LABOR FRONT | By WILLIAM KASHTAN Patriotism, they say, is the last refuge of a scoundel. I| am reminded of this by the current campaign being conduct- ed by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce under the high-| sounding name of “Operation Freedom.” This well-oiled cam- paign is being financed by the big monopoly interests in Canada, many. or most of them U.S.-owned and controlled, with the aim of convincing the Canadian the John Birch Society # Rights in. the USA but, generally. speaking, its objectives are the same—to bring about ' @ reactionary political alignment: in- the | country. directed against the Canadian people. : Like all other reactionary alignments before it, this one parades under the false banner of anti-Communism and the “‘Com- munist threat”. But when the program of. “Operation Free- dom” is gone into one finds that the victims are the Can- adian people themselves, * 2 * The Canadian Chamber of Commerce does not like the “welfare state’—by which. it means family. allowances, old age pensions, hospital plans, medical care, unemployment in- surance benefits, relief for the unemployed, public housing and a host of other measures which the.Canadian people and the labor movement have fought. for and won. through the years. It wants freedom to restrict or eliminate these measures. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce doesn’t like the trade union movement.and the struggles of the workers for job security, for reduced hours of work and higher purch- asing power. It wants freedom to do a much better hatchet job on the trade unions ang on the workers of this country and prevent the emergence of the New Democratic Party as a powerful force in the political life of the country. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce doesn’t like the present tax structure. It wants freed®m to lower taxes on profits and place them on the backs of the Canadian people. Thus, when boiled. down to its essentials, it turns out that “Operation. Freedom” is really a bid for unlimited ex- ploitation of the working class and pe°ple and, the amassing of unlimited profits is menknelys : . %& - Now. if the anise a of Commerce. were really concerned about the freedom of the Canadian people it might have undertaken ‘to campaign around continels: different , is- sues. than it has. A good way to get. tax relief would be to press for a 50 percent cut in the arms.program and for universal, total and controlled disarmaments. This is a sure path to peace economy and t he expansion*of trade with all. éountries on.a mutually satisfactory basis. ; Or it could campaign on the. central issue of U.S.-Cana- dian relations and the stranglehold the U.S.-Canadian :mon-| opoly imterests have.over the. Canadian. economy -which distorts it on one hand and limits its industrial SARRSIAR on the other. It could even strike a blow for Canadian independence in light of the emerging trade blots and the calculated efforts of the U.S. imperialism to cOmpletely take over’ the cOuntry. “Operation Freedom” would have great meaning then. _ It might undertake a campaign to ensure freedom. for every Canadian to find work when automation-and technolo- gical advances imperil it..It might likewise, in light of the inéreased productivity arising from automation and techno- logical. advances, undertake to campaign: for» more. leisure for the Canadian people through reduced hours of work with no reduction in take home pay. It might, also campaign for freedom from. the effects of ill health, sickness and.old age- by. agreeing. to a fully: inte- grated. social security plan, ke ‘ In short..there are no limits to what might be done to really ensure. freedom from owar, from economic crisis, from want, sickness. and all. the ‘other evils of capitalism. This, of course, is farthest from the thought. of the- as ganizers of “Operation Freedom”. * * * P. The trade union movement would do, well to be alert to this campaign of big business and not. minimize it in any : way and, together with democratic-minded. citizens through- out the country, undertake a united counter campaign direc- ted to exposing its real purposes and its real victims — the workers..and farmers Of this country and the Canadian people generally. : “Operation Evil’, which more acurately expresses what the Canadian Chamber of Commerce has in mind, needs to ‘be countered by “Operation Alert”. Above all, it needs to be countered by a truly united trade union movement. people that their freedom is threatened. It! is not yet as brash, ugly and menacing as_ and..the; Ultra-} + were among those present. ‘SPOTLIGHT ON BRITISH GUIANA Whats behind the Recently Georgetown, capital of British Guiana,| was torn by strikes, demon-}| strations, rioting and looting. The wire and news services in North Amerca would have @ us believe that. these were due to.an- unbearable. .tax load thrust. upon . the people’ by the government. of .Pre- mier Cheddi Jagan. As usual, however, nothing could be further from the truth. In the opinion of Nicholas Kaldor, Cambridge economist’ who advised the government, on its budget. proposals, ‘‘the whole thing is a_ political conspiracy to get rid of Dr. Jagan and his government.” He further stated, “I have the impression that the ground was carefully prepar- ed. beforehand.’ of the entire labor force is A quick glance at some re-' continually unemployed. cent developments bears out) the painful accuracy of Mr. Kaldor’s opinions. DIRE POVERTY PREMIER CHEDDI JAGAN » . . reaction seeks to foil his attempts to establish an. independent Br. Guiana addition to which about.20% For years Dr. Jagan. and his People’s-Progressive Party have been trying to Althench Br: @alana- isa remedy this situation, and vast, wealthy ‘country, most. for years imperialism. has of its Sabnid- Jivetain adiek: foiled all attempts to do so. poverty. Its economy is based) When the PPP was first mainly upon sugar and. baux-. elected in 1953, Britain sus- ite,,and both these industries pended the Constitution, are controlled by. British, | (showing its true. feelings for American and Canadian mon-, “free elections”,) and. from, Opolies. Average. wages are, 1954-57 the colony was ‘ruled less than $45 a month, in’ by a Governor.. When elec- | Chinese, Soviet stress unbreakable. friendship Special to the Pacific Tribune vanced technical equipment. PEKING —. Chinese and) It has become. the:. reliable Soviet spokesmen stressed the;.guarantee for the defense. of unbreakable friendship _be-| the communist construction tween the people and armed! of the Soviet people and a forces of China and _ the} mighty force. for.the safe- Soviet Union at a reception! guarding of world peace. . here Feb, 23 in commemmor- “In the years.to.come, no ation of the, 44th anniversary; matter what storms may arise of the Soviet army and) in the, world, and no, matter navy. what. frantic trouble-making Chinese Vice-premier Chen) efforts the imperialists. under- Yi and Soviet Ambassador to; take, the Chinese people and China S. V. Chervonenko the Chinese Peoples Libera- tion Army. will always,.stand in unity with the great Soviet people and the Soviet. army. “We will learn from each other, support each other and) strive. for. the. common cause of lasting world peace... and human. progress.” Soviet military attache Lieut-General Vassiliev said that “the might of the Soviet armed forces has a sobering effect on those who are plot- ting new acts of aggression and those who would like to impede the rapid growth of the national liberation move- ment of the people by means of arms and stem the final Senior General Hsu Kuang- ta said: _ “Under;. the. leadership of. the. CPSU...and. its,..central committee headed by. Com- rade Khrushchev,the glorious Soviet--army..has..now...been armed .with the most ad- colonial system. _ “The inviolable Sino-Soviet | friendship, based on the un- ‘shakeable principles of Marx- -ism-Leninism and proletarian internationalism, is the pot- MRS. JANET JAGAN, leader of the governing party of Br.) ent factor of defending and Guiana, will address a Mas- consolidating peace in the sey Hall disarmament rally; Far East and all over the in Toronto Sunday, March 11. world.” “March 9, 1962 get rid of the Jagan govt.? 4} won a majority of the votes ‘elections, the Colonial Office” | Stituency. boundaries... The re- ‘out of 35 seats, not enough, -would, have;to «come. from -| sequently. the wage-level foro downfall of the disgraceful}: plot ‘ tions were once again allow- ed.in 1957, Dr. Jagan again cast. For the August, 1961 in London. tried to -solve its problems. by» revising . con sult; was the: now-famous 7? land-slide -victory.- by the = PPP, when. it captured 20 OBSTRUCTION . ‘ The government’s first) step last Sept. was .to request . it dependence.. by May,° 1962. -London refused, ‘and Dr; Ja- gan .then. petitiotned the” Trusteeship . Council’ of _ the * U.N. To. date the issue has not been resolved, In addition to these _ politi cal handcuffs of imperialism, economic obstruction has also been practised. Toward -2 modest $68 million five-year - plan, Britain’s . Tory govt. 9 contributed. a mere. $13.5 — million and offered to lend | $11.8 ‘million more. It was 7 7 so..Dr. -Jagan ~ visited the U.S. and Canada » to explain his plight. and re- quest aid. He received plenty . | of smiles and handshakes— - but no. money. Cuba. offered ~ to help,.as did the. Socialist «|| countries, but this was vetoed a by the Tories. ee ~ * O.b;v,i ously, the, money.¢ - within the: country.;The 19629 budget .was, upped -by tire. working class. ‘ RIGHT. VIOLENCE : The United Force’ opposi-. tion party rebelled, against . this. progressive legislation and found support from the , — so-called Trade Union Coun- » cil, which stipulated that any _ return, to work must be. pre-, ceded, by removal, of taxes on.4 capitalist , firms and “no : more talk of nationalization.””, This reactionary block | then. proceeded, to . organize the riots,,..and. looting, causing damage which, was,.worth 20) times,.more. than. the cost. of the proposed ‘eompulsory, savings,, oa The. situation got..so pad ” that right- -wing leaders were foreed to join Dr.. Jagan. in. appealing for: an_end to, the needless. terror... ; x This,.is ‘to be ai caacds is But haying done., this, will they now. assist the. ‘govern ment. in achieving,, independ: ence .and. transforming the. backward economy. «of, the: country? ‘There eas the: iat test., 2—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 2