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XeAsNoel2. for December 1952 REPORT FROM CZECHO-SLOVAKIA. the most important news item which has reached us in the past four weeks from Czecho-Slovakia is ane, which so far it has been impossible fuliy to confirm: it is the news of the impending recall of “arshall Konev as commander of all the Southern satellite forces and his replacem nt by another high Soviet officer. it is a fact that Konev has left Prague, under conditions which make it - rather evident that he at least is gone for a greater length of time. He is at present in Kussia and has before leaving, called on all the top Czech politicians and military mene He is as yet not replaced; but hes phace obviously is wacant at the time being. Another sign of the re-assigement of Konev is the fact that he is not a member of the permament Commission of Military Cooperstion, which has been organized in Prague or better in Karlovy Vary, under the presid-ncy of rshal Bulganin, as consequence of the military conference we have reported earliere AS composed today, this permanent nuthority is headed by “arshal Bulganin, assisted by Marshal Zhukov, Hokossovski and Vassiljevski. in the commisgion itself take plsce the Folish General Korezyc, the Kussian wen ral Gusev, as representative 0" the Uzecho-*%lovnk Army, veneral urekoff for Bulgaria, Genvrel Farkas for hungary and finally Gener»l bodnaras for tumaniae $he Chinese liaison is made by veneral Yun-Ti, who had also assisted the summer conference in fraguee a Korean liaison man, as well os a Viectminh officer will be appointed presently; but so far hs neither been named, nor have they ariived as yete here too it is striking to note that Konev is no longer a member. A further puzzling fact, at least so far, is the absence of an Albanian and of an East German representation. but as the organization is stil. in its initial stages, it is well possible that these two nations will soon be represented tooe Yo far, it has been impossible to learn what the exact competence of the commision will be; especially in realtion to Marshal Zhukov's staff. 4t is probable that the commission will mainly deal with over-all questions, such as Army morale, progress in communist thinking and po itical education of officers and mene It seems unlikely that the commission will have any direct bearing on sti tegic planning. While speaking of these military matters, there are several oints which are of the greatest importance in the Czech Army. he first of these important points is that General Dr.Alexej Cepicka the Minister of War, has now been duplicated by Beneral Hruska, who has become not only the head of all the political commisars in the Czech Army, but who furthermore is gradually rising in importance ‘6 in the Czech Ministry of war, so much so that quite a number of people
