RRY LE BOURDAIS

iday, August 11 some
gates who were about
wh to their own coun-
attended a farewell
On with Fidel. I was for-
enough to be one of
delegates. The luncheon
lace in what was a for-
Private club in Havana.
y after we were all seat-
€l arrived. He simply
“up in his car, no police
torcycles, marines, sol-
‘or ai squad of plain-
men surrounding him.
S escorted into the din-
T0om surrounded by auto-
hunters, well-wishers
amateur, photographers

*Soon as the meal was
€ were treated to a ter-
floor show of Cuban
‘© and dancers which real-
a8 something to hear and
A famous Cuban piano
T played for us. This man
Many others I met—had
cently returned to Cuba
he United States.

“el then came up to the
“phone and was_ intro-
to the various groups of
€s from the different
Wiles. I believe it would be
to say that there were del-
S there from every coun-
tn the Americas excepting
hited States whose gov-
7€nt will not allow Ameri-
Citizens to visit Cuba.

lel then spoke to us. He
d the position taken by
Industry Minister, Ern-
Che) Guevara at the Uru-
Conference.
1 told vs how the Uni-
‘States and some of her
‘are now prepared to
some ten billion dollars
“atin American countries
the next ten years. Why
ed, has Uncle Sam be-
© generous as to give
8 few of the billions she
*xtracted from these Latin
\tican countries?

,s Without Money, by
el Gold (paperback) 50c.
“IS a powerful story of the
7 York Ghetto, the Lower
Side during the thirties.
‘8el Gold was raised in
€rrible poverty and shows
N its most hideous aspects.
“€ State Department and
ola war, by D. N. Pritt,
‘This book reveals some of
“Ocuments of various pacts
1939 to 1941. This will
* &waken the American
“l@ to the dangerous situa-
isting in the U.S. today.
Woman Question, 60c.
Ons from the writings of
Marx, Frederick Engels,
Lenin and Joseph Stalin.
‘book shows the economic,
“eal and social status of
“tn under both capitalism
, OCailism. '

8thematics, Science
, es—Canadian and Soviet
“Wary schools. A compara-
.teport by Anthony Frisch,
his report is an attempt
‘Valuate objectively what
» end Canadian students
, in Mathematics and
, “lable at People’s Co-op-
"€ Bookstore, 307 West

Lunch

With
Jerry Le Bourdais, president
of Local 16-601 of the Oil,
Chemical and Atomic Work-
ers was one of a group of trade
unionists from Vancouver who
atiended the July 26 celebra-
tions in Cuba. Here he gives
his impressions of the Cuban
Revolution and its leader,
Fidel Castro. ‘

The reason is obvious. All
eyes are on Cuba who is surg-
ing ahead and stamping out
sickness, illiteracy, poverty
and imperialism. American im-
perialism is. being forced, in
spite of itself, to give back
some or its plunder and this is
good, but unfortunately for the
exploiters, ‘t will not be good
enough. The reason is that this
help does rot get to the roots
of the provlems in these coun-
tries, and naturally capitalism
by its very nature cannot ef-
fectively cure these problems.

The real solution to the
problems of Latin America is
that a program of agrarian
reform must be instituted. In
other words, the great land
gigantic monopolies must be
broken up and put back in the
hands of the people. This also,
of course, applies to all the
natural resyurces as well. So
in effect this money given
(with strings attached) will not
cure the sickness, but will only
act as a sort of tranquilizer for
the time pbsing.

Fidel spoke to us for over
three hour:. It was the most in
spiring speech I have ever
heard in my life. Credit must
also be given to the excellent
interpreter that sat beside me
and translated Fidel’s speech
word for word. In closing

Fidel

Fidel asked the delegates if
they liked what they had seen
going on in Cuba. The dele-
gates by their cheers and ap-
plause most emphatically indi-
cated that they did. He then
urged the delegates that when
they returned to their. own
countries they must become

united in their struggles to ob-{

tain freedom. and justice. If a
little country, he said, like
Cuba can successfully stand up
against American imperialism,
and in the very face of it in-
stitute and carry out a social-
ist revolution, so can the rest
of the countries in Latin Amer-
ica. I now urge you, said Fidel,
upon your return home, that
you work for a united policy
and program of action in
throwing off the yoke of
American imperialism.

