Handshake across the Pole

By VLADIMIR MAKHOTIN
(Moscow)

Time flies fast. It seems like yester-
day since we welcomed Canadian Pre-
mier Pierre Elliott Trudeau on his first
Official visit to the USSR. Now, in the
golden autumn, Soviet Premier Alexei
Kosygin is visiting Canada.

In a few months our countries have
moved closer to each other to an ex-
tent which formerly would have taken
decades. ;

When Premier Trudeau and his party
arrived in the USSR, the “Canadian cli-
mate” coincided with fine spring days
in Moscow and the other places they
visited. The lush green of spring made
a good background for the Canadian
flag with its maple leaf, which greeted
our guests everywhere in our country—
at the festively decked airport, along
the streets, on the buildings.

This was a manifestation of our mas
sincere feelings for the Canadian peo-
ple, our readiness to live with them in
peace and friendship. On our streets
you can stil] see people sporting small
red or golden maple leaves in their la-
pels, a reminder of the meetings in
May. I believe that many of our guests
from Canada also keep their Soviet
badges, especially such as “Norilsk” or
“Murmansk”—not everyone in Canada
can boast of such souvenirs.

I, too keep my badge from Montreal
—a large round disc inscribed “‘Let Us
Join Efforts.” These words aptly de-
scribe the changes taking place in
Soviet-Canadian relations towards
pooling our efforts in promoting trust
and understanding between our na-
tions and countries and to develop
genuine good-neighborly relations.

The expression “Handshake across -
. the Pole” with which one Canadian
newspaper described the Trudeau visit -

to the USSR also expresses the feel-
ings of the Soviet people. Events of the

recent past demonstrate that the Arctic - -
expanses between our countries are

not so fearful. Much more fearful was

when the Arctic ice was joined by “cold -
war” icebergs, and most of the sincere |

attempts toi establish friendly rela-

~ The encrusted ayers of the past are

occasionally felt-.to this.day. But to .-
pay heed to them would mean to close ~ —.

our eyes to the realities of the world. -

if you. scan some: Canadian. publica--
. tions, you get-the impression that some
journalists are still in the “cold war” ..

trenches, and fail to see that the calen-
dar shows 1971, not the 1950’s. ~

During his talks with the Prime Min-. _

ister of Canada in Moscow Alexei. -

Kosygin emphasized that the develop-.

ment. of Soviet-Canadian relations
opens up big opportunities for the ex-
change, of experience in developing
large areas, including the North, and

in tackling such problems as the tap-

ping of power and other natural re-
sources and the development of trans-

port and communications. A general

improvement in relations between our.
countries would help to develop broad
cooperation in such key areas of hu-
man ‘endeavor as the conseryation of
the environment, and the pooling of
efforts in treating cardio-vascular dis-
eases and combatting cancer.

The visit by.the head of the Soviet
government to Canada will unquestion-

Boom without bust

The socialist economy of the USSR
is continually growing without the
cyclical depressions that come upon
the economy of the capitalist countries.

In the past twenty: years, the Soviet
national income increased by an aver-
age of 8.7% a year, as against 3.5% in
the USA. Soviet industrial output grew
by 10.1%, that of the U.S. by 4.1%.

: : i : Agricultural production went by 4.1
. tions between our neighboring coun-- -

tries were blocked or broke against <
_ them...» = oe

and 1.75% respectively. Labor produc-
tivity in industry showed an increase

> of 6.3 and 3%. And last November

marked the beginning of another
slump in the U.S. economy.

Under the state plan for 1971 indus-
trial) production is to grow by 6.9%

and output. of consumer goods by .

14%.
The targets set are being fulfilled

. and overfulfilled. During January-July
. industrial -output has increased by

8.2% as against the corresponding
period of last year.

In the first year of the five-year plan
engineering is to increase production

Ss by 10.2%. This task is being met. On
"+ many items the growth rates are con-

.. siderably higher. For example, the out-

put of numerically controlled machine
tools has risen by 57%, production: of

_ instruments, means of automation and
, computing equipment by 18%, motor
vehicles by 23%, chemical equipment -
- and machines for processing polymer

‘ably contribute to the further deepen-

ing and expansion of what has already
emerged as a way of®cooperation be-
tween the USSR and Canada.

