cae

Munich conference against Paris pacts

Bavarian unions want
lrearmament plebiscite

From Bavaria, once the most reactionary part of Germany, trade unionists are de-
manding stronger action to defeat German rearmament.
Meeting last week in Munich, cradle of the Nazi movement and centre of the
zone occupied by U.S. troops, the Bavarian Trades Union Congress, representing nearly
a million trade unionists, unanimously demanded a plebiscite on whether Germany should

rearm,

Here a Pacific Tribune correspondent tells the story.

MUNICH

Representatives of nearly one million Bavarian trade unionists unanimously called

last week for intensified action against West German rearmament.

They instructed the

Bavarian TUC executive to organize a plebiscite in Bavaria on rearmament, and demand-
ed that the West German TUC should conduct a wide and intensive campaign against

rearming,

‘This Bavarian TUC conference
Was meeting to lay down policy
for the next two years. There was
Considerable criticism of the West
German TUC for not having im-

_Plemented last October’s congress

€cisions against rearmament.

Th a unanimous resolution the
Bavarian trade unionists asked the
West German TUC to:

© Conduct a campaign with pic-
_ tures, meetings, demonstra-
tions, exhibitions and poster
Parades against rearmament.

Produce a special pamphlet
explaining the effects of re-
armament and to publish
articles on the subject in the
trade union journals.

Take a secret poll on rearm-
_ ament of the six million mem-
bers of the West German
TUG.

Submit petitions to the West
German and provincial par-
liaments.

Organize plebiscites through-
out the West German Federal
Republic.

Organize special joiht confer-
ences of all trade unions and
the TUC in Bonn to show the
resistance to rearmament.

Oppose any alterations to the
constitution which would pre-
vent people rejecting con-
Scription' on conscientious
grounds.
‘The TUC’s economic expert, Dr.
Victor Agartz, called for a great
Wave of resistance to rearmament
® come from Munich.
orenz Hagan, conference chair-
man, read out a message of greet-
ing from East German trade union-
ists, which was warmly acclaimed.
© said that growing numbers
'n West Germany rejected re-
Militarization because they be-
'eved reunification was the
Most important question.
Ww Quite apart from the fact that
€st German rearmament would
aes reunification very question-
Bese LON a long period . . . we
stifiably fear that the burdens
% Tearmament would lead to an
PPreciable reduction in living
Standards,” Hagan said. ’
renee Reuter, a TUC deputy
i at also opposed West Ger-
an rearmament on the ground

that it would hamper reunification.
eee OG

Jamaica presses
for independence

a KINGSTON

Norman Manley, new premier of
piuaica following the victory of
the People’s National party at
a Polls earlier this month, has
Sin eed that he will press Brit-
fo to grant legislative demands

r full internal self-government.
ba Said he would ask what is
Ps done about the recommenda-
Hoan of the House of Representa-
ee Which voted unanimously for
ho54 nal autonomy on October 21,

Expelled Socialists
stay on commissions

PARIS

Sixteen French Socialist deputies who, true to the interests of
France and the demands of their constituents, voted against the
rearmament of Western Germany have been expelled by their party’s

executive. ~

But in the Socialist party's National Assembly group — where

members, unlike the executive,
must face the rising tide of con-
stituents’ anger directed against
those who voted for German re-
armament — right wing leaders
have received a rebuff.

A move by Socialist party leader
Guy Mollet to exclude the 16 de-
puties from participation in the
choice of Socialist representatives
on the National Assembly’s com-
missions was defeated by 47 to 26.

The 16 expelled deputies oppos-
ed both the European Army plan
and the Paris agreements. _

Max Lejeune, who voted against
both projects, and whose appeal
against his earlier expulsion will

-lbe heard together with those of

African mine

strike solid

CAPETOWN

Despite intimidation and at:
temps to starve them out, the strike
of 37,000 Northern Rhodesian Afri-
can copper miners, now in its
fourth week, remains solid. ‘

Only some 2,000 essential main-
tenance men are still at work with
the consent of the Northern Rhode-
sian African Mineworkers’ Union,
which heads the strike — one of
the greatest in the history of the
African labor movement. _

Union leaders have rejected
claims by company spokesmen that
these 2,000 represent a “return to
work” and have emphasised that
they are working on union in-
structions.

Throughout the mine compounds
a great campaign of meetings is
under way in support of the miners’
demand for approximately $1.50
more a shift. pos ;

The present daily minimum 1s
only 40 cents for Africans as com-
pared to $12 for Europeans.

