Oldal 3 [3]
~ page three ~
fire by many members of his own party, compelled to resign and to
hend his office over to a non=party man, Dre Gerd.
Peoples’ Party is still far from unduly alarmed, In fact it takes
the attacks with great calm, and many in its renks feel, that
na Catholic Dayy held in the Middle of September, proved to be
the outstanding eveat of the year, The religious fervor which was
expressed surprised even the people who had been active in pre=
paring it. It is significant to note, that the meetings where
the largest held in Austria since the wary, even since many deca=
ése Even the Hitlerites were never able to mobilize such huge
masses of peoples And whet struck especially the attention of the
observers was the wide attendance of the youthe Altogether it was
the grent success, and obviously a wide encourzgement to the
People's Party which draws its support from the religious mase
SeSe
While thus the great parties are getting reudy for the
big electoral battle end msnoeuver for decisive positions, the
Communists ure doing some memoeuvering too, They have few iliu=
sions : though they might be gaining a few seats in parliament,
this is not the way for them to reachpower, Hence their moves
ave more made to terrorize end implement their infivence.
The first of these moves is the impending re-organuze=
+ion of the whole leadership of the party. It begun early Septem=
ber with the elimination of the fomner head of the Communist
Youth, Otto fimintiamelta Drichaceke as well as with the high Commu=
nist official Karl Pollak. It has been furthemare secretly des
cided, that soon the Politiburo would be entirely re-orgenived
add that a number of new persons would be calied up, The men elis
minateú are mostly texymed ag inefficient und unsuccessful, In
most iwtences they are persons who spent their time in « Westem
enigration, such as Paris or London, and hence are suspected of
being finfeeted with westerly thoughts. 4
The second has been a che in the lesdership of the
Communist broadcasts on the Austrian Radio. These broadcasts are
orzenized by the Soviet military element, and are made on the
Vienna Station in the Soviet Sector, They are carried out against
the protest of the Austrim governement. Hitherto this broudcasts
were in the hands of one Felix Kreisslere He is now replaced
devotion to the Russians, as well as for his ability as a propa~
gandiste
The third movey this one made by the Soviet Military
authorities, was a change in the set-up of the censorshipe Since