URGE CLC FIGHT INFLATION yin ace Peg Labor Council — PORTUGAL’S FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS SOVIET UNION MOSCOW — Welcoming Mario Soares, foreign minister of Por- tugal to the Soviet Union, Andrei Gromyko called for further strengthening relations between the two nations. The Soviet foreign minister said that “strengthening peace and security in Europe and the world was in both countries interests.” He also warmly wel- comed the program of decolonization being developed by the new Portuguese government. Speaking at a dinner in his honor, Soares said, “Portugal is faced with great difficulties. It will have to reorganize the whole of the socio-economic system which existed earlier and pave the way to socialism.” He added that on this road they “met new friends, one of the first of which is the Soviet Union.” Arismendi is freed after wide protest By YURI GVOZDEV APN Commentator MOSCOW — Rodney Aris-' mendi has been set free. The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Com- munist Party of Uruguay has come out of the gloomy prison in the country which only re- cently was considered — “the most democratic” — on the con- tinent. The local oligarchy prided itself on the constitution — and itself trampled it under foot when it failed to cope with the deteriorated social and eco- nomic crisis. The ruling classes praised the country’s parliament — and did not stop short of dis- solving it as soon as_ their Policies had led them into a deadlock. Bourgeois leaders paid lavish lip service to democracy and human rights — but de- _ Stroyed them fearing the up- RODNEY ARISMENDI: surge of the people’s struggle for their rights. Best Forces Severe censorship, mass _ar- rests and persecution of demo- cratic parties and organizations followed. The onslaught was directed above all against the communists, the vanguard of Uruguayan working people. The parliament and municipal coun- cils were dissolved. The Natio- nal Convention of Working Peo- ple, which unites over 500,000 toiling people, was _ banned. Drawing on the reactionary wing in the armed forces, the oligarchy launched an anti-com- munist campaign in the country and cracked down on the broad front, in which the best forces of the nation were united on the basis of a patriotic anti-imperial- “ist program. The front’s leader, General Liber Seregni, was thrown into prison. The reac- tionaries also arrested First Sec- retary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party Rodney Arismendi. Rodney Arismendi is widely known not only in Uruguay but throughout Latin America. For many years in succession the people of Uruguay elected him to parliament. A whole genera- tion of fighters was brought up on the example of his passionate activity in defence of freedom, democracy and _ independence. He is not only an outstanding revolutionary but also one of the most senior parliamentarians on the continent. Rodney Arismendi Continued on Page 10 lists four WINNIPEG — In its final meeting of 1974, the Winnipeg Labor Council una- nimously passed a resolution calling on the CLC to begin a nation-wide cam- paign to combat inflation and produce ‘a program for full employment. Workers in Winnipeg, like many workers in other cities throughout Canada have been hard hit by both _rising prices and layoffs. In December, prices in Winnipeg rose faster than in any other Canadian city. For all items with women of the whole world for eq ment and peace. * 1975 has been proclaimed as International Women's Year by the United Nations. It is a year for solidarity NORAD, Canada’s military pact with the United States, will be up for renewal on May 12 of this year. But NON-RENEWAL will serve the best interest of Canada and of all Canadians. _ NORAD is closely linked to NATO. Canada’s par- Ay pation in these two military pacts has cost Cana- Jan taxpayers more than $50-billion over the past ; years. This huge expenditure of the national ae has cost Canada dearly in terms of economic evelopment and the common good. More sinister though: this military alliance with US. imperialism has cost Canada its sovereign prero-° neue of decision-making in respect to peace or war. at decision resides in the Pentagon and with the -S. Government, tial Withdrawal from this military alliance is essen- tal if Canada is to achieve genuine independence and Sraelish fully her sovereign right of independent de- “ eee making. It would open the way for Canada to as truly positive role for a just and stable world _ Withdrawal from this military alliance would re- lease substantial sums presently squandered in the wasteful arms race for great country-building projects and for raising living standards of all working people. Canada can take a first big step in this direction by declining to renew the NORAD agreement on May 12. It is now opportune to take this step. For after 25 years of cold war, confrontation is giving way to an acceptance of equality of security and peaceful co- existence. Economic blockade is giving way to the development of trade, culture, and scientific exchanges between Canada and the socialist countries. Detente is gaining ground over the cold war. It is in Canada’s fundamental interest to work to extend detente and to make it irreversible. Public opinion in our country is becoming more and more in favor of Canada following such a course. The Canadian Labour Congress is on record for Canada getting out of NORAD. So is the New Democratic Party. The Communist Party has opposed NORAD priorities the rise was 13% over one year earlier. And the news of the high prices was compounded by mass layoffs at one of the-city’s largest industrial firms, Saun- ders Aircraft Ltd. In the debate of the resolution, dele- gates noted that the recent federal bud- get introduced by Finance Minister John Turner failed “completely to combat the spiraling inflation” and that “there are increasing indications that the Canadian economy is heading into a recession.” The resolution called ‘on the _ Canadian Labour Congress to launch a nation-wide campaign to press the Trudeau government to implement an effective .anti- inflation program based on full employment; a tax policy to re- distribute the national income in favor of the working people in- stead of concessions to the cor- porations; a Prices Control Board with powers to roll-back unjusti- fied price increases and interest gram of publicly-owned low- cost housing as well as low-cost mortgage loans; tough new anti- combines legislation and an ex- cessive profits tax.” Similar resolutions from other labor councils to the CLC are needed to ensure that the CLC does take some positive action. Recent statements made by food industry spokesmen point to the urgency of action by the coun- try’s leading labor body. In mid- December, a member of the fed- eral Prices Review Board said that shoppers will face further food price increases in 1975. “There is no basis for optim- ism that the increase in food prices next year (1975) will be any less than it was in 1974,” the agency said in its quarterly report. Then the Review Board went on to say: “Canadians will pay 16% more for food in 1975, ’ with higher prices for beef, pork and other meats, poultry and dairy products. But the labor movement and Canadian consumers are going to have to do more than merely follow the advice of apologists of the food industry such as Maryon Brechin of the Consum- ers’ Association of Canada, who Continued on Page 10 e & uality, develop- Speak up now against renewal of NORAD! ever since this cold war pact was imposed upon the Canadian people. The Canadian Peace Congress and all peace organi- zations in Canada favor Canada withdrawing from NORAD. So do most church organizations. The Assembly for a New Canadian Foreign Policy representing more than 100 labor, peace, church and solidarity organizations and groups called for Canada to take this step. 3 What is now needed is for all organizations, all individuals who oppose Canada’s participation in NORAD to speak up in one mighty united voice de- manding that Canada not renew NORAD on May 12. Deluge the Canadian Government, Parliament, Mem- bers of Parliament, and Opposition Parties with let- ters, petitions, delegations and lobbies! And do it now! Central Executive Communist Party of Canada PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 1975—Page 5 rates; a national housing pro-_