Ape Serle ile. _ landlord-tenant EDITORIAL Bomb threat moves closer ast weekend Canada’s External Affairs Minister Mitchell Sharp ‘‘warned’”’ the U.S. government that its projected nuclear bomb tests in the Aleutian Islands early next month will be “‘your baby’’; that any damage or injury to Canada which may result from such tests, the U.S. ‘‘will be held responsible.”’ While this ‘‘warning’’ manifests (on the surface), some slight awakening on the part of official Ottawa to the recurrent dangers of ‘U.S. Uber Alles’’ in matters affecting the economy, peace, independence and sovereignty in Canadian affairs generally, it is still far from what is required to let the warhawks of Washington know that Canada is not as yet a tawdry docile trollop in the hands of the U.S. nuclear maniacs to be kicked around at will. A “warning” is it? Amchitka Island in the Aleutian chain, where these U.S. nuclear underground tests are scheduled to be made, is only some 2,200 miles from Vancouver, and as radio-activity, earthquakes and tidal waves travel — much as ‘‘the crow flies’’, Vancouver and the whole of the B.C. coast and inland. is definitely in the ‘‘danger zone.”’ Of course, U.S. ‘‘experts’’ of one sort or another are reported to have given Canada ‘‘every assurance’”’ that the nuclear explosions on Amchitka will have ‘‘no repercussions outside the immediate area of the bomb site. On the other hand Canadian seismologists and other men of science are not.so sanguine, and have expressed grave fear on the numerous dangers resulting from these nuclear explosions; the possibility of ‘‘touching off’’ a devastating chain of © earthquakes, with the added possibility of great tidal waves following, together with the fearsome’ spread of radioactive contamination. (The disasterous Alaskan earthquake in 1965. which not only all but destroyed the City of Anchorage in Alaska and wide surrounding areas, but sent a great tidal wave sweeping down upon the Vancouver Island coast and ccastal cities of the U.S. Northwest, with material damage running into millions of dollars). While such disasters can be. and often are explained away as “‘an act of God’’, Canadians haven't entirely swallowed the myth that ‘‘God’’ has now taken up permanent residence in Washington with Richard Nixon as his “‘prophet’’, hence such “assurances” hold no more validity than his ‘‘peace” overtures in the current UN General Assembly sessions. Entirely separate and apart from the people's efforts towards a nuclear test ban, or the banning of all nuclear: stockpiles, this projected U.S. nuclear test in the Aleutians is very much Canada’s affair. It is not enough for the Trudeau government to administer a gentle wrist-slapping and say to these nuclear maniacs that any damage or injury happening to Canada as a result of such test. that the U.S. ‘‘will be held responsible’. Responsible to whom? The political Trudeaus of U.S. imperialism who operate from Ottawa, or the Canadian people? If ever a mass protest of the Canadian people was needed. it is now; not to tell Washington, ‘‘it is your territory’. hence your “‘responsibility’’, but our safety, security, and yes, even the lives of Canadians that are at stake in this madness. External Affairs Minister Sharp may ‘“‘feel concern’’ about U.S. warhawks playing with nuclear bombs on Canada’s Pacific back-door step. But the Canadian people must demand nothing less than no bomb tests in the Aleutians. PACIFIC TRIBUNE—SEPTEMBER 26, 1969—PAGE 2 FINANCE PLAN HIT UBCM parley fails to meet municipal needs By ALD. HARRY RANKIN The 66th annual convention of the Union of B.C. Municipali- ties held in Kamloops Sept. 17-19 and attended by over 600 delegates was an exercise in futility and frustration. At least this was the case for those aldermen and mayors who wanted action on the key issues such as. holding the line on property taxation, pollution, relations and housing. : Even on convention pro- cedure, the way the convention conducted its business, it would be hard to devise a more inept and time-wasting method. The convention had over 100 resolutions to consider, with often several on the same subject. They were gone over slowly and painfully, one by one, like peeling potatoes. Speakers were only allowed two minutes each. Amendments from the floor dragged out the discussion endlessly. But what is of much greater importance, the convention never did get down to discussing most of the major issues facing B.C. municipalities. No leader- _ ship came from the executive in. the form of policy statements or resolutions. There wasn’t even one resolution on the acute housing shortage! If the UBCM has a policy on major issues such as the need for greater grants from senior governments or a program of action to bring pressure on them, it remained a _ well kept secret. A few of the delegates who spoke on the urgent issue of tax reforms received a good hand. The Alberni resolution asking that all properties be assessed on ‘the principle of equalization at a set percentage of actual value”’ (an obvious protest against the under-assessment of big com- mercial and __ industrial properties) passed, but this was the exception.rather than the rule. A resolution asking that ‘educational costs be removed from real property and be borne by the