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sonality, assumed a second ‘iden-
tity, that of a minister Kroever,
ministerial councillor in the in-
vented “Department for Civilian
Protection” of the Ministry for
Internal Affairs. The “team”
Wallraff and Kroever then dis-
covered in an adventurous in-

vestigation the existence of a

private army organized, armed
and trained with full cooperation
of the ministry, by the large con-
cerns, to be used for strike
breaking and to destroy the
constitutional rights of the work-
ers. The clumsy attempts of the
ministry to deny the uncovered
facts has only resulted, in show-
ing as a subsequent issue of
“Pardon” proves in July, “that
West German internal policies
cannot be trusted a wink.”

e

Wallraff enquired with the
ministry about rumors of armed
units in factories and was as-
sured that no such thing could
exist: it would be illegal. Then
he turned to a few of the largest
concerns. He called ‘“Continen-
tal”, the chemical works in Han-
nover. Introducing himself as a
reporter, he wanted to know if
there was any truth in rumors
about a “protection unit” in the
concern. Mr. Bockenkamp, a
managing director spoke to
Walraff and stated very de-
finitely that this was “a wild
story” and complete nonsense,
Wallraff received the same reply
by the man in charge of puolic
relations of the “Henschel”
works in Kassel: “For heavens
sake, this is nonsense!” But
when Wallraff some time later
again called “Continental”, intro-
ducing himself as ministerial
councillor Kroever. who had to
discuss a confidential matter, to
check for the ministry, how far

London Councilman, Dr. David
Pitt, proposes to change its em-
phasis from legislative lobbying
to being a grass-roots body.

Tackling the London bus sys-
tem, where Negro workers have
many jobs as conductors and
drivers with equal pay, the West
Indian Standing Conference ne-
vertheless calls sharp attention
to the fact that no colored work-
er has yet been appointed an
Inspector. Citing facts to sub-
stantiate their criticism they call
for immediate action. ae

Under the criticism and pres-
sure of the past year, the cabi-
net has finally announced that it
proposes to extend the Race Re-
lations Act to cover discrimina-
tion in jobs, housing, insurance
and granting of loans.

Regrettably the T.U.C. has
joined the Confederation of Bri-
tish Industry in opposing new
legislation on this question. In-
stead, they still want to rely on
“voluntary machinery.” This
corresponds to the Tory Daily
Telegraph, who editorially favor
“voluntary cooperation” and
vigorously oppose “forcing in-
Surance and mortgage compa-
nies to do business on some ab-
stract basis of equity.”

In opposition to the TUC, the
Transport and General Workers
Union—Britain’s largest union—
at its recent national convention
called on the government to
amend the existing law and
make illegal precisely these
forms of discrimination.

The Ministry of Social Insur-
ance has just issued a report ad-

preparations for the “protection
unit” had progressed, the same
Mr. Bockkenkamp told him with
pride how well-prepared the
factory was. Bockenkamp also
disclosed that he had a cadre of
200 “leading” personel, absolute-
ly reliable people, trained and
armed, who could take charge of
larger units. He also told “Kroe-
ver” that he was in charge of the
whole “operation” and has his
own informers to check on what
was going on among the work-
ers. Bockenkamp is a member of
the provincial parliament.

The Trib will carry a story in
sketches by Avrom done during a
recent trip to Europe in a future
issue.

In the Henschel works, “Mr.
Kroever” spoke to Erich Rose, a
former police officer with 34
years experience in the police
force, now in charge of the

secret “works protection”. Mr.
Rose regretted that things aren’t
any more what they used to be
in times passed, and that now he
has to move very cautiously. His
unit poses as an auxiliary fire
brigade, but he has enlisted
many young men with military
training. Rose also knows how
to get rid of workers with “left”
tendencies, and how, in his own
private “examination of sus-
pects”, to make them talk.

In the Adox work in Frank-
furt, Mr. Fahlen informed “min-
isterial councillor Kroever” of a
secret meeting with officials of
the ministry and the army, “only
yesterday,” and when reporter
Wallraff phoned Fahlen to en-
quire about a meeting with min-
istry and army officials, the
same Fahlen said, this was just
a crazy rumor.

e

- Mr. Dehl of VCD in Frankfurt
described his method to get rid
of “leftists”. Usually they are
“foreigners”, and Mr. Dehl uses
his good connections with the
police to inform them “unofficial-
ly”, and the “suspect” is de-
ported.

Mr. Ruth, of “Stahlwerke AG”
in the Ruhr area, told the minis-
terial councillor that the indus-
trial “cream” of the Ruhr, like
Mannesmann, Thyssen, and si-
milar large corners have com-
bined into a big ring exchanging
information and experience on
how to deal with strikers. They
are in constant contact with
military intelligence. The works
protection leaders meet every
Friday at the police school in
Duesseldorf for lectures. When
reporter Wallraff phoned the
Duesseldorf police school, the of-
ficer first denied any such meet-
ings. When Wallraff said that he

Nest Germany another Greece?

had the information from one of
the participants, and that the
meeting took place every Friday,
the officer admitted: “Oh, they
just use our rooms, but we don’t
instruct them.”

