Gov't obscures issue

NATIONAL
EQUALITY
KEY TO
UNITY

"[HERE are no problems in Canada the Cana-

dian people cannot settle by, themselves .

without outside interference, be it from
France, the USA or any other country. This in-
eludes the complex problem of English and
French Canadian relations, which far from be-
ing improved, have become aggravated by gov-
ernment and Conservative Party manoeuvres,
all directed to maintaining the status quo and
the inequality of the French Canadian people.

This was to be seen in Prime Minister Pear-
son’s statement last week to the effect that “the
provinces do not need to be liberated”.

This misrepresents the question before the
country.

What is involved is not the “liberation” of
provinces, but the recognition of the right of
both Canadian nations to self determination,
and the embodiment of that right in a new con-
stitution which will achieve the equal, voluntary
partnership of French and English Canada.

Until and unless this is achieved we face the
prospects of deterioration in the situation which
will only benefit U.S. imperialism. Prime Min-
ister Pearson also called for national unity. The
fact is however that without national equality,
the strengthening of the Canadian identity,
genuine action to curb growing U.S. control
over the Canadian economy and measures to
ensure that the Canadian people will be the
beneficiaries not the victims of the technological
and scientific revolution, there will be no ge-
nuine Canadian unity.

A government which fails, as the Pearson
government has failed, to solve any of these
problems at home cannot stand up for Canada’s
‘interests in the world, ‘cannot pursue an inde-
pendent foreign policy of peace which will win
the respect of all peoples.

Slapping the wrist of President De Gaulle
does not answer the basic problems before the
country. To survive Canada must strengthen its
independence on the basis of a two nation state
and national equality for the French Canadian
people.

William Kashtan,
Central Executive Committee
Communist Party of Canada

Anti-aircraft ‘defense unit of lbngshoremen in hehe

ENDS. PEACE INITIATIVE

U Thant condem”
American bombif

N HIS sharpest condemnation
of American policy in Viet-
nam Secretary General of

the United Nations, U Thant de-
scribed the was as “totally un-
necessary.”

In an address to the fourth
world conference of the Society
of Friends at Greensboro, North
Carolina, he said that mass me-
dia of communication were
used to obscure the truth and to
justify actions however unjusti-
fiable.

He said the dangers of this
could be seen in Vietnam and
the Middle East.

The Vietnam war had been
escalated over the past 2%
years, he said. “There seems to
be no end in sight yet, accord-
ing to published reports, pro-
gress is Claimed, which the
facts belie.”

Thant’s remarks are in direct
contradiction to oft - repeated

statements by President John-
son and other American officials

that the war is “progressing
favorably” for the U.S. and their
Saigon puppets.

“It is nationalism, and not
Communism,” said U Thant,
“that animates the resistance
movement in Vietnam against
all foreigners, and now particul-

‘arly. against Americans...

“J am convinced that the war
cannot be brought to an end
until the United States and her
allies recognize that it is being
fought by the Vietnamese not as
a war of Communist aggression,
but as a war of national inde-
pendence.

“I regard the continuation of
the war in Vietnam as_ being
totally unnecessary. :

“I have analyzed the public
statements of the objectives on
both sides, and if the task of
diplomacy is only to realize the
objectives which are explicit or
implicit in these statements, I
believe this would be possible
and an honorable peace could be

brought about ins

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