Slovak Issues in Every Little Town
Title
Slovak Issues in Every Little Town
Description
Alexander Kendrick
Slovakia, Vol. 3, No. 1 (6), April 1953
pp. 58-60
Slovakia, Vol. 3, No. 1 (6), April 1953
pp. 58-60
Creator
Date
April 1953
Original Format
58
SLOVAKIA
IN RETROSPECT -
SLOVAK ISSUES IN EVERY LI'.lTLE TOWN
Alexander Kendrick
(In the Chicago Sun, Sept. 14, 1947.)
In every little town in Slovakia the Cross of the Church
stands high above everything else. In many places there is
an industrial plant not far away, with a hammer and sickle
or a red star above its gates.
There two symbols starkly represent the struggle that
is taking place among 3,500,000 Slovaks, from the high
Tatras to the Danube lowland. And the conflict has become
compounded by the fact that the religious symbol, the Cross,
has entered -p olitics also.
In most pf the things which make this one third of the
Czecho.:Slovak Republic a real economic, political and psychological problem - indeed, the chief problem by all odds of
the coalition government - the Catholic Church and the
Communist party are on opposing sides.
On the No. 1 issue of Slovak autonomy, many church
leaders who before the war belonged to the IIlinka party and
who during the German occupation fared extremely well in
the "independent" Slovak State, continue to be for full separation of 'Slovakia from the rest of the land.
The Communists used to favor the "one state, one Czechoslovak nation" idea, but under pressure of the traditional
and very real Slovak urge for as much self-rule as possible,
they now are willing to place a hyphen in Czecho-Slovakia
and have adopted the formula "two nationals in a single
state." But they are against federation and, of course, against
Slovak independence.
On the basic economic issue of nationalization and state
planning, which are accomplished facts, the church and its
civil arm, the Slovakian Democratic Party, are for less of
them while the Communists are for more.
On the surface, Slovakia, the Ireland of central Europe,
is a pleasant land, much more easy-going that the busy
SLOVAKIA
69
"Czech lands" up north. There is no rationing here as in the
rest of Czecho-Slovakia. There is plenty to eat, good ibeer to
drink, and fine native wines including a .p assable imitation
of French champagne called Chateau Trencin. The Carpathians are filled with rest homes for workers. Everything
looks fine.
But underneath there are unhealed scars and smoldering fires·. Many people feel that "it was better under the
Germans." Hitler, trying to demonstrate a model "independent" state, let the Slovaks pretty much alone.
The other side of the picture is equally clear. The Slovak
legions which Hitler sent to fight the Soviet Union deserted
to the other side and came back to fight the Germans.
The Slov;ak uprising in Banska Bystrica and Turciansky
Svaty Martin - the third anniversary of which was joyously
celebrated here the other day - were the first signs of a
new Slovakia being born. Though they were put down with
heavy bloodshed and the leaders had to flee to Moscow - I
have talked with one of them, who flew all of Slovakia's
gold reserve there - they came back with the returning
Czecho-Slovakian government, and many of them hold high
places in the present Slovakian Council of Trustees, the governing body, and in the trade unions. Most of them are
Communists.
This explains the phenomenom of the hammer and sickle
and the red star over factory plants. They merely denote
the fact that the plant union happens to be a Communist
union.
For more than two years, since the liberation of CzechoSlovakia, the opposing forces in Slovakia have had an armed
truce. Now it appears to be coming to an end. Elections and
a new constitution are due next year, and the campaign for
both has started. Feelings run high. Armed bands are reported roving the lower Slovakian countryside, making attacks on small villages. They are the remnants of the socalled Benderovtsi, formed by a Ukrainian nationalist named
Bender for anti-'Soviet action. Slovak Partisans who fought
the Germans have demanded that they be rearmed to clean
up the Benderovtsi, and this has aroused fears of Democratic
party members that some other sort of "plot" may be afoot.
