Evening star., 1950-06-18
Goldberg
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Stain. Churches function only
under government supervision.
Their leaders take an allegiance
oath that leads straight to Mos
cow. No political party exists un-
less it indorses Marxist socialism.
There Is a high figurative West
wall which could bear the sign:
mo Western Ideas or Ideals Al
lowed. Trade Accepted on Our
Terms Only" Trade now flows
east into a Soviet pool.
Moscow Is the mecca Of the new
religion and the Kremlin its holy
shrine.
It is in that spirit that the new
Foreign Minister Villain Siroky
told the Slovak Party Congress
that Clements had made the mis-
take of not realizing that Russia
and Stain can never make q
mistake.
Clements was removed-"re-
signed" the official statement
said-because he opposed the
Soviet-Nazi pact in 1899. Although
Clements apparently followed the
Soviet line in United Nations
meetings, walking out with the
Russians and hurting insults at
the West, the Communists still
hold it against him that he dared
criticize the Soviet Unions wisdom
or any score.
But the odds are it goes deeper
than that. Clements probably has
been the biggest single obstacle in
the cabinet to a highly-secret,
Soviet-inspired agreement which
would allow German workers to
pour into Czechoslovakia to lessen
unemployment and food troubles
In the German East Zone, and to
boost Czechoslovak production
under the f1ve-year plan that ties
In with the economic council for
mutual aid, the Soviet bloc
Marshall-type plan. Clements
still distrusts Germany, but even
Gottwald was reputed in Prague to
have bowed to the Moscow edict.
In any case. Clements looks like
the nearest thing to a Czechoslo-
yak Tito. questioning the judg-
ments of Moscow, up until now
A returned American diplomat
says that only fear of an open re-
volt in Clements native Sloyakia
has prevented his arrest and trial
The Slovaks don't care for
Clements the Communist. but
they are jealous of the prestige
OF Clements the Slovak.
Westerners Pushed Out
Another competent observer who
came out of Prague early in Nav
confirmed that Clements was still
at liberty. That was before at
tacks on him at the Sloyak Party
Congress, where his admissions
that he had not gone clear down
the line for the party gospel led
to Siroky's pronouncement that
neither Russia nor Stain must
ever be doubted.
Westerners inside the wall dur
ing the last two years were told
they're unwelcoms and most of
them have left. The always
crowded British. American and
French reading rooms have been
closed. The United States in
formation service library was
turned over to the Czechoslovak-
Soviet Friendship Society.
Western publications were
banned to Czechoslovaks immedi-
ately after the revolution, one of
the first quarantine measures
There have been serious iamming
attempts on BIC and Voice of
America broadcasts that bring in
Western words over the wall.
Hundreds of Czechoslovaks i'm
portant and not so important
have managed to flee the country.
Those who would. If they had a
chance. could be counted in the
thousands. Even reports of low
subsistence treatment they get in
German refugee camps, the slight
chance they have OF getting on
to the United States or Australia
nave failed to discourage them.
But the stream has been cut
down at heavily-guarded borders,
where police armed with rifles and
aided by tracking dogs, roam
along the barbed wire fencing.
On the word of careful observ-
ers recently inside the country
there Is no real, effective under
ground resistance movement. The
opinion Of qualified persons is
that there are now no outstand-
ing Czechoslovak leaders among
the refugees on the outside.
Recent Western visitors tn
Prague confirm that the people
are apathetic. listless, without anv
fiber or will to resist.
People Unhappy
IF you think, though, youll
hear stories of people dropping
dead OF hunger in Prague, youu
be disappointed" one person saws
There's enough food now, after
two years scarcity, but the prices
are too high.
Two years ago on a walk
through the Vaclavske Namesti
Prague's main Wenceslas square)
you got bang out of just watch
ing the people. They had bounce
and vitality. despite the food and
liquor shortage. Now they wear
long faces. They have no spark.
They accept orders and get along
as best they can"
Some official figures indicate the
Czechoslovaks are meeting pro-
duction goals. But most Of their
industrial figures are state secrets.