SOVIET CHARGE AGAINST U.S.A. AND BRITAIN

Grey River Argus, 25 March 1948, Page 5

SOVIET CHARGE AGAINST U.S.A. AND BRITAIN

IN REBUTTAL OF U.N.O. PROPOSAL TO INQUIRE INTO COUP OF COMMUNISTS IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA SUGGESTS BRITAIN MAY BE BOOMED AS EMPIRE (Rec. 6.5) NEW YORK, .March 23. The Security Council of the United Nations today discussed the request of Chile’s delegate tor an investigation by the United Nations into the Communist coup in Czechoslovakia. The Chilean delegate is being sent an appeal by political exiles from Poland, Yugoslavia, Rumania, Bulgaria and Hungary now living in London to propose a United Nations investigation of conditions in their homelands similar to that sought by Chile in the case of Czechoslovakia. The Soviet delegate to the Security Council, M. Gromyko, addressed the Council on the Chilean request for an investigation of the Communist coup in Czechoslovakia .so as to determine whether there has been Russian intervention. M. Gromyko described the request as “a dirty manoeuvre.” M. Gromyko accused Britain and America of devising a plan to dominate Czechoslovak political life by making use of certain reactionary circles in that country. Those plans, however, had been baulked in time, he said. M. Gromyko accused the United States of employing “a policy of rude pressure and blackmail” against .Italy. He said it was clear that the Chilean Government had no foreign policy of its own, and that it was playing the role of a puppet of “financial and industrial kings of Wall Street, .holding in their grip all the principal levers of Chilean economy, and completely controlling its home and foreign policies.”

An “Easy Prey”

M. Gromyko continued: “For More than two years American and British politicians have considered Czechoslovakia their easy potential prey. The Czech people still have fresh memories of days when, behind their backs, ruling circles of Western Powers, having betrayed Czechoslovakia, made a shameful deal with Fascist aggression. “In the light of some new available facts, American and British policy toward Czechoslovakia has become still more evidently based on subjugation of to their political and economic control. These plans have collapsed. They were destroyed by Czechoslovakia people, because they were incompatible with Czechoslovakia’s fundamental national interests. "These plans were built upon a fallacious supposition that individuals inside Czechoslovakia would gain a victory; that these individuals would manage to deceive their people; and that, with their assistance, it would be possible to drag Czechoslovakia into the Marshall Plan, which aimed at the subjugation of their interests to American monopolies w'hose greed has no bounds.” M. Gromyko said that individuals, particularly members of the National Socialist Party of Czechoslovakia, plotted a conspiracy against the Republic, apd were preparingrot without assistance from outside •—to overthrow the Czechoslovak Government.

He then accused the United States of forcing a re-organisa-tion of the French and the Italian Governments, and cf completely controlling the Greek - Government i ( n its domestic and foreign policies. He asked: “Isn’t it absurd, in the light of all these facts, to assert that the change in government of Czechoslovakia was the result of interference by the Soviet? The United States and Britain try to cover up their own expansion with a wail about Soviet interference in the internal affairs of other countries. This fantasy can compete with the tales of ‘A Thousand and One Nights.’ British and American policy, in Europe, is being carried out under the label of the so-called Marshall Plan in a policy of expansion. It is based on a tendency to subjugate the economies and the policy of European countries and to the economic needs and policy of the United States and partly to the economic needs and the policy of Britain. I say ‘partly,’ because it is not yet known ■what the United Kingdom—now being drawn into the orbit of American policy—will look like after some time. It is quite possible that the British Lion will soon miss its tail; maybe its legs, and maybe, even its head.”

U.S. Delegate Puts Critical Questions Mr Warren Austin, the United States delegate, promptly answered M'. Gromyko’s attack. He described the Soviet charges as “fantastic.” Mr Austin asked whether the new Czech delegate to the Security Council could explain the arrival of the Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister, M. Zorin, in Prague, immediately before the political crisis. Mr Austin asked: “What did he do there? What discussions did he have with M. Gottwald? Can the new Czech delegate come to the table and state that Czechoslovakia has been free from external pressure? Can he assert that the Czechs’ failure to cooperate in the Marshall Plan was of their own volition? Why did Jan Masaryk suicide? Why Jias President Benes remained silenfT Too much has happened which has not been in the Czechoslovakian tradition. Too much has happened for the Security Council to be satisfied with perfunctory denials or with further red herrings. The Security Council deserves, and should receive, a full explanation of these points.” .The debate was adjourned till Wednesday next.