Czechoslovakia

In response to William Pfaff’s column on Eastern Europe’s fledgling democracies (Op-Ed Page, April 15):

His comments on the events of some critical years--1946 and 1948--are not only insensitive and offending, but very obviously contradictory and incorrect.

“Indeed, Czechoslovakia voted for communism in May, 1946, giving the Communist Party a 38% plurality in free elections,” writes Pfaff. Not Czechoslovakia, Mr. Pfaff, just 38% of the voters! A little over one-third! I was one of those who formed the 62% majority.

“The Communists consequently could demand key cabinet posts, including control of information and the police, which made possible their coup in February, 1948 . . . “ says Pfaff. The fact is that the Communists had 50% of the seats in the Parliament from the very first day of the revived Czechoslovakia (April, 1945) and all the key cabinet posts, thanks to Stalin’s orders.

For more than a year (spring 1945 to spring 1946), many members and candidates of the non-Communist political parties were harassed, intimidated, tortured by secret police (two members of which came, in the winter of 1945-’46 to “consult” me, a young lawyer, on how to trap a member of Parliament--or me?) “Free elections,” Mr. Pfaff?

In February, 1948, the Communists, after three years of intensive brainwashing, intimidation, etc., decided--after a conflict with President Benes--to take “complete control of the government.” This had very little (or nothing) to do with the 1946 elections. Moscow (Stalin) told President Benes and all of Czechoslovakia to accept the coup, or else. The Communists also armed the “workers’ militia” (which remained armed until 1989).

Let’s not be insensitive and superficial.

STEPHEN VASARI

Arcadia