Warsaw
| Drary

A Canadian writer reports from the
World Peace Congress

WARSAW, November 16

OTHING can stop the decisions of the Second World Con-
gress of the Defenders of Peace from spreading across all
the frontiers of the world. This was the keynote sounded at

the impressive opening of the

Congress tonight by its presi-

dent, Frederick Joliot-Curie, the famous French scientist.
“We will impose the will of the people every time peace

is threatened,” he declared.
plan war was greeted by

This challenge to those who
the most thunderous applause.

. ~ . . . es
joliot-Curie denounced strongly the action of the British
government in sabotaging «plans to hold the Congress in

Sheffield, but .he added that
though the site of the conference
may be important, the subject—
peace—is far more important. In
other words, in our indignation
over the deeds of the Labor gov-
ernment, we must not lose sight
of the fact that the fight for peace
transcends the issue of Sheffield.

Indeed, he put the events at
Sheffield in their proper perspec-
tive when he said, “by trying to
stifle the voice of peace, they (the
Labor government) have exalted
the efforts of those who fight to
impose peace.” :

Joliot-Curie paid tribute to “our
British friends’ who, he said, had
been betrayed “by a government
which was ready to falsify the
Congress or to render it impos-
sible.” He charged that by mask-~
ing its intentions the British gov-
ernment had practically banned
the Congress. His reference was
to the manner in which Prime
Minister Attlee had assured the
Defenders of Peace he would not
ban the Sheffield meeting and
then sought to accomplish that
very end, underhandedly, by ban-
ning the delegates. Incidentally,
the Warsaw papers today pub-
lished the full text of a letter
Attlee sent to all British missions
abroad as long ago as last August
giving them instructions to assist
in sabotaging the Congress.

“Our ,indignation,” said Joliot-
Curie, “is that of all people who
eonsider peace their greatest
treasure.’

’ He remarked that the presence
of all the delegations—more than
2,000 persons in all—in spite of
the obstructions placed in their
way “proves that all of us here
understand our responsibilities
and nothing has prevented us
from demonstrating this.”

He thanked the Polish and
Czech people for the tremendous
job they had done in bringing all
the delegates to Warsaw and the
Polish people in particular for the
amazing organizational job they
had accomplished in scarcely no
time at all. He said they were
able to do this “because all citi-
zens of these countries, headed
by their governments, are deeply
attached to the cause we are de-
fending.’
ee

Arrangements for the Congress
are simply incredible. It is being
held in a brand new building

which, when the Congress is over,
will become the largest printing

plant in Europe and the home of
the Polish Word, one,of Warsaw’s
13 daily newspapers.
space is at least equal to the
whole of Toronto’s Maple Leaf
Gardens and far bigger than the
Exhibition Forum in Vancouver.
There is row after row of pin-
new desks each fitted out with
earphones over which one may
hear the speakers in any one of
eight different languages.

Interior decorations for , the
Congress, prepared in two days,
are magnificent. Along the walls

- are huge plaSter statues of god-

like men and women and in the
outstretched arm of each is a dove
of peace. All one wall of the
building, behind the vast plat-
form for members of the World
Committee, is festooned with the
national flags of the 74° partici-
pating nations.

Across the center of the build-
ing is a huge glass decoration
~with the word peace written in
German, Polish, Russian, English,

Italian and French. It reads:
“Paix,” “Mir,” ‘‘Paz,” ‘“Pokoj,”
“Prieden,” and “Peace.” «In; the
maze of lobbies there are photo-
graphic displays from almost
every nation. A veritable mus-
eum of international friendship

-and understanding.

But perhaps the exterior was
an even more impressive sight.
The building stands on a large
square and this was decorated
with flags, bunting, peace doves
and several large statues, all
specially made for the Congress.
In large letters across the top of
the building is written, in several
languages, “Second World Cong-
ress of the Defenders of Peace.”
And the entire. spectacle is light-
ed with great spotlights, and mas-
sive brass urns holding flares.

There were ‘huge crowds — al-
most the whole of Warsaw—on
hand to cheer the delegates as
they entered and as they left.”

e
a ay November 17

A clear-cut proposal that all
the great powers reduce the pre-

sent strength of their armed for-_

ces by one half during the next

two years —. making the reduc- _

tion by stages and under strict
international contro] — was made
today by the Soviet delegation to

the Second World Congress of he

Defenders of Peace. ~

The proposal, which would “be
a sure guarantee of lasting peace
if accepted by the West, was
made by Alexander Fadeyev, au-
thor,. chairman of the
Peace Committee. Obviously, Fa-
deyev’s. statement may be taken

The floor ~

Soviet. .

By RAY GARDNER

as meaning the Soviet govern-
ment would ‘accept such a plan.

His proposal also called for the
banning of atomic and bacterio-

logical weapons and other arms
of terror and mass destruction,
controlled by the United Nations.

