800.00b Communist International/10–347: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Smith) to the Secretary of State
2975. There is accumulating evidence of Kremlin preparations for launching of new worldwide Stalinist organization designed to support Soviet policy on all fronts.1
Two indications of such a development are Cyrankiewicz’s2 recent call for “united front on world scale” (Warsaw’s 1507 September 17 to Department3) and Tito’s4 statement at opening session of Yugoslav Popular Front Congress September 27 that “therefore the People’s Fronts units [unite?] in a front of peace in the world. This unification means an organized joint effort against warmongers and for peace.”
This would seem logical development at present juncture when Kremlin is pulling all stops in all-out effort to discredit any kind of opposition to Soviet aspirations and terrorize small powers bordering its sphere of influence. Such an international popular front would include the whole spectrum of front organizations from trade unions, women’s and youth federations to peace-loving veterinarians and chess players not to mention CPs and all collaborating political parties throughout the world. This world organization for peace and against the warmongers could mobilize in the aggregate an imposing measure [Page 595] of support for Soviet purposes and seriously hamper all forces of an “anti-Soviet” and therefore “warmongering” nature. It would set out to complete the identification of American monopoly capitalism with Fascist imperialism and warmongering which is basic objective of current Stalinist propaganda. Finally it would constitute a world-wide lobby in support of Soviet delegation in UN and at same time provide potential nucleus for alternative world organization should Soviet Government reach decision that its interests would be better served outside the framework of UN (Embtel 2953, September 30).
Embassy will welcome any evidence in support or refutation of this prognosis.
Department pass Paris 343 and Berlin 544.
- A meeting of
representatives of the Communist parties of the Soviet Union,
Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, France, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Rumania,
and Yugoslavia was held at Szklarska Poreba (Schreiberhau,
Schreibhau) near Hirsch-berg im Riesengebirge in Silesia between
about September 22–27, at which the Communist Information Bureau was
founded. Headquarters were soon thereafter set up in Belgrade, where
the organization’s bi-weekly For a Lasting
Peace—For a People’s Democracy! was first published on
November 10, 1947.
Ambassador Stanton Griffis reported in telegram 1618 from Warsaw on October 6, 3 p. m., not printed, that this meeting “was well guarded secret which caught everyone offguard here including, we have reason to believe, Polish press.” He went on to judge: “From this vantage point Embassy views this revival of Comintern as consistent with Soviet policy of aggressive warfare against western world by every means short of military action. Risk of inciting US to war is calculated one based in our opinion on Moscow’s thorough understanding of our form of government requiring majority vote of Congress and of our national psychology which makes declaration of war by true democracy virtual [im]possibility excepting in retaliation for military aggression.” (800.00b Communist International/10–647) From Moscow Chargé Durbrow stated in telegram 3007 on October 8, 6 p. m., not printed, that the first “editorial reaction to recent re-establishment [of the] Comintern was lead article [in] Pravda” on October 8, but Komsomolskaya Pravda had printed on the previous day the recent communiqués of the meeting. “Thus subject continues to be restricted to party press where, however, it is featured.” (800.00b Communist International/10–847) For a statement by Acting Secretary of State Lovett on October 8, see Department of State Bulletin, October 19, 1947, p. 769.
↩ - Józef Cyrankiewicz, Prime Minister of Poland.↩
- Not printed.↩
- Marshal Josip Broz (Tito), President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of National Defense of the Federal People’s Republic of Yugoslavia.↩