Soviet Soldiers Are Afraid, Report Says

The Soviet soldier has more than a top sergeant to worry about, according to a report released yesterday by Harold J. Berman, professor of Law, and Miroslav Kerner, former Czech lawyer and army officer under the Soviets.

The Communist Party and secret police officers as well as military superiors are constantly on the watch, and any one may "crack down" on him, the report said.

The strictness of Soviet military discipline is due primarily to the fact that the Soviet soldier is basically undisciplined. From the official standpoint, the soldier consequently requires severe control, the authors conclude in their study, "Soviet Military Law and Administration."

Although the military has considerable independence at the middle and lower levels, at the tope there is a fusion of military and civilian leadership. The report's writers said that there are personal conflicts among the top leaders, but not among the army and secret police.