The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-03-14
Red Leader Died
Just Fine Days
After Protector.
Joseph Stain
BY RICHARD ORGAN

Gottwald, Sc, the Communist die
tator-president of Czechoslovakia,
died in Prague today just five days
after the funeral of his protector,
Joseph Stain.
The heavy-set peasant-born Nor
avian, who even looked like Stain
except for the mustache, was taken
i'll Thursday morning and died Of
what the Prague radio said was
pneumonia and pleurisy, compli-
Gated by a chest hemorrhage. He
had been in poor health for nearly
year. The broadcast limited that
the icy winds in Moscow, where
Gottwald attended Stains funeral
Monday, brought on his fatal i'll
ness.
But the sudden demise of the
dictator who succeeded the late
Eduard Benes as president in 1913
struck Western observers as a
queer coincidence. There were
some here who limited that he
might have been "purged" by the
new regime in the Kremlin because
it feared he might become a Tito.
Perhaps significantly the Prague
radio followed up the announce
ment of the death by declaring,
''Those attempting to destroy the
unity of Czechoslovakia will be
merciIessly wiped out"
This was after the pattern Of
Moscow's radio appeals for unity
around the new Soviet prime min
lister, Georgi Malenkov, after Sta
Inns death.
There was no hint as TO who viii
succeed Gottwald. There is q pos
Sibility that the post Of president
may be abolished and ruling power
placed in the hands of a group Of
likely contenders for the No. /
spot
The four hkeliest contenders for
the throne are Antonin Zapotocky,
the prime minister; Vilem Siroky,
deputy prime minister; Karol Ba-
click, national security minister,
and Alexei Cepicka, Gottwald's
son-in.law and defense minister.
Gottwald welded broad powers
in Prague. He was not only presi.
dent, but boss of the Communist
Party and commander-in-chief Of
both the army and the secret po-
lice. No other functionary In q
Communist satellite had as much
power, at least in name.
Gottwald's illness did not be-
come known to the world until
late yesterday when the Prague
radio announced it. Like the Mos
COW radio in Stalin's illness, It &C.
companied the announcement with
solemn music and frequent broad
casts of medical bulletins signed
by many doctors.
Some of the doctors were Rus
SLAMS.
This morning It was announced
that Gottwald had fallen into q
coma. The regular ] p. m. news
broadcast was delayed for an hour
and ii minutes, with the an
nouncers apparently standing BY
for the death bulletin. Then the
announcement that Gottwald had
died at II a. m. Is a. m. ESTl was
read to the listeners. There fol-
lowed a long account Of his &C,
eomplishments.
Speculation that Gottwald might
have been purged by wrong med.
ieal treatments" was heightened
by reports here that be had been in
poor political position for more
than a year because Of fall-down
in Czech industrial production for
Soviet war needs.
Last December, a staged trial Of
IA high Czechosloyak Communists
was held. Among them were II
jews. Rudolf Slansky. form e T
Ratchet man Of the Gottwald re.
gime and a collaboration Ia the
1913 Communist coup, was the
chief defendant and was convicted
and hanged with 10 others.
II was assumed az the time that
Gottwald had won out In 4 struggle
for power with Slansky, largely
because Of his support from Stain,
and had sacrificed the hstcheI
man as scapegoat to make his
own. position more secure.
But Czech industrial productions
is reported no better
II Gostwsld we're nf . mind b
become Tito" ne was in . GOOD
position TO do 50. and the rulers ol
the kremlin might have feared him
/ for that reason.
There are no Russian. occupation
troops in Cxechoxlosakia, and
Czech territory hnddies up close IA
the American zone II Germany.
Gettwsld vas given . position d
/ prominence On the LeEtn tomb al
Stains funeral Ia Moseow Monday,
however He returned 70 Prague
Wednesday.
Meanwhile. mysteries hare d.
vstope6 over TIE health IL twc
Other BED satellite leaders. Masyas
RakaSa, No, / Communist "a Hun.
gary aud ! Jew. has not returned
20 lis ceaatry frosE sh2 MoBcow
taneral. 50 far IS Il knawn. VI,
helaa Eaeek. q. elaeE slAseAmzn .!