THEY NEED PEACE TO GROW. Ira and

twins of Yolia Ivanova, received a visit from Santa Claus
in the Moscow hospital where they made their entrance
into the world. Whether the old gentleman goes by the

Misha, new-born

wide world.

of Father Frost, one thing is sure: youngst:
both lands need peace more than any other gift in the

—TASS Photo
Canadian name of Santa Claus or the Russian equivalent

s and infants in

OIL EMBARGO SET UP

Britain finally forced
to hit Smith regime

After weeks of vacillating, de-
lay and fear to move, lest the
Tories be offended, the govern-
ment of Prime Minister Harold
Wilson was finally pressured into
a meaningful form of sanction
against the white settler regime
of Ian Smith in Rhodesia, when
it decided to declare an oil em-
bargo on. Monday, December 20,

Speaking in the House of Com-
mons, Wilson openly admitted he
was forced into the move — by
“almost irresistible” pressures,
he said.

Without naming the source of
these pressures it was readily
apparent that anumber of African
countries were getting ready to
intervene militarily in the Rho-

The announcement of the oil
embargo was’ immediately
greeted with the news that Rho-
desia would cut off all oil to
its land-locked neighbor, Zam-
bia, in retaliation, Such a move
had long been expected,

To ensure an adequate supply
of oil to Zambia, Britain took
the initiative in establishing an
air lift, Press reports emanating
from Washington indicated the
U.S, would help in the lift and
it was also announced early inthe
week that Canada would supply
four Hercules transport planes
to help haul the fuel.

Prime Minister Pearson stated
the planes were being assigned to
the air lift for an initial period

desian situation, in face of Bri-
tain’s inaction,

Another contributing factor to
Wilson’s stiffened attitude no
doubt was the pressure from
within the ranks of his own
party — and from its Left Wing
in particular,

‘Then too, nine African states’
had already broken diplomatic
relations with Britain — including
Tanzania and Ghana, Common-
wealth members, More breaks
were virtually guaranteed unless
Wilson undertook some tangible
action against the illegal Smith
dictatorship,

No Trib
next week

In keeping with past prac-
tice, there will be no PT
published in the week be-
tween Christmas and New
Year’s,

Holidays enjoyed by wor-
kers in the Print Shop plus
other production problems,
make it impossible to put out
a paper during this interval,

The next edition of the paper
will appear on Friday, Jan-
uary 7,

The
‘‘Milestones”’

present

NEW YEAR’S BALL

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3

FIVE DOLLARS
RESERVE YOUR

Electrical Workers’ Hall—Dunsmuir & Beatty Sts.

Refreshments Available
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PER PERSON
TABLE NOW

of one month, adding he hoped it
would not be necessary to extend
this time of service,

But it seemed to many obser-
vers that Pearson was being un-
duly optimistic, As the British
Daily Worker pointed out edi-
torially, the oil embargo came
about many weeks after Smith
illegally seized control of Rho-
desia, Asa result, it might take
six months before the embargo
is really felt there, because oil
stocks have been built up,

In addition, there was always
the danger the embargo would
prove ineffective, Just by de-
claring it, doesn’t necessarily
make an embargo effective, The
only way to do this is by backing
it up with a blockade,

Whether Wilson is prepared
to go this far, remains to be
seen,

Meanwhile, other forces were
obviously not content to let the
struggle against Smith stop witha
mere declaration of an embargo,

In a joint communique issued
on December 19, the Soviet Union
and Algeria pledged themselves
to collaborate in giving all pos-
sible support to the Rhodesian
African people,

The statement came after a five
day official visit to the Soviet
Union by Algerian Prime Min-
ister Colonel Houari Bou-
medienne, It pledged to support
«the people of Zimbabwe in their
just struggle for liberty and au-
thentic national independence,”

And the leaders of Ethiopia,
Kenya and Uganda at the same
time jointly called for an immed-
iate meeting of African Heads of

State and Government on Rho-

desia,

In a telegram to the Organiza-
tion of African Unity urging the
meeting of leaders, they ex-
pressed concern about “the need
for taking urgent effective mea-
sures to assist our brothers in
Rhodesia to achieve majority
rule.”