The blossoms of spring should bring
fruit in the autumn.

Learning to know each other better

MOSCOW — In an interview with
Moscow News Mikhail Tsaryov, presi-
dent of the USSR-Canada Friendship
Society gives the following picture of
the work of that organization which
has been working for many years to
promote understanding between our
two countries:

“We frequently refer to our coun-
tries as ‘the northern neighbors,’ and it
is our desire that the neighborship
should be friendly and cordial. This
may be, and should be, facilitated in
many respects by the mutually advan-
tageous trade between our countries,
and by broad exchanges in science, cul-
ture and art. The steps taken in these
fields in recent years have been ardent-
ly welcomed by the Soviet public and,
to the best of our knowledge, by
people in Canada...

“An important factor in the develop-
ment of good-neighborly relations be-
tween people are contacts in culture,
art and sport, where ‘the individual fea-

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1971—PAGE 6 :

tures and the character of a nation, as
well as its longings and aspirations,
are revealed most fully.

“In recent years the Soviet public
has appreciated performances in the
the USSR of the magnificent Symphonic
Orchestra of Montreal, the talented
actors of the Rideau Vert Theatre, Mr.
Tom Patterson, a founder and leader of
the Stratford Shakespearean Festival
of. Canada, and the distinguished per-
formers Glenn Gould, Lois Marshall,
Maureen Forrester, Ronald Turini, Don-
ald Bell, Ida Haendel, and many others.
The Nouveau Monde Drama Company
also gave successful performances
quite recently in Moscow and Lenin-
grad.

“At the same time, many of the fin-
est representatives of Soviet culture
have introduced our art to the Cana-
dian public in the last few years.

“The Society acquaints the Soviet
public with the culture, history,
science, art and the life of the Cana-
dian people, and ‘helps Canadians to

learn more of our country. Striving to
give the public a comprehensive
view of the life of the Canadian peo-
ple, the Society sponsors exhibitions of
books by Canadian writers, and of the
works of Canadian artists and photo-
graphers, shows documentary films,
and displays drawings of Canadian
children.

“Distinguished Soviet scholars, his-
torians and economists deliver lectures
and hold talks on diverse aspects of
Canadian life and culture. The lectures
about Canadian literature, art, econ-
omy, agriculture, the problems of the
Canadian North and many other fields
of Canadian life have been very suc-
cessful. .

“Our work for strengthening and
developing Soviet-Canadian relations
would not: have been fruitful if it
were not for the support of a broad
strata of the Canadian public which is
contributing to the friendship and
understanding between our two coun-
tries.” 2

of goods and the quantity 9 jot YY 4

materials by 12-13%. utp! I

The seven-month plan for the
of consumer goods has been A
with the highest percentage of edie
in the meat and dairy and light ig
tries and in the production of
er durables. n

The steady advance in the 0
goes hand in hand with risiné a
standards. Over the first seven ™ jit
of this year there has been 3 ag
normal and real wages of fact obit
office workers and in the pay ° eft
lective farmers, both thanks £0 ia i
direct increase and owing t0 n
free benefits and cash grants fro 4 A
social consumption funds. cris Ee

In connection with the dolla ig
continuing inflation and increas’ jj !

to

nomic instability the const fo!
the West makes a bitter joke ‘e do
his money he can now buy me ot
lars but less goods. This does ce pu
ply to the Soviet consumer whos ve
chasing capacity steadily grow’ apf Me
cause his wage is not “<frozer
rises as production grows. 4
ist state regulates in a plane’ tf k
the money circulation in the ©
directly determining the 1% oof i
money. Concentrating masses O tind Pat
modities in its hands and Fi ip.
them in circulation at stable Pl.
state provides commodity secu
money. The required corresPY all he
gets established between the 4 ga k

All this serves as the basi off
stability of the socialist ™™ =
system.

The Soviet consumer is
inflation and the effects of
storms on the world market.

free
cul

p

Y
New rice plantations stretch I
place of the sands of forme ah i
deserts in the Alma-Ata regio™
USSR. i ca