THE WORLD country’s economy. We have defeated these plans. Polish government and party leader Wojciech Jaruselski told Honecker: ‘‘We have not suffered from a shortage of difficult experiences. The enemies of socialism, supported by imperialist centres, tried to misuse the situation that had developed in order to carry through their counter-revolutionary plans. weaken the foundations of socialism will fair.’’ Honecker pledged the GDR would continue to GDR and Polish leaders meet By FILS DELISLE Tribune Berlin Correspondent BERLIN — The visit of GDR leader Erich Hon- ecker to Warsaw focussed attention on the fact that Polish socialism has beaten back the counter-revolu- tion and that normalization of the situation in Poland has already brought visible improvements in the give all possible aid to Poland in its efforts to over- come the harm brought by the counter-revolution- aries. All attempts to Such internationalist aid by fraternal socialist countries, Jaruselski replied, was indispensable ‘‘for the solution of our internal affairs with our own strength.’ He emphasized that the economic aid of the Soviet Union had been indispensable, and said: “I also want to thank the GDR for its friendly ap- proach to our difficulties and problems”’. The party’s program for renovation ‘‘leads to social and political normalization”, he said, and added: ‘“‘through self-sacrificing efforts, through the overcoming of many difficulties, the working people are confirming their loyalty to socialist Poland. The party is expanding its ties with society again and is further extending its leading role in practice.”’ _ More than money in AT&T strike By JOSE KAUFMAN CHICAGO Normally 675,000 workers on strike is of major importance. When they are on strike against the world’s largest (and highly influential politically) company, the strike takes on added significance. On August 6 members of three unions struck American Tele-; phone and Telegraph (AT&T) ac- ross the United States. The work- ers are demanding a seven per cent wage increase and greater job security. In 1982, in-the midst of the economic crisis, the company made $7-billion (or $10,000 per worker). AT&T has offered 3.5 per cent, but wants to decrease wage differentials for night work- ers. Whatever the outcome of this strike, the workers will be facing a new situation next year. At that time AT&T will split up into seven holding companies supply- ing local service. AT&T will re- tain control of long distance calls and Western Electric which manufactures the telephones. For the consumer the result will be higher phone rates. Glenn Watts, president of the Commu- nications Workers of America, (CWA), representing 525,000 of the strikers, notes that AT&T is subject to federal regulations which force it to surrender part of its profits from long distance to subsidize local service. Local companies will raise local rates to make up for lost revenue. For the striking workers the re- organization of AT&T could mean a whole new method of bar- gaining. Already workers are being moved among the various companies that will come into existence next year. George Strick, Vice-President of district 2, CWA, observed: ‘As it stands now we bargain nationwide. Whatever comes out of the negotiations in Wash- ington applies in California .or anywhere else. But we have no assurance that these seven hold- ing companies are going to agree to negotiate with us all together at the same time and place for a na- tional contract. It remains to be seen if we can do that.” AT&T is doing its utmost to break the strike. In this city, as an example, supervisors are working 12-hour days, six-day shifts. When asked about calling in sick, one member of management said it just couldn’t be done. ‘Foreign hand’ seen in Sri Lanka strife Attacks against the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka are being portrayed in the Western press as resulting from inter-communal strife. As this commentary from the progressive Indian ‘magazine ‘*T_ink’’ argues, the bloody events in that nation, located strategi- cally in the Indian Ocean, are much more far-reaching: oe a erarok With their unique record of prevarication and deliberate at- tempts to whip up anti-Indian hysteria over the recent com- munal disturbances, the ruling circles of Sri Lanka certainly do not expect the world or even their own countrymen to believe them when they say that there is some ‘foreign hand’’ in the tragic de- velopments in their country. It is the policy of the Jaye- wardene Government in Sri Lanka that has led to the present situation culminating in the mas- sacre of the Tamil minority. Far from trying to defuse and normal- ize the situation, the rulers of Sri Lanka are now seeking to capitalise on the tragic happen- ings to clamp down on the Leftist parties and the entire democratic opposition. It is well known that the Jayewardene regime has been taking steps during the last few years to destroy parliamentary democracy and to move the coun- try closer to the American camp. The attack on the Leftist parties in reality shows that in India’s neighbourhood a full-fledged rightist dictatorship is being in- stalled. India cannot remain indifferent to what is happening in Sri Lanka, for the mass killings of the Tamils in Sri Lanka has a direct bearing on India the way the genocide of the Bengalis in East Pakistan had in 1970 and 