Ext 6116/46(S) 'Secret Weekly Political Intelligence Summaries, nos 356-416, August 1946-November 1947' [‎39r] (77/978)

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Roumanian Government took office. That
permits have sometimes been refused we are
now informed by M. Vyshinski is due to
the fact that the authorities and business
circles of the satellite countries concerned
are not “ interested in the arrival of these
pjgsons.” He contends that “ the non-
iSie of permits is entirely justified in such
cases.” This is refreshingly plain
speaking. In this connexion it is of
interest to note that Pravda writing on the
subject of Communist organization says
that “ the task of the Soviet people is to
make their country ever more strong and
mighty and that they are not to be intimi
dated by the imperialists, who should
remember the fate of Hitler.”
Radio Dacia Romana, on the 10th
October, announced the introduction of a
card rationing system for certain goods.
Other countries used this system before and
after the war to limit internal consump
tion so that it should not exceed the pro
duction level. The economic object of
Roumania’s venture is to provide the
workers with their minimum require
ments. This was done in the first place
through the economati but under the new
conditions resulting from stabilisation the
economati became impossible owing to the
increased production costs. All of which
sounds very well. But the fact is that the
economati cost the Government nothing,
since the goods had to be provided by the
various companies who were obliged to buy
them as best they could and sell them at
prices fixed by the Government. This, as
has been pointed out more than once, kept
the workers in a good humour and enabled
them to play at Communism while the Com
munist yoke was being fitted to their necks.
It could not last for long as it was all the
time draining the resources of the
employers of labour. The inevitable
moment appears to have arrived. In spite
of the bombastic terms of the announce
ment, it is not by any means clear how much
the worker will have to pay for goods, or
how the system is to be financed. The next
steps will be awaited with interest.
Yugoslavia
On the 12th October a British officer and
two sergeants were captured by Yugoslavs
on the Austro-Yugoslav frontier after
driving a few yards into Yugoslav terri
tory by mistake. According to press reports
they only just escaped being shot as
“ White-Guard ” terrorists, but once their
identity had been established they were
well entertained and promptly returned to
Austria on the 14th October. This imme
diate action seems to be the first fruits
of the agreement reached about friendlier
relationships on the frontier at the time
of General Steele’s visit to Bled in Septem
ber—though the victims of such incidents,
it must be said, run considerable danger in
the early part of their captivity owing to
the ease with which Yugoslav troops of
lower rank mistake identities.
The Hungarian Delegation headed by the
Prime Minister, which arrived in Belgrade
on the 13th October, returned to Hungary
after three days, having signed a ‘ ‘ con
vention of cultural collaboration ” with
Jugoslavia. The communique makes it
clear, however, that the preliminaries were
also discussed for a pact of mutual friend
ship similar to that recently concluded
between Yugoslavia and Roumania.
Representatives of the U.S.S.R. and of
all countries in the Soviet sphere of
influence have attended a conference in
Belgrade to discuss the regulation of com
munications in East Europe. On the 17th
October the Jugoslav Press announced
that the conference had reached agreement
on the question of passenger and goods
traffic, and that a draft Agreement, pre
sented by the Jugoslav Delegation, will
now be submitted by the several delegates
to their Governments.
On the 10th October the Yugoslav
Ambassador in Washington submitted to
the Assembly of the United Nations a
resolution deploring the non-fulfilment by
some nations of the obligation to arrest
and extradite war criminals imposed upon
them by the Resolution of the 13th Febru
ary, 1946
The relaxation of controls on the sale of
certain consumption goods, reported last
week, together with the recent increase in
salary scales, suggests that there may be
some change in the rigid deflationary policy
hitherto pursued.
Greece
M. Sofoulis broadcast to the nation on
the 13th October and stressed the serious
ness of Greece’s situation. Her troubles,
he said, had two main causes; the Com
munist rebellion, now proved to be directed
from abroad, and the economic chaos
bequeathed by the war and intensified by
the rebellion. The Government’s attitude
towards the rebels was unchanged; they
welcomed all who surrendered, but the
army would not lessen their efforts against
the unrepentant.
M. Sofoulis announced various measures
designed to deal with the economic pro
blem and mentioned that the recent
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