QUIPS and QUIRKS by JOHN WEIR NEWS ITEM—The West. German courts have never lacked in- ventiveness in discovering new reasons why nazi criminals should not be sentenced for their crimes. A recent trial in Essen produced a new excuse. SS Colonel Helmut Bischoff, after a thorough investi- gation, was found guilty of the murder of 13,000 prisoners from all parts of Europe in DORA Concentration Camp, a sub-camp of Buchenwald. The court, however, decided not to impose any sent- ence, after hearing expert testimony from a psychiatrist that any sentence at all was likely to “excite” the accused so much that his life might be endangered. The SS colonel was promptly released, and will continue to draw his pension from the West German state. * * * Charged with killing at least 400,000 Jews in Treblinka death camp, of which he was commandant, SS Captain Franz Stangl stated: “My conscience is clear. I was simply doing my duty.” * * * That was before the present industrial-military-state monopoly complex, but Honest Abe Lincoln nevertheless could say in 1837: “Capitalists generally act harmoniously, and in concert, to fleece the people.” * co * In my spare time I make enough to keep myself, wife, f two kids and a baby maybe. In their time I don’t make motor cars, machinery, cutting tools, clothing or household wares— I make millionaires. —Joe Wallace ; * * * The American magazine Environment writes that even a minor earthquake in the State of Washington could pollute a large part of the United States with lethal radioactive waste. For there are 247 million litres of such waste buried only a few metres deep in 140 containers in the Hanford area. They have been there since 1943, when the first atomic bombs were made. An earthquake in Washington State, which is considered a mod- erate seismic zone, could occur at any time, Environment says. There is also a danger that the radioactive gases accumulating gradually in the containers might burst them open, which would likewise contaminate the area. * * * Wise old Mark Twain said: “We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that is in it—and stop there; lest we be like the cat that sits on a hot stove lid. She will never sit on a hot stove lid again—and that is well; but also she will never sit on a cold one any more either.” * * Returning home one evening, Francis Dupont of Johannesburg, South Africa, was attacked by a swarm of bees. They stung him so badly that he fainted. By the time the ambulance arrived, his face and hands had turned bluish black. The doctor, however, re- fused to take him to hospital on the grounds that the machine was for whites only. It was sometime before an ambulance for “colored” arrived and took him to a hospital for non-whites. When his race was established there, the doctors said they could not help him because Africans were forbidden to treat whites. Poor Dupont had to wait again for a “white” ambulance to take him to a “white” hospital .. . : : An editorial in the Paris Le Figaro, a conservative, pro-American weekly, states that U.S. Antbassador Bunker in Saigon defined “Vietnamization” as the changing of “the skin color of the corpses.” ‘ * * * Cribbed from “Crib Time,” which is a column in the Australian miner’s: paper Common Cause, is the following: ““A woman we know reckons that God made women beautiful so that men would Jove them, and made them dumb so that they could love men. (We: haven’t worked this out yet but we suspect there’s some feminist propaganda in it somewhere.” Maybe so, but isn’t there also a hint of masculine superiority in NEWS FROM UKRAINE KIEV—Canadians interested in Ukrainian affairs can now receive News from Ukraine, Soviet Ukraine’s only English- language newspaper, airmailed at no extra cost to the sub- News from Ukraine has many features. It provides up-to- date news on the economy, science, education, culture and sports of the Republic, interesting articles on various questions and columns on Ukrainian language, cookery, etc. Among the most interesting and instructive sections are the replies to questions sent in by readers. News From Ukraine - - contacts prominent Ukrainian journalists, scientists, writers and other specialists to provide the answers and give readers abroad the “inside story” of sunny Ukraine. News from Ukraine is handsomely illustrated and publishes on politics, culture, literature and the arts. 24 issues per year. The subscription is $2.00 per year and it can be subscribed directly (the address is: News from Ukraine, Kiev-34, 6 Zoloti Vorota St., Ukr. SSR.) or through your local progressive book- store. : PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY;UULY:3):1970-<-Page8ene ae) ys SOS phesen “PYG SS VACHS PIE FAG Yep =UVe Canadians aid Vietnamese Bomb craters breed deat ] The latest Canadian Aid for Vietnam Bulletin reports that the need for medical aid in Viet- nam has never been greater. It quotes Dr. Malcolm Segall of the UK’s Medical Aid Committee for Vietnam, who said following a two-day meeting with NLF Red Cross doctors in Cambodia in March: “Under the intense bombard- ment, people in the NLF areas live day and night underground. This has resulted in a deteriora- tion in their state of health, and in particular the health of chil- dren has been affected. Mothers are no longer able to feed their babies adequately with breast . * milk and older children also suf- fer from malnutrition . . . Ma- laria has also become a serious health scourge. According