European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 14, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Hope for greater Freedom by Allison swale associated press trolling along crowded Vaci Street in Budapest Hungary looking at Weslor fashions in Iho shop windows am Licking chocolate ice Cream irom Gerbeaud s 19th a Colury coffeehouse a visitor feels far removed from the shortage prone soviet bloc. Behind the consumer plenty however. Economic problems persist h irigary is burdened win a hard currency debt of $77 billion owed to Western creditors is leaders Are undecided Ghoul How much further they want to push Reform of socialism s traditionally rigid economic system. As Iho Kremlin edges toward political and economic change under Mikhail s Gorbachev communist governments across Eastern Europe Aro lacing Tough questions about How to tackle Reform Gorbachev s drive to introduce limited changes in to Vilics and the state controlled arts is unsettling of some East bloc leaders. They All Are older than 1ho 50 year old Kremlin Lender and All held Power in the Era of Iho late Leonid i. Brezhnev conditioned by histories that Range irom Hungary s 1956 rebellion and Poland s worker unreal to Bulgaria s orthodox allegiance to Moscow response to Kremlin changes varies White incur communist rulers Ponder How to meet Moscow s new demands Tor belter technology and economic performance some East europeans Are eci de by 1alk of change. Gorbachev s no. 2 in he Kremlin veg or k. Migachev made Clear on an april visit to Budapest that Kremlin talk of democracy is no liberalization As it is now erroneously described by the  yet to word democracy May still stir Hope of greater Freedom in Eastern Europe. Unlike soviet citizens still struggling to get consumer basics like Butler and with no historical experience of Western democracy czechoslovak and hungarians have a relatively High Standard of living and memories of pie world War ii democracy and rebellions since. Poles feel bound to the West through Strong roman catholicism and most East germans tune into West German television Overy night apparently mindful of such differences Gorbachev said on an april visit to Prague that to arc tar from calling on anyone to copy us and stressed that no single communist party has a monopoly on  the soviet push for belter economic performance has led to agreements under which East bloc sources say they must now deliver faster and Send boiler products to Moscow in Exchange Lor supplies of soviet Oil and other raw materials. Vet it is not Clear that the soviet bloc will close the widening technological Gap with who West Western analysis note a decline in soviet and East bloc hard currency exports in 1936. Here country by country is a summary of How East bloc nations Are responding to soviet changes Hungary Leader Janos Kadar. 74, in Power since the revolt of 1956, signalled in april he will not retire soon. Potential successors jockey for position blocking Resolution of Trio slug to Between reputed hard liners and those who advocate further economic and some political reforms. Dissidents who have far More leeway than their soviet counterparts report no cultural change the leadership tolerated unusually Strong Public Calls for democracy in a March 15 protest hut other human rights restrictions have continued. Hungary also is embroiled in an unusually Public dispute with neighbouring Romania Over what Budapest says is poor realm enl of the 2 million hungarians in Romania. Popular feeling runs High on to Issue which dissidents allege the government exploits to divert Alle lion from economic woes. Many hungarians hold two jobs to make ends meet and april Pulce hikes of 20 percent on commodities have increased the squeeze on those with fixed incomes such As pensioners and workers in outdated unprofitable state factories Czechoslovakia some among the crowds who welcomed Gorbachev to Prague in april seemed genuinely curious to see the Man who has raised Hopes Tor change after 18 years under communist Leader Gustav Husak. Gorbachev s reforms have caused a barely concealed split in a leadership installed after the 1968 Warsaw pact invasion of Czechoslovakia prom for Lubomir Strougal is the chief advocate of Reform in 3, group of loaders whose hallmark has been Nulion achieving some economic growth with almost no hard currency debt and repressing human rights cultural and religious activists. Romania president Nicolao Ceausescu maintains rigid control and has made no secret of his dislike of Gorbachev s reforms however economic cooperation has increased rapidly in the past two years. Soviet Oil deliveries vital to Romania s refining Industry me eased from200,000 tons in 1979 to 6 million tons in 19bb. Consumers suffer from an Ausle Rily drive of reduce Iho hard currency debt. Bulgaria Romania s Balkan neighbor is emerging from diplomatic isolation following dismissal by a Rome court of charges that bulgarians masterminded the 1961 attempted Assassin Aronof Pope Orfin Paul ii. Leader Todor Zsivkov in Power since 1954. Is to visit West Germany in june. He received visitors from Italy and the United states Shis past Winter and has recently returned from China Bulgaria has adopted economic reforms that officials deny Are linked to Moscow s but which Echo Kremlin Calls for increased sell management. Thorn has also been vague talk of political change such As Multi candidate party elections. East Germany there is Little sign of any change. Politically and culturally Reform is hampered by East Germany s delicate position As the communist half of a divided nation economically East Germany compares Well with Many of its allies and benefits from hard currency Loans. Poland Poland has already adopted Many of the political reforms now advocated by Gorbachev. The polish born Pope is now concluding his third visit to his native land which included a trip to Gdansk Birthplace of the Independent labor movement Solidarity. While this indicates authorities have some Confidence in their Power since crushing Sofi Darity in 1961, several dissidents were arrested during unrest around May Day. The economic woes that in part precipitated Solidarity s birth in 1930 remain. Hungarians shopping at a Well stocked vegetable Market in Budapest behind the consumer plenty economic problems persist. Sunday june 14, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 17