In a-voice ringing with convic-
tion and sincerity, Fadeyev pro-
posed that the Congress demand
that the great powers proceed
during 1951 and 1952 with ‘the
uniform and progressive reduc-

- (Inset, above Dr. Leopold Infeld.

\

tion of all armed forces on land,
sea and in the air to one half of
their present number. There
should be established in the UN
Security Council international
control of arms to see that this
disarmament project is strictly
adhered to by all nations.

He emphasized that the con-
trols must be effective and that
these would permit investiga-
tions to be made of any suspi-
cion of arms production in any
country. au

The Congress, recognizing the
tremendous importance of the
proposal and Fadeyev’s obvious
sincerity in making it, demon-
strated its approval by cheering
and clapping for several minutes.

e
“The proposal is ‘as simple as
it is sweeping. It obviously con-
tains no special advantage for
the Soviet Union, other than it,
along with all other countries,
would share in the peace that
such a reduction of arms would
ensure.

Undoubtedly, the Western Pow-
ers will try to discredit the pro-
posals, but in reality, they will
not have a leg to stand on. In
effect, the Soviet Union: says:
“We will slash our ‘armaments
by half over the next two year's
if you will agree to do the same.
We, along with you, will sub-
mit to international controls to
.see no one breaks this agree-
ment. And we're prepared, if
you are, to allow on-the-spot
inspection whenever fear arises
that the bargain is being broken.”
What could be more clear and
reasonable than that?

With great passion Fadeyev
exposed and denounced the war
plans of the U.S. government
and its lesser partner, the Labor
government of Britain.

The Labor government, he said
was becoming so aggressive that
it was now frightened of the
famous scientist Professor Joliot-
Curie and the composer Shos-
takovich. But the people of
Britain want peace no less than
the people of other countries,
Fadeyev said. The difficulty is
that the people of Britain do
not all realize how aggressive
their government has become and
how it is leading the people into
war.

“Hirst and f--?most. the Labor
government is afraid of the
/peace-loving aspirations of its
own people,” he declared. “The
Stockholm Appeal had been a
great success because it proved
that people of different outlooks
can actually reach agreement
on conerete proposals for world
peace.” Agreement could be
reached on concrete issues of
peace with the people of Ame-
rica, England and Canada, he
said.

A new world war is knocking
at the door, he emphasized, but

‘of the United States

he made it clear the Defenders
of Peace could and must find
measures to prevent the outbreak
of war. ,

He expressed his and the Con-
gress’ indignation over the mur-
derous attack on Korea. A
country of 30 million people had
been reduced to a heap of ashes,
its cities scorched and trampled
on, its land flooded with the
blood of its children. The
crimes of the Nazis have come
to life again, he said.

And why had the small coun-
try of Korea been raped by one
of the ‘world’s most powerful
nations? ‘Maybe Korea has
tried to seize the territory of
the United States?” he asked,
with biting scorn. And then
answered himself with an in-
dignant “No”. ‘

Without mentioning ‘him by
name, Fadeyev said that Truman,
the president of the country
which had committed this mon-
strous crime, had called it his
greatest contribution to the causé
of peace.

Fadeyev suggested that the
U.S. bring five Korean women
to the U.S. and let them tell
meetings at schools, universities
and factories of what they have
seen with their own eyes. “It
will be even better if MacArthur
would appear,” he said. “Every
adult and child would rather
believe the Korean people than
the entire propaganda machine
govern-
ment.”

He criticized the U.S. for re-
fusing to hear the representa-
tives of the Korean people, for
refusing to listen to China and
for refusing to listen to any
proposals for ending the conflict,
regardless of their source.

But even so, America’s stay in
Korea has been no picnic. “Now
it is clear,” he said, “that Ame-
rican aggression could not be-
come a short pleasure drive over
the cornses of the Korean peo-
ple.” “The aggressor is stuck
in Korea and his victory is doubt
ful to say the least,” he said.

Korea, as any other state, has:
a right to an independent exis-
tence, he said. The UN could
and should promote a peaceful
settlement in Korea.

But, Fadeyev continued, re-
militarization of Western Ger-
many is a greater threat to peace
and could lead to another world
wide catastrophe.’ “It is not
necessary to be a statesman but
only to be able to read or write
a little to understand this,” he
said.

He said *the overseas partners
in the Atlantic Pact were. not
anxious to send soldiers to fight
in Europe but were planning to
have German, Belgium, French
and other European soldiers to
do their fighting for them and
shed their blood in the interests
of American , monopolies. To
gain this end, they were holding
out the prospects of a comfort-.

(Continued on next page)

Two years ago this Canadian youth delegation received a warm reception from the people of Warsaw.

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PACIFIC TRIBUNE — DECEMBER 1, 1950 — PAGE 4