5 lg *

A false

OES the cease-fire mean
D peace? That is the anxious
question asked on all sides.

Not yet. The Anglo-French
military forces are still astride
the Suez Canal. Israel still de-
mands to hold on to what it
regards as the spoils of war.
There are visible attempts in
certain quarters to switch the
war drive of reaction from
Egypt to Hungary.

Two objectives are therefore
now essential:

First, to secure the with-
drawal of Anglo-French mili-
tary forces from the Suez
Canal, and Israeli forces back
to the frontier, and to restore
the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of Egypt.

Second, to defeat the at-
tempts of reaction to switch
the war drive from Egypt to
Hungary, and to stand firm
(irrespective of opinions on the
events in Hungary) against
any campaign to inveigle the
progressive forces, on the basis
of the emotions aroused by the
events in Hungary, into a reck-
less hate campaign and poten-
tial war incitement against the
Soviet Union and the countries
of socialism.

All the jubhiation which has
been loudly expressed over the
Anglo-French announcement
of a cease-fire in Egypt must
not blind us to the harsh fact
that the Eden-Mollet objective
from the moment of the nation-
alisation of the Suez Canal,
to use military force in order
to establish Anglo-French mili-
tary control of the Suez Canal
has been carried out.

Undoubtedly the abruptness
of the Anglo-French proclama-
tion of the cease-fire, which
followed within 24 hours of
the Soviet notes the threatened
combined military action to
end the war, reflected the.im-
pact of forces outside the con-
trol or original calculations of
the British and French gov-
ernments.

Anglo-French ruling circles
now openly express the fear
that world opinion will ascribe
to the Soviet Union the credit
for ending the war in the Mid-

dle East.
*

It is in the light of this sit-
uation that the intensive pre-
sent campaign of reaction (as-
sisted unfortunately by British
Labor leader Hugh Gaitskell)
to switch the overwhelming
public anger against the Mid-
dle Eastern war into anti-
Seviet channels on the issue
of Hungary takes on its real

significance.
attempt is made _ to
a false analogy between

political
The

araw

Egypt and
Hungary

By R. PALME DUTT

analogy

the Anglo-French armed in-
vasion of Egypt and armed
aggression against the Egyp-
tian government in order to
restore colonialism and _ the
armed assistance of the Soviet
Union to the Hungarian Work-
ers and Peasants’ government
against foreign-assisted fascism
and counter-revolution.

On this basis the attempt
is made to divide the progres-
sive forces in Britain, France
and other countries for the
benefit of world reaction and
the war drive.

It is understandable that
there is intense concern and
wide vaYiations of opinion in
the labor movement and popu-
lar movement over the tragic
series of events in Hungary.

There have been two ele-
ments in the situation leading
up to these events. There were

genuine popular grievances
and discontents arising from
grave mistakes, injustices and
crimes which took place under
the previous Communist-led
regime despite and alongside
its gigantic achievements in
building socialism in the midst
of an initially deeply reaction-
ary and fascist environmennt.

Serious mistakes were also
made in the relations of the
Soviet Union and the Peoples’
Democracies, as recognized in
the Soviet statement of Octo-
ber 30.

But there has also been from
the end of the last war a great
effort-by foreign-financed and
inspired reaction to conduct
subversive activity agaist the
socialist system with the even-
tual aim of overthrowing it.

Taking advantage of the
popular discontent, these coun-
ter-revolutionary forces, arm-
ed and organised from abroad,
endeavored to turn the peoples’
movement into a reactionary
direction and utilize it for the
aims of the counter-revolution.

*

The attempted analogy be-
tween the Anglo-French ag-
gression on Egypt and the So-
viet armed assistance to the
Hungarian government against
fascism is a false one.

First, the Anglo-French ag-
gression was conducted against
the Egyptian government. The
Soviet assistance was given on

What are the real

counter - revolutionary ' ele-
ments had taken over the for-
eign office. Writing in Rey-
nolds News (London) on No-
vember 4, Alexander “Werth
referred to the “seizure by the
‘revolutionaries’ of the foreign
ministry in Budapest.”

He wrote: “Imre Nagy, the
premier, is also foreign munis-
ter, and the ‘revolutionaries’
are Hungarian right-wing ex-
tremists, under the leadership
of Joseph Dudas, who do not
recognize the authority of the
Nagy government.”

Through the foreign office
the counter revolutionaries
were in fact presenting their
case to the world. Cardinal
Mindzenty’s broadcast was the
virtual signal for the counter
revolutionary coup.

It can be summed up in four
points: out with the Nagy
government — _ this having
served its purpose of the fa-
cade behind which counter-
revolution was preparing its
forces for the final effort; the
restoration of capitalism; the
land to be taken from the
peasants and the workshops
from the working class; the
restoration of the economic
and political power of the
church; and direct Western in.
tervention.

It was a decisive class chal-
lenge, and to this the Hun-
garian working class respond-
ed.

Kadar and the best elements
of the Hungarian Working
People’s party. broke with
Nagy on November 1 to form
a new government, and places

have been left open in the
government for other demo-
cratic representatives. This

government declared: “The
excesses of the counter-revo-
lution must be stopped. The
hour of action has come.

“Defend the power of the
workers and _ peasants, the
gains of People’s Democracy;
let us establish order, security
and calm in our country.”

Its program is one of soc-
ialism, democracy and peac>.

*

But the question of a bas-
tion of fascism in Hungary is
a class issue not only for the
Hungarian working class.

It would have represented
a decisive change in the bal-
ance of forces in Central Eur-
ope, menacing not onlv the
USSR, but Czechoslovakia,
Yugos’avia and every People’s
Democracy, menacing the
peace of the world.

