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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 11, No. 6. June 3rd, 1948

British Students' Union States Policy on Czech Crisis

British Students' Union States Policy on Czech Crisis

John Ziman one of N.Z.U.S.A. representatives in England, and N.Z.U.S.A. delegate to International Union of Students Council meeting in Prague last year has sent Salient the text of a resolution on recent events in Czechoslovakia passed by the executive of the British National Union of Students and supported by the NUS Congress.

In response to the great interest of British students in the recent events in Czechoslovakia, we, the executive committee of the National Union of Students, have sifted all the evidence, much of it conflicting, available from many sources before defining our attitude, to these events in Czechoslovakia. We have confined our conclusions to those aspects of the crisis which affected the students of that country, taking place in that country. We regard it as fortunate that officers of the I.U.S, including two representatives of our own National Union, were present in Prague during this period, and were able to provide us with considerable additional information.

Firstly, we must comment on the inaccurate reporting in this country of the student demonstration which took place in Prague on February 25. The procession took place contrary to the Czech pre-war law that police permission should be obtained before any procession took place. Further, it was particularly contrary to the expressed wish of President Benes himself, and in fact arrangements had already been made for five elected representatives of the students to visit the President. Of the students arrested in connection with the procession alone, all were charged with merely routine administrative offences and received extremely lenient treatment while serving short sentences averaging four days. The two students arrested on criminal charges not connected with the demonstration are awaiting proper trial and have been visited by our representatives.

Action Committees

Secondly, regarding the relation of the student Action Committees to the Prague and Czechoslovak Unions of Students, The Committees of the National Front from which these Action Committees sprang were recognized to be part of the Czechoslovak post-war constitutional life. They were formed in 1945 in every national and local organization and institution as a means of resolving any conflict likely to endanger the unity of the Czechoslovak people needed to realize their programme for national development stated at Kosice in May, 1946. In the universities they were composed of "professors, or students, nominated by all the political parties. In fact, the National Front Committee at Prague University was called upon to adjudicate on an issue concerning the Prague Union of Students as recently as January of this year.

On Saturday. February 21, Premier Gottwald called for the foundation throughout the country of Action Committees within the National Front.

The University Action Committees, composed of students and professors, were faced with special problems in that:—

)a) During the critical period both the Prague and the National Unions of Students were without effective leadership. For example, the President of the National Union (a Slovak Democrat) resigned in protest against the misuse of his name and that of the National Union by those responsible for the demonstration. Others like Ransdorf, a known collaborator, had fled the country rather than face the security charges brought against him.

Left Right Out

(b) The elections which took place in January of this year were manifestly, corrupt and, in spite of protests which resulted in the withdrawal from the unions of all left-wing and many non-party students, an unrepresentative leadership was established. This had been the culmination of events over the previous year, such as the exclusion of foreign students from the faculty organizations, misappropriation of funds, and a refusal to Implement the 10 point programme adopted by the students in 1945. It is certain that even if the general national crisis had not developed as it did, these matters concerning the students would have been raised at the I.U.S. Council to be held this summer.

In this case it is understandable that the Action Committees should temporarily assume responsibility for the direction of student affairs, pending further elections to be held at the earliest possible moment, and further, that they should adopt as their policy the agreed 10 point programme and undertake measures regarding the improvement of student housing, stipends, and curricula. Here we regard as the central Issue be held as soon as possible, and we find no evidence so far to suggest the opposite view. It must also be emphasized that this development refers only to one section of the Czechoslovak student movement, since the constituent unions in Brno, Olomouc, and Bratislava continue to function normally, as do several of the faculty organizations in the Prague University itself.

Thirdly, regarding the expulsion of students and professors, one can understand that in a formerly occupied country, it would be universally accepted that persons should be excluded from public office who had betrayed their country's interests by collaborating with the occupying force. In the universities, the Courts of Honour legally constituted for this purpose were suspended early in 1947, even though 1800 cases waited for review. These Courts of Honour, composed as previously, have been set in motion again.

Further Expulsions?

In this case we regard the central issue to be whether the existing provision for the expulsion of students and professors who were collaborationists will be extended to include others who hold a minority opinion but nevertheless have a patriotic record. The members of I.U.S. have been given every opportunity to investigate the charges so far brought and have found no evidence of discrimination of this kind.

Therefore

1. The Executive Committee of the National Union of Students endorses the conduct, of the I.U.S. Secretariat to date, and in particular commends the actions of its representatives in providing them with Information based on extensive and careful Investigation.

2. The Executive Committee also takes note of the resignation of the American Vice-President, William Ellis, and his deputy, Jim Smith, and expresses its deep regret at these decisions. In the light of the evidence before it the Executive cannot endorse their action which it regards as hasty and which tends to divide the students further at this Juncture.

Considering also the decision to suspend membership taken in Denmark and Sweden, and the interruption of negotiations for affiliation announced temporarily in Norway and Canada, the Executive considers that the proper procedure for student organizations who find themselves in disagreement on any issue with the Secretariat is to co-operate fully with the I.U.S. and its members on all other matters pending the discussion at the Summer Council. The effect of the above decision is to penalize the international student movement and the unity of students in the I.U.S. In this respect the existence of the I.U.S. is more important than a disagreement with one of its Executive bodies, and these organizations should return their confidence in the total membership and in the governing bodies of the International Union.

3. Finally, we cannot recommend a policy of wholesale condemnation of recent events in the Czechoslovak student movement. We ask that the I.U.S. should continue its present policy of individual cases by:
(a)Attending trials of students:
(b)Investigating individual expulsions;
(c)Observing the forthcoming elections from which there should re-emerge a fully representative and democratic national student organization;
(d)Publicizing inside Czechoslovakia that it is prepared to undertake activity of this kind.