sant Trade unions can no longer confine themselves to defence against economic exploitation and the so-called everyday bread and butter issues. Today, when the working class has assumed the historic initiative for human progress, the trade unions have an im-— portant role to play in direct- ing the social and political, as well as the economic battles that determine the present and future destinies of humanity, moving inexorably toward so- cialism and communism. The old order does not retire gracefully but resorts with fury and violence to acts aimed to reverse the irreversible. Impe- rialist policies and aims find their expression in fascism and war. Anti-communism becomes the smokescreen for the most heinous crimes. Civil War in the 1930’s, which became the dress rehearsal for the Second World War, was sus- tained by Hitler and Mussolini in the name of anti-Communism to strangle Spanish democracy. Returning to Canada from Spain, and prior to his departure for China in 1937, Dr. Norman Be- thune warned us: “Let us have done, then, with the miserable deception of anti- Communism. It has served Hit- ler and Mussolini well, but not the enslaved German and Italian peoples. It may have a pleasing sound in Tory ears, and salve PACIFIC TRIBUNEsFRIDAY; DECEMBER 1, 1972—PAGE 8 cid Hi (REABAASSE © AMA (YARISA-—SnUBAT OID 88 The Spanishi | the conscience of some British labor leaders, but it is rank dis- honesty nevertheiess. It is the great lie of our decade. It is the last refuge of the reactionary whose political arsenal is empty, whose world is bankrupt, and whose thirst for power is desper- ate and undiminished. That is the lesson of Spain. I hope we never forget it.” 5 * “The dog barks, but the train moves on,” as the old saying has it. Big changes have taken place in the world since Dr. Bethune spoke to those of us who were prepared to listen to him in the 1930’s. But the struggle goes on. Today in Indochina massacre is conducted in the name of anti- Communism, and the Americans are now on the one hand seek- ing an escape from it, while on the other they are desperately looking for ways to keep the flames of war burning by all manner of delays and manoeu- vres. How well do we remember the lesson of Spain and the ter- rible war that followed? How seriously do we take the danger of a new catastrophe of even more horrible destruction and unmeasurable consequences ‘for humanity? Above all, how do we all measure up to our responsibili- ties to prevent this, and where does Canada’s trade union move- ment stand on this overriding issue of peace or war? The wartime alliance between the Soviet Union, Britain, France and the United States was the key to defeat of the fascist powers. Its logical follow-up was the unification of world labor in a World Federation of Trade Unions, organized on Soviet-British initiative to pre- vent fascism and world war from ever recurring again. However, the handful of cor- porate giants in capitalist Unit- ed States, Britain and Western Europe started a “cold war’ to again consolidate their power and hoped—for supremacy by the old technique of “divide and rule.” Again the ideological poi- son of anti-communism became the means by which to divide the world trade union move- ment when an international con- federation of so-called “free” trade unions was established in opposition to the World Feder- ation of Trade Unions. But historic necessity dictates, and reality asserts itself. Wors- ening social contradictions and growing class struggle once again dictate the need for unity to defeat state-monopoly power, the force for continued exploita- tion and war. Today the World Federation of Trade Unions represents 160 million out of the world’s 260 million organized workers. The WFTU, which includes unions from the socialist countries, con- sider that effective trade union action against monopoly exploi- tation by capital will remain seriously weakened in the ab- sence of all-in unity of trade unions without exclusions. But the ICFTU insists on maintaining division and non- cooperation. Last July in London, the ICFTU Congress rejected the proposal to establish rela- tions and contacts with the regional organizations of the World Federation of ~ Trade Unions, and the proposed European trade union con- ference from which multi- lateral consultations and flexible forms of coordination could emerge, including the possible future emergence of an indepen- dent European trade union or- ganization with each centre participating on an equal foot- ing and able to maintain its international affiliation should it so choose. For many ICFTU- affiliated unions in Europe this stand has led to incomprehension and anger. They have rightly asked whether the leadership of the ICFTU wishes to continue the cold war in the international trade union movement, while improved relations and coopera- tion are taking shape in rela- tions between states and govern- ments. Donald MacDonald, president of the Canadian Labor Congress, and groomed for his new post as the ICFTU’s president, attack- ed the concept of a projected 16- nation European regional bloc by claiming this would mean the elimination of the ICFTU from the continent of Europe. Mr. MacDonald said that if the ICFTU lost its European core through the formation of an autonomous bloc, there would be little incentive for the AFL- CIO to rejoin the fold. (The AFL-CIO withdrew in February, 1969, dissatisfied with growing demands for unity of world labor, from which it has since become more and more isolated.) Running interference for the AFL-CIO to prevent unification of the world’s trade union move- ment, Mr. MacDonald was elect- ed president of the ICFTU at a time when it is in a state of deepening crisis as a result: of its cold-war and anti-communist policies. Perhaps this also ex- plans why the CLC Executive Council held its September meet- ing at the UAW Family Educa- toin Centre at Black Lake, Michigan, USA. Solidarity and co-operation is always to be welcomed be- tween workers of United States and Canada as between working people everywhere. If this was the significance of the CLC Exe- cutive Council meeting so. far away from home, all good and well. But if it was for the pur- pose of stoking the fires of cold war and disunity, in compliance with the wishes of George Meany and his pals in the AFL- CIO right-wing hierarchy, that is an entirely different matter. % Another meeting of the CLC ‘Wide gap David Archer, president of the Ontario Federation of Labor, says Ontario’s Minister of Health Dr. Potter seems more con- cerned with preserving the earning powers of doctors and dentists than he is with the health of the people. “The move by the health min- ister to deny denturists the right to serve the public and provide ‘low-cost dentures to people with limited means can only be in- terpreted in this way,” said Mr. Archer. He compared it with an- other recent decision by Health Minister Dr. Richard Potter which cut off aid to community health clinics. “Here again, a low cost med- ical service which apparently infringed on the earning ability of a select, self-disciplining group of _ professionals, has been scrapped for reasons that can hardly be called humanitar- ian,” he said. uv & Executive Council is scheduled. to meet early in December, "i will be interesting to see hile this meeting does with resPe@: to action to bring unions outsi4 the Congress into its fold 19}, line with instructions of rea tion No. 30 adopted at its,¥7 tl biennial convention last May an Ottawa. q Be ok co Canadian workers ought Ye make certain that they are aA going to be sacrificial lambs ‘¢ the power game played by Us imperialism to solve its Pol lems at the expense of ie weaker capitalist allies, such @ Canada, under the false cloa™ of anti-communism. Such a P3"- only invites isolation and #* aster. The road to security oi and *} of the powerful and socialist part of the world. ° political action must be tof an end to capitalist exploi by means of working class P™ tical power and the consti” tion of a socialist and comm! ist society. 4 Mr. Archer said the general public would benefit from well-regulated, governmentS¥ pervised denturist service ~ two ways: aD ‘Dentists would be provid’ greater time to practice )” corrective, preventive and sure. ical skills for which they 9 trained, and there would be a . easing of the backlog of cas®™h The second benefit to the P' hi tient would be reduction of © | and availability of service.” i Mr. Archer cited the OF} policy adopted at the 1971 cer . vention, which cited the Bee. necessarily wide gap betwee h the price dentists pay for dem h tures and what they charge P* tients.” he At its recent convention, a OFL declared Dr. Potter shoU resign for his mishandling the community medical cline which should provide low ©” medical care for workers.