aoe NO ISSUE MORE SERIOUS SAYS LABOR Jodoin urges Medicare plan in 1965 The aim of winning a national health plan for all Canada was su Claude Jodoin, president of the Canadian Labor Congress. girding themselves for action to block or whittle down any J. Kerchine - Novoé Vremia MUSEUM OF THE FUTURE Guide: “The monster appeared inthe middie of the twentieth cent- ury and threat- ' ened the whole world. It be- came extinct with the great disarmament. " Bigger arms by Canada’s The National Executive Com- “mittee of the Communist Party of Canada, in a statement re- leased December 22, protested the $15 billion expenditure for arms announced by Defence Min- ister Paul Hellyer, The state- ment said: . : “Millions of Canadians will be shocked today by the report from Ottawa that the Pearson Govern- ment proposes to plunge this country into a new and.costly ex- pansion of the nuclear role ofthe RCAF in Europe. This proposal contradicts the desire of the overwhelming majority of the people, — : “Canadians want a reduction of expenditures on armaments, not this great increase; they want a reduction of Canada’s nuclear role as Prime Minister Pearson promised in his election cam- paign statements, not astill deep- er entanglement in U,S, nuclear strategy; they want Canada to be notable because her government strengthens the trend to peaceful co-existence, not because her budget hit Communists government is a “Ready Aye Ready” follower of the nuclear policies of the United States, '“The proposal to spend fifteen hundred million dollars to in- crease the striking power of Canada’s contribution to NATO forces in the name of “modern- ization,” runs counter to the emphasis being placed on other governments on the necessity to reduce expenditures on arma- ments, “It should be protested, The Federal Government should be pressed. to withdraw it, What Canada needs is security through. universal disarmament,” “Certainly there is na more serious resolution we could make than to be sure that, as a nation, every man, woman and child has access to health services and facilities on an equal basis — without any means test, without strings or the small-type ex- clusions of private contracts, and without paying profits to private corporations,” said Jodoin, “We have been told by the Royal Commission which made a most thorough-going study of the subject that such a plan for all citizens is within our reach,” Jodoin had noted that “during the year now ending we have witnessed staggering strides in scientific knowledge and produc- tive skill, At the same time we still lack the ability to use this knowledge and these skills for the betterment of all mankind,” “But “regardless of our pride in the great progress Canadahas made economically, we still lag in many social services, This is particularly true with regard to the availability of health facilities and services,” Along the same lines, the CLC chief added that “despite a re- duced level of unemployment there are still areas of Canada in which many Canadians arede- prived of the right to work be- Keep hands off Congo— call of United Nations | The Security Council meeting in New York Wednesday, Dec- ember 30 called on all states to ‘keep. their hands off:the Congo and appealed for a ceasefire be- tween the warring factions and for renewed efforts to promote reconciliation, The resolution also called for the withdrawal “as a matter of urgency” of foreign mercenaries, France abstained on the res- olution, The other ten council members voted for it, including Britain, U.S. and the Soviet Un- ion, The resolution noted “the ag- gravation of the situation” in the Congo and deplored “recent ev- ents” there, Morocco and the Ivory Coast, the UN Security Council’s two African members, jointly spon- sored the resolution, which was amended at the last minute to ‘meet reservations by African States about the role to be given to the UN in the reconciliation effort, : All Council members, includ- cause they cannot find a job, Economists, he noted, were forecasting a good year for 1965 and the period immediately fol- lowing, If their predictions are justified then this is the time to move forward in social as well as purely economic matters,” Meanwhile, a new medicare struggle appeared to be shaping up in Manitoba, The doctors in the province are attempting to introduce “deterrent fees” into the Manitoba Medical Service (MMS), which covers about 500,- 000 people (about half the prov- CLAUDE JODOIN ing France, voted for the inclus- ion of the paragraph: “Requests all States to refrain or desist from intervening in the domestic affairs of the Congo,” This para- graph was put to a separate vote at the request of the French delegation. The Security Council decisions came after a series of marathon meetings onthe Congo which last- ed for three weeks and which witnessed universal condemnat- ion of outside interference in the internal affairs of the Congo, One after another, Africa’s Foreign Ministers, with the not- able exception of Nigeria, con- demned the Stanleyville para- troop drop carried out by the U.S, and Belgium with British co- operation, The debate witnessed the most powerful declaration by the mem- bers of the Organization of Afri- can Unity against intervention by the western imperialist states, not only in the affairs of the Congo but in the affairs of all African states. Eulenspiegel, Berlin, ggented in a New Year message issued by @ Meanwhile, across Canada opponents of medicare were ES government health scheme. “- _ The Manitoba Farmers’ Union | - movement and pledging support by the forces of colonialism and - s ince’s population, The plan is run by the doctors, Et a The Winnipeg Labor Council immediately responded to the new threat by withdrawing from the MMS plan, and branded the deterrent fee as the thin edge of the wedge that violates the whole principle of pre-paid medical in- surance, Labor charges that if allowed the deterrent fee would later be applied to all subscrib- — ers, % ¥ has issued a similar statement” solidly backing the trade union — for a drive for a comprehensive Provincial government medical plan, In a letter to Premier Roblin, W, C, Ross, leader of the Com-_ munist Party in Manitoba, sug- gested that “it is the responsi- _ bility of your government to protect the health and welfare of the people of this province.” Similar statements have also been issued by the New Demo-— cratic Party in Manitoba, Many observers feel that there can be no going back to MMS-even if it remains unchanged, The only an- swer is a provincial plan that — will eventually be absorbed into any national plan emerging from © the Hall Royal Commission rec- ommendations on Medicare. The African ministers denoun-— ced the paratroop drop and dis- missed the claims put forward by the U.S., Belgian and Brit-_ ish delegates that the intervention was only intended to save white peopte in the area, bi During the debate the newly- — independent African. states were solidly backed by the Soviet Un- — ion and the other socialist coun- ~ tries. In his speech the Soviet — delegate, Dr. Fedorenko declared — that the three week UN debate was a rebuff to those who in the — middle of the 20th century were — trying to return to old colonial : methods. : He also demanded a fairer — representation in the Security — Council of those young indepen- 4 dent states which are threatened — imperialism, Bethune on TV A special film on Dr, Norman — Bethune, who died from blood — poisoning 25 years ago while car- ing for wounded close tothe front line in the Chinese-Japanese war, will be presented on CBC-TV’s Festival program on Wednesday, January 13 at 9:30 p.m, ; The film was written and pro- duced by John Kemeny and Donald Brittain, The commentary is nar- rated by Lister Sinclair, Among _ those interviewed ontheprogram are Ted Allen, who with Sydney — Gordon wrote the Bethune biog- — raphy, The Scalpel, The Sword, January 8, 1965—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 12