Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-07-19
Newt ype Red Rule
Under 7 est in Poland
Continued From First Page

OUHhhucu EEUm rlfSb rag,
something in that program
eventually will have to give
way: Either party rule or in.
dividual freedom; either So
cialism or economic progress
The people say they will fight
rather than give UP their free.
dom or their expectations fol-
economic gain. The party and
the Kremlin say flatly that
party rule and socialism will
not be sacrificed.
Western observers, therefore
who wish the Polish people well
find themselves in the slightly
paradoxical spot of roofing for
success Of the Communist pro-
gram.
What are the forces working
for and against success Of the
Polish experiment? First, those
against:
/. The overwhelming major
ity of the Polish people are
not Communists. Most are
Communist. The party is
at best only tolerated.
2. Poles hate the Soviet
Union, yet a successful Polish
government today must be
linked with Russia.
3. Most Poles are not Social
lists, and they have little en-
thusiasm for building social
ism"
4. The Polish economic sys-
tenn is Socialist, but there is
no indication that doctrinaire
socialism will be able to solve
Poland's economic problems.
5. The people are determined
to keep their freedom. includ-
ing the freedom not to Coop
crate when they don't want to,
8. Poles want fast improve
ment in their standard Of liv-
ing, but even under the most
happy economic and political
circumstances progress will be
painfully slow.
7. Poland lacks leaders. The
Germans and Russians for Is
years Systematically "liqui-
dated" Poles who showed abil-
lily for moral or intellectual
leadership. There is a general
contempt for government or
any authority in Poland today.
In other words. to sum up
the difficulties the Polish Com
munist Party faces, the regime
is trying to put over an un-
popular political system and q
perhaps unavoidable economic
system. both efforts handi-
capped by the determination
on the part of the regime to
maintain national indepen-
dence and personal freedom.
Favorable Forces
There are of course import
tant forces working for the
party:
/. Poles believe they will be
slaughtered like Hungarians If
they don't keep a Soviet-ap-
proved Communist government,
2. The Catholic Church
the only widely supported force
in Poland-accepts the present
Communist regime as the only
alternative to revolution and
q return to the old terror Sys-
TEN.
3. The new Communist re-
gime Ia showing signs OF fiexi-
bility which may in fact carry
1t to a workable economic and
political system. even though
In theory the party remains
true-Red Communist.
4. Poles are tired Of stress,
OF instability, Of bloodshed.
They don't want to fight the
Communists again.
S. The Polish people are not
without hope; they believe the
Soviet Union and the whole
Communist bloc is changing for
the better. Poles believe the
world eventually will be a safe
place for a fully democratic
Poland, so there is no need for
desperation today.
6. Many countries in the
West and in the Soviet camp
want to see the Polish expert
ment succeed and will continue
to give important theological
and financial aid.
And so. the Communist
Party has working in Its favor
the widespread conviction that
Poland has no other place to
20. plus the hope among Poles
that things will continue to get
better.
What Lies Ahead
Then what is the future OF
the new Polish regime?
This is q favorite question Of
outsiders in Poland. but the
Poles themselves seem to avoid
working out the answer. One
Pole put II TO me this way:
we don't make detailed
plans about The future hare.