LABOR ROUNDUP:

Wage talks fall—
City won’t budge

A press release dated Decem-
ber 17, issued by the Vancouver
Civic Employees Union (Outside

Workers) on wage negotiations .

between the City of Vancouver
and the union, have broken down
for the second time,

“The parties were so far apart
that Mr, Laffling (Government
Conciliation Office) stated he
would be recommending the set-
ting up of a conciliation board,”

The Union is demanding a wage
increase of 70 cents an hour, but
has stated it is prepared to
bargain on this figure for a two
or three year agreement, the
base rate is now $2,283,

KK 6

Six struck British-American
Oil refineries in Ontario have put
the British Columbia formula on
the table as a basis of settlement,
J, Duncan, Canadian director of
the Oilworkers Union said he was
pleased the companies had recog-
nized the B,C, formula as a
nationwide pattern,

“I hope,” said Duncan,’’ they
take the same kind of realistic
position on local issues and allow
us to get the thing settled,”

Supporting the striking B—A
oilworkers in Clarkson, Ontario,
United Electric (UE) Local 504
has also urged its membership,
in the event that the Ontario Fed-
eration of Labor or the CLC
follow the lead given by the B.C,

Federation of Labor, to give full
support and participation,
* OK

The workers at the Vancouver
Casket Company (IWA) are still
pounding the bricks for a decent
wage contract, They have been
doing it since April 12, 1965,
Some meetings have been held
between Union representatives
and the B,C, Labor Department,
but the top brass of the parent
casket company (Toronto) stud-
iously absent themselves,

The Union has accepted the
minority report of a Conciliation
Board which recommended a 20-
cent per hour wage increase the
first year and 20-cents the second
in a two year agreement, plusall
union specified fringe benefits,

The majority report recom-
mended six and five cents on a
two year contract, The company
offered 15 cents for male workers
and 13 cents for females ona two
year bid, with no other changes to
existing agreement. The latter
was unanimously rejected by the
Union,

The casket workers Union
takes the stand that until this
Toronto-owned company adjusts
itself ‘‘to. industrial negotiating
and. collective bargaining pat-
terns in British Columbia...
this Union will continue to use
all means at its disposal, econ-
omic and political, to bring this
company to its senses,”

A-arms push still on

West Germany’s Chancellor
Ludwig Erhard flew into Wash-
ington last Sunday, hot on the
heels of British Prime Minister
Harold Wilson, who sounded a
most ominous note before leaving
the U.S. capital,

Wilson declared on Saturday
(Dec, 18) after talks with Presi-
dent Johnson, that he thought
agreement could be reached on
nuclear matters in NATO, Itis
certainly no secret that “nuclear
matters” are uppermost in the
minds of Erhard and other top
brass.in West Germany.

Wilson, just before leaving
Washington for a brief visit to
Ottawa, praised U,S, Defence
Secretary McNamara’s recent

_ proposal for establishment of a

NATO sub-committee to study
“nuclear sharing.”

While the British Prime Min-
ister was praising McNamara,
members of his own Labor Party
were expressing their concern
over recent statements made by
the U,S, Defence Secretary re-
garding war with China,

In a virtually unprecedented
action, 68 Labor MPs senta tele-
gram to Wilson during his Wash-
ington visit, condemning Mc-
Namara for his inflamatory
speech to the recent NATO min-
isterial meeting,

Irresponsible statements by
supposedly responsible people,
about war with China brought
anxiety to both sides of the House,
the wire said,

Kassian services held

With many of his comrades,
friends and fellowtrade unionists
in attendance to pay their last
respects, funeral services for the
late George Kassian were held
last Saturday in Vancouver,
George Kassian passed away on
December 15 following a long
illness,

Funeral services opened with
a recording of the song, Joe Hill,
and tributes to the life and work
of George Kassian were given by
one of his close friends, Harry
Rankin, Vancouver lawyer and
Wm, Stewart, secretary of the
Marine Workers Union,

Born on an Alberta farm of
immigrant Ukrainian stock, early
in life George Kassian dedicated
himself to the struggles of wor-
king people of factory, mine and
farm,

Farm organizer, trade union
builder, a leader of the unem-
ployed struggles of the Hungry
Thirties, active trade unionist in
shipbuilding, in the building
trades, delegate on the central
councils or organized labor; all
through his active years George
Kassian became one of Western
Canada’s outstanding labor and
farmer pioneers in the field of
organized effort.

As an active Communist also
and long-time party and Com-
munist press builder, George
Kassian was an outstanding ex-
ample of modesty, integrity and
devotion to the cause of working-
class progress, peace and social-
ism,

George Kassian is survived
by his wife Sonya, two brothers,
one son and one daughter anda
number of grandchildren,
December 24, 1965--SACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 3