CZECHOSLOVAKIA LOOK WHO'S DESTALINIZING COMMUNIST CZECHOSLOVAKIA, ALWAYS A BASTION OF HARSH STALINISM 
WHILE MOST OF EASTERN EUROPE WAS BUSY DESTALINIZING, IS LIBERALIZING A 
LITTLE . THE HUGE STATUE OF THE DEAD DICTATOR THAT OVERLOOKED 
PRAGUE IS NOW FINALLY DEMOLISHED ; WRITERS HAVE BEGUN TO TALK 
ABOUT " AN ENLARGED HORIZON OF FREEDOM " ; IN PRAGUE'S 
LUCERNA HALL DANCE PALACE RECENTLY, TEEN-AGERS ROCKED THE RAFTERS WITH THE 
OLIVER TWIST AND MOZART'S EINE KLEINE NACHTMUSIK IN TWIST TEMPO . 
LAST WEEK OLD STALINIST ANTONIN NOVOTNY, PRESIDENT AND FIRST SECRETARY OF 
THE COMMUNIST PARTY, BOWED TO MOUNTING PRESSURE FROM YOUNGER PARTY LEADERS 
FOR FURTHER LIBERALIZATION, ANNOUNCED THE PURGE OF TWO OLDTIME COMRADES-IN-ARMS . 
SERVED UP AS SCAPEGOATS WERE KAROL BACILEK, 66, FIRST SECRETARY OF 
THE SLOVAK WING OF THE NATION'S COMMUNIST PARTY AND FORMER MINISTER 
OF INTERNAL SECURITY ; AND BRUNO KOHLER, 62, A PARTY MEMBER 
SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1921 AND NO . 3 MAN ON 
THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE SECRETARIAT . ANNOUNCING THEIR DOWNFALL, THE PARTY MOUTHPIECE, 
RUDE PRAVO,DELIBERATELY GAVE NO REASONS FOR THE OUSTERS, SINCE A FULL 
EXPLANATION COULD SET OFF A CHAIN REACTION OF DESTALINIZATION THAT MIGHT 
WELL COST DOUR, LACKLUSTER NOVOTNY HIS JOB . BACILEK WAS TOP 
COP BACK IN 1952 WHEN RUDOLF SLANSKY AND TEN OTHER RED 
LEADERS WERE HANGED IN THE BLOODIEST OF STALIN'S SATELLITE SHOW TRIALS 
; KOHLER ALSO PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN PREPARING THE PURGE 
. AND CZECHOSLOVAKS WITH GOOD MEMORIES WOULD RECALL THE DAY ELEVEN 
YEARS AGO WHEN SECURITY BOSS BACILEK PUBLICLY AND EFFUSIVELY THANKED ALL 
THOSE WHO HAD PRODUCED THE VALUABLE EVIDENCE THAT HELPED SEND SLANSKY 
AND HIS COMRADES TO THE GALLOWS, " MOST OF ALL, COMRADE 
NOVOTNY . 