Ext 6116/46(S) 'Secret Weekly Political Intelligence Summaries, nos 356-416, August 1946-November 1947' [‎4v] (8/978)

has been opposed to the present terms of the
OVP-SPO coalition. Another extreme
Socialist, Herr Czernetz, also demanded
new elections. While these may only repre
sent extreme views, the Congress gave other
pointers to a growing feeling of SPO in
dependence, such as the denunciation of the
OVP as the “ enemy on the Right,” con
ducting a policy of “muddle and
sabotage,” and emphasis on the SPO’s
growing numerical strength. The SPO
now claims a membership of over 563,000,
which represents an increase of 63,000
since December 1946 and of over 200,000
since December 1945. A report from the
U.S. zone in September also spoke of local
Socialist leanings towards new elections.
On the other hand too much should not be
made of this aspect of Socialist publicity,
which should be regarded as normal party-
political propaganda. The SPO leaders
are unlikely to agree to new elections at
least until after the November meeting of
the CFM has made it clearer what pros
pects there are of an Austrian Treaty.
Meanwhile there is no indication that they
have lost their command of the party.
The veteran Socialist Dr. Julius Deutsch
surveyed the field of foreign policy at the
Congress and familiar demands were made
for membership of the United Nations, an
international guarantee of Austria’s
neutrality and an independent foreign
policy. According to an unconfirmed report,
Dr. Deutsch told the Congress that, if a
Four-Power Treaty could not be achieved,
his Party would consider concluding indi
vidual treaties with the Occupying
Powers. A U.S. zone broadcast reported
a similar suggestion on the part of Senator
Bridges, Chairman of the U.S. Senate’s
Appropriations Committee, now in Vienna.
A German delegation, headed by Frau
Schroeder, Acting Oberbuergermeister of
Berlin, was present (among other foreign
delegations) for the first time since 1933.
The Polish delegation left the Chamber in
protest when Frau Schroeder addressed the
assembly. Dr. Schaerf drew loud applause
when he opposed the wholesale condem
nation of the German people.
CZECHOSLOVAKIA
The news that M. Ursiny, the leader of
the Slovak Democrat Party and a Deputy
Prime Minister in the Central Government,
has tendered his resignation to M. Gott-
wald, the Communist Premier, has pro
moted a crisis not only in the internal
administration of the province but also in
the whole question of future Czech-Slovak
relations. The resignation, it is said, has
come as a surprise, for the Democrat leader
has always enjoyed the full confidence of his
party, whilst his war-time record of resis
tance when he collaborated closely with the
Communists seemed to single him out as
the best-equipped Democrat personalityAp
smooth over differences with his partes
ideological rivals. His decision can there
fore be taken as a yardstick with which to
measure the Democrats' insecurity and
increasing despair. The intransigency of
the Slovak Democrats and their antipathy
(both based upon a narrow local patriotism)
to the popular democratisation policy of the
Czech Lands, have reaped a disappointing-
harvest, and have culminated in the success
of the Communist campaign to remove
M. Ursiny from office. The Communist
offensive against the Democrats, the un
covering of alleged conspiracies (in which
Democrat extremists appear to be impli
cated) against the State, the arrest on
treasonable grounds of members (though
none has been tried as yet) of M. Ursiny’s
own staff, the waiving of immunity regula
tions with regard to M. Kempny and
M. Bugar, the indictment of M. Hodza, the
Protestant Secretary of the Democrat
Party, and, finally, the ideological conflict
between Eastern and Western conceptions
of democracy have all influenced M. Ursiny
in taking this step.
The final decision still rests with Presi
dent Benes who is thus placed in an
invidious position between the Communist
Scylla and the Slovak Right-wing Charyb-
dis. The President’s repeated warnings to
the Slovaks, however, will probably induce
him to put national unity first. Hence the
removal of M. Ursiny will constitute the
most resounding Communist success until
now in their campaign to liquidate the
Democrats.
The Communists have not been slow to
drive home their advantage. The week-end
brought news of insistence by the Slovak
Trade I nion and Resistance organisations
on the removal of General Ferjencfk, the
non-party Trustee for the Interior, and of
Dr. Ratica, the Democrat Trustee for
Justice, and their replacement by “ non-
party ” representatives of the aforesaid
organisations—in other words increased
Communist control: failure to comply
would result in a general strike. Almost
immediately, Dr. Husak, the Communist
Chairman of the Board of Trustees, was
able to announce that the Communist
Trustees (five in all) and General Fer-
jencfkhad resigned and that under the cir
cumstances the whole Board should resign