*

By MALCOLM MacEWEN

What's behind all this furore

Te report that Egypt is to
b

uy arms from Czechoslovakia
and rumors of purchases from
the Soviet Union have produc-

ed apoplexy in certain circles —

in Britain and the United States.

Why are these big business
circles so. worried? Certainly
not because they have any
moral scruples about the sales
of arms.

“Military aid,” the supply of .

weapons with political strings
attached to them, has been one
of the principal means by which
the United States has ensnared
its allies, including Britain and
Canada.

Untold millions of dollars of
profit have been made out of
the sale of arms by British and
U.S. manufacturers, who have

’ a strong vested interest in keep-

ing tension (and the sale of

- arms) at a high level.

If the traffic in arms still

‘continues, it is primarily be-

cause the British and U.S. gov-
ernments have rejected, or re-
fused to discuss, the disarma-

ment proposals of the Soviet

Union—even when the Soviet
Union has adopted proposals
made by Britain and the U.S.!

ee

Now the British and U.S. gov-
ernments complain that the sale
of arms to Egypt would upset
the delicate balance of power
by which they maintain peace
in the Middle East.

‘This is humbug. The Middle
East under imperialist domina-
tion has been the scene of re-
peated wars and bloodshed, of
which the repression in Cyprus
is only the latest example. *

If Egypt had agreed four
years ago to enter Britain’s
scheme for a Middle East Com-
mand, and turned itself into

the main Anglo-American base
in that region against the So-
viet Union, arms would have
poured in from Britain and the
US. :

Under strong popular pres-
sure for national independence,
Egypt refused to enter the
Middle East Command, and in-
sisted on Britain evacuating the
Suez base.

The main issue here is not
the regrettable Egypt - Israel
conflict, but the continuous de-
~ velopment of the Anglo-Amer-

ican plans to obtain secure

bases in the Middle East for a

possible attack on the vital re-

gions of the Soviet Union such,
as the Baku oilfields or Ukrain-
ian industry.

Turkey and Greece have join-

ed NATO, and Turkey,.on the ~

insistence of the U.S., made
pacts first with Pakistan and
then with Iraq, which are ob-
viously aimed against the So-
viet Union.
ular, has been armed to the
teeth since 1947. .

By - severely restricting the
supply of arms to Egypt, while
at the same time arming Tur-

key and Iraq, Britain and the -

U.S. are trying to force Egypt
into the Turkey-Iraq pact, and
thus to enter sc anti-Soviet
alignment.

$e 5 sO

If a socialist country sells
arms in a commercial transac-
tion, from which no private
individual profits, and to which
no political strings are attached,
that makes it possible for Egypt
to maintain its independence.

If the’ British and U.S.- gov-
ernments dislike this transac-
tion, peace and security in the
Middle East (about which they
profess to be so concerned) can

“ONL

* : ee N\ PIPELINES; J

THOUSAND ts FIRST SIX
2 a8 MONTHS

———

954i 1950.19
S4U0/, ARABIA

Turkey, in partic-.

- military,

about the Egyptian arms deal?

be discussed with the Soviet
Union and other nations as part
of the general problem of
security.

But this is exactly what U.S. ;

Secretary of State John Fos-
ter Dulles and British Foreign

Secretary Harold Macmillan do.

not want to do.

The London Times, which
bluntly states that Britain, the
U.S. and France have kept the
Soviet Union out of the area,
even, suggests that Dulles and

‘Macmillan may have gone too

far in objecting to the Soviet
Union about the _Egyptian arms
deal.

It fears that by so doing Brit-
ain and the U.S. may be con-

ceding the right of the Soviet

Union to. be consulted about
Middle Eastern questions.

Yet the Soviet Union, which
is excluded from this area, has
at least as great an interest in
maintaining peace there
Britain or the U.S:

It has common frontiers with
Turkey and Irag. All the over-
seas trade from its ice-free
Black Sea ports must pass
through the Dardanelles into
the eastern Mediterranean.

Britain and the U.S., which
are thousands of miles away,
are in the Middle East for two
main reasons.

’ The first is to exploit its oil
for the profit of their oil com-
panies. The second is to secure
naval and air bases
from which an offensive could
be developed against the So-
viet Union.

