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More on Czechoslovakia

Second instalment of the inter-
view with Vasil Bilak, Member
of the Presidium of the Central
Committee of the Czechoslovak
Communist Party, published in

the newspaper Rude Pravo Sept.

3, (New Times).

“Comrade Gomulka . . . point-
ed out that as a rule the counter-
revolutionary forces begin with
innocuous student demonstra-
tions advancing diverse liberal
‘demands . . . but that the pur-
pose of all this is to weaken and
undermine the state apparatus
and the leading role of the
party . . . This as a rule is fol-
lowed by mass approval of di-
verse resolutions presumably in
‘support,’ not .. . supporting
what accords with the line of
the party, but what is directed
against the people’s republic;
nationalistic, anti-Soviet and
anti-communist sentiments .
begin to spread which are bound
to develop into counter-revolu-
tion . . . until they succeed in
deceiving the working class, our
enemies do not come out openly
with their real demands . .

“Comrade Kadar . . .: warned
us ... there would appear false,
pseudo worker leaders ready to
promise anything for the sake of
winning the confidence of the
masses .

“Tt was also asked: how a
member of the government .
and the Central Committee .. .
could, contrary to party policy,
organize diverse meetings di-
rected in effect against the Com-
munist Party of Czechoslovakia.

. this conference .. . could
on the whole be described not
as ‘interference’ but as evidence
of the deep concern on the part

of the fraternal socialist parties
as to whether we were sufficient-
ly aware of the fact that anti-
socialist forces were- growing in
our country ... These apprehen-
sions arose . . . mainly from the
fact that things had reached the
point where the leading role of
the Party had been weakened
and an anti-communist wave
had arisen .

“Neither the Presidium, nor
the Central Committee, it is
true, were informed of the ac-
tual content of the talks. Com-
rade Dubcek proposed that the
Party functionaries should not
be fully informed of all that
took place, and I am sorry to
say that at the time we agreed
with him. Comrade Dubcek as-
sured us that he would take care
of everything ...

“Instead of giving serious
thought to the situation and
drawing up a concrete plan of
action and taking concrete
measures, we began to submit
to pressure ... precisely as our
allies had warned us in Dres-
den: S..

“The meeting (Moscow, May
3, 4) was held on our initiative.
Not . . . to discuss the situation

. but to ask for economic as-
sistance . . . The Soviet com-
rades assured us that they
would help us . . . that Soviet
people would willingly share
their last crust. of bread with

s ... They literally begged us
to realize the danger threaten-
ing the Czechoslovak Commun-

ist Party and the Czechoslovak .

Socialist Republic owing to the
growth of the counter-revolu-
tionary forces.

. The comrades cited more

Leftward trend in

Briti

By BERT RAMELSON

The British Labor Party con-
ference at Brighton, like the
Portsmouth Trades Union Con-
gress last month, reflected the
great changes in a leftward dir-
ection that have taken place
over the past few years.

There have, of course, been
Labor conferences in the past
passing left policy resolutions.

What distinguishes this con-
ference and gives ground for
hoping the growing dominance
of the leftward trend will deve-
lop further, is that it reflects the
struggles of the past years and
the growth of left unity at
whose centre are the trade
unions and the organized work-
ing class.

This may be seen in the fact
that while the majority of dele-
gates were anxious to reforge
the unity of the movement, the
trade union delegations in par-
ticular insisted that such unity
must be based on the alterna-
tive left strategy developed in
struggle and debate in recent

- years.

When the chips were down
and the right-wing, cabinet-
loaded executive committee
called for the endorsement of
the government’s action by re-
jecting the alternative left poli-
cy, succinctly summarized in
composite resolution No. 36, it
was the government that was

sh Labor Party

rejected and the alternative
policy that was endorsed.

It is worth quoting in full this
resolution, carried on a card
vote by 3,569,000 to 2,416,000
against the platform’s pleas:

“This conference appeals to
the national executive commit-
tee to impress on the govern-
ment the urgent need to take
account of the proposals for an
economic policy put forward in
the TUC’s 1969 economic re-
view.

“To restrict’ the outflow of
capital by private investment in
developed sterling countries;
adopting flexible exchange rates;
significant cuts in defense ex-
penditure and to use privately
held foreign shares.

“This policy will ensure that
successive currency crises’ do
not affect the level of economic
activity and the overall welfare
of the nation.

“Such a policy would help

make possible a six percent rate
of economic growth, — stable
prices, low interest rates, full
employment, and a_ genuinely
voluntary incomes policy.

“Only on this basis can the
government resolve the econo-
mic crisis, while retaining the
united support of all sections
of the movement.”

This vote demonstrated the
maturity of conference.

—Morning Star.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—OCTOBER 17, 1969—Page 8

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2 sorti-— Beak! \f aaah. Ee, ~~ $AUG AG: So ahd

Pad

and more facts to prove to us

that the activities of the Right-

opportunist and_ anti-socialist
forces were indeed growing. We
could not deny a single one of
the arguments advanced, not a
single act...