60
SLOVAKIA
Members of Husak's entourage made no bones about
the part they thought the Catholic church was playing in the
present Slovakian turmoil. They said that by adopting an
outright anti-Commun ist platform the Catholic leaders were
able to attract a great many Slovak Protestants who also
have no love for Communism or Russia, and were using the
supposedly non-sectarian Democratic party as their instrument.
In addition to anti-Commun ist and anti-Soviet feeling,
anti-Czech sentiments are widespread. The recent war has
heightened these feelings, for as an "independent" State
Slovakia speeded up her economy and attained a considerable
prosperity. Now Slovaks say they were held back by the
Czechs from showing what they could do. But not all the
sentiment here is anti-Commun ist, anti-.Soviet and anti-Czech.
As far as the Russians are concerned, there are too many
Russian graves and markers along every footpath in the
Carpathians to let Slovaks forget what the Red Army did
there.
Agriculture and transport are to be modernized. Moreover, although the Slovaks are eating well this year, the
harvest is poor because of the drqught. The Soviet grain
which Czecho-Slovakia is now receiving under the new Cz.echSoviet trade agreement will go largely to Slovakia.
Thus the economics of the full stomach, a language always understood in Slovakia, may help to bring about a solution of a politically terider and potentially dangerous situation. But even such a solution will not resolve the inner
conflict which is outwardly represented here by the Cross
on one side and the hammer and sickle on the other. That
conflict will go on as long as there is a Czecho-Slovak Republic.
•
•
•
WHO SAID IT?
" It is not true that an anti-Communist front exists in our coun,
try (Slovakia) . . . . And nobody Is thinking of organizing one . ... such
is the situation in our country today. What shall it be tomorrow? We
do not think the conditions exist tor forming an anti-Communist
front in our country. We do not feel the necessity for it and we do
not ever( \1esire it. But just the opposite." - (CAS, offi ci al organ of
Lettrich's D'E!mocratlc "Party, January 11, 19-t7.)
SLOVAKIA
IN RETROSPECT -
SLOVAK ISSUES IN EVERY LI'.lTLE TOWN
Alexander Kendrick
(In the Chicago Sun, Sept. 14, 1947.)
In every little town in Slovakia the Cross of the Church
stands high above everything else. In many places there is
an industrial plant not far away, with a hammer and sickle
or a red star above its gates.
There two symbols starkly represent the struggle that
is taking place among 3,500,000 Slovaks, from the high
Tatras to the Danube lowland. And the conflict has become
compounded by the fact that the religious symbol, the Cross,
has entered -p olitics also.
In most pf the things which make this one third of the
Czecho.:Slovak Republic a real economic, political and psychological problem - indeed, the chief problem by all odds of
the coalition government - the Catholic Church and the
Communist party are on opposing sides.
On the No. 1 issue of Slovak autonomy, many church
leaders who before the war belonged to the IIlinka party and
who during the German occupation fared extremely well in
the "independent" Slovak State, continue to be for full separation of 'Slovakia from the rest of the land.
The Communists used to favor the "one state, one Czechoslovak nation" idea, but under pressure of the traditional
and very real Slovak urge for as much self-rule as possible,
they now are willing to place a hyphen in Czecho-Slovakia
and have adopted the formula "two nationals in a single
state." But they are against federation and, of course, against
Slovak independence.
On the basic economic issue of nationalization and state
planning, which are accomplished facts, the church and its
civil arm, the Slovakian Democratic Party, are for less of
them while the Communists are for more.
On the surface, Slovakia, the Ireland of central Europe,
is a pleasant land, much more easy-going that the busy
SLOVAKIA
69
"Czech lands" up north. There is no rationing here as in the
rest of Czecho-Slovakia. There is plenty to eat, good ibeer to
drink, and fine native wines including a .p assable imitation
of French champagne called Chateau Trencin. The Carpathians are filled with rest homes for workers. Everything
looks fine.
