Evening star., 1953-03-15
West Worried
Over Successor
To Gottwa|d
Premier Zopotocky
Preferred as Most
Reasonable Choice
BY the ASSoeioted Press

VIENNA. Austria, Mar. IA
The Communist president-dic-
tator of restless Czechoslovakia,
Klement Gottwald, Sc, died in
Prague today only 72 hours after
returning from the Moscow
funeral of Josef Stain, his old
friend and protector.
He was East Europe's most
powerful satellite leader.
Like Stain, there is some
question as to who will succeed
him.
(Some worried Western lead
ers hoped that the mantle
might fall to Antonin Zapo-
tocky. the premier and an old
line Communist trade unioniSt.
He is by no means moderate
but is considered more reason
able than others among the
Czech Red hierarchy.
(Many feared that Defense
Minister Alexei Cepicka, SON.
in-law of Gottwald, might be
the choice. He is regarded as
the toughest minded and most
brutal of the Czech Red
leaders)
Attended by IL Doctors.
Pneumonia and pleurisy. COM
plicated by a chest hemorrhage,
were reported by the Prague ra-
dio to have struck down the
chunky, peasant born Moravian
who stood atop Lenin's tomb
with the Red hierarchy in icy
wind and 12-degree cold for go
minutes Monday in final tribute
to the dead Russian prime minis
ter.
Soviet specialists were among
the II doctors attending Gott-
valid. Radio Prague aped Radio
Moscow in the emergency, alter
mating communicates and classi-
cal music just as the Moscow
station did in Stains case.
Though Gottwald had been in
poor health for year and the
radio accounts Of his fatal ILL
ness were detailed. some skepti-
cism was voiced by Western OBJ
servers familiar with the failing
struggle of Gottwald and his
ministers to toe the line drawn
by the Russian boot for unity and
increased production in Czecho-
SloVakia.
Some Hint Purge.
They viewed this passing of a
ruler over 1919 million enSlaved
and discontented people as at
least a queer coincidence. They
suspected foul play. Some limited
that Gottwald, who engineered a
series of purges, might himself
have been purged by Georgi M.
Malenkovs new regime in the
Kremlin in fear he might become
new Tito, setting up his own
independent Communist regime.
Though they are close at hand,
no Soviet troops are stationed in
Czechoslovakia.
The last two Western neWsmen
operating in Prague left shortly
before the Czechs brought AsSo-
ciated Press Correspondent Will
liam Oats to trial in July, 1851,
on what the Western world has
denounced as a trumped up
charge of spying. Mr.. Oats is
serving a 10-year sentence. The
only news version coming out OF
Prague is Communist.
Presumably Gottwald died at
the presidential home, Hradcany
Castle, that became his through
the bloodless coup in which he
ousted pro-Western President
Eduard Benes in 1948.
Power May Be Divided.
Gottwald's successor to the
presidency was not announced.
But Czechoslovakia set up a Rus
sian-type preSidium last month.
It is possible the presidency may
be abolished and Gottwald's
power divided among four top
men.
Premier Antonin Zapotocky
heads a commission appointed to
arrange for the funeral. The gov
ernment decreed nationwide
mourning.
The announcement of Gott-
wald's death by the government
and the Communist Party was
accompanied by an appeal for
unity-almost identical with that