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Demand freedom for Carabanchel Ten

Support Spanish unionists

By MARK SYDNEY

With signs reading “Free
Carabanchel Ten,” ‘Free Labor
Leaders in Spain,” and “Franco
—wWorkers’ Assassin,” 150 peo-
ple demonstrated in front of the
Spanish consulate Feb. 24 in
Toronto to protest the continued
imprisonment of the “Caraban-
chel Ten” — ten Spanish trade
unionists in jail near Madrid
since last June for union activi-
ties and alleged “illegal associa-
One 3.=

Most of the men have had
a long history of trade union
struggle, having been elected to
positions in the official (govern-
ment controlled) trade union
organization. Many of them
have been imprisoned before.
But never have the sentences
demanded by the prosecution
been so severe — the 10 face
a total of more than 162 years

- behind bars for what in most

countries would be legitimate
trade union activities.
Denied Employment

One of the imprisoned men,
Marcelino Comacho, 54, a Mad-
rid metalworker, had held a
number of elected positions in
the official metalworkers syndi-
cate until his first arrest in 1967.
His case attracted considerable
international attention, and he
was adopted as a “prisoner of
conscience” by Amnesty Inter-
national. In March, 1969, he was
visited in Carabanchel prison by
Paul Ruegger, chairman of a
fact-finding committee of the
International Labor Office in
Geneva. Camacho finally was
released on March 10, 1972.

Out of jail, Camacho was pre-
vented from returning to his
former job at the Perkins truck
plant (a division of Motor Tbe-
rica, an associate company of

Massey-Ferguson Ltd.) or ob-
taining other employment. He
was arrested last June with the
nine other men and again im-
prisoned, after being at liberty
for little more -than_ three
months. Charged with ‘“‘illegal
association,” he risks 20 years
and one day in prison.
Significant Trial
Demonstrators also came from
Hamilton and Windsor (from
the Spanish “Comisiones Obre-
ras” — Workers’ Commissions,
the largest and most important
extra-legal trade union organ-

-jzation) to participate in the

protest.

After the demonstrations the
Tribune talked to Gloria Mon-
tero, executive member of the
Canadian Committee for a De-
mocratic Spain, organizer of

the demonstration. Asked why .

this demonstration was being
held, Ms. Montero replied, “It
is very important that these
men are acquitted, that the
harsh sentences demanded by
the prosecution are not passed.

“Many people feel that this
trial could be of ever greater
significance than the famous
Burgos trials in Dec. ’70, in
which six Basque nationalists
were sentenced to death, but
later had their sentences com-
muted to life imprisonment fol-
lowing protests throughout
Spain and the world, including
Canada.

World-wide Protest

“You see, what these men are
being prosecuted for are normal
trade union activities, and it
could set a dangerous precedent
for repression. At this time,
government repression is in-
creasing, because the popular
movement against the Franco
regime is growing . . -

“We have timed our demon-
stration to coincide with a mass
solidarity demonstration _ plan-
ned tomorrow (Feb. 25) in Paris,
at which the three big trade
union federations will be joined
by the International Commission
of Jurists, Amnesty Interna-
tional, and the League for the
Rights of Man.

“We're just doing what peo-
ple all around the world are do-
ing,” she said.

The demonstration on behalf
of the “Carrabanchel Ten” took
place as the Committee is final-
izing preparations for a three-
day conference on “The Worker
in Spain Today,” set for the end
of March. The Committee, which
organized the Conference for
Amnesty in Spain in Oct. 1971,
will bring three Spanish people
—Carlos Elvira, from the Work-
ers’ Commissions, a lawyer and
a worker-priest—to Toronto to
tell about present conditions in
Spain, and the bitter struggle
now being waged by the Spanish
workers to win . basic labor
rights.

