ig
NIVERSARY—
’MMUNIST PARTY OF CANADA

}NIVERSAIRE
U PARTI COMMUNISTE CANAD:

king back over these past 50
We have reason to be proud of
a ‘tributions our Party has made
, Organization and advance of the
Ng class and its democratic allies

a :
Cause of peace, democracy, inde-.

Ce and socialism. Our Party has
Sbeen at the service of the work-
1-88, helping it at every stage of
qtuggle, seeking for ways in
to strengthen its understanding,
“8S and socialist consciousness so
5! could carry through its historic
€%n, the achievement of a socialist
*. We take pride in the fact that
Y Of the issues advanced first by
l’mmunist Party have since been
i up and acted upon by other poli-
a d social forces.
s%ugh the various stages of the
‘sle in our country, our Party has
téhigh the banner of Marxism-
osm and proletarian international-
aft combined patriotism, love of
oY and its people with fraternal
€-and international solidarity with
B'St socialist country—the USSR
/@With the socialist community of
if following the Second World War
‘ the workers of the world and
ples fighting for their emancipa-
— imperialist rule.

alse past 50 years have been years
vel and varied experience for our
nthe working class and democra-
Btves, experiences which are of
€llable value for us.

: Will continue to serve the work-

48s, confident that it and its al-
ef "ough their own experience and
ne of the Communist Party which
g§€s Marxism-Leninism with the
oi Novements of the people, will

ie © road to socialism. ...

: Special importance of this Con-
‘4. lies not only in the fact that it
4.°S with the 50th Anniversary of
jtty. It lies too in that it has the
of adopting the Party Program
the Policy Statement, both of
j have been actively discussed
» the Party for three months or
4 These two documents need to be
: 4*red in the context of the signi-
Changes taking place in the

, ena and in Canada....

g Growing Crisis of Imperialism

ce are, from time to time, speci-
yg ™ments in history which could be
a,crucial, when the balance tips
gid more in favor of the peoples.
41° in such a particular moment in
4 Characterized by a consider-
qveakening of the positions of
4.8m, particularly that of U.S.
lism which has been the main-
: if monopoly rule, by the further
4, 2g of the general crisis of capi-
and by a continuation and deep-
. Of the revolutionary upsurge
Shout the world.

)

“ world capitalist economy is
king a period of serious difficul-
ali many capitalist countries there
‘mp in production, a decline in
ete of growth, a continual rise in
Nn. The monetary and trade sys-
Set up in the postwar period by
perialist powers are showing
%f complete collapse. The steps
by the Nixon Administration to
“Ne the monetary and currency
‘8nd save the U.S. dollar at the
Se of its allies, has led to a sharp-
4, inter-imperialist contradictions
Ae stepped-up attacks on the
ne people. The growth of un-
Yment, rising prices, a drop in
ages for workers, monopoly at-
.°n trade union rights, above all
8ht to bargain collectively and to
— all of this leads to the grow-
nomic and political instability
Mitalism, to the further sharpen-
the class struggle in all capital-
7) “Ntries and a growing trend to

Excerpts from the Keynote address to the 21st Convention of the
Communist Party of Canada, Toronto, November 27, 28, 29, 1971.

working-class unity against the mono-
poly offensive....

While imperialism is undergoing a
profound economic, political and ideo-
logical crisis, the most acute of the
postwar period, the world socialist sys-
tem, and the Soviet Union in the first
place, continues to progress in all
fields. In contrast to the growing
strength and authority of the socialist
world, there is a relative weakening
and disintegration of international im-
perialism and of U.S. monopoly capi-
talism. The socialist countries are not
affected by economic crises, by unem-
ployment, by rising prices, by currency
crises.

Realization of these contrasts is

‘more and more entering the conscious-

ness of working people in the capitalist
countries.

Imperialism, U.S. imperialism in the
first place, has not given up its efforts
to reverse the course of history. De-
spite defeats and weakening of its
position, it still wields considerable
strength. However, it is coming up
against the opposition of the peoples
of the world and the changing relation-
ship of forces. The historical initiative
remains firmly in the hands of the
revolutionary forces, the world social-
ist system, the international working
class and the national liberation forces.

This can be seen in the peace offen-
sive undertaken by the Soviet Union
since the 24th Congress of the CPSU,
a peace offensive which is already
bearing important fruit... .

The treaties, alongside the visits of
Mr. Brezhnev to France, Mr. Podgorny
to Hanoi, Mr. Kosygin to Canada, and
the agreements arrived at, strengthen
the trend to peaceful coexistence of
countries with different social systems,
to international detente, to European
security, to the tearing down of the
edifices of the cold war built up by
imperialism, and to the promotion of
world peace.

The statement by Prime Minister
Trudeau that Canada will establish
diplomatic relations with the German
Democratic Republic before too long
is to be welcomed as a significant con-
tribution in that direction, as was the
joint communique signed by him and
Premier Kosygin of the Soviet Union,
covering agreements on approaches to

a political settlement in Vietnam, the ©

Middle East, on European Security and
a European Security Conference, on

WILLIAM KASHTAN, general secretary delivering the keynote speech.

nuclear disarmament based on equality
of security.

