The Young Broz 47
storm delayed the arrival of the ship. The commission was not completely
satisfied, as is evident from Damianov’s (Belov’s) remark in the final report:
“Comrade Walter still does not recognize his responsibility for the failure of
the expedition.”^221 There were no other adverse consequences, aside from the
fact that he was unable to get an exit visa from the Soviet Union. In the mean-
time, word started to circulate that Petko Miletić had arrived in Moscow with
serious evidence to support the prosecution of Walter and that the NKVD
would not allow him to go home. Dimitrov had to intervene personally with
Lavrentii Beria, the minister for internal affairs, to finally get permission for
Walter to leave.^222 Walter complained to Karaivanov about this new obstacle,
who advised him to write directly to Stalin. His answer is revealing: “Better
that Stalin ignores my existence.”^223
Head of the CPYThe Comintern appointed Walter secretary general of the CPY with the right
of veto, which meant that he would always have the last word. Obviously this
would have been impossible without the trust of Moscow, or if he had not been
deemed to deserve the post.^224 Later, Tito proudly declared to Louis Adamic:
“In Moscow, I was vetted in all possible ways. They had faith only in me.”^225 In
any case, it was a tumultuous process, which Tito described with understate-
ment in a conversation with journalists: “It was neither easy nor simple.”
Rodoljub Čolaković wrote in his memoirs with more poignancy that it resem-
bled a theatrical tragedy, “in which unbridled passions frothed and heads rolled
as in Shakespeare.”^226
When he returned home, Broz immediately made his intended working
methods plain. On the basis of his Soviet experience, he realized that the revo-
lution would not be possible without a new party that was ideologically and
organizationally centralized. By nature, he was a man of action and did not
like empty discussions, interminable meetings, and repeated stock phrases, all
of which had burdened the CPY for so long.^227 His circular letter, written on
behalf of the Comintern, is revealing in its capacity to interpret correctly the
policy of the Popular Front, while combining patriotic and social arguments.
It read in part: “Considering the perils that threaten Yugo slavia, the main task
of the CPY is to rise and organize all its peoples in the fight for the defense
and integrity of the country against the aggression of German and Italian Fas-
cists and their like. The conditions necessary for the realization of this task
are the following: it is necessary to overthrow the present anti-popular Stojadi-
nović government, and to constitute a national salvation government capable
of organizing the defense of the state and resisting, without hesitation, Fascist
aggression.”^228