Purge In Ranks Of French Communists

Wanganui Chronicle, 15 December 1949, Page 5

Purge In Ranks Of French Communists

PARIS, Dec. 12.—The French Communist Party disclosed today that a large-scale purge of the party ranks is under way.

The purge appears to be mainly oi local and departmental party leader*, on charges including “deviationism,” •‘opportunism,” “Titoism,” and “Trotskyism.” Trouble inside the party was revealed publicly for the first time in a lengthy resolution of the central committee of the Communist Party. The committee met in Paris on Friday and Saturday, and the resolution was published today. The resolution did not state specifically that any party leaders had been purged or reprimanded, but the fact that the party had felt it necessary to publish such charges and even to name specific districts where leaders had failed left no doubt that such a purge is actually taking place. Observers in Paris regard the Communist Party s admission of “deviations’ within their ranks as sensational, because they argue that the must, hare gone a long way to induce the leadership to bring it into the open. M. Jacques Duclos, secretary of the Communist Party, described as “simply ridiculous” statements of certain newspapers alleging a grave crisis within the Communist Party. “The French Communist Party does not close its eyes to any weaknesses in its activities, and endeavours to correct them,” he said. “This is what the central committee did once again at its -last meeting.”—Specinal N.Z.P.A. Correspondent.