860F.00/7–346: Telegram
The Ambassador in Czechoslovakia (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 5—10:42 a.m.]
1221. My 1220, July 3.43 New Czechoslovak Cabinet includes 9 Communists, 4 National Socialists, 4 Peoples Party, 4 Slovak Democrats, 3 Social Democrats and 2 non-party members, total 26. If [Page 205] Social Democrats can continue to be counted as Leftists which is increasingly doubtful, this makes total of 12 Leftist members and 12 Moderate members. Of the two non-party members Masaryk has western orientation and Svoboda eastern, thus on paper the Cabinet is well balanced.
As indicated in my previous telegrams there are no surprising changes in character of the Government or membership of the new Cabinet. Communists continue to hold key post of Interior, Information, Agriculture, Labor and Social Welfare to which are now added the Prime Ministership, Finance and International Trade, the National Socialists having refused Finance. On the other hand they have given up Ministry Education. Clementis a Slovak Communist continues as State Secretary in Ministry Foreign Affairs.
While positions held by Communists are obviously key posts from which effective working control over most important phases of economy and labor can be exercised, I believe new Govt will concern itself primarily with execution of program of nationalization of industry and other liberal economic measures already begun rather than with initiation of additional radical moves. I regard new PriMin as man of common sense and native shrewdness willing to learn, a thorough Czechoslovak patriot, as a person unlikely to embark on further extremist ventures and as more reliable than Fierlinger.
- Not printed; it reported the formation of a new Czechoslovak Cabinet under Prime Minister Klement Gottwald (860F.00/7–346).↩