Evening star., 1952-05-05
We the Satellites:
We the Satellites:
Rokosi Purges Hungary Anew
AS Reds Keep Close Watch
All Signs Indicate
Soviet May Take Over
Nation Completely
By Wilton L. Ryan

By WiIliom L. Ryon
| Assoeiofed Press Foreign News AnaIyst
Five years ago this month
Matyas Rakosi stepped in and
took over Hungary for his boss
and idol, Joseph Stain.
| Rakosi-his ex-prisoner Robert
A. Vogeler calls him "Old Potato
Head" because his hairless and
wrinkled dome looks like a washed
potato-retains his grip over the
country today.
But there are too many Com
munists who are Communists in
name only. Rakosi; a fast man
with a wisecrack, is just as fast
with purge. He is giving the
party one of it's most thorough
going publications yet, under
Moscow's watchful eye.
Hungary is less Sovietized than
any of the other satellite com-
tries. But the signs are all there,
and it's time, for the full Rus
sian takeover cannot be far away.
The same forces which drive the
Communists in the other satellites
are at work in Hungary, and the
greatest Of these forces is fear.
New Expectations Under Way.
Exile sources express certainty
that fear brings new waves of de-
IportationS now apparently under
way in the captive countries, and
the many acts Of repression.
On the one hand, the satellite
leaders dread provoking Moscow's s
displeasure. On the other, they
realize they are building up flood
of bitterness which some day may
|engulf them.
The seeds of fear are bearing
bitter fruit in Bulgaria, Hungary,
Romania, Czechoslovakia and Po-
land. Communist eyes Communist
with secret misgivings. Distrust
and suspicion are everywhere.
Purge follows purge. Terror is
the cement which holds the struc-
ture together.
Communist leaders have so
many pitfalls-not the least of
them the capriciousness of Mos
cow itself-that they cannot afford
to take chances. That is why, in
Hungary today, the party is being
purged again. MatyaS Rakosi
trusts nobody, but he distruSts
some Communists much more
than others.
His engineer for the purge is
his oldtime lieutenant, Emo Gero.
Like Rakosi, Gero is of Jewish
origin, and with Rakosi he was a
member of the Communist Inter-
national hiding in Moscow during
the prewar regime of Regent Ad-
miral Horthy. Both were wanted
for treason and dozens of charges
of homicide.
Under Gero's direction recently,
the Budapest Politburo began it's
screening of the million members
of the Communist Party. That is
too large a number for safety.
Many are suspected of nationalism
or "cosmopolitanism" putting the
interests of Hungary above those
of the U. S. S. r.
Reds Screen Everybody.
The Politburo set up a COM
mittee for the checkup. It first
screened those who were mem
bers before 1945, then those
brought into the party after the
1947 coup. then any who trav-
eled in the West after 1945, and
finally those who had any con-
tact at all with the West. The
screening continues.
Fear of Hungarians causes the
party and Moscow to lace the
Hungarian army with spies. It
brought a decree assigning armed
guards to every merchant vessel
plying the Hungarian part of the
Danube.
Fear is stepping up the dis
Iciplinary measures against work.
ers and peasants. Any construc-
tion worker who quits a military
project without permission is sent
into forced labor. AS for the
peasants, voluntary" collectiviza-
ton OF farmers is being sped by
imposition of taxes so heavy the
independent farmer can't pay.
His land is then confiscated and
he is forced into the collective.
Fear of Hungarians caused the
Russians to take the railroads
over completely, controlling them
from their railway command in
the Soviet zone of Austria.
The Mavag railroad freight en-
gine plant builds engines with
convertible axles. adapted to both
European and Soviet gauge tracks,
easing the shipment of Hungarian
goods into the U. S. S. r. Engines
and armored trains turned out at
Mavag receive Soviet markings
before leaving the plant.
1t was fear of the strong"
man who might turn independent
like Tito-which caused the
Communists of Hungary to
execute Laszlo Rajk, one-time
power in Hungarian communism
and former interior minister.
1t was fear of the strength of
Roman catholicism which caused
| the Hungarian Communists to
Iimprison Cardinal Mindszenty
and other religious leaders.
No Food Surplus Now.
Among the blessings of boil
lshevism is this: Hungary is 8
producing land where there has
always been food surplus. Toda,
there is not enough to feed the
population.
! City workers are hard hit BY
the, rise In prices, particularly th<
; low wage groups. When ration.
} ing ended. they got a raise Of ur
to 20 per, cent. But food sky.
Irocketed, In some instances q.
ltirt, "a onn -. -A