Soviet delegation to U.S.

presses for arms agreement

_A delegation of Soviet par-
liamentarians recently completed
a ten day visit to the United
States. The delegation was led by
Boris Ponamarev, alternate
member of the Communist Party
of the Soviet Union and chairman
of the Foreign Affairs Committee
of the Soviet Nationalities, and
Included parliamentarians from
Many walks of life from a. coal
Miner to factory managers and
leading publicists.

In meetings with U.S. Senators
and House Representatives, dis-
cussions revolved around U.S.-
Soviet trade, the banning of the
neutron bomb and completion of
the SALT agreements.

At a joint news conference of
the Soviet delegation and the
U.S. lawmakers, Ponamarev
Stated the most urgent task was
“Practical steps in the limitation
of Weapons and their subsequent
Teduction through the completion
of SALT II.”” The USSR, he said
“does not and will not seek milit-
ary superiority over the other
Side.”’

But he warned militarists of
other nations against attempts “‘to
Violate the balance for their own
benefit.’” Agreement and signing
of the SALT II, it was pointed
Out, would be an important step
toward insuring the security of
both the U.S. and the Soviet Un-
ion.

“In our talks’’ Ponamarev said,
“we gave special attention to the
Production and deployment of
New weapons of mass destruction
— mainly the neutron bomb. We
have proposed an agreement on
mutually abstaining from produc-
tion of this weapon.”

meets with President Carter.

On questions of U.S.-Soviet
trade, a reporter pointed out that
75% of the American people, ac-
cording to a State Department
poll, favor repeal of the
Jackson-Vanik Amendment,
which blocks trade relations.
Ponamarev said repeal of this
amendment had been discussed.
“The potential for U.S.-Soviet
trade is much bigger ... this
amendment does not contribute
to trade relations between our
countries, although trade rela-
tions are mutually advantage-
ous.”

The latest steps by the U.S. in
the Middle East cannot be re-
garded other than a unilateral re-
jection of the understanding re-
corded in the joint Soviet-U.S.
statement of Oct. 1, 1977, a rejec-
tion of their common statement to
work for a comprehensive settle-
ment in Geneva, said the Soviet
‘delegation.

Boris N. Ponomarev, head of Soviet parliamentarians

delegation,

In their discussions with U.S.
Congressmen, the Soviets em-
phasized that, while supporting
the just struggle of the African
peoples for freedom and indepen-
dence, for the right to choose their
own path of development, the
USSR seeks no advantages and
privileges for itself on that conti-
nent. The way to eliminate con-

flict in the Horn of Africa is to’

withdraw the Somalian troops
from the territory of Ethiopia im-
mediately and to launch peace
talks.

The U.S. side also expressed
its views on all these matters of
overseas discussion. Most of the
American Congressmen stressed
that despite considerable di-
vergences of approach to a
number of problems, conditioned
by ideology, the promotion of de-
tente should be laid in the founda-
tion of U.S.-Soviet relations.

‘World Peace Council delegation
visits Vietnam-Kampuchea border

HANOI — A delegation of the
World Peace Council, led by its
President, Romesh Chandra, vis-
Ited border areas of Vietnam
Where attacks by Cambodian

ampuchean) forces have been

Teported over a long period.

Ata press conference in Hanoi,
Jan. 6, the delegation of the World
Peace Council called for ‘‘im-
Mediate steps by all governments
and peoples to ensure the start of
hegotiations for a peaceful set-
“lement as has been proposed by
the government of the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam.

‘The World Peace Council de-
gation is taking steps to inform
World public opinion of the true
facts of the situation on the fron-
her,” that press Conference was
told. The delegation expressed
Confidence that ‘‘all neighboring
and brother peoples whose sol-
\darity has been sealed in their
fommon struggle against col-
ONialism and imperialist aggres-
Sion can and will defeat the im-
Perialist and reactionary forces
and create borders of peace so

at they may together wage the

United battle for the building of a
New life.’

Pe. € delegation of the World
“ace Council released these
acts to the media concerning
€lr investigation:

of € met victims and witnesses

4 Series of massacres and at-

Iles committed against inno-
“ent Vietnamese citizens at sev-
si Places and on several occa-

Ons in this province. These ag-

gressive attacks and intrusions
have been continuing since May.
1975.

“Tn Darlack village alone 463
persons were killed, 217 male and
246 female. We saw the graves of
scores of those killed with their
names inscribed on a post on each
grave. Among them was a grave
of several children aged between
two and 11. Many had been brut-
ally beheaded. The story of the
raping and killing of the teachers
of the school was particularly
shocking. These aggressive at-
tacks have continued over a vast
area of the frontier.

‘The World Peace Council was
particularly impressed by the fact
that every person whom we met

including those from the village of
Darlack, whose families have
been massacred, always expres-
sed with deep conviction their de-
termination to work for friend-
ship, fraternity and solidarity be-
tween the Vietnamese and Kam-
puchean peoples.