Thank you

This recent letter was addressed to William Kash!
general secretary of the Communist Party of Canada:
“Conveying to the Central Committee of the Commun
Party of Canada, and to you personally,’ my sincere thal
for your kind congratulatory message upon the occasion
my 60th birthday, I am using this opportunity to wish Yor |

Party further great successes in its fight for the rights |
the Canadian working people. | ada
Gustav Husak Tun

General Secretary aia ies

Communist Party of Czechoslov ia

Mr. Kashtan has also received this message i ts,

Romania: on
Thanking you for the greetings extended on the occasi nis
of the 55th anniversary of my birth, I wish you new : } teri,

cesses in the activity of your Party. leay
Nicolae Ceaucescu | Whe

General Secretary | for.
Romanian Communist Party) the

Peace group demands a
‘empty Saigon jails \:

WINNIPEG — The Manitoba
Peace Council reports that a
public meeting held here Feb. 7,
adopted resolutions dealing with
the political prisoners in South

PHOTO—EDYA WEIR
Demonstration in Toronto in defense of the jailed Spanish workers.

Vietnam, and addressed
sages to the Internatiot
Cross, the United Nation al
Hon. Mitchell Sharp, mim
external affairs. rel

They called upon, 1) 0 "7
to intervene immedia oN
range the release of th

hag
® Pur
é Nee

with the assistance of by? ) buy
national Commission of esti’ Up
and Supervision, to iY og Sun
the situation in all pris salt Me
penitentiaries, of all ia the

regardless of classifical oo job
Mitchell Sharp to inst a log
Canadian Armed Forces, ji Pla
ICCS to give all aid 4% yo &m
ance to the UN and ® ste!
and to take all possible * ig

ensure the safety of 9° cont! wi
ers in the Saigon jail: peti Ye,
tration camps and © | qq
tiaries, J the

NORAD: a threat to our independence

ou
Se]
by
tic

By ALF DEWHURST

The North American Air De-
fense agreement (NORAD) is
due to expire on May 12 of this
year. The Communist Party says
it should not be renewed.

The Government, according to
Defense Minister Richardson,
intends to renew this militaristic
agreement entered into by Can-
ada with the United States in
1958.

The Government attempts to
justify remaining in NORAD by
the spurious claim that NORAD
increases Canadian sovereignty
(White Paper on Foreign Policy).

The Toronto Globe & Mail
sees “no reason to quit NOR-
AD.” It argues, editorially on
February 12, “Canada should
stay because U.S. military plan-
ners seem to think it has some
continuing value.”

The Toronto Star, conscious
of treading on treachereous
ground, advocates staying in be-
cause it is still “a useful alli-
ance,” and that “NORAD de-
mands little” from us. It claims
that this military alliance is only
“an agreement in principle to
share the command of air de-
fense.”

What Is NORAD?

NORAD is an agreement on
continental defense in which
Canada is committed to parti-
cipate fully with the United
States in- defense of the North
American continent. It is closely

related. to NATO. ‘The -North ...
American continent harbors the

main military might of the im-

perialist NATO alliance which is :

directed against the socialist
countries, mainly the USSR, and
the peoples’ forces striving for
democratic social advance in the
NATO countries.

Under the umbrella of conti-
nental defense a substantial part
of Canada’s naval forces are also

committed for the defense of.

North America in case of “emer-
gency.” Included in this conti-
nental force are two air force
squadrons on the East coast and
one of the West coast.

Three radar systems — the
Distant Early Warning Line
(DEW), the Mid-Canada Line
(MCL) and the Pinetree Line —
have been built at a cost to Can-
ada of close to $1 billion as an
integral part of NORAD. The
cost to Canadians of maintain-

ing and operating these already «

obsolete systems runs to $40
million yearly.
The most corruptive aspect of

NORAD lies in the defense- ;

sharing program initiated in the

autumn of 1958 as an extension ;
of Canadian and United States :

measures for continental de-
fense.

For the past 15 years the de-
fense- sharing program has
meant arms sales by Canada to
the United States averaging we!l

over $600 million a year. This -

is blood money drawn out of
the killing, maiming and suffer-

ing of the Vietnamese, Cambo- |

dian and Laotian peoples. over
the lifetime of the, defenise-shar-

. ) Of

ing program. This. blood money.