“It was decided then and
there to increase shipments of
grain and other necessary raw
materials from the Soviet Union.
As for a gold loan, they asked
us what it- was to be used for.
We could not answer that ques-
tion. We were told quite frankly
that until we put our house in
order we would not get the loan

“.. During that meeting .. .
Comrade Smrkovsky also prom-
ised that by the end of the
month all the problems and
shortcomings . . . would ‘dis-
appear’. .

“These were negotiations be-
tween equals . . . No note was
struck at the Moscow talks

other than that of grave concern”

. for the future of socialism

. the results of a war that had
cost the lives of more than 20
million Soviet people and over
300,000 Czechoslovak patriots,
including over 25,000 Commun-
ists.

“(At the November plenary
meeting) Comrade Smrkovsky
even predicted that if things
continued as they were going
‘nothing but tanks could save
us.’

o-op farms in Hungary

By GEORGE LAMBERT

Fourth article in the series on
Hungary following a recent
visit to that country.

Before the war Hungary was
known as the last European
stronghold of semi-feudal large
estates. The peasants were poor
and production was in a state
of stagnation. All this was
changed by the land reform in
1945 and by the formation of
cooperative farms. during the
period between 1959 and 1961.
Again there were large farms,
but this time socialist in charac-
ter. The socialist sector, which
includes state farms, now ac-
counts for over 97 percent of
the country’s arable land.

In 1967 a National Council of
Farmers’ Co-operatives was es-
tablished, as were regional as-
sociations, with the idea of giv-
ing greater powers to the co-
operatives with regard to sales,
purchases, and other operations.
Since then co-operative farms
have. been displaying greater
initiative, opening small can-
ning plants, running “egg facto-
ries”; the eggs are exported di-
rectly by the farms, opening
shops for women to work at
during the winter, and other
such activities.

A visit to a co-operative farm ©

in the Lake Balaton area gave
me tangible proof of the great
changes that have taken place
in agriculture and in the life of
the farmers. The co-operative
was set up in 1959 with 450
members. In addition to grain
crops, fodder crops and stock-
breeding the farm grows fruit
and vegetables which it sup-
plies to the nearby summer re-
sorts. Moreover, it has 10,000
hens which lay an average of
260 eggs per year each, 2,500
Peking ducks for breeding pur-

The foilowing are excerpts
from an article written by
Stephen Leacock, Jr., in
“The Wednesday Nighter”,
Orillia, Ont.

It seems to very many
Canadians — perhaps the
whole range of us from the
feeble-minded on one ex-
treme to the federal liberal
government on the other,
that the war in Vietnam
which the Americans for
some reason perhaps of

ther calling a war though
their earliest participation in
it was 1950; it seems that we
ought to tell our government

be connected either through
munition-selling or sanc-
timonious acquiescence with
this miserable war; for we
know full well that President
_Nixon instead of de-escalat-
ing hostilities has, instead,
brought them to a _ higher
pitch of ferocity with the
“wicked and _ indiscriminate
civilian bombing which
could result in genocide of
all that used to be Indo-
China. And-genocide as was

‘The contempt and fury a
nearly 21 million Canadians

mauvaise haunte didn’t bo-.

that we refuse any longer to:

|
proved conclusively ns

Nuremberg | trials of

and against the ee
leader of

even a dat
Therefore, Mr. Nixon, Pe
not behoove you to ie ;

whether the world | by |
longer fooled one iota |
your speech-writers’ vague
rhodomontade and ote ss :
at crushing still further thé id |
people or whether the ofr
now looks upon your gf
est achievement 45 —
that of boosting yout i d
diate predecessor's na
and ethics and hoy
war. Nie
Also remember, Mr. ond
on, if you see this article 0
it is certain your press oat
retary will, you have " a ed
an effete and conll ions
group of liberal poll
in Ottawa to deal wit 5
you have the contempt. ne
fury of nearly wen .,
million Canadian at
which should form itsel tho
such a tangible thing the
you will feel it right ° oa
doors of the White Hous*

poses, and 375 acres of forest
in which lumbering is done.

Members of the co-operative
have to put in a minimum of
150 days’ work per year, actu-
ally they do more than that,
and their income in cash and in
kind ranges from 8,000 to 35,000
forints per annum. But each
member also has two acres of
land for personal use, and if he
is enterprising enough he can
almost double his earnings from
sales on the free market. In this
case his income would be con-
siderably higher than the na-
tional average wage for indus-
trial workers.

Since the establishment of the
co-operative 10 years ago 50
new houses have been built and
150 have undergone major alte-
ration. “There are no more
thatch roofs in our village,” the
chairman of the co-operative
said proudly. “Most of the
houses have all the modern ap-

pliances, TV sets,”
new furniture. In abo
years we will have ned
water. We could have hi
fore but we. preferred ? er

the money on roads. ila
community house nn a in
a medical centre,’ ts §
future, when our we

joined with the oghbot ‘ett
lage, we will open 4 oa
ten. Our farm has )?
tractors, 5 combines, ~ 445!
and all kinds of imple 1
few of our members hav i 4

Own cars, but others Pt
use their money to bul

es at Lake Balaton or 1
houses for their grown pat
dren. Six times a day
bus service to the nee pad
while before the wat W ge
walk there carrying # ;
each hand and sometim

one on the _ head.

trucks drive women 0 |

—only a mile away -

-
Ss

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