The last word on L.B. J.

FOUR WAGES HAVE BEEN THE HIGHEST,
OUR prorits HAVE

“The Canadian Government is

. a cat and mouse game

On foreign policy,” William

Kashtan Canadian Communist
leader said this week.

“Mr. Trudeau gave the im-
pression he was calling for a
change in foreign policy while
Minister of External Affairs
Mitchell Sharp and Minister of
Defense Leo Cadieux campaign
for continued ties with NATO.

‘

“More recently Mr. Trudeau
appears to be backtracking and
emphasizing the adoption of a
policy of collective security
through NATO.

“The Communist Party does
Not regard NATO as any form
Of security, collective or other-
wise,” Kashtan said. “NATO
Was formed as a military al-
liance in 1949 and everything it

done since then has con-
firmed its character as an al-
liance aimed at the socialist
Countries and the progressive
movements in the European
Capitalist world.

“Not only is there no secur-
ity for Canada in NATO but
neither is there any possibility
Of Our pursuing an independent
foreign policy. The Washington-

axis decides major foreign

Policy questions for its member a

Countries and to pretend other-
‘is an attempt to fool the
Canadian. people.
Kashtan stated that any genu-
and meaningful reappraisal
of Canada’s foreign policy must
from a recognition of the
lutionary changes that have
lace in the world.
erating from this reality it

is obvious that Canada can only
act as peace maker through a
policy of military non-alignment
calling for the dissolution of
NATO and. similar military
pacts. “This,” he said, “corres-
ponds with our real interests.”

“Canada has spent $40 billion
on defense since our entry to
NATO in 1949. Think of what
this could have done to build
decent houses for all Canadians;
to provide a complete and free
education for our youth and to
overcome the shameful poverty
problem that grips our country.”

Turning to the U.S. Presiden-
tial Inauguration Kashtan said
that the election of Richard
Nixon emphasizes the need for
a reappraisal of foreign policy.
“An examination of President
Nixon’s statements seems to in-
dicate his intention to step up
the nuclear arms race and to
block the ratification of the
non-proliferation treaty. Nixon
knew of the present U.S.-West
German war manoeuvres on the
Czechoslovak frontiers and it is
obvious he supported the deci-
sion. These war games are
nothing but provocations and
aim to sharpen up tensions as

BEEN THE BEST ”?
LBI-FAREWELL ADDRESS 14/08

foreign policy —Kashtan

a pretext for stepping up the
arms race.”

The Communist leader spoke
of the pressures on Canada to
remain in NATO and increase
our military expeditures which
he said are completely contrary
to our real interests. He said
that his party’s position for mili-
tary non-alignment was the
only sound policy to defend
Canada’s security and make it
possible for us to play a role for
peace on a world scale.

The Communist Party means
to place its position before the
government, Kashtan said, but
External Affairs Minister Sharp
had failed to reply to a letter
addressed to him more than a
month ago. “This makes a
mockery out of Sharp’s invita-
tion to organizations and indi-
viduals to place their views on
foreign policy before him,” he
said. :

“In spite of Mr. Sharp’s rud-
eness however, we intend to
take our position to the Can-
adian people and compell a
genuine debate, and we hope a
genuine reassesment of Can-
ada’s foreign policy. We also in-
tend to send a delegation to
Ottawa to place our views be-
fore the government and mem-
bers of Parliament.

“We would wish that other
like minded organizations and
individuals will support our
campaign and in particular we
hope that the NDP, which has
declared its opposition to NATQ
will make its views widely
known and help develop a mass
campaign to force Canada to
quit the NATO alliance.”

New, improved OFL!!

Facing the challenge of a crucial year of bar-
aining, beset with impending restrictive legis-
ation and confronted by a restless upsurge of
rank and file militancy, the Ontario Federation

of Labor is going to spend $100,000 on a public
relations eer

If they aren’t kidding, they should be.

Perhaps the little men with narrow pants
and pointed heads in the advertising agencies
will create a “new image” for labor. Although
$100,000 doesn’t buy much in this league may
a campai will convince Ontario that even
labor leaders are good guys and should be in-
vited home for lunch, even though you wouldn’t
want your daughter to marry one.

So what?

One could accept and greet a hard hittin
public campaign to expose the hypocrisy an
outright deceit of the mass media in spreading
the notions that inflation is caused by worker’s
demand, that the high cost of seerresune Sane
from inflated wage increases, featherbedding
and all that, because the public has been con-
ditioned. But even here, presenting $100,000 to
an advertising agency is less than meaningless.

Effective public felstions is a valuable asset
to the trade union movement. Labor’s message
has to get across both to workers and to the
general public, but the media isn’t the message.

The problems that the labor movement face
in Ontario go far beyond a public relations cam-

paign, and proposing such a campaign at this
juncture goes somewhat beyond being just
wasteful and pointless to that of being harmful.

It would be very difficult to exaggerate the
legislative attacks that are being mounted on
the labor movement. It is in a real sense inter-
national in scope—the British Labor govern-
ment has just introduced legislation which
strikes at the heart of the rank and file move-
ment and a similar experience is taking place
in pretty well every capitalist country. In Can-
ada confronted with Bill 33 in B.C., the Rand
oy nee in Ontario, and the Woods Commission
federally, the concept of an independent labor
movement is being challenged at its base.

What is needed is a widesweeping campaign
to organize the unorganized, to develop a crea-
tive policy of political education, not just going
through the motions every election. Above all a
militant leadership is needed which will reflect
the spirit and the demands of the membership,
one which will draw upon the latent force of an
aroused working class. Add to this a public rela-
tions campaign if you like, and there will be a
movement that will stop the government in its
tracks.

Labor has lost a lot of ground in spite of the
economic gains sections have won—sometimes
in struggle against its own leaders. Attacked by
the bosses and the government and faced with
rot in some of the top echelons of leadership it
faces an uphill battle. On this background the
projected public relations campaign is a confes-
sion of impotency by the OFL leadership.

Bra

UAW Solidarity

I can’t pay you. I slowed down like
you told me — and I lost my job.”

i i eel ae a scam bet ames AL TALS a a