SHARP SPLIT IN KREMLIN

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28128, 17 November 1956, Page 11

SHARP SPLIT IN KREMLIN

Marshal Tito’s Report

(Rec. 9.20 p.m.) BELGRADE, Nov. 16. Marsha] Tito, in a speech published last night revealed a sharp split among the Kremlin leaders on Russian policy towards the East European States. Some of the Soviet leaders had imposed a Stalinist line on the whole leadership, he told Jugoslav Communist officials at Pula.

However, Marshal Tito said those Russians, who didlnot agree with this policy, word not weak but strong, judging by certain signs and conversations.

His speech, delivered on November 10. was made public in Belgrade last night. Stalinists did not want other Communist countries to have a status similar to that of Jugoslavia. Marshal Tito continued. “The root of all the later mistakes li?s in the insufficient confidence in the socialist forces in those countries,” he said. “The mistaken and defective view” of the situation had been made clear to him in recent talks with the Soviet Communist Party chief, Mr Khrushchev. Marshal <Tito said he did not consider this tragic, because not all the Kremlin leaders held this view. After the Poznan riots, Soviet leaders became cooler towards the Jugoslavs, and accused them of being responsible for the trouble.

He recalled that the Russians called Jugoslavs fascists and butchers after the Cominform break in 1948, and said: “We must help them to remember this today when they want to throw the blame on us for the events in Poland and Hungary.” Marshal Tito declared that the Soviet leaders told him they would withdraw troops from Hungary after peace and order had been restored. He did not name the Stalinists, but some London newspapers said that he was referring to Mr Khrushchev on the one hand, and to the old guard supporter, Mr Molotov, on the other.