WILLIAM KASHTAN

‘

‘

Militant policies of Mine-Mill, UE

reason for gro

[" is only a few years ago that

the right wing CCIL-CCF crowd
embarked on the fatal policy of
Ted-baiting and expulsion of pro-
8ressive unions. Their® objective
Was not limited to expulsions.
That was to be but a step to-
Wards the raiding and destruc-
tion of these unions. With this
I mind the right wing divided
the future spoils among them-
Selves. The International Union
of Mine Mill and Smelter Work-
€rs was to be handed over to
‘Charles Millard, Canadian direc-
tor of the United Steelworkers—
at a price—$50,000 to be exact.
The United Electrical Radio and
Machine Workers of America
(UE) was to be handed over to
the International Union of Hlec-
trical Workers (IUE)—price un-
Stated,

Undoubtedly these gentlemen
anticipated smooth sailing in
their venture. After all, they

Were on the crest of a war hys-
teria. The press singled out un-
tOns like Mine-Mill and UE for
Shecial treatment and red-baited
hem on every possible occasion.
__ The companies, smelling the
' Possibility of a divided member-

Ship and disunity, provoked by.

he raiders, figured on forcing
heap settlements on the unions
and the eventual elimination of
Militant trade unionism in these
Mdustries,

The rightwing estimated that
the membership of Mine-Mill and
UE Would look upon them. as
liberators coming to. free them
from slavery and would flock to
their banners.

But°what happened?

The $50,000 paid by Millard
Stew to the huge sum of $550,000
ut, as he had sorrowfully to ad-
Tit, Steel was unable to break
he back of Mine-MillL

Despite everything the top CCL
leadership did in the way of
Pushing the TUE in Canada, they
Were unable to break the’ back
of UR.

‘ Instead of looking upon the

Tight wing as liberators, the mem-
tship of Mine-Mill and UE con-
Sidered them to be company
Stooges and treated them accord-
ingly,

Moreover, despite constant raid-
Membership and are stronger to-
Memebrship and are stronger to-
4y than when they were eX-
Pelled. Not only have they
§Town. Their record in contraot

and wage negotiations stands out

"Mong the best in the country.
he result is that the Calgary
Aiea in a” recent editorial
c ifled “exploiting the workers
~Yalty” had to admit that “the

Fey

expelled unions have won con-

sistentiy better wages for their |

members compared with the non-
Communist rival unions for the
same kind of work in the same
kind of plants... On that stand-
ard, then, the Communist-led ex-
pelled unions are doing a better
job than their non-Communist
rivals within the CCL.” This isa
significant admission from the

- capitalist press.

The consolidation and growth
of unions like UE and Mine-Mill,
combined with their records on
behalf of the welfare of their
membership are no mean achieve-
ments. They parallel in many re-
spects what is taking place in
the U.S., where the raiders are
being beaten off and defeated. »

The right wing raiders have
failed and failed miserably. The
progressive led unions are today
stronger and more robust than

ever.

Bo

It clearly demonstrates that a
policy of fighting back, of unity
and militancy pays off.

It emphasizes the fact also that
something of a turning point has

wth, despite raids

been reached in the fight for unit-

“ed labor action and trade union
unity, with conditigns more favor-
able and the workers more re-
ceptive to it than ever before.

This’ is also borne out by grow-
ing disunity on top. :

The fake unity achieved be-
tween the TLC, CCL, Catholic
Syndicates and Railroad Brother-
hoods, based not on advancing
the interests of the workers, but
of tying them to the war policies
‘of the government, has collapsed
like a pack of cards. Unity* with-
in the camp of the right wing in
the CCL has also blown up.

These developments were bound
to take place expressing as they
do bankrupt right wing policies
which the workers have had to
pay for. It is not accidental there-
fore, that alongside these deve~-
lopments an oppositional current
is developing within the TLC and
CCL unions, which while not yet
clear as to direction, merges with
the fight of all the progressive led
unions and opens up the door for
a new phase of advance for mili-
tant trade unionism in this coun-

try.

PETER THOMAS

F an astronomer were to be
asked, on a bright moon-
light night: “What does the
other side of the moon look
like?” he would have to an-
swer that although a fair
guess could be made, he
couldn’t be entirely certain,
since we never see the other
side of the moon. ?
This is because the moon
turns round on its axis as it
* moves around the earth, and
therefore we always see the
same half of its surface.
But it is becoming increas-
ingly possible that we may in
_ the not too distant future be
able to make a trip round the
moon and see what the other
side looks like.
At the recent international
conference organised by the
British Interplanetary Society

Federation was formed and
technical problems of a jour-
mney to the moon and back
were discussed,

There are still plenty of
problems and such a journey
is not likely to take place
‘for a considerable time, prob-
ably well over 20 years. But
the means are becoming clear.

With present methods it
does not seem possible to de-
sign a rocket capable of carry-
ing enough equipment and fuel
for a return journey to the
moon. But it may soon be
come possible to carry out
the journey in stages.
®

The first step would be to
create a small “space-station”
circling round the earth at a
distant of a few thousand
miles. This would be a sort
of departure platform, from
which rocket space-ships could
be sent on their ' 250,000-mile

_ journey to the moon.

Next need would probably
be for a similar spage-station
circling around the moon to
act. as an arrival platform.

