European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 17, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Tjoih7 East bloc Swind of change now blows in from Moscow s rburhia6on i a 1s6s of so Afef Tod int upon. Rim Cunt photo of Tom in Der my wet Tukan it it Nuttli Squire to pegu til month utter a to stun new a of Page 14 the stabs and stripes by Henry Kamm new York times n Eastern Europe Snoie Lor four decades the soviet Leader has represented 1o Milons the main source o their discontent Mikhail s. Gorbachev has wrought an astonishing transformation of the first Lime a soviet Leader is now seen As the inspiration for a better he in the six countries that must follow the soviet feed. When i heard thai he had not been scan Lor some weeks melt i was losing said a woman in Prague reigning to a period last september when Gorbachev he soviet communist party Leader spent Mote Tana on vacation than seemed usual and rumours spread suggesting he was Iii. The comment in itself was not surprising expressions of admiration for Gorbachev have become As common place in Czechoslovakia. Poland. Germany Bulgaria and Romania As expressions of Dittke were Lor his predecessors. But it came from a person no one suspects of being pro soviet. San was Anna Saba ova a leading figure of Charier 77, the Core of dissent in Czechoslovakia. She served three years in prison for opposition activities her husband live years and her father six. Charter 77 is afe minder of the Experiment in communist liberalization in Czechoslovakia led by Alexander duh Eek which was crushed by the soviet led invasion o 1958. A joke circulating in the soviet Union and Eastern Europe Sines Gorbachev began pressing for change in the soviet Union under the catch words flies nose and perestroika openness and restructuring _ harks Bach to the czechoslovak events of Rrapo than 20 years ago. The joke tuns like this what s the difference Between Gorbachev and Dubcek none except Gorbachev does t know it while joke like this have sorry currency in Eastern Europe and the soviet Union. East europeans Are nearly unanimous on the question of whether Gorbachev wants the rest d the soviet Camp to strive Lor changes like those taking place in the soviet Union. They say they Hope he does not oppose change in the six Warsaw pact countries. But they seem to belie a thai Given a Choice Between risking upheaval by pursuing change or maintaining stability in Eastern Europe he would choose stability. Perhaps nothing confirmed these pessimistic views More than the Lisl Eastern european leadership change since Gorbachev became the soviet Leader nearly three years ago. On dec. 17, Milos Jakes replaced Gustav Husak it loader of the czechoslovak communist party the action made reality of the worst fears of some change minded Eastern europeans. The Man who succeeded Husak is even Ola sic a former czechoslovak official said in a radio interview from Switzerland whew a now lives. Until the soviet led invasion of 1068, he was a Deputy prime minister and the architect of the economic changes that gave impetus to he Prague Jakes on the other hand sat in the soviet embassy with a handful of Moscow s most devoted followers not including Shinak to try vainly to orm a government thai would renounce the Dubcek program and assure he invaders of support. Unhappy Nam Over Gorbachev s failure to inspire in the Eastern european count rns a switch to leaders aspiring to fundamental change is Lex most discernible aspect of Eastern and Central Europe s profound Mallsa the heart of the matter is historic mistrust of Russia under any Leader. Gorbachev does not see the necessity Lor change said Jiri Hajek who was Czechoslovakia s foreign minister during Iho Prague Spring and is now a Leader of Charier 77. Despite his very High intelligence and relatively Good education Don t Orget he is o Man of thai society and therefore of Imperial views. He is Leader of in Empire. He will exact from this province thai it deliver goods of bettor Quality and keeps yet Many East europeans seem to find in Gorbachev the first soviet Leader to inspire Hope that he will not react negatively to Liberal stirrings in the soviet bloc. Janos Kra a philosopher and ideologists of hungarian dissent said for Eastern Europe his policies mean More Freedom Rule of Law tolerance Lor individual social movements and mow in specs Lor the Laws of the yet. Kis pondered when asked whether he placed Trust in the soviet Leader. Then finally said Hope or Trust Aie too personal terms. Lei us say in my calculations he is in the Eastern european Echo of the changes Gorbachev has wrought at Home also showed in the Wistful remark of a Czecho Sioux Terai scholar who Opoke on condition of anonymity. Ironically Lor someone speaking in Prague. B history re Center of cultural openness she said for us the new russian films and novels have the delicious taste of sunday a