But underneath there are unhealed scars and smoldering fires·. Many people feel that "it was better under the
Germans." Hitler, trying to demonstrate a model "independent" state, let the Slovaks pretty much alone.
The other side of the picture is equally clear. The Slovak
legions which Hitler sent to fight the Soviet Union deserted
to the other side and came back to fight the Germans.
The Slov;ak uprising in Banska Bystrica and Turciansky
Svaty Martin - the third anniversary of which was joyously
celebrated here the other day - were the first signs of a
new Slovakia being born. Though they were put down with
heavy bloodshed and the leaders had to flee to Moscow - I
have talked with one of them, who flew all of Slovakia's
gold reserve there - they came back with the returning
Czecho-Slovakian government, and many of them hold high
places in the present Slovakian Council of Trustees, the governing body, and in the trade unions. Most of them are
Communists.
This explains the phenomenom of the hammer and sickle
and the red star over factory plants. They merely denote
the fact that the plant union happens to be a Communist
union.
For more than two years, since the liberation of CzechoSlovakia, the opposing forces in Slovakia have had an armed
truce. Now it appears to be coming to an end. Elections and
a new constitution are due next year, and the campaign for
both has started. Feelings run high. Armed bands are reported roving the lower Slovakian countryside, making attacks on small villages. They are the remnants of the socalled Benderovtsi, formed by a Ukrainian nationalist named
Bender for anti-'Soviet action. Slovak Partisans who fought
the Germans have demanded that they be rearmed to clean
up the Benderovtsi, and this has aroused fears of Democratic
party members that some other sort of "plot" may be afoot.
60
SLOVAKIA
Members of Husak's entourage made no bones about
the part they thought the Catholic church was playing in the
present Slovakian turmoil. They said that by adopting an
outright anti-Commun ist platform the Catholic leaders were
able to attract a great many Slovak Protestants who also
have no love for Communism or Russia, and were using the
supposedly non-sectarian Democratic party as their instrument.
In addition to anti-Commun ist and anti-Soviet feeling,
anti-Czech sentiments are widespread. The recent war has
heightened these feelings, for as an "independent" State
Slovakia speeded up her economy and attained a considerable
prosperity. Now Slovaks say they were held back by the
Czechs from showing what they could do. But not all the
sentiment here is anti-Commun ist, anti-.Soviet and anti-Czech.
As far as the Russians are concerned, there are too many
Russian graves and markers along every footpath in the
Carpathians to let Slovaks forget what the Red Army did
there.
Agriculture and transport are to be modernized. Moreover, although the Slovaks are eating well this year, the
harvest is poor because of the drqught. The Soviet grain
which Czecho-Slovakia is now receiving under the new Cz.echSoviet trade agreement will go largely to Slovakia.
Thus the economics of the full stomach, a language always understood in Slovakia, may help to bring about a solution of a politically terider and potentially dangerous situation. But even such a solution will not resolve the inner
conflict which is outwardly represented here by the Cross
on one side and the hammer and sickle on the other. That
conflict will go on as long as there is a Czecho-Slovak Republic.
•
•
•
WHO SAID IT?
" It is not true that an anti-Communist front exists in our coun,
try (Slovakia) . . . . And nobody Is thinking of organizing one . ... such
is the situation in our country today. What shall it be tomorrow? We
do not think the conditions exist tor forming an anti-Communist
front in our country. We do not feel the necessity for it and we do
not ever( \1esire it. But just the opposite." - (CAS, offi ci al organ of
Lettrich's D'E!mocratlc "Party, January 11, 19-t7.)
Files
Collection
Reference
Kendrick, Alexander 1953, Slovak Issues in Every Little Town
Cite As
Kendrick, Alexander, “Slovak Issues in Every Little Town,” Slovakia, accessed October 22, 2026, https://slovakia.wordsofpassage.net/items/show/118.