“Satellite Nations Have Never Had It So Good”

Press, Volume C, Issue 29510, 11 May 1961, Page 15

“Satellite Nations Have Never Had It So Good”

(Special Correspondent N.ZJ’A.) LONDON, May 10. In the satellite countries there had grown up a generation “who have never had it so good,” and who aimed to keep it that way, says the “Daily Mail’s”’ writer on foreign affairs, William Forrest, after an extensive tour of East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary.

"These people behind the Iron Curtain are on the march.” says Forrest. ‘They have never had it so good and all indications .are they will have it even better.

“Speaking of Poland. Hungary and Czechoslovakia, I can say that in clothing and consumer goods they still lag far behind us, but even here the improvement in the last four years hits the eye. “In housing they are also behind, but fast catching up and rents by comparison with ours are ridiculously low.

They eat their fill of food. Only in Poland, are there still some shortages and in restaurants there they have one meatless day a week. Tn education they are streets ahead of us. and theit social services put our welfare state completely in the shade.

"Political and ideological shackles of the one-party State may still lie heavily on the minds of people, but at least their belts are now loosened as they were never before.

“Long, lean years when everything was sacrificed to the industrialisation drive now lie behind them and a new generation is growing up that knew not Joseph Stalin, a generation that the State takes in hand from its very infancy and through nursery, kindergarten, elementary school, high school and university brings to Socialist maturity, a generation that is born in an age of plenty, if not abundance, but expects even more. “We are foaling ourselves if we imagine communism’s striking achievements in science have been made at the expense of the people’s welfare and fooling ourselves also if we think that any of the satellites, sitting pretty as they are, are likely to risk everything by another Hungary-style revolt

"The desperation that incited Hungary's freedom bid has gone. Drop the scales from our eyes and we shall see that satellites are Soviet for keeps," he says.