POPULAR FRONTS OPPOSED

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27962, 8 May 1956, Page 11

POPULAR FRONTS OPPOSED

CLASH WITH SOVIET LEADERS RECALLED EFFECT OF BRITISH LABOUR STAND (New Zeaiana Press Association) (Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON. May «. The continuing dispute between the British Labour Party leaders and Marshal Bulganin and Mr Khrushchev has struck a big blow against Communist plans for a ’’popular front” with the Social Democrats in European countries, a survey by Reuters showed today. The Labour Party stand has won firm backing from European Socialist leaders and strengthened their determination to shun Communist wooing for “working class unity.” The dispute between the* Labour leaders and the Communists arose irom fiery arguments at a dinner given by the Socialists for the Russian leaders at the closing stages of their official visit to Britain. Mr Khrushchev quarrelled with his hosts over several issues. The dispute reached its climax when he refused to accept, or do anything about, a list of Social Democrats said to be imprisoned in the Communist countries of Eastern Europe. Socialist reaction in European capitals, according to A.A.P.-Reuter messages, was as follows: The Hague: Dutch Socialists in general believe the dispute was ”a healthy warning” that there has been no fundamental change in Soviet policy. The Socialists, who are in government with the Catholics, are opposed to popular front alliances. Berne: The president of the Swiss Socialist Party. Mr Walter Bringolf, said the incident would undoubtedly have a salutary warning effect in underlining the difference between democratic socialism and communism. Berlin: West German Social Democrats have rejected an appeal by the East German Communists for co-oper-atioT) and discontinuance of the cold war between the two parties. The East German leaders promised an unspecified number of imprisoned Social Democrats would be released as a proof of Communist sincerity. The Social Democrats replied that the release of some political prisoners could not obliterate the fact that others were still in prison, and others had died in prison. Paris: French Socialists are showing no signs of being persuaded by an allout attempt by French Communists to form a popular front alliance. ThPrime Minister (Mr Guy Mollet) has repeatedly said he will never envisage a popular front alliance.