Tito’s Reply To Soviet Critics

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28314, 27 June 1957, Page 7

Tito’s Reply To Soviet Critics

(h Z. Hrest, Association —Cojjynont)

BELGRADE, June 25. President Tito told a congress of Jugoslav Workers’ Councils today that his country was the target of uncomradely and malicious criticism from other Communist countries. a Russian fraternal* delegate (Mr Viktor Grishin), chairman of the Soviet Trade Union Council. listened impassively, and after P.esident Tito had left made a cordial speech of greetings to “the fiery working class of Jugoslavia.’’ He did not refer to the attack, in which President Tito had not mentioned Russia by name. President Tito, who had difficulty in beginning his speech because of stormy chanting of the Jugoslav slogan “Hero Tito,” was interrupted by applause several times during his references to the dispute with other Communist countries.

He said a new method of criticism” had appeared. “They start by saying that in Jugoslavia some small things are good and finish by saying that everything is wrong and that there is revisionism, anarchism, and capitalism.” President Tito’s new offensive against the Kremlin was taken by foreign observers in Belgrade as confirmation that attempts to restore Soviet-Jugoslav relations had made very little progress. Almost exactly a month ago, he declared that a Soviet-directed campaign against Jugoslavia had ended and there was “great hope' for the future.

Today after referring to Communist attacks, he asked: “Is this the way of comradely criticism? We must say it is not comradely.

It is very uncomradely. Good relations must be based on something realistic.” The Soviet speaker, Mr Grishin, angered Jugoslav delegates by devoting 25 minutes of his 30-minute ‘greetings’’ address to detailed praise of Soviet achievements. He did not directly criticise Jugoslav policies, but some Jugoslav officials later commented privately that he had turned his speech into a propaganda occasion.