It would have been an en-
couragment to Adenauer and
every adventurer, and would
have gravely increased the
danger of war. These were the
dangers which the Soviet gov-
ernment had to take into ac-
count when it made the diffi-
cult decision to respond to
the appeal of the Kadar gov-
ernment for help against coun-
ter-revolutionaries.

This is how we have seen
this decisive action. There was
no alternative in this situation
however much one would have
wished: that the counter-revo-
lutionary forces could have
been dealt with differently.

It has been decisive from
two angles: from the class

angle of fascism or socialism; -

working class advance or
counter-revolution . It has

the invitation of the Hungarian
government.

Second, the Anglo-French
armed forces invaded Egypt.
The Soviet armed forces were
stationed in Hungary since
1945, following the defeat of
fascism with the recognised
responsibility to protect the in-
dependence of Hungary and
prevent the return of fascism.

Third, Britain and France
had no legal right to invade
Egypt. The Soviet armed forces
were legally in Hungary by
agreement under the Warsaw
Pact.

Fourth, and most important,
the issue in Egypt is between
imperialism and national liber-
ation. The issue in Hungary is
between the socialist achieve-
ments of twelve years and the
return of capitalism, landlord-
ism and Horthy fascism, as
made clear to all by Cardinal
Mindszenty’s broadcast.

The fight in Hungary and
the fight in Egypt are not two
separate or opposing fights.
The same monopoly capitalist
interests which attacked Egypt
financed and armed fascism in
Hungary.

All the lessons of the events
in Hungary, lessons of pro-
found concerh to Communists,
will be drawn. But once the
issue had arisen of the restor-
ation of White Terror and
counter-revolution in Hungary,
it must be faced by every so-

cialist and anti-fascist, what
ever the opinion on past
ents.

Restoration of fascism

Hungary, alongside the regime

of remilitarised Nazi forces ?
Adenauer’s Western Germany;
as a step to the restoration °
fascism in Central Europ®
would mean a renewed menace
to all the peoples of Europe
and to peace, as bitter expel
ence has taught.

That is why the assistance

of the Soviet Union to the ee
garian Workers and Peasanls”

government is not only action

in defense of socialism, agai".

: n
counter-revolution, but acto
in defense of peace.

Whatever the various opi
ons on Hungary, the progres
sive forces cannot afford to 4%
in such a way as to fall ing
the trap of wide sections ai
coming lined up with world
action.

In this hour_ of trial an
danger there is the need ie
maintain the greatest possib®
unity. For through all <
storm of today there is one le
son of the entire present ©
which can never be lost

sight.

That is that the unity v
the peoples of Britain, Frané
and other capitalist count
with the people of the Sov
Union and the socialist co
tries, and with the Asiab pr
African peoples, is the ind
pensable bastion of peace

issues in Hungary?

been decisive also from the
viewpoint of peace.

The issue was whether there
should be a spearhead of re-
action in Eastern Europe, a
new hotbed of war prepara-
tion, with probable American
bases under a militant fascism;
or a socialist state devoted to
the cause of peace.

This has been the issue fac-
ing everyone.

Should we support a tactic
which in fact would be sup-
port for the restoration of
Hungarian fascism, or should

we support those acting in the’

best interests of the Hungari-
an people?

Some would argue: better
risk the danger of fascism than
the danger of war. The answer
to that is: it was not a risk
of fascism—it was the cer-
tainty of fascism, unless the
Hungarian workers fought
arms in hand, had a govern-
ment capable of defeating
counter-revolution, and receiv-
ed the help of the Soviet Un-
ion.

The success of counter-revo-
lution could have sparked off
similar forces elsewhere in
Eastern Europe, for which the
West, and particularly the U.S.
Secret Service, has been pre-
paring for and spending its
money on for years.

The rise of fascism in 1933
meant war in 1939. It must
not be allowed to rise again if
peace is ever to be secured.

Whereas to preserve Central
Europe in the hands of the
socia ist forces is the best
guarantee for peace, both in
the present and in the future.

Some people ask whether
this is not an interference

' NOVEMBER 16, 1956 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE —

: as
with self-determination. It Me

a struggle within Hungaly ‘ys

determine what forces Woy
capable of making Hun the .

free; in these last days on,
forces of counter-revoll “ait
with its external helP * 44
capitalism, were array
against the forces of the W
ing class and socialism.
Had counter-revolutio®
there would not have bee? to
independent Hungary 8” “ao.
determine its future, bU agar’
pendent, subservient Hume":
—a pawn of the West.
Socialist Hungary will and
termine its own destiny oP
forms of democratic dete :
ment: As far as the Sovié tions
ion is concerned, negate aw
will start with all Wise
Pact powers regarding «ning
arrangements and evel ‘sion
connected with the disP®
of Soviet troops. pave
Some say you cannot fore®

socialism ‘imposed ig tru
from the outside. This a not
But this was not an It was

the issue in Hungary: — who
the Hungarian workers ip
were building socialis’ op’
Hungary. Its further dev asi’
ment is the task and Te°F ie,
bility of the Hungarian PY.

It was the case of aoe jp-
revolution subsidize?
spired from the outs! y force:

to destroy socialism b orker ;

This is what every

has got to understand: pert

@ John Gollan is # itis
secretary of he js a
Communist party: from 4
licle is condensed 7% sich:

much longer one pail, ;

ed by the Londo

Worker. 12°

pac

ork:

Sadat pond Deg” Oe ee eg

7 Nene Mae er gy tao le

le y we