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eAele December 52.6 - page three = Neustadt - 190 MIG 15 jet fighters and a little over 200 light and medium bombers. Contrary to news spread in "Vienna, it is not true thet so far heavy Tupelov bombers have landed on Austrian air portse It is true neverthekess that some of these very heavy planes have flowm over the Soviet zone of Austria, probably en route between Soviet airports in Master UVermany and Hungarys ut to return to the elections: The Socialist Farty is scandal. Before these events, the so ialists could count on an increase > in votes and seats, ‘this seems now rather dubious. the socialists | furthermore have the difficulty of being unable or unwilling to renew | their leading groupsé he faces are the same as they were in 1955 ana the people are beginning to get tired of thems All this is leasing up | to a campaign, in which the socialists are far from the hopes they | expressed a few months agoe There are in fect some socialist leaders | who privately fear thet their sarty might be even Losing SeitSe 4 un the other hand, there is a rebirth of confid: nce in the People's karty. The Party is going to change rather widely its | personnel, and will introduce a number of young and dynamic persons, who | so far had not ben in politics. vVounting with popular trends, the | People's Party will also present on its lists some prominent figures of tie Austrian monarchists. This move might be rather effective, since it will assure the People's Party of votes, which normally would have | gone to the right-wing opposition Party, the VdUe. Added to this is the prestige of the new men at the helm of the Party, such as Party President Rakb, the Party's new General Secretary Maletta and the Party's two new Cabinet members Finance Minister Kamitz and Trade Minister Boeck-Greissaue “hese people who represent a clear-cut conservative programe and whose personal integrity is absolutely certain, are finding an ever-increasing response in the population. While it is as yet too early to make any abs lute predictions, it aevertheless Seems reasonable to say that since the late summer, the People's Party has bem regaining much ground and is facing the elections now with much more confidence than they could have at the beginning of the yeare The right-wi g opposition Party VdU, on the other hand, is ina crisis. While it is yet too early to predict whether this ferisis will eventually have far-reaching electoral results, it is nevertheless | worth noting.e The very able leader of the Party, UreHerbert Kraus, fell a victim to the Nazi elements in his groupe After an ugly campaign against him, in which Nazis and communists seem@a to work hand in hand, | he was replaeed at the head of the Party and of its Parliamentary groupe ‘he leadership in Parlisment fell to Ingeniecur Hartleb, a shrewd old politician from Steiermark. kartleb, though never a member of the Nazi Party, has always for purely political considerations, played into the hands of the wazi elementse As to the presid ney of the Party, it was handed to one Colonel Stendebach, a Gertian who was naturalized an Aust&ran only twenty ycars agoe This Col.Stendebach made a very poor record during the ware Known for his brutality and the app&@&ing losses of his unitse in fact, he was demoted once during 5.