PAGIEICAERIBUNE—<FRIDAM. MARCH 2. 1973a3PAGE Bs

paid by the United States to
arms manufacturers in Canada,
serves aS a carrot dangled be-
fore the Canadian government
drawing Canada deeper and
deeper into North American con-
tinentalism and U.S. imperialist
aggression abroad.
Threat to Canadian
Independence

NORAD undermines Canada’s
sovereignty and is a constant
threat to Canadian indepen-
dence. George Hees,-defense cri-
tic for the Conservative Party,
has no doubt whatsoever about
this. In arguing for the renewal
of NORAD he said “we are ob-
liged to play our part in the air
defense of the continent in pro-
portion to our population. If we
shirk our duty. the United States
will come in and do it for us.”
(my emphasis—A.D.)

Canada’s sovereignty is conti-
nuously being violated under
the guise of continental defense.
Major violations are the integra-
tion: of. Canada’s airforce in the
United States airforce, the inclu-
sion of Canada’s Maritime pro-

vinces in the Northeastern Com-

mand of the United States army,
the establishment of U.S. naval

aid air bases in strategic areas.

of the Atlantic and Pacific
coasts, the assumption of U.S.
army control over vast areas of
Canada’s Northland (the fact
that Members of Parliament had
to be cleared by the. U.S. army

‘before going into Canada’s

North created a scandal.a few

years back) and U.S. bomber.

flights over Canadian territory.
The latest threat to Canadian
independence through NORAD
was disclosed by U.S. Assistant
Secretary of Defense Shillito
who recently testified before a
U.S. Senate Committee. Mr.
Shillito told the Committee that
he was confident that the United
States would be able to work
out a continental energy agree-
ment with Canada because of
NORAD. He declared that his
study of the 15. years of coopera-
tion by Canada with the US.
military under NORAD gives
him “no choice except to be op-
‘timistic.” ;

A reading of the Canadian
Government’s White Paper on
‘A Foreign Policy for Cana-
dians’ reveals that Mr. Shillito’s
confidence in respect to the
Canadian Government has some
foundation. On page 25 of the
Paper the Government states,
“In developing the complex of
vital relationships between the
U.S. and Canada, Canadians
must choose very carefully. . :
In an era of heavy demands for
energy and other resources, the
cards are by no means stacked
in one hand.” (my emphasis—
A.D.)

The Threat is From the South

The threat to Canada’s inde-
pendence comes from the South
and not the North, It is the giant
US. corporations which have
their. greedy claws. outstretched
to. grab Canada’s energy and

. Natural resources. But NORAD

directs. our attention. and de-

_every democratic 4

fenses away from ae P Tig
threat and towards 4 wai
ent threat to the North: jf 46
The USSR, oUt td) 10
neighbor, has just celePh it 13,
50th anniversary aS @ |, in!
socialist republics unit 0% th
state. During thes¢ nave, let

ed in peace with
During this time
Union has never pO
of any nature to C
pendence. It has A
ed an aggressive post:
ards Canada. Nor haS qi}

cast greedy eyes Of yt
energy and natural res" |
No Renew2
Only one conclusiO® ie
drawn about the me ont. th
NORAD. It is not 4 d pee en
rangement for Cana a ats he
it is directed against 9 an" Rj
neighbor. Rather it 3S Fall ni
parcel of an offensive OT
directed against the fit a M
ist state, the Soviet Un cima
aimed also at chainiM> int) W
as tightly as possible ig Han
pansionist continent@™ ital eo
of U.S. monopoly
Such policies are hia
ous for Canada an
result in the serious ™,
Canadian independenc™ ol 0;

Now is the time 10 ondt
ada from this inde "|
eroding military pact

to its renewal an

c

nd Pes
: 5 We
Canadian to say NO #