Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-02-25

history, accompanied py passport
photographs and his old party
book. each member
will be examined in detail by a
local commission of five, drawn
from a special panel OF $1,000
proved fanatics appointed by the
party's Central Committee.
The Central Committee itself
is entirely composed of the Krem-
Inns nominees under the general
secretary, Herr Upright.
The process is expected to last
until June, and the examinations
are to be so thorough that each
commission will deal with only
two cases a day. All findings have
to be confirmed by special re-
gional commissions.
A highly confidential document
which has reached England and
has been broadcast, with a most
disturbing effect in Eastern Ger
many, by the BIC European
Service. shows that this great
purge is designed to erase from
the party the last traces OF ma
tional feeling, and, by getting rid
of all those members infected
with the old-fashioned revolu-
tionary spirit, to turn it into a
docile instrument of the Krem-
Inns foreign policy.
This document, issued by the
secretariat of the party's Central
Committee, under instructions
from Moscow, was intended only
for the eyes of senior party Off
Gals responsible for organizing
the purge.
Closeup of Purge
On the face of it, the document
is not spectacular. It lays down
with extreme detail and thorough
ness the lines on which the in
dividual party members are to
be Intercepted and their replies
compared with their existing rec
ords in the party files.
It's Importance lies in the fact
that for the first time it enables
us to see from the inside the
workings of one Of the great
Stalinist purges which have en-
tirely transformed the Communist
Parties of Eastern Europe by kill
ing their revolutionary spirit and
total obedience to
Moscow, even in matters which
may conflict with national in
terests. 1t is valuable also for its
of expected "deviations"
and the insight it gives into the
nature of the opposition to Soviet
ization of the Eastern zone.
The fundamental matter. of
course, is loyalty to the Soviet
Union:
OF supreme Importance in es-
tablishing each members state of
and political con-
sciousness is his attitude toward
the Soviet Union and to the Oder
Neiss frontier-line. The direct
question, What is your attitude
:. ?" is not enough. Only the
most stubborn and unashamed
will answer this ques-
ton negatively. The commission
must phrase its questions in order
to elicit a detailed statement in
his own words of the members
position, so that his general state
Of mind may be accurately as
sessed. For example: why is the
Soviet Union the greatest power
for peace?" Or: What is the
difference between the three West
ern occupying powers and the
Soviet Control Commission" Or:
Why are we friends of the Soviet
Union?" Or: why is the Oder
Neisse line the frontier of peace?"
Emphasis on Docility
The lists Of questions to be put
10 different categories of party
members are especially revealing.
They indicate with great clarity
,he miscellaneous nature Of the
Id hoe organization which the
Kremlin built up and used to
strengthen its political grip on
East Germany and which now,
after it has fulfilled it's purpose
~ winning the demonstration
election of last autumn, is to be
changed into "a party of a new
ype."
The emphasis now is all on
docility and education: What
matters is not that a member Is
. model comrade and always has