€

Mr. Neumann of the Mannes-
mann corner, in charge of the
“protection units” informed
Kroever that the operation was
very secret, that members of the
unit are trained in the use of
arms, that he has “close con-
tacts with the police, the Office
for the Protection of the Consti-
tution, and other authorities”. A
week later reporter Wallraff
phoned to Mannesmann, asking
for information on reports that
people are being trained in the
use of weapons. “Someone must
have pulled your leg” is the of-
ficial reply. Suddenly the man
says to Wallraff: “I know where
you got your information. We
have been warned about a man
posing as a ministry official, who
is trying to obtain information.”
And Mr. Wallraff replied: “This
is really scandalous, the public
must be alarmed!”

A lame attempt to refute the
charges of Wallraff only suc-
ceeded in confirming their truth.
So far the authorities have hesit-
ated to take steps against Wall-

raff for. “unlawfully assuming an |

authority”, which they had
threatened. The unions have de-
manded an investigation. ‘“Par-
don” has printed excerpts from
‘manuals of the “Industrialists
Federation”, instructing the fac-
tory owners how to organize

armed units, prevent and break

strikes,. because “the commun-
ists prepare to conquer the
world”.

panoramic survey

mitting that nearly half a million
families, containing one and a
quarter million children, had in-
comes last year that are below
the present Nations Assistance
level. 145,000 of these families
were fatherless. Another 160,000
had father who were either sick
or unemployed while 140,000
had fathers who were employed
at low wages. =

Of the seven million families
with children, nearly 1 in 14 fall
into this category. But poverty
extends even further, covering
seven and a half million people,
of whom three million are child-
ren.

The Government just announ-
ced one of its sleight-of-hand
measures. With one hand they
propose to increase Family Al-
lowance by 7 shillings a week
for each child after the first.
But this will only come into
effect next April, although in
October a 5 shilling increase will
be paid starting with the fourth
child. With the other hand, in
the same announcement, it pro-
poses to increase school meals
by 6d (7 cents) and welfare milk
by 2d (24% cents) a bottle. This
increase, while continuing to re-
fuse to cut the arms bill or drop
the east of Suez imperialist poli-
cies, will cost the parents an-

other £25 million ($70 million) a .

year.

@

During the eect in the
government announc that un
employment in July was 543,680
— the worst July figure in 27
years. The following day the

Chancellor of the Exchequer ad-
mitted to the House that he ex-
pected an increase in the num-
ber of jobless during the com-
ing winter. It is freely admitted
that this will be in the neigh-
bourhood of 700,000.

Adding fuel to. the govern-
ment’s fire was Minister Richard
Grossman. Blurting out what
others were thinking he tried to

‘plackmail the unions into sup-

porting the Government Incomes
Policy by threatening them with
the “same medicine as before”.
There was an uproar inside and
outside Parliament TGWU lead-
er Frank Cousins said “Let us
tell him that the medicine of
unemployment is the disease and
not the cure.”

The TGWU convention con-°

demned the Government’s In-
come Policy, demanded a £15
($42) a week minimum wage
and 3-weeks annual holiday, and
promised full protection for its
shop stewards in their daily
struggles. It also called for a
drastic reduction in arms spend-
ing, for government disassocia-
tion from U.S. policy in Viet-
nam, and opposed entry into the
Common Market without the
previously adopted five guaran-
tees of the Labor Party.
Further opposition comes from
the teachers and printing unions.
Traditionally conservative print-
ers’ leader John Bronfield, says
that trade unionists and their
organizations are being treated
with contempt “by a. govern-
ment that prefers to find allies
among the merchant .-pankers

and big industrialists’, while
draftsmen’s union leader George
Doughty said that to leave the
question of wages to the Prices
and Incomes’ Board meant
“there is no place left for trade
unionism.”

The Communist Party in a
statement warned about a
“Harsh Winter” threatening “the
working people as the govern:
ment’s entire economic policy
faces collapse.” Holding the 12
months application of Wilson’s
July 19665 freeze and -squeeze
policy responsible it says “Far
from solving any problems, these
had been the main factor in
bringing about the present grim
situation.”

It then outlined an immediate
program of action, domestic and
foreign, around which it asked
“everyone to go into action
now.”

6

In the midst of this situation
the T.U.C. prepares to meet on
Sept. 4th in Brighton. The print-
ing of the resolutions indicates
the Wilson Government is in for
a hard time. Dominating the dis-

cussion, as far as the sentiment -

of the affiliated unions are con-
cerned, are two series of issues
—lIncomes Policy and Common
Market. Of 41 resolutions on
Incomes Policy, all except one
are critical of the government.
Twelve unions, including
T.G.W.U., shop assistants, boil-
ermakers, garment workers, fire-
men, draftsmen, scientists, ex-
press outright opposition to the
aentire, policy. 5 -ecisorece