A few thousand miles out
from the earth there is no at-
mosphere, and therefore no

wind resistance to cause the

Moon’s ‘other side’ first
target of rocket flight

_In the last ten years is because
an International Astronautical ©

space-station to lose speed.

The station could continue
to circle the earth or moon
more or less indefinitely, the
gravitional pull being balanc-
ed by the centrifugal force of
the circular path.

It is not yet possible to con-
struct a rocket capable of at-
taining enough speed to move
in a steady orbit around the
earth. This problem may be
overcome by the use of two
rockets, the first carrying the
second as a passenger to a
height of a hundred miles or
so and then falling back to
earth when the motor of the
second rocket starts and car-
ries it out into space.

e
The main reason why rock-
ets have developed so rapidly

they offer considerable, possi-
bilities for spreading death
and destruction.

The V2, which was techni-
cally a great advance, was de-
signed to bombard Britain,
and, in the same way, the vast
majority of the work now be-
ing carried out by the Ameri-
can and British governments,
in New Mexico and in Austra-
lia, is directed towards the de-
velopment of rockets that may
be used against the USSR.

The fact that rockets can
have peaceful scientific uses in
making journeys into space
and thus extending man’s
knowledge of the universe
does not alter the basically
warlike intentions behind rock-
etrTesearcn. ou. 3

So far as we know, the So-
viet Union is not spending
much time or money on rock-
et research. This is probably °
because the larger proportion
of scientific effort there is be-
ing expended on the task of
making the earth a more fruit-
ful and pleasant place; in
changing the face of Nature
with vast schemes to turn
rivers from their courses and
make barren deserts fertile.

Science can be used for
good or for evil.

A JAPANESE VIEW OF

THE ‘PEACE TREATY’

‘It makes mockery of

TOKYO

IX years ago, when the Japan-
ese government signed the
instrument of surrender on the
U.S.S. Missouri, the whole nation
swore not to let aggressive war
be repeated. But where can we
find in this treaty @ guarantee

that we do not fight again? What

is a virtual declara-
we find here aie oe

tion of war agains
Union and China.

The treaty does not guarantee
independence to Japan, but aie
Japan into a vassal country.
““gecurity pact” concluded ate
taneously with signing of e
peace treaty permits US. “eats
to stay in this country inde ni
ly. Further, this military ee
gives American forces the aa
to buiid 200 military bases oe
to travel freely anywhere a ns
country, to utilize public fa
ties as they ple

ase, and to use
Japanese for military

service.

Parallel with this, eee nae
iti L take a
suthorities cannot ;
ee any criminal action that
sent be committed by American
bod ti

forces statione

da in this country.
Indefinite retention of. U3.

forces, and extraterritorial rights
for Americans—these facts alone
speak eloquently of the humiliat-

ing character of this peace treaty.

which is unparalleled in history.
This is a clear violation of the
Potsdam Declaration.

This treaty does not guarantee
democratic rights. and a stable
life for the Japanese people. Free-
dom of press, publication, and
particularly freedom of assembly
and expression on behalf of peace,
are savagely repressed, while pub-
lication, films, and newspapers
fanning war and fostering mili-
tarism are greatly encouraged.

The economic conditions of the
people are being depressed to an
unbearable level. In addition to
more than 10 million fully and
partially unemployed workers,
the government is contemplating’
discharge of part of the person-
nel on state railways, telecom-
munications and postal services,
and other government depart-
ments, totalling 740,000 persons.
In this way, the
rights of the Japanese people, ex-
pressly laid down in the Potsdam
Declaration, are being trampled

democratic ~

underfoot. :

‘Conclusion of this military pact
will increase the already heavy
burden imposed on the Japanese
people. American forces and
their attached personnel are ex-
empted from taxation. Surpass-
ing this is the fact that the US.
government is going to bear only

half of the costs of stationing its

forces im Japan. More than two
hundred billion yen, that is double
the present yearly occupation
costs: paid by the Japanese gov-
ernment, will have to be borne
by Japan.

Moreover, as an auxiliary to
American forces to be stationed
in Japan, a Japanese army of
200,000 men is to be formed and
expenditure for: this alone will
reach five hundred billion yen.
All these stupendous sums for
military purposes are to be borne
by the Japanese people.

Premier Yoshida praises this
treaty as an -‘unprecedented,
generous treaty.” It is true the
treaty says that Japan is in no
position to ‘pay reparation. But
the real intention. of the U.S: is
to monopolize Japan, and not.to

Potsdam Declaration’

exact reparations for countries

that fought against Japan—this

is why the U.S. put such a pro-
vision in the treaty. Not only

has five hundred billion yen been

paid to occupation forces up to
now as occupation costs, but our
country and people as a whole are
now being offered as reparations
exclusively to the U.S._

Does Premier Yoshida still call
this cold-blooded treaty a gen-
erous one, so as to deceive the
people? If he were a true Jap-
anese who had interests in his
country at heart, he would have
died of shame by now.

The Communist party, repre-
senting the voice of the peace-
loving forces of this country and
of the world, has declared the
signing of the peace treaty illegal
and preposterous. Even with the

signature of Premier Yoshida the

treaty is doomed to failure. The
Japanese. people will render it
null and void by their own hands.

@ Extracts from a speech made
by Yosoji Kazahara, Com-
munist member of the Japan-
ese Diet in the Diet’s lower
house on October 10.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — OCTOBER 26, 1951 — PAGE 9

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