“A DIRTY MANOEUVRE,” SAYS GROMYKO

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 140, 25 March 1948, Page 3

“A DIRTY MANOEUVRE,” SAYS GROMYKO

CHILEAN MOTION ON CZECH UPHEAVAL

„ (N.Z.P.A. —Copyright). 1 NEW YORK, March 23. Describing the Chilean request for an investigation of the Communist Coup in Czechoslovakia to determine whether there had been Russian intervention as “a dirty manoeuvre,” Mr A. A. Gromyko (Soviet) to-day accused Britain and America of devising a plan to dominate Czechoslovak politicallife by,making use of certain reactionary circles in that country. Those plans had been baulked in time. " Mr Gromyko, who was addressing the Security Council, 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 was playing the role of a puppet of “the 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.” -

Mr Gromyko continued: “For more than two years American and British politicians have considered Czechoslovakia as their easy potential prey. The Czech people still have fresh memories of the days when behind their backs the ruling circles of the Western Powers, having betrayed Czechoslovakia, made a shameful deal with Fascist aggression. In the light some new available facts the American and British. policy toward Czechoslovakia has become still more evidently based on the subjugation of Czechoslovakia to their political and economic control. These plans have collapsed. They were destroyed by the Czechoslovak people, because they were incompatible with Czechoslovakia’s fundamental national interests. These plans were built upon the \ fallacious supposition that individuals inside Czechoslovakia would gain a victory, that these individuals would to deceive their people and tjiat with their assistance it would be possible to drag Czechoslovakia into the Marshal Plan, which aimed at tiie subjugation of their interests to American monopolies whose greed has nobounds.” Mr Gromyko eaid, that individuals, particularly members of the National Socialist Party, plotted a conspiracy against the Republic and were prepar- \ ing—-not without assistance from out- ■ side—to overthrow the Czechoslovak , Government. '' He then accused the United States of forcing the reorganisation of the French and Italian Governments and completely controlling the Greek Government’s domestic and foreign . policies. “Is it not absurd in the light of all these facts to assert that the change in the Government* of Czechoslovakia Was the result of interference by the Soviet?” he asked. “The United States and Britain try. to cover up their own expansion with a wail about Soviet interference in the internal affairs, of other qountries. This fantasy can com- \ pete with the tales of a ‘Thousand and One Nights.’ “The British and American policy in Europe which is being carried out under the label of the so-called Marshall Plan i® a policy of expansion,” Mr Gromyko continued. “It is based on a tendency to subjugate the economy

and policy of European countries to the economic, needs and policy of the United States and party Britain’s. 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.” Mr Warren Austin (United States) promptly answered Mr Gromyko’s attack, describing the Soviet charges as “fantastic.” Mr 'Austin asked whether the new Czech delegate couth explain the arrival of the Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister (Mr Valeriain Zorin) in Prague immediately before the political crisis. “What did he do there? What discussions did he have with Gottwald? Can the new Czech delegate coipe to the table and state that Czechoslovakia has been free from external pressure? Can he assert that the failure of the Czechs, to co-operate in the Marshall Plan was of their own volition? Why did Dr. Jan Masaryk commit suicide? Why has President Benes remained silent?

“Too much has happened which is not in Czechoslovakian tradition. Too much has happened for the Security Council' to be satisfied with perfunctory denials or further red herrings The Security Council deserves and should receive a full explanation of these points.” 1 The debate was adjourned till March 31.

Camp Of International Reaction

A few hours after Mr A. A. Gromyko (Russia) bitterly attacked Britain and America in the Security Council, the Soviet Ambassador, Mr Alexander Panyushkin, appealing for Soviet and American peace and co-operation, said the Communist coup in Czechoslovakia was the internal affair of the Czech people. ' \ Mr Panyushkin, who was giving his first pub ( lic address in America, blamed the world crisis on /‘certain” circles from the camp of international reaction.” . x v . He said that the United States was filled with monstrous misinformation and slander about the Soviet Union.

“These circles have gone so far that any desire for freedom by the peoples of different countries, and any intention by them to take the road of democratic reforms is immediately distorted and presented 41s an act of aggression by the Soviet Union,” he declared.

Mr Panyushkin said the evidence of Russia’s desire for peace was her sup-

port of the plans for the prohibition of war propaganda, the reduction of armaments and the prohibition of the atom bomb. The differences between the social systems of the. Soviet and the United States were deliberately exaggerated. “The Soviet’s foreign policy proceeds from the fact that capitalism and socialism not only can co-exist peacefully but that between countries belonging to two different, social sys terns relations of fruitful co-operation directed toward mutual advantage are entirely possible if good will is present.”

Mr Panyushkin added that the Soviet demobilisation plkns would be completed in a few days, and then the army would consist basically of contingents born in 1926 and 1927. The Soviet Ambassador in London, Mr Zarubin, said at a diplomatic reception to-day that there was not likely to be war for' a long time because none of the people wanted it.