Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-11-25

happy. although he has not
broken away.
Circulation Of Communist
newspapers has slumped in
France. Britain, Austria, Sweden,
Denmark and Italy.
The London Daily Worker
lost quarter of it's editorial staff
and a third of those on Den
marks Land of Folk" Country
and People, quit. Budapest cor
respondents of both papers re-
signed with charges that their
eyewitness reports were altered
for propaganda purposes.
The Communist version of
Hungarian events remained gen.
orally the same throughout
Europe: Russia interviewed be-
cause "reactionaries and Fas-
cists" launched a counter revo-
luton against popular govern
ments. Andre Still in L'Humanite
of Paris went so far as to write
from Budapest that Hungarian
children were playing happily
atop Soviet tanks. Vast numbers
of leftiSts were unconvinced.
Sharp Divisions
Within the Central Commit
tees which dictate national Com
munist policies sharp divisions
OF opinion were reported in
many countries. A rundown, ma
ton by nation, shows how strong
was the reaction to Hungary
among European Communists
and fellow travellers.
Italy - The italian Socialist
party broke with the Commu-
nistA Local elections held in
the italian Tyrol after the revo-
luton showed a one-third re-
duction in Communist strength.
Thousands have resigned from
the Italian Communist party,
whose close to two million men,
bers had made it the largest in
Western Europe.
France-The war in Algeria,
Discrimination and Hungary
have brought the Communist
Party to a postwar low in France.
The effects Of Hungary on the
rank and file are hard to Judge
since the party was down to
something like a hard core al
ready, although it still has $50
votes in the Assembly. Intel
lectuals have been quitting in
significant numbers since Hun
gary, and Communist influence
has suffered critical blow. Com
munist newspaper circulation
slumped sharply.
Britain - The small British
Communist Party split wide open.
Many in higher union posts and
universities quit. Red influence
slipped in important trade unions.
West Germany-The Commu-
mist Party is illegal in West Ger
many. Even before last summers
ban, German prosperity had re-
duced Communist voting strength
to 5 per cent. Budapest develop
mentS brought a strong anti
Communist reaction in the Saar.
however.
Austria-Russian action in
Hungary nearly shattered Aus
trials small Communist Party.
Rank and file members saw the
endless stream of refugees cross
ing into Austria and turned in
party cards in large numbers.
Switzerland-the small Swiss
Communist Party, hard hit by
Discrimination, is undergoing
a new crisis. Six of II Commu-
mist members Of the Basel Can
tonal Parliament quit. The en-
tire local party in a Basel sub
urb resigned. The fellow-travel-
ing Swiss Nature Lovers Asso-
citation publicly disassociated it.
self from Soviet policy in Hun
gary.
SWeden-About 1000 Of the
10000 to $4,000 Swedish Com
munists have quit. The Commu-
mist position inside the trade
unions is shaken. Communist
n spaper circulation has
slumped.
Denmark-The Central Com
mittee of the Danish Communist
Party split wide open. Rank and
file designations cut into a Com
munist party already able to poll
less than 5 per cent of the vote.
Norwegian Reds
Norway-Norwegian Commu-
mist Party Chairman Emil Loev-
lien averted a party split by de-
claring the day after Soviet in
PREVENTION in Hungary that "the
Norwegian Communist Party is
opposed to foreign armed inter-
vention in internal affairs of any
country" thus disassociating the
party from the Russian action.
Belgium-The depth Of the re-
action among Belgian Commu-
nists is hard to gauge but there
are indications that OBJECTIONS
among fellow-travelers have been
widespread. There are no ac-
curate figures.
Finland-The Finnish Com
.munist Party is a hardcore out
fit with only $4,000 members. 1t
seems to be sticking with the
Soviet-trained leadership but fell
low-travelers have been breaking
away.
Netherlands-There have been
rank-and-file OBJECTIONS and fell
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