Evening star., 1952-04-17
Communism Has Many Sources
OF Funds, but Moscow Kicks In

siduouSly gathers American dol
lars for its own ends.
Union Treasures Raided.
Every possible source is tapped,
even to raids on the treasures of
the unions which are dominated
and controlled by the Communists.
The money pours in under the
impetus of rigid party discipline.
But the operations of a Com
munist party are highly expensive,
particularly in the key areas of
Europe. No matter how extern
sive the resources of the party
domestically. Moscow must kick
lin.
There is a striking example OF
this. In an address to the French
National Assembly in November.
1948. Jules Moch, then Interior
Minister, gave this explanation:
'The French Communist Party
and it's various branches have the
great advantage of having ac-
counts at one single institution,
the Banque Commercials Pour
L Europe du Nord. A popularity
Iof this bank, which is a French
limited company, is that it's cap
ital is, divided into 100000 shares,
$4,000 of which belong to two
Soviet governmental banks, the
national bank and the foreign
trade bank. The remaining 5000
shares are distributed among vari-
Gus French and foreign Commu-
mist leaders.
This French facade, therefore,
is hiding purely Soviet reality"
Still in Business.
The bank is still operating.
French government sources say
the total accounts of Communist
organizations are overdrawn by IS
million francs ($42,600). In one
month, August, 1948. the total
overdrawn was SO millions, with
out so much as a vince from the
bank.
In addition, large sums come
from countries of Eastern Europe,
either through transfer to the
Banque Commercials Pour LEU
rope du Nord or through the
transport of gold under diplomatic
cover.4
Moreover, the Communist Party
spends millions on its press in the
cities and the provinces. Again
with France as the example: There
are some 20 Communist dailies, 83
weeklies and 26 magazines. The
Rightist newspaper L'Aurore has
estimated the Red bellwether
paper, L'Humanite, needs more
than 80 million francs a month for
printing and editing. Aurore says
runs on a deficit of
millions monthly. and the Com
munist Ce Soir loses even more.
NaZi Funds Converted.
Communists in various coun-
tries did well by themselves during
the wartime resistance to the
Nazis. Often they seized large
sums Of money as the Germans
withdrew, and converted the money
to their own purposes.
In France-and probably else
where, since France is the proto-
type-every Communist deputy in
the National Assembly must pay
into party Golfers the difference
between his salary and that of a
skilled worker of the metal trades.
This also applies to members OF
municipal governments and de-
partmental assemblies.
/ From salaries paid to Red rep
resentatives in the National AS
sembly alone, the Communists re-
ceived in 1850 a total of 166 mil
lion francs. These salaries were
collected by the party fund. The
National Assembly members con-
cerned receive only the salary
equivalent to that Of a skilled
metal worker-with a few eXcep-
tions in the upper levels. This
system also is extended down
through journalists and profess
sional workers.
In another way the French gov
ernment, in spite of itself, helps
Subsidize the Communist Party.
Mail Sent Under Frank.
Tons of literature for the party
are sent out under the franking
privileges of Communist legisla-
tors. Parliament must pay for dis
tributing Communist orders and
Communist propaganda sent out
under the name of Jacques Duclos,
who is a parliamentary secretary.
Ten or IL bags of mail a day go
out from the assembly under the
Communist franking privilege.
There is yet another source of
Communist funds.
The enterprise fund is a device
controlled by the Communicated