general revenue fund of | the province’ was killed by referring it to the executive. This failure to come to grips with the real problems was no accident. of course. The real muscle at this convention wasn’t at the head table nor even on the convention floor. It was there in the: person of the minister of municipal affairs Dan Campbell and his aides who sat on the sidelines as active watch dogs. _ Their job was to. see that the convention didn’t get out of line and get after Victoria on any significant issues. Dan Campbell should be well satisfied with the convention. His government was left free to continue spending provincial revenues to help big industries, while the municipalities will continue to increase taxes on homes to meet rising municipal costs. The announcement by muni- cipal affairs minister Campbell that the provincial government would introduce legislation to set up a municipal bonds marketing authority is one more example of how the government — is evading its responsibilities to the municipalities. Instead of — granting loans to municipalities at low interest rates from ils huge reserves, it will create 4” authority under which all munick palities in the province W! combine their resources guarantee municipal loans. If any municipality defau this authority will have the righ to levy an additional tax on evel homeowner in the province Furthermore _ this authority, which will be under the thumb ® the provincial government wil also have the right to veto amy municipal plan to raise money ” means of a loan. This Wi further erode municipal auto? omy. As long as the UBCM remailis. a puppet of Victoria, ts situation will not change. Memorial meetings pay tribute to Ho “The cause to which Ho Chi Minh devoted his whole life freedom for Vietnam and an end to world imperialism — lives 2 said today and grows in strength and will ultimately triumph,” S*, Maurice Rush, PT associate editor, at memorial meetin Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Rush, who met Ho Chi Minh on three different occasions and interviewed him for PT readers in December, 1965, told a meeting in the Pender Aud. last Wednesday, that Ho’s name inspired hope and courage to hundreds of millions fighting imperialism all over the world, and struck fear in the hearts of the enemies of mankind. ‘‘Ho was more than a symbol; he was one of the great figures of our epoch. The measure— of greatness of the man is that on his death even his enemies had to pay a grudging tribute to him. ‘“‘Ho was the first Asian leader to lead his people to winning of independence and to establishing the first socialist state in Asia. He was not ‘a nationalist who might have been our friend’ as_ imperialist spokesman have said. Ho was a Marxist-Leninist who saw the struggle for freedom for Viet- “nam as part of the world struggle to end imperialism. He was a Communist leader who combined patriotism and love of country with revolutionary struggle to end imperialist rule,’ said Rush. Perhaps the greatest tribute that could have been made to Ho was unwittingly made by former president Eisenhower when he admitted that if the people of Vietnam were allowed to vote in 1956 on what government they wanted more than 80 percent would have voted for Ho Chi Minh.” Relating his personal impres- sions of Ho, Rush told his audience that Ho combined great modesty, simplicity and humanism with depth of under- standing and courage. Tracing Ho's life from early youth when he took up the struggle for freedom of his native land. Rush said. *‘Ho’s_ world-wide. travels convinced him that the system of ‘oppression which ground down the people of Vietnam was a world system and that as a result rattht fehl gs jp ee Ho became an internationalist who realized that imperialls had to be defeated.” : “Under Ho’s leadership people of Vietnam proved i where a people are willin8 © fight for their independence it no matter how small thé country may be— they can WiZ against imperialism becausé a the world-wide support {f° socialist states and peace forces around the world.” af Rush said the people . ° Vietnam had been twee betrayed by the imperial countries, and were determine this time to win their 1% E pendence. ‘‘They will not allo Nixon’s duplicity to rob the™ victory this time.”’ The Vancouver approved a message to P: a Minister Pham Van Dong. Fi, by chairman Harold pritchet” which expressed ‘‘deep sort? and sympathy with the £° ment and people of Vietnam. chi The message said: “HO j Minh will be ever remember in the pages of history as great leader whose mo courage and determin served as an inspiration meetiné rime destY: ation all i humanity struggling ae socialism and freedom and ! pendence.” It said that, ‘as Canadial® with the true interests ° nt country atheart, we conde ut the despicable role played bY eal own government in its cov! and cowardly support of imperialist aggression ‘ih Vietnam. and pledge the continued solidarity with struggles of the heroic peoples Vietnam.” 10 A memorial meeting was ‘ley held in the Dell Hotel. wie by Monday which was address© of Rush. Chairman of the Frame Valley meeting was Rod Dots Both meetings were organ. by the Communist Pal. Proceeds from the meet! were donated to the Medical Committee for Vietnam. — PALES LG bee Its, the joving ver