By the tremendous standing
Ovation that the delegates gave
to this great man, this modest
and sincere man, left no doubt
in*my mind that these people

intend to do just that very!”

thing.

World-Wide TV
From Spuinik

The whole world will soon
be receiving television trans-
missions from “stationary”
satellites, Soviet Prof. Vladi-
mir Siforov told the engineer-
ing section.of the British As-
sociation in Norwich, England
recently.

He said the satellites would
revolve around the earth once
in each 24 hours, the same
rate as the earth’s rotation,
and so would appear to be

stationary.

boyhood

nificant

children.

Hannah Polowy Honored

For Book, “Little Taras”
“Little Taras”, a book about the

won a Vancouver mother, Hannah
Polowy, a bronze medalion which was
presented to her recently
Ukraine by the Ukrainian State Shev-
chenko Committee. Fes
Thirty medalions were struck to
be presented to those that made sig-

achievement. Mrs. Polowy’s book was
the first time that Shevchenko’s
great contribution to world literature
“was introduced to English-speaking

of Taras Shevchenko, has

in the

contributions in creative

» Vancouver, B.C,

“J suppose this is what they mean by a police state.”

OPEN FORUM |

“Peace Can Be Imposed Now”
Writes P. T. Correspondent

Bruce Yorke, North Vancou-|

ver writes: We have now en-
tered the decisive stage in the
struggle for peace. Objective
conditions are maturing where-
by it is possible to smash the
plans of the imperialist -war-
mongers. The danger of war
is very grave, but a. tremen-
dous concentration of struggle
on the part of all peace loving
people in the next short period
of time can turn the tide and
end the cold war.

The decision of the. Soviet
Union to resume nuclear test-
ing is a serious warning that
the danger of war is extreme-
ly acute. The leading force in
the struggle for peace has felt
it necessary to demonstrate its
strength, its ability to smash
any attempt to Jaunch a war.

There are still -powerful
forces in Washington.and Bonn
who only understand one thing
—superior military capabili-
ties in the hands of the peace
forces. The Soviet announce-
ment has struck fear, conster-
nation and confusion into the
ranks of the imperialists.

' Superficially there has been
an outcry against the resump-
tion of tests. But in almost all
instances it has been accom-
panied by stronger pleas for
negotiations to end the threat

of war. It is this demand that

has disorienateq the imperial-
ist warmongers.

A week ago . Diefenbaker
said that Berlin was not nego-
tiable. Today he says that
only some aspects of Berlin

{| are not negotiable others are.

People who never said boo

at the time of the French re-

sumption of tests have sudden-
ly come to the realization that
the. continuation of testing and
the arms race will inevitably
lead to war. :

Even though these people
do not understand the role of
the Soviet Union in the
struggle for peace, objectively
they have entered the struggle
and are demanding an end to

the war danger.

Having entered this struggle
for the first time they will
shortly see who the |. real
friends of peace are provided
that those who have fought
consistently all along intensify
their efforts, develop the maxi-
mum flexibility and coneen-
trate their..main energies on
the real issue, that is to say
peace and not the defence of all
actions of the Soviet. Union.

Specifically there must be
an all out mobilization on the
No Nuclear Weapons For Can-
ada petition. This nation-wide
petition represents the best
way in Canada today for stay-
ing the hands of the war-
mongers. It is the responsibil-
ity of all defenders of peace to
make this petition their very
own to use it as the most
effective weapon available to
defend peace.

To use it means to get its
message to the masses of the
Canadian people. Every defen- _
der of peace needs to take this
petition onto the streets. An
extraordinary effort is requir-
ed. Nothing else is more im-
portant today.

In 1939 when the Soviet
Union was forced to sign the
non-aggression pact with Hit- -
ler, the peace forces led by .,
the Soviet Union were unable
to prevent war. The pact was ©

signed to give the Soviet

Union time to prepare to meet
the inevitable Nazi onslaught. .

But in 1961 when the Soviet _
Union at the head of the peace ~
forces in the world is forced
to resume the testing of nu- ~
clear weapons, this is not a
sign that once again war will
break out. No, this is a demon-
stration and a rallying call to
prevent war to arose the peace
forces to militant action to
smash the plans. of the im-
perialists before war breaks
out. °

The fate of the world is in ~
the hands of the partisans of
peace. No hesitation or doubts
are to be entertained. This is
it. The people can and must
impose peace now.

September 15, 1961—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 5