Evening star., 1955-09-21
Czechs Launch New Drive
To ResettIe SudetenIond
By RITCHIE McEWEN

By RITCHIE McEWEN
North American Newspaper Alliance
VIENNA, Sept. 21.-For the
third time In 10 months. the
Czech authorities have launched
q nationwide appeal for volun-
teers to resettle the fallow wastes
Of the Sudetenland, the border
provinces along the Austrian. and
West German frontiers, 1t was
learned here.
Once counted as one Of the
richest and most prosperous
farming areas in Central Europe,
the Sudetenland is now o wilder
ness Of decaying villages. crum-
bling farmhouses. untitled fields,
empty barns and overgrown
country roads and lanes.
Acting with ruthless thorough
ness, the Communists. after
seizing power in May 194S. lost
no time in completing the policy
started under the previous gov
ernment of driving the hard
working and industrious Volks-
deutsche. the German-speaking
minority inhabitants Of the pro-
vince. out OF their homes.
Made Frontier Zone
The entire area was then de-
clared a forbidden area to all
Czech citizens. It was made q
frontier zone that could be en-
tered only by the military and
the frontier guards and by SUI
peryised labor gangs with spe-
cial passes for work on the de-
lenses Of the Iron Curtain.
No less than one-eighth Of the
total arabic land In Czechoslova-
kia lies in the frontier zone. The
single district Of Carlsbad alone
has lost 80 per cent Of its rich
farming area. and until the ia
NOUS spa was opened again to
foreign tourists earlier this year,
and became q priority area,
the food shortage was critical.
With the introduction Of the
"new look" policy. inaugurated
under the Malenkov regime fol-
lowing the death Of Stain,
Czechoslovakia, In common with
her sister satellites. was or.
dered to raise the minimum
standard Of living.
In industrial Czechoslovakia,
the only means Of carrying out
the Moscow order and filing the
empty larders Of the nation. was
to throw open the great tracts
of derelict farmlands along the
border and to grow more food.
First Campaign in "a
In March 1854, the Czech gov
eminent launched the first of its
large-scale campaigns to attract
new settlers for the Sudetenland.
To anyone-except the former
inhabitants and the legal tenants
Of the land. the volksdeutsche-
who are willing to settle In the
newly opened area, the Czech
government offered 80 acres Of
rich farmland. furniture worth
$3.50. a COW. and q years free use
Of government tractor.
In addition, prospective "fron-
tiersmen" were to be allowed toI
buy a house or farm for $l25, to|
be paid for in installments.
Response to the government
appeal was meager. There was
no sign Of a wild rush by settlers
in covered wagons. all eager to|
stake out a claim In this fertile
no mans land on the edge Of
the Iron Curtain.
Only a small group of needy,
die-hard Communists with little
or no knowledge Of farming. and
with nothing to lose, volunteered
during the first six months for
frontier duty"
Feared Loss Of Farms
The great majority Of the
Czechs feared that they would
lose their new farms II Commu-
mist policy changed or II the
defeat Of Communism should
permit the legitimate owners to
return to claim their land.
A year later-in March Of this
year-the Communists launched
the second of their recruiting
campaigns for volunteers. This
time the appeal was aimed at
the youth of the country. and O
call was made for $4,000 CITY,
bred Czech youngsters for q spe-
cial frontier pioneer corps" to
help in resettling the border
territories" Of the Sudetenland.
How desperately the Commu-
nists needed these teen-age set
tiers is shown by the fact that
even the vital coal-mining dis
trict Of Ostrava-notor
hard up for miners Of all ages
and Of both sexes. and the key
to Czechoslovakia's heavy indus
tries-was not spared In the
hunt for ''teen-age volunteers"
But after the first $50 picked"
youngsters. both boys and girls.
had left for the frontier In q
blaze of publicity. to form q
youth" community in the Su-
detenland after completing a
'short course OF farming" little
more was heard of the scheme.
Imports Can't Go On
Czechoslovakia cannot 60 on.
year after year. importing ever
increasing quantities Of food.
Prime Minister Villain Siroky