‘FLASHBACKS FROM THE COMMUNIST PRESS 25 years ago... HUSH-HUSH YANK BASES OTTAWA — Rumors persist that the U.S. Navy Department is pressing hard for the setting up of a big submarine base on the Canadian Atlantic Coast. The Royal Canadian Navy will not comment, other than to say no submarine base is planned for the Halifax area. Repair and docking facilities for _sub- marines exist at Halifax. Other rumors have it that the U.S. roposition is to set up this talked-of big submarine base in Newfoundland not Nova Scotia. It isa hush-hush U.S. project, in any case. Another “hush-hush” U.S. base is reported near Timmins. It was exposed by CCF MPP Grummett. The Tribune May 19, 1952 ee PACIFIC TRIBUNE—MAY SS 27, 1977—Page 4 50 years ago... SOVIET UNIONS AND NORWEGIAN STRIKERS MOSCOW — A sum of one million Norwegian crowns has been granted from the funds of the Soviet Labor Unions for the support of the locked-out Norwegian workers. Of this sum, 200,000 crowns were given freely as an expression of sol- idarity by the Russian workers, the remaining 800,000 crowns were granted in a long term in- terest free loan. Responsible au- thorities in the Soviet Labor Unions. informed press repre- sentatives that z Central Council of Soviet Labor Unions had set no date for the repay- ment of the loan. In the opinion of the Central Council of the Norwegian Trade Union should itself fix the date for the repay- ment in accordance with its financial situation The Worker May 21, 1927 EIDIITOURILA IL COMIMIEINT NATO orders us to. pay up | | Canada’s minister of external affairs, Don Jamieson, admitted recently that ~ Canada’s defence requires no increase in expenditure. If he were honest he would say that the government is already mon- strously over-spending on the defence hoax. But he did confess that the reason billions are being taken from taxpayers is because the North Atlantic Treaty Or- ganization has ordered it. The NATO brass, interlocked with governments and directorates of multi- national ‘corporations which profit hugely from armaments, the same cor- porations and governments which are beneficiaries of international kick-backs and bribes on a grand scale — that NATO brass not only dictates Canadian policy, it is. dictating ‘declining living standards for Canadians. Canada is ‘squandering “officially” $3.4-billion a year to help keep tottering . imperialism in the world saddle. That figure, Ottawa has pledged to NATO, will jump by from 12% to 20%.a year (plus inflation). On top of this outrage, in Brussels on May 17, NATO defence ministers de- creed a new tax on Canadian working people. They agreed to increase the arms budgets of all 15 memberstates by a minimum of 3%. No wonder the esti- mates are that Canada’s armaments squandering will reach $5-billion annu- ally within a few years. Danson promised in an article in the West: German magazine Kieler Nac hrichten, that Canada will boost its forces: by 5,000 men, besides the millions of dol- lars it is putting into additional machines of war. His arguments for this are based on the lie of “the growing threat of the Warsaw Pact.” It is a lies: because the Warsaw Pact is PEE pORee. to disband simultaneously with the disbandment.of NATO. There can be little pride left for Cana- dians if a gang of upper-crust generals and cabinet ministers representing world backwardness can°sit in Brussels and tell Canadian workers to dig down and hand over more of their income fof the glorification of imperialism. Not only is the government’s hyp critical position on peace and -détenté. while it boosts armaments, worthy 0 protest. So is the squandering of funds that could be used to create jobs fot Canada’s youth, instead of throwing youth into the arms of the “defence _ Minister. . A government that can go and pledgé our tax monies to foreign generals 1 threaten socialist and third world coun” tries, has to be made to remove taxes 0% low incomes, implement a policy of ful! employment, and start showing some loyalty to Canada. ee Shh! Don’t mention peace! Almost in the same time slot in which the hawks of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization were deciding to boost ar- maments, 2,000 citizens of some 120 countries were meeting in Warsaw to explore all avenues to peace. The World Assembly of Builders of Peace was made up of men and women from governments, legislatures, United Nations bodies, from trade unions, @ churches, the academic and cultural fields and from peace movements of many countries. About 100 foreign journalists were accredited at the press centre, 45 of whom are permanent residents, and 55 whoarrived for the Assembly. The latter 55 included 18 from the West. It is strange then, that to our know- ledge, not a word was breathed or writ- ten about the event in the “free press” of Canada. Yet, the NATO huddle at which Canadians were sold further down the river, was presented as in defence of our rights. If that is not some new high in contortions it comes close. As opposed to the NATO “games” of juggling tanks, planes, flying radar, nuc- lear warheads, etc., and spreading fictionalized stories about a threat from Warsaw, the Peace Assembly discussed in genuine earnestness, steps to ending the arms race, peace and human rights, imperialist policies of-destabilization, on the use of mercenary forces, a just peace in the Middle East, and many more real problems. Said Jozef Cyrankiewicz, former head of the Polish Government and. now chairman ofthe Polish Peace Commit tee: “The Assembly ... has been an uD” deniable proof that there are conditions now to save the world from war an@ make detente and peaceful co-existen® irreversible. The struggle for peace com” tinues to be the most commendable an the most humanitarian task ...” ‘- It iscommendable, and more, the onl direction in which humanity can have @ future. What is to be said then, of th® media hucksters of Canadian capitalis™ who cannot bring themselves to talk about it, yet champion the rantings of NATO?.3 - a Inquiry welcome Millions of Canadians from coast © coast will cheer the decision of the Can4, dian Union of Postal Workers to demané a Royal Commission Inquiry into t management of the Canadian Post Of fice. Never have so many been so inade quately serviced by a government ser vice. If, as some suspect, agents of pi vate ownership within the governme™ have succeeded in fouling up the P90 Office to the point where $60-million te $100-million of the most lucrative bus! ness is skimmed off by private enU® preneurs, it could call into question ¢ adequacy of a big business political par to act for the people of Canada.