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The Communist Party boss has also paid frequent lip service to democracy and emphasized a pragmatic reform program to bring all Portuguese "a better life." Although this moderate stance is probably only a ploy, Cunhal has been able to take much of the edge off his own reputation as a ruthless Stalinist. Even the least sympathetic officers have been impressed by the Communist Party's discipline, its effective organization and—perhaps above all—its loyal collaboration with the military. Only rarely does Cunhal drop his guard and publicly deride parliaments, elections and democratic freedoms.
By contrast, the Socialists often appear to the officers as people who talk too much, lack discipline and unfairly criticize the M.F.A. But Soares hopes that a majority of the M.F.A. will eventually have to respect the huge following the Socialists and other moderate parties have throughout the country. In recent weeks Soares has demonstrated a spirited determination to challenge the Communists and the radical left by mobilizing those masses into rallies that have attracted as many as 70,000 participants.
Ripe Target. Is there anything the U.S. and Western Europe can do to aid Portugal's democrats? In other years and other circumstances, Portugal's confused political situation might have been considered a ripe target for intervention by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. There is absolutely no evidence, however, that the CIA has tried to influence the Portuguese situation. The West could provide moral support; this would probably boost the moderates' standing in the eyes of the M.F.A. In fact, that was the maui purpose behind last weekend's meeting in Stockholm between Soares and Western Europe's leading Social Democrats, who have given his party modest financial support. Soares has also developed good relations with such pragmatic Communist bosses as Italy's Enrico Berlinguer and Spain's Santiago Carrillo, who are wary of Cunhal's Stalinist tendencies. The Soviet Union and other East European nations have been more active in supplying the Communists with funds. Estimates of the amount range from an implausibly high $120 million a year to a more realistic $15 million.
Despite this aid, there is good reason to think that the Russians are a bit concerned that Cunhal may push Lisbon leftward too quickly. If Moscow is too blatantly associated with such developments, it could galvanize the West into taking some kind of concerted, direct action to help the moderates. This might then jeopardize Soviet Party Boss Leonid Brezhnev's cherished dream of détente. Washington has made it unmistakably clear that it will not tolerate any meddling by Moscow in Portugal's internal affairs. Shortly before flying to the Helsinki Conference, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger warned that "to the extent the Soviet Union is active in Portugal, we consider it incompatible with the spirit of relaxation."