Pee tes

Dulles and Macmillan imply
that the Soviet Union would
depart from the spirit of Gen-
eva if it sold arms.
so. The spirit of Geneva does

IRAN

SHADED AREAS
SHOW FOREIGN
OIL CONCESS/ONS

.

KUWAIT

SS 5
:

Bn =
950° 19

BAHREIN

as

This is not |

- letics,

not consist in simply doing
what Dulles and Macmillan
have already decided.

It consists in negotiating a
relaxation of tension in all the
areas of conflict, of which the
Middle East is one.

The spirit of Geneva will
only become a reality if Britain
and the U.S. abandon their war
plans. in this region, concede
the independence of its peo-
ples, and stop the attempt to
exclude the Soviet Union from

BERT PADGHAM, Rosedale,
B.C.: Some time ago I wrote
Radio Moscow about the menace
of drugs and narcotics and how
it is affecting the youth and
undermining the health of
addicts. I received a reply which
said in part:

“Regarding drug addicts and
measures against the drug evil
in our country, there isn’t much
to say. Addiction to narcotics
is not a social problem here.
Only rare cases occur and these
are treated free of charge and
are usually cured.

“Drug laws are very strict in
the Soviet Union and _ strict
control is kept on the sale and
distribution of narcotics and
medical preparations containing
narcotics. This is also true of
preparations containing other
substances that may have a
similar effect. — Eee

“Regulations and the drug
laws are strict but this is prob-
ably not the main factor that
discourages misuse of drugs. It
is more the general public
attitude in this country which

is intolerant towards social evils.

of this kind...

“Our youth are brought up
with an appreciation for ath-
clean pleasures . and
creative endeavor. And this,
you will - probably agree, is-

basic.”

~ Lauds Joe Hill play

C.. NL; ‘Vancouver, B. C.;
Thanks to the advance story in
your paper, we tuned in on the
CBC play, We Shall Not Be
Moved, the story of Joe Hill.

It was a rewarding, experi-
ence, for the cast gave a splendid
performance and the trial pro-

ceedings had a ring that is

familiar to us today.

Radio programs of this kind
are too few and far between.
Therefore it seems to me that

-all those who heard and. en-
joyed this
-about the famous IWW organ-

outstanding play

izer and song writer should

write, the. CBO and ask for a

i) PE N. F ORU M
Bh ae in USSR

Tl waken up the who

names of friends

the discussion of
concern it vitally.

Peace in the Middle East
not depend upon the impen
ists controlling the supply of
arms and establishing @ ~
called’ balance of powel-

Peace, and the independence
of the nations of the Mi a
East, can best be assured nts
collective security arrangeme?
from which no nation wit? ial
interest in the area is Se

ee
a udience
ne

repeat performance.
it would have a record
among the workers if ae?
advertised.

Canuck atop Big Ben

T. L., Vancouver, B- C5 2 be
newspapers: recently cart?
the story about a
living in London who
attention to his persona aoe :
ing problem by clim gto
Ben. He was: later roreed zs
come down by police ap and
men, examined by doctors # he
pronounced sane. “pee

Sod
oe

The English have
tickled by the Canuck’s me
of forcing the Ministe? :
Housing to become awers ‘ah os
his problem, and this Die
doggerel is going the ay
He sat above the solemn
Where Landlords sit i? home
And said if I don’t get x
Vil ruin your debate.
Though clocks strike OM&

’, y}
I won’t run down. je aa Ke

: town !
I will be heard,
Upon my word! —
If they won’t hear my case at
We'll all come climbing UP
_ Ben!
The firemen caught him by
leg ain: is
And pulled him down ag ospita!
They rushed him off o ni
To see if he was same- jg
Now who is sane and ge Re

ae

; mad, is

And who is good and: wb
bad ? Es

The ones who are the a
men :

Or he who went and climb G
Big Ben?

On getting subs

F. H., North Kamloors |
Find ‘enclosed the mone
four subs, two renewals
two new readers. — Z a

My method of securing
readers seems .to wor ders
simply ask present rea i

would be interested any
the Pacific Tribune. —
so far is six new subs
in the past few W'
friends of eee reaq