dictator.
The unanimous opinion of all
political and military officials here
and abroad is that such a recon-
ciliation is not possible because
the standard of rebellion raised by
Marshal Tito already has dam
aged seriously the fabric Of the
Soviet satellite structure.
There has been relatively little
information in the press about the
serious repercussions of Tito's
defiance in most satellite coun-
tries. A careful survey, in which
unreliable information has been
sifted out as much as possible.
shows that the position of the
Moscow puppet governments in
Hungary and Poland has been
seriously shaken. This applies
also in lesser degree to Bulgaria.
where the control by Moscow has
been much tighter, and to Ro-
mania. where the people are less
warlike and less fanatically ma
tionalistic than the Poles and the
YugoslaVs.
Hungary Restless
Ever since Tito decided to an
swer the Soviet provocations and
agitation in his country by STIR
ring up trouble in the neighbor-
ing satellites, the situation in
Hungary has been seething. The
Soviet secret police, backed by
some 10000 regular Soviet troops.
discovered a plot involving the
top Hungarian Communists, in
Guiding the commander Of the
Hungarian Army and the former
Foreign Minister. Laszlo Rajk.
Tito's successful defiance, and his
promise to help Hungary if it
also raised the banner of rebel
lion, encouraged organization OF
plot aimed at eliminating the
Russians from Hungary.
With three Soviet divisions in
Hungary the plot seemed doomed
from the beginning, but the lead
ers decided to attempt it because
the vast majority of Magyars are
bitterly opposed to Russian DOM
| nation. The Catholics - who
comprise about 60 per cent Of the
population-are still resentful OF
the prosecution of the church
and the sentencing of Cardinal
Mindszenty.
It can safely be said that at
least 90 per cent of the Hungarian
Catholics have joined the anti
Russian move and are willing to
take a chance on the outcome.
The Hungarian peasantry-the
backbone of the country-is
strongly individualistic and highly
|resentful of the farm collectiviza-
ton program, which Moscow's
stooges in Budapest now are
strictly enforcing. They were
greatly impressed with Tito, who
broke with the powerful U. S. S. R.
rather than accept orders to coll
Ilectivize the Serbian farms.
The fact that the revolutionary
attempt was nipped in the bud
and the ringleaders arrested has
improved the situation only tenn
porarily. The Russian satraps in
Hungary do not know now whom
they can trust. Meanwhile, arms
are being smuggled from Yugo-
slavia into Hungary and, accord
ing to all available reports, a ma
jor fareup may be expected In
the course of the next few weeks.
Other Peasants Aroused
The Hungarians are among the
best fighters in Europe and are
intensely chauvinistic. The rank
and file of Hungarian people
would not mind a blood revolt.
Their leaders in the underground
and outside the country say that
the sacrifice would be worth while
if it would draw the worlds at
tention to Hungary's desire not
to remain a Soviet slave nation.
Although there have been even
fewer news reports from Poland
than from Hungary, it appears
that the underground which lived
on after the defeat Of Poland in
1889, is very active once more.
The time for an armed rebellion
has not come yet, in the opinion
of leaders inside Poland, but Tito's
defiance OF Russia and Moscow's
inability to bring him to his knees
has heartened the Polish patriots.
who have started a preparatory
move waiting for the opportune
moment to raise the standard Of
rebellion.
No single leader is in the lime
light in Poland today. But there
are many experienced guerrilla
fighters within Poland itself. They
are propagandizing the peasantry.
which is as strongly opposed to
the collectivization Of the farms
as that in Yugoslavia and Hun
gary and awaits the day when an
other revolt will prove effective.
Bulgaria Has Guerrillas
Even in Bulgaria and Romania
there are movements which make
the ruling members Of the Polit-
buro uncomfortable. The meek
Romanian peasantry apparently
is more harassed and oppressed
by the men placed in charge by
Moscow than any other part Of
the population. Romania, being
a principally agrarian country,
has a larger peasant population
than its neighbors. The peasants