Czech Author Charges Prague Government and Communist Party with Anti-semitism

One of Czechoslovakia’s leading writers, Ladislav Mnacko, asserted here last night that the higher echelons of the Czech Government and its Communist Party have “a large percentage” of anti-Semites who used the June war between Israel and the Arab states as an opportunity for inflaming the country’s population against Jews.

Mr. Mnacko, who is not a Jew–his wife is Jewish–came here a few days ago after stop-overs in West Germany and Austria where he publicly denounced his Government’s stand against Israel. He said the Czech Government “hurried to adopt an anti-Israel line during the recent Middle East crisis, only to create an anti-Jewish atmosphere as in the days of Slansky.” Rudolf Slansky, a Czech Jew, was executed in 1952 after a show-trial of a number of Jews who were accused of having been “traitors in collusion with Zionism.” The Slansky case, as it was called, had stirred up anti-Semitism throughout Czechoslovakia.

Informed here that the Czech Government had ordered cancellation of his citizenship, while the Communist Party in Prague had expelled him, he said he would ultimately return home and fight those decrees, since he considers himself “a better Communist than they are.” In its decree against him. Prague had also stripped him of the many honors and decorations he had received for his works. He is the holder of the coveted Klement Gottwald Prize, the highest award in Czechoslovakia, and had been twice named as honored State Artist.

Mr. Mnacko said that many of his country’s intellectuals, writers among them, opposed their Government’s anti-Israeli policy, “but they don’t dare open their mouths.” “I find it impossible,” he stated, “to support a policy, or even to be silent, when such a policy would lead to the liquidation of an entire state.” He said he spoke for no organization, but only for himself, but insisted that others would speak up if they dared.