SOVIET TIGHTENS ITS GRIP

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28130, 20 November 1956, Page 15

SOVIET TIGHTENS ITS GRIP

Military Moves In

Satellites

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, November 19. With a combination of gloved fist and velvet glove Russia was reinforcing her military grip on her satellite empire, menaced by the convulsions in Poland and Hungary, according to the “News Chronicle” today. Other newspapers reported increasing brutality by the Russians and also a stiffening in the attitude of Hungarians who are becoming increasingly angry over the deportation of comrades to Russia. The “News Chronicle” said that 20 Red Army infantry divisions—more than 200,000 men—were reported last night to be moving into Hungary to join the 15 armoured divisions brought in to crush the freedom fighters. Poland's leaders, ending their Moscow visit, agreed that Russian troops should stay in Poland—as a guarantee “against the rebirth of German militarism.”

Russian armoured units, shipped across the Black Sea, are reported to have landed in Bulgaria—hitherto spared Red Army occupation, according to the “News Chronicle.” These reports were denied in Sofia Messages from Belgrade, however, reported the Russian landing in Bulgaria. They said that the Russian troops were to guard against any disorders similar to those in Hungary and Poland. The Bulgarian authorities were said to have made a number of preventive arrests, including that of Constantine Muraviev, the former Peasant Party Premier, the "News Chronicle” said. Russian armoured units are also reported to have arrived in Eastern Rumania, to replace those sent to Hungary. The news of Russian reinforcements for Hungary was a slap in the face to the millions of strikers who were demanding the withdrawal of the Russians, the “News Chronicle” said. Anger is mounting over this and the mass deportations to Russia, which Budapest Radio yesterday denied. A miners’ delegation called on the puppet Premier, Mr Kadar, and threatened to flood the pits unless the deportations stopped. According to leaflets distributed in Budapest, Mr Kadar has threatened all members of the Budapest Council with deportation unless they end the strike today, the “News Chronicle” said. The “Daily Telegraph” said today that if the workers did not yield to Mr Kadar’s latest ultimatum Hungary faced the danger of another explosion. “A Sombre Picture” A sombre picture is painted by all reports reaching Vienna from Budapest, according to the “Daily Telegraph.” The reports spoke of increasing brutality by Russian occupation troops, a heightening of the ugly mood of the workers and disturbing signs that the Kadar Government feels surer of itself today than at any time during its wretched existence. The “Daily Express” said that the Russian terror was upon Hungary. Russian soldiers, drunk with power, lust and hate, had revelled in a weekend of murder, rape and pillage. Hungary now was all hate, ' the “Daily Express” said. The Hungarian workers’ threat to flood the coalmines and destroy all coal stocks and wreck oil installations would not be less than suicide with winter ahead. But it would be better than hell on earth, the “Daily Express” said. “The Times” said that there had been some escapes by deportees in the last few days. A 15-year-old girl who escaped alleged that drunken Russian soldiers were abducting girls. The Russians were more in evidence in Budapest than ever before, “The Times” said. However, thousands of strikers roamed the streets wearing patriotic emblems in their lapels. “The Times” said that it appeared that the Government, in desperation, had decided on a tactic of starvation and exhaustion to be used against the strikers. It had ordered that all food supplies brought into Budapest from the countryside be handed over from now on only to shops run by the Government or to the Soviet Army authorities. Decision in Poland The “News Chronicle” said Poland was more successful than Hungary with her revolt, but there were never any doubts that she would let the Russians stay. The reason was set forth in a statement issued last night by Mr Khrushchev and Marshal Bulganin for Russia and Mr Gomulka and Mr Cyrankiewicz for Poland: “The Soviet-Polish alliance is a guarantee of the inviolability of Poland’s Oder-Neisse frontier. ...” “Until now European States have not been provided with adequate guarantees against the rebirth of German militarism. “The constant objections by re-

newspaper interspersed with comments by an anonymous author—clearly someone high in the ranks of the Soviet Communist Party. It quoted Marshal Tito as saying that Soviet intervention in Hungary was necessary and that Jugoslavia supported the Janos Kadar Government.

‘‘Comrade Tito’s speech sounds a sharp dissonance compared with what has been said of late by the leadership of the Jugoslav Communist Party on the international situation and the mutual relations of socialist countries and Communist parties.” In Italy today the chief of the Italian Communist Party. Mr Palmiro Togliatti, blamed the errors ot the Hungarian Communist Party for the uprising in Hungary. The Italian Communist Party is the largest in Western Europe.