to a U.S. Friends Service Council White Paper, this is because the bomb craters have filled with ‘ water and are providing a breed- ing ground for malaria-carrying mosquitoes. The bombing has resulted in a considerable loss of medical equipment and mate- rial.” Last year, 1969, in South Viet-> nam alone, more tonnage of bombs was dropped than in the whole of the four years of bomb- ing North Vietnam. The town of Vinh, 73,000 inhabitants, was attacked more than 1,000 times with 30,000 bombs. Six thousand houses, hospitals, schools, chur- Socialist lands grow more food DRESDEN (ADN) — The growth rate of cereal production in the COMECON countries by far exceeds that of average world production. This information was given by the secretariat of COMECON (socialist countries belonging to the Council for Mu- tual Economic Assistance), at the World Cereal and Bread Con- gress. With 1.193 million tons, world cereal production in 1968 was 52.3% higher than the average yield in the period between 1951- 1955. The COMECON countries, however, in this period increas- ed cereal production by 75.2%. World production in wheat grew by 65.9% from 1951 to 1968, that of COMECON coun- tries by 114.2%. Thanks to the exchange of seed, wheat production in Hun- gary grew considerably in 1969, as°a Soviet variety had been sown on 80% of the cultivated area. The same variety had been sown already in Bulgaria in 1968" on 85% of the area under wheat cultivation. Two Soviet varieties and two from the G.D.R. were cultivated on 70% of the entire area sown with wheat in Czechoslovakia. In the different climates of the Soviet Union, 63 varieties of seed from other COMECON countries we. recultivated. In 1971 the COMECON States plan to exchange 55,900 tons of seed. These supplies will meet import requirements. Average hectare yields in grain have increased in the Ger- man Democratic Republic by. 27%. This increase is the out- come of successful work of agri- cultural production cooperatives and of improved breeding and fertilizing, as well as of increas- ing mechanization of grain pro- duction. Is Pedt: ine te abe 8 ‘re — A BOMB CRATER AT LINH-PHUNG SCH as bomb craters in South Vietnam and spread disease rapidly. CAVC responded to Dr. Segall’s help by earmarking $2,000,00 for quinine and more medical urgently needed. ches, pagodas, temples and creches were destroyed.. Three hospitals were razed to the ground. Shipments from the Canadian aid to Vietnam Committee from December 1969 to May 31 1970 totalled $19,588.45 worth of gar- ments and bedding, first aid com- presses, surgical supplies and in- struments, dental supplies, me- New Ceylon Gov't Democratic COLOMBO — Ceylon’s new United Left Government an- nounced plans to nationalize banks and the nation’s retail trade in moves to lay the foun- dations for a socialist society. It also announced full recog- nition for the German Demo- cratic Republic, North Korea, North Vietnam, and the Provis- ional Revolutionary.Govern- ment of South Vietnam. Diplomatic relations with Is- rael are to be suspended until Israel withdraws from the Arab territories occupied in the 1967 war, or reaches a Middle East settlement acceptable to the Arab states. ; These moves were announced in a speech from the throne out- lining the Government’s policies Mrs. Bandaranaike’s_ coalition government—including plans to turn the island into a republic. Governor-General William Go- pallawa read the speech out- ling the Government’s policies to MPs and enthusiastic crowds numbering several hundred thousand in Independence Square. Republican State Since independence in 1948 Ceylon has been a monarchy within the Commonwealth, with the Governor-General represent- ing the Queen, but now plans to have a republican constitu- tion. The new constitution will “‘de- clare Ceylon to be a free, sov- Yields in autumn sown wheat rose from 3.05 tons ot 3.80 tons per hectare (about 214 acres) during this period. The area un- der wheat has been increased and that of rye decreased. cure imaaet aniow At -sttaG ’ perialism and colonial! OOL, SOUTH VI fill with water, mosquitoes | ; 1 ' dicines and vitamins, ey® es, school supplies, and 4 of wheat flour from thé for Vietnam Committee in Moose Jaw, Sask. Lil Greene, Chairman Ontario VOW Knitting { reports that by the end 014, 11,063 items of clothing 4” ding had been shipped Vancouver Committee. — un ereign and independent ! oo pledged to realize the objet" of socialist democracy: — speech said. Ae The new Government, el \ last month, is a coalition 9% Bandaranaike’s Sri Lanké dom Party (SLFP), the C° ist Party, whose generé tary Pieter Keunemann 5 ing Minister, and the T!") Lanka Sama Sama}J (LSSP), which holds the Mi portfolio. and two other tries. In addition to the natiO? tion moves, the Gov pledged to end policies ° nomic dependence a" its colonialism practised bY ~~ decessor. Schoolchildren are to e, midday meals, and there jot! a subsidized rice ration * Press Freedom The state would take qi of imports of essential ae : ities, and expand its § Ceylon’s export trade ni agencies will direct Pl, industries, and CeyloniZ@™, private enterprise will duced.. The new Government vd to ensure press freedom courage an end to domin® jj” the daily press by © monopolies. Independent é guided by Ceylon’s nati — xy 3s ed oF terest, would be bas wall alignment with any mil power blocs; the princi? the 1954 Bandung nO conference; opposition siti support for national i struggles. - “ioe