The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1951-12-28


president of the government, is 8
munist party.
This is some of the picture un-
folded by Mr.. Levi, interviewed by
this correspondent.
He is foreign editor of Borba,
which means Struggle" official or
gan of the Yugoslav Communist
Party. Borba is a daily, which he
said has a circulation of 100000.
He arrived in Korea recently as an
accredited war correspondent.
Yugoslavia is one of the coun-
tries for which prayers will be Of
fered by 30,000,000 Catholics
throughout the United States on
Sunday, December 80. In a letter
to the American Hierarchy, Arch
bishop Francis P. Keough of Balti-
more, Chairman of the Administra-
tive Board, N.C.W.C., asked us.
Catholics to mark that date as a day
of prayer, reparation and mourn
ing for their prosecuted brethren
in many lands.
The Communist Party in Yugo-
slavia has 100000 members, in a
total population of II millions, ac-
cording to Mr.. Levi. 'It is a ruling
party, but it is not the only party
in the government" he said.
"There is no anti-comimunist party.
One thing not permitted in Yugo-
slavia is any organization opposed
to socialism"
Pressed on the subject of relig.
ious freedom, he reported:
"The government is on good
terms with all Churches except
with the Hierarchy of the Catholic
Church.
81 don't know all the particulars
of the accusations against Arch
bishop Stepinac. In general, he was
condemned for giving help in a
moral sense to the Ustashi move
ment in Croatia. He blessed the
Ustashi troops in 1941-43."
Archbishop Stepinac was tried by
Yugoslav court in October, 1946,
and sentenced to is years in prison
and recently released for virtual
confinement to his native town.
Mr.. Levi said he knew nothing
about the Imprisonment of Bishop
Peter Guile of Mostar. He said that
he did not know how many priests
are in prison in Yugoslavia, but
insisted that they are mot very
many"
"As far as remember" he said,
"only one priest has been sent to
prison since 1946. He, and the 9th
ers previously sentenced, were con-
demned not as priests but for al
legged political activity, organizing
armed groups"
Your correspondent reminded
him that this was exactly the kind
of pretext alleged in similar cases
by Alan Wilmington, the British
columnist correspondent, and other
ro-Russian communists In discus
sions at Panmunjom, site of the
armistice talks. Mr.. Levi belittles
their arguments in general.
Some of the repressive measures
belong to the period when the
Yugoslav government had close
ties with Moscow, he claimed.
Catholic Sisters have been obliged
to leave their converts at various
times up to 1949, but this happens
no longer" he said. All Sisters
were not expelled, he stated. Il saw
sisters in a hospital in Belgrade,
where had an operation last
year." he said. "They took care of
me-" He knows of no steps taken
to enable those who we're expelled
up to 1949 to return now to their
converts.
Mr.. Levi said that the Yugoslay
communists are truly Marxists,
1--WE believe that Lenin applied
Marxism to Russian conditions"
he declared. 1--WE apply Marxism
to Yugoslav conditions. Stain took
different direction from Lenin.
In the 1905 he began to misuse
the Marxist idea for his personal
purposes. II took time for Yugo-
slavia to recognize all the elements
that made up Stalin-worship." Mr.,
Levi condemned Russian "expan-
sionism" under Stain.
Asked whether he advocated
communism for Korea, he replied:
"Its for the Korean people to de-
eide" He believes, however, that
lMarxist socialism ''is the way for
each country"
Describing the system in Yugo'
slavia, he said: Private individuals
may work for themselves, and
members of their families may
work for them. But nobody is allow
ed to employ workers. All factories
are nationalized. If you were allow
ed to employ another man, you
would be exploiting him."
He would not agree that every
time he buys a postage stamp tC
put on a letter or pays for some
other public service. he is acting
as an employer. He did not hesitate
to speak of government EN-
Iployees" in Yugoslavia, however.
There are no strikes in the coun
try, he said. Government EN-
ployees have had several discus
sions with the government on sal
aries, but have not struck" h
stated.
Asked whether a Catholic col
respondent or a committee of Cath
olic editors from the us. woul
be allowed to enter Yugoslavia an
travel freely through it, Mr.. Lev
answerad carefully. "rm sure tia