1971. But there is also something more to it. This small island in our neighborhood 18 being turned into a naval base for the Americans. The recent supply of naval missiles by Washington to Pakistan and what has beet going on in Sri Lanka are not is0- lated developments. They. com | stitute important links in the — American strategy for this region, — the strategy of nuclearization of the Indian Ocean. This shows that along with military encirclement of India and creation of hostility against us if our neighborhood, the Amer can strategists are busy in pro- moting an arms race in this region on one pretext or another. So fat they were doing it under the covet of recent developments 1? Afghanistan. And now, a non: aligned India, has become thelf target. That being made plain, it is oUF job now to inform Washingtot that however powerful it may claim to be, neither the USA nor its puppets in this region will be permitted to tamper with ou! sovereignty. We will continue t0 conduct our foreign and defence policies the way we like. India will also not hesitate to play its rightfu role in international affairs 4§ chairman of the non-aligned movement. What is happening 19 Sri Lanka and elsewhere in this region is an eye-opener for all the anti-imperialist forces in ou! country. e. International Focus Tom Morris In Mexico with blinkers President Reagan’s visit to Mexico last week showed just how far off base White House policy is with the views of its southern neighbors. Despite efforts to get Mexico in line behind Reagan’s gunboat di- plomacy, Mexico told him in no uncertain terms that U.S. efforts to bully small states in the region is dangerous and self-defeating. President de la Madrid warned Reagan: “‘No nation can impose its own image on others’’, and called for an end to military confrontation. He was clearly unimpressed with Washington’s scenario which sees movements for needed social and economic change as an international communist conspiracy. de la Madrid urged Reagan to begin talks directly with Nicaragua rather than support- ing-its military overthrow. The actor was also urged to take up Premier Castro’s offer for complete withdrawal of all foreign military from Central America — at a time when two _ U.S. battlefleets, thousands of Marines and thousands of U.S.-backed contras are turn- ing the region into a powder- keg. : * * * Embattled Nicaragua, be- sieged from land, sea and air, gave a fitting reply to White House charges that it has not yet held ‘‘democratic elections’’ and reminded Reagan the fledgling United. States took 13 years following its own revolution before elec- tions were held. Clearly, if ‘‘elections’’ are what’s bothering Reagan in Nicaragua, he should call off his dogs and permit that nation to live in peace. Then he’ll see all the elections he wants — but he may not approve of the outcome. ‘We’re sorry (wink), ‘We’re sorry...’ The U.S. apology to France for protecting nazi war crimi- nal Klaus Barbie from French justice rings as hollow as hell. Caught cold in the affair, Washington’s apology could sound sincere and _ belated (‘‘Justice delayed is justice de- nied,”’ said the U.S. statement) except for several considera- tions: e It ignored the fact that it was by chance that Barbie was spotted and tracked down — not by any U.S. agency who knew where he was all these years — but by private individuals. ; e U.S. intelligence, while today apologizing for offending France, does not express the least regret that Barbie’s role was to assist in the anti-Soviet campaign which emerged only weeks after World War Two ended. e The ‘‘apology’’ ignores the fact that Barbie is but one of hundreds of war criminals recruited, used, and hidden by the U.S. in the years after the war. . e It ignores the fact that hundreds of them today live in the U.S., Canada, West Ger- many and Latin America thanks to the ‘“‘rat line’’ which brought them to safety and out of reach of courts of the liber- ated countries in Europe. e The apology could (and should) be extended to other states (the USSR, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Yugoslavia, Holland, Den- mark, Hungary, etc.) who found their justice subverted by U.S. intelligence and U.S. policy. Nevertheless, one ‘‘apol- ogy” is better than nothing. It’s certainly more than the world has heard from Canada which harbors scores of wanted nazi war criminals and disgracefully hides behind Jegal smoke when asked about it. Banging pots, burning tires It took 18,000 troops and the police to reply to the fourth Chilean Day of Protest in San- tiago August 10. Seventeen people were shot dead, hun- dreds injured, gassed and beaten; hundreds more arrest- ed. It is one month short of 10 years since the butcher Pinochet and the military mur- dered democracy in Chile on Sept. 11, 1973. In that time al- most one million Chileans have lived in exile. Thousands have been murdered or have van- ished and thousands endured the torture chambers of the regime. But the days of protest re- veal all the ingredients that have been nurtured over these dreadful years; the patient, courageous work done with such sacrifice have combined into a mass revolt against fascism. ‘Democracy for Chile!’ read the banners. ‘‘Down with the Assassins!’’, cry the people. Santiago after dark is a cres- cendo of banging pots and bonfires of burning tires. It is the death knell of fascism.