‘‘Again and again we were told
that the Kampuchean people
themselves have expressed re-
sentment and anger at these acts
of aggression committed by the
Kampuchean armed forces. The
Vietnamese people are deter-
mined to defend their security and
their peaceful labor and to pre-
vent any repetition of the tragic
happenings which have continued
now for more than two years.”’

Christian Democrats join
struggle against Pinochet

ALGIERS — “‘A real platform
exists today in Chile for a rap-
prochement between the Popular
Unity Coalition and the Christian
Democratic Party.” This was
stated here last week by Luis
Corvalan, General Secretary of
the Communist Party of Chile.

Corvalan spoke at a news con-
ference in the Algerian capital fol-
lowing the close of the 5th Session
of the International Commission
for Investigating the Crimes of the
Military Junta in Chile. The Al-
giers meet was attended by lead-
ing figures of the Chilean Christ-
ian Democratic Party.

Renan Fuentealba, vice-
president of the Christian Democ-
ratic Party of Chile, spoke im-
mediately after Corvalan and
confirmed what Corvalan said.
“Our identity of views on the
main issue, the struggle against
the fascist junta of Pinochet, for
the democratic freedoms of the
Chilean people, is precisely the

thing that gives us a firm founda--

tion that will make it possible to
attain closer cooperation. This
cooperation will make the strug-
gle against the junta still more ef-
fective.”

WORLD NEWS

TRADE UNION ELECTIONS IN SPAIN

MADRID — The Workers Commissions have taken the lead in
preliminary results in Spain’s first trade union elections in 40 years.
The elections, which began Jan. 16 ran until Feb. 6 and about 6 million
Spanish unionists are eligible to vote. Early results show the Workers
Commissions with 34.9% and the General Union of Workers second
with 29.8%, ;

The Workers Commissions are led by Marcelino Camacho, a leading
member of the Spanish Communist Party. The General Union of
Workers is the trade union center of the Spanish Socialist Workers
Party.

CHILEAN CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS TRANSFERRED

SANTIAGO — The fascist junta has transferred 12 leading Christian
Democratic political prisoners to a new place of internal exile. The 12
were arrested Jan. 13 in the first major crackdown against the Christian
Democratic Party by Pinochet’s secret police. The transfer came
shortly before the opening Jan. 30 in Caracus, Venezuela, of the
meeting of the Political Committee of the World Union of Christian
Democrats. The Caracus meeting is expected to take up the case of the
Chilean arrests.

DUTCH COMMUNISTS CALL FOR UNITY, DETENTE

AMSTERDAM — The 26th Congress of the Communist Party of the
Netherlands has appealed for a united anti-monopoly struggle at the
close of its sessions here Jan. 22. A primary demand of the Dutch
people, the Communist Party said, is to strengthen peace and detente.
In this regard the CPN will strengthen its efforts against renewed
NATO war aims, work to make the Netherlands a nuclear-free zone
and take a determined stand against the attempts to deploy neutron
bombs in Western Europe. Dutch peace forces report they have gained
over 600,000 signatures on an anti-N-bomb petition in two weeks.

NATIONWIDE STRIKES AIMED AT SOMOZA OUSTER

MANAGUA, Nicaragua — The 40 year-long Somoza dictatorships
reeling under a massive general strike aimed at its overthrow.
Nicaragua’s Democratic Liberation Union (UDEL) said that over 80%
of the country’s organized labor has joined. UDEL a 10-party coali-
tion, illegal under the Somoza regime, has been joined by the only legal
Opposition party in demanding a multi-party democratic system. The
Nicaraguan Socialist Party, the country’s Marxist-Leninist Party, is
part of UDEL. Polling stations for Managua’s municipal elections Feb.
5 were reported nearly deserted as voters boycotted the elections.

VIETNAM PROPOSES PEACE TREATY WITH CAMBODIA

HANOI — Vietnam has proposed an immediate cease-fire and the
creation of a military demilitarization zone between itself and Cam-
bodia with international supervision. It also proposed the immediate
convening of talks between the two countries to negotiate a treaty
which would bind both to respect each other’s independence,
sovereignty and territorial integrity. Cambodia to date has not re-
sponded.

WEST GERMAN BAN ON JOBS IN SEVENTH YEAR

HAMBURG — As the West German ban on jobs for people said to
be “‘unreliable’’ (Berufsverbot) enters its seventh year, more than
5,000 people marched through the streets here demanding it be lifted.
Under the ban thousands of citizens are refused employment and the
blacklist is being constantly expanded to wider circles. The methods
used vary from the crude to the subtle.

Among the marchers was a teacher who is a victim of the ban
because he is a member of the West German Communist Party. The
official attitude to this matter is summed up by a Bavarian court which
recently declared another teacher unsuitable for employment because
every applicant to teach must be “‘an active anti-communist’’.

ESSEN — More than 20,000 West German youth parade through the

city in protest against youth unemployment.
PACIFIG TRIBUNET FEBRUARY. 14; :1978—Page-5