They indicate that new winds are
blowing, that favorable conditions
exist for compelling imperialism to re-
treat, that the imperialist drive to ag-
gression can be curbed providing there
is the maximum unity and coordination
of efforts of the anti-imperialist forces
of the world, of the socialist commun-
ity of states and the international
working class movement.

Since our last Convention there has
been a strengthening and consolida-
tion of the unity of action of the inter-
national communist movement. Tem-
porary difficulties and differences are
being overcome. A number of Com-
munist and Workers’ parties who at
first were critical of the action taken
by the Warsaw Treaty countries in

Czechoslovakia have since then re-
evaluated their positions and today
recognize the correctness of the action
taken. The growing cohesion in the
international communist movement
finds its echo in the growing trend to
unity of action of the anti-imperialist
forces of the world and in the trend
towards unity of action between two
of the three international trade union
centres, the WFTU and the ICFTU.

The changing relationship of forces
on a world scale in favor of peace,
democracy and socialism, the military
defeats suffered by U.S. imperialism in
Vietnam and in other parts of the
world, have compelled the Nixon Ad-
ministration to shift its tactics. This
does not reflect a new progressive
trend in U.S. imperialism but rather
the development of new tactics to
carry Out old aims.

One of these has been the decision
to normalize relations with the Chin-
ese People’s Republic. This decision
and the entry of the PRC into the
United Nations, constitutes an historic
defeat for U.S. imperialism and a vic-
tory for the socialist countries, the
international working class movement
and the national liberation movement,
all those who have fought to protect
the gains of the Chinese revolution.

The shift in tactics of the Nixon Ad-
ministration corresponds with a shift
in tactics of the Chinese leaders while
maintaining their main aims. This shift
also arises from failures in domestic
and in foreign policy which brought
about a serious crisis in China.

The Chinese leaders could not but

note the historic offensive by the revo-
lutionary forces of the world against
the positions of imperialism, the grow-
ing upsurge of struggle of the peoples
for peace and security. It is this which
has compelled the Maoists to make
another turn in their policy and in their
aims.

Previously, these leaders attacked
the advocacy of peaceful coexistence of
countries with different social systems
as a “betrayal” of the revolution and
as constituting “collusion” with imper-
ialism. Now the Chinese leaders declare
their support for the “five principles of
peaceful coexistence” as the basis of
relations between the PRC and the
USA. Previously the Chinese leaders
argued in support of the inevitability
of world nuclear war. Now, they speak
in the voice of a dove.

One could say ‘that this is all to the
good and that the Chinese leaders have
moved away from a previously harmful
and extremely dangerous line. The
facts however, do not suggest this at
oN ees

On all the main questions of peace,
the unity of the anti-imperialist forces,
the unity of action of the international
communist movement, the Chinese
leaders maintain their own special
ideological - political platform, one
which is anti-Leninist in its essence.

The Chinese leadership opposes col-
lective security both in Europe and
in Asia. It is opposed to the Treaties
between the USSR and Poland and the
Federal Republic of Germany. It throws
roadblocks in the way of concrete steps
leading to agreement on questions of
disarmament and the prohibition of
nuclear weapons. It has made anti-
Sovietism and the struggle against
other socialist countries and Marxist-
Leninist parties an integral part of the
policy and program of the Communist
Party of China. The only difference
here is that it pursues a policy of dif-
ferentiation, aimed at dividing the so-
cialist community of states.

As part of this approach and with the
aim of dividing the anti-imperialist
forces the Chinese leaders have come
forward with the thesis of “struggle
against the two super-powers” or its
variation, the struggle against ‘one of
the two super-powers.” This anti-
Leninist thesis has become the watch-
word under which the Chinese leaders
pursue their anti-Soviet course. This
so-called “theoretical” proposition is
aimed at covering up the non-class po-
sition of these leaders, of trying to
negate the fundamental difference be-
tween the socialist Soviet Union, the
mainstay of peace, independence and
socialism throughout the world, and
that of U.S. imperialism, the most ra-
pacious imperialist state which is the
gendarme of the world’s people, the
upholder and defender of the system of
exploitation and oppression, and of
death and destruction, as in Indo-
china... .

The consistent struggle against Mao-
ism and for the principles of Marxism-
Leninism and proletarian international-
ism is a necessary part of the struggle
for unity of action of all anti-imperial-
ist forces, and thé unity and cohesion
of the international communist move-
ment=>2

In light of developments internation-
ally our Party has a two-fold task,
first, to do everything in its power to
help strengthen unity of action of the
anti-imperialist forces based on the
unity and cohesion of the international
communist movement, and secondly, to
help widen the peace movement in our
country, help make the trade union
movement a vital and active. force for
peace and for an independent foreign
policy and make Canada’s voice stand

e Continued on Page 6

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1971—PAGE 5