CZECH Russians Not Hostile

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31775, 4 September 1968, Page 15

CZECH Russians Not Hostile

(N.Z P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) MOSCOW, September 3. The Soviet Union appeared today to be playing a waiting game with Czechoslovakia, the Kremlin leaders sitting back while their will was being carried out by the progressives in Prague.

After months of almost daily hostile attacks on the Czechoslovak reformers, the Soviet press began taking a noticeably softer line last night, although there were scattered reports of “anti-Socialist” resistance to the new, Soviet-backed order.

The election of a new 21man Communist presidium in Prague on Sunday, composed mainly of progressives, produced none of the expected hostile reaction from official news media. The Soviet silence was generally believed to indicate the Kremlin would not object to the progressives as long as they stuck to Moscow’s conditions for the withdrawal of Soviet troops. It was also believed the Kremlin might even welcome their election as showing Russia’s noninterference in Czechoslovak internal affairs.

Prague, itself, showed signs of something like a return to normal today as preparations were made for the resumption of civil airline flights inside the country and street signs,

removed in order to hamper occupying troops, reappeared.

Two weeks after the invasion by Warsaw Pact troops, Prague airport was getting ready to restore airline services and there were plans to send a first flight today to the Slovak capital of Bratislava. Radio Bratislava has announced it is resuming normal programmes.

Newspapers are likely to remain scarce, apart from the censored Communist Party organ “Rude Pravo." Editors of other journals are reported by informed sources to want further talks with the Russians on the basic rules of journalism under the occupation before resuming publication. Children have returned to school after the holidays and strollers are back on the streets and in the cafes. But there have been long queues outside the State travel agency, Cedok, which issues tickets for travel abroad. People in the queue said they were taking an autumn holiday in the West. The radio said three newspapers described as centres of counter-revolution would not appear again. They were "Literari Listi,” which published an intellectuals’ manifesto before the invasion, “Reporter,” organ of the Journalists' Association, and “Student.” Most of the Red Army soldiers and tanks have disappeared from Prague and Bratislava.

Anti-Soviet posters in both cities are disappearing as well as some of those praising President Svoboda and Mr Dubcek.