Hero’s Welcome For Tito

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31754, 10 August 1968, Page 13

Hero’s Welcome For Tito

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

PRAGUE, Aug. 9.

Prague prepared to give President Tito of Jugoslavia a hero’s welcome when he arrives in Prague by air later today for a threeday visit, seen as a boost to Czechoslovakia’s liberal leaders.

The visit, at the invitation of the Czechoslovak Communist Party Leader, Mr Dubcek, was first planned several weeks ago when the Soviet Union launched its “war of nerves” against the Prague reformers. President Tito—who first showed 20 years ago that suc-

cessful defiance of the Kremlin was possible—has sided with Prague in its differences with Moscow, and seems certain to reaffirm to the Czechoslovak leaders his support for their new reformist path. “Literarni Listy,” Czechoslovakia’s outspoken literary magazine, today came out with another onslaught on the Russians—only a day after the Czechoslovak Communist Party urged restraint in comment on Communist countries.

The magazine criticised the Soviet Union’s psychological “warfare” against Prague's leaders which culminated in the six-nation Communist meeting last week. “Literarni Listy,” long one of the most fervent critics of the Soviet Union and its hardline allies, said that the

Soviet Union had acted “in a very unfortunate way.” It had made a mistake to attempt to exercise pressure and force on Czechoslovakia, the magazine said.

The Soviet Union’s attitude had been motivated by fear that developments in Czechoslovakia might spread to other Communist countries, “Literarni Listy” said. There were forces both in the Soviet Union and in Poland which could eventually respond to the changes made by their Czechoslovak neighbour since President Antonin Novotny was ousted. The Kremlin’s foreign policy was tuned to personalities rather than facts—a course which had had unfortunate results in the past, the magazine said. Czechoslovakia had become something of a foreign element among the Communist States because it had linked freedom and socialism. Czechoslovakia could guarantee it would not disturb the policy of the Socialist camp, the magazine said, “but we cannot tolerate any pressure as far as our internal affairs are concerned.” President Tito is certain to reaffirm his backing of the Czechoslovak programme of “human socialism” during his visit. But one Communist observer in Prague says the talks might take an altogether different course from what is generally expected. He thinks that the Prague

leaders, anxious to appease the Russians and increase cohesion within Communist East Europe, might try to persuade the Jugoslavs to harmonise their policies more closely with their neighbours. He speculates that the Czechoslovaks might deploy the same arguments when Rumania’s independentminded party chief, Mr Nicolae Ceausescu, visits Prague next week. President Tito’s talks in Prague are also expected to cover economic co-operation, both bilateral and within Comecon (the Communist Common Market). There is also speculation that Mr Dubek and President Tito might discuss extension to Czechoslovakia of an oil pipeline now under construction from the Jugoslav coast through East Europe, in a move to make the country independent of Soviet oil supplies, if necessary.