Few Europeans receive only the
minimum rate, but most Africans
are in the lowest grade. :

Net profits of the four big cop-
per companies — Mufilira, Nchan-
ga, Rhokana and Roan Antelope —
rose from $63 million in 1952 to
$90 million last year.

According to statements of the
Rhodesia Selection Trust, which
controls Mufilira and Roan Ante-
lope, present profits of the indus-
try are running at about $120 mil-
lion per annum before taxes.”

The African miners’ wage claim
would cost about $18 million.

the newly expelled 16 at the So-
cialist party’s congress next month,
retained the group’s support for
his membership of two commis-
sions.

Another opponent of German
rearmament, M. Lacoste, who vot-
ed against the European Army
plan, was nominated as vice-presi-
dent of the assembly.

At the same time, the Socialist
deputies voted to exclude a prom-
inent Socialist backer of German
rearmament, La Bail, from the im-
portant French Affairs Commis-
sion.

Following the votes Guy Mollet
and his closest supporters storm-
out of the meeting.

Characteristic of declarations
coming in from rank-and-file So-
cialists throughout France is that
of the Socialist mayor of the little
town of Rivesaltes in the Eastern
Pyrenees, Jean Jacquet. :

“We have suffered so much dur-
ing two wars and from German
occupation, that we cannot think
of rearming that same Germany
without alarm,” he told ‘a deputa-
tion. :

“As an ex-soldier, wounded in
the war, I am against such rearm-
ament, and for general disarma-
ment, simultaneously and controll-
ed. That is the only way to a
lasting peace.” — ;

vote d

Ratification of the Paris

for opening debate on the principle
of the Paris agreements instead of
February 9 as originally intended.

Postponement: of the debate
means that the decisive vote will
probably not be taken until March.

In the meantime, a tremendous
campaign against ratification’ of the
agreements is being conducted
throughout West Germany by the
trade union, youth and church or-

West German

elayed

; N
agreements for rearmament of

West Germany, which Chancellor Konrad Adenauer had
hoped to force to a vote in parliament early next month, has _
been delayed by the steering committee of the Bundestag
(lower house). The committee set February 24 as the date

ganizations, and the Social Demo-
cratic and Communist parties. ‘

Over the past two weeks there
have. beén mass demonstrations in
many West German cities, includ-
ing a youth demonstration in
Frankfurt organized by the So-
cialist Students Organization and a
torchlight procession through the
streets of Bremen organized by the
Communist party.

fo extend

CAPETOWN

The Nationalist government, now
headed by fanatical Prime Minister
Johannes Strijdom, has embarked
on a campaign to extend its apar-
theid (separation) policies which
threatens to plunge South Africa
into bitter strife.

Strijidom is moving in two
directions, to curb the authority
of the courts over the constitu-
tional powers of parliament and’ to
separate European and African
populations by shifting thousands
of Africans to segregated areas
where they will be removed from
direct social and residential con-

tact with Europeans.

Thousands of African workers are condemned to live in
miserable hovels like that shown here.

Strijdom begins drive

apartheid

Aim of Strijdom’s measures to .
curb court powers is to deprive
some 50,000 colored voters in Cape
Province of their franchise. Prey-
ious government measures to trim
colored voting rights have been
thrown out by the courts,

First mass shift of Africans will
take place in February when 60,-
000 Africans in Johannesburg will
be forced to leave their homes and
move to areas designated by the
government. The South African
National Congress, representing
the majority of organized Africans,
has warned that it will “oppose the
removal at every stage regardless

of the consequences.”

Drive to ban A-bomb stepped up

-The Soviet Union may allow
Western scientists to inspect a
Soviet atomic power station,: Ilya
Ehrenberg, famous Soviet author,
told reporters in Vienna last week.

Speaking at the conclusion of
the World Peace Council bureau
session in Vienna, Ehrenburg said
there was no obligation on the So-
viet Union’s part to admit “the
idle and the curious” to pry into
Soviet advances in the atomiic
field, but he felt there was “the
probability or at least the possi-
bility” that foreign scientists
would be allowed to inspect a
Soviet atomic power station.

Asked if he considered that by
banning atomic weapons the dan-
ger of war would also be banned,
Ehrenburg answered: ‘

“No. But a ban on weapons
which are essential weapons of
mass extermination, aimed at mur-
dering unarmed women and child-

ren, innocent aged people, the sick

and mfimed in their homes and
hospitals—that would be a signifi-
cant step forward toward a general
easing of tension.” :

Asked if a 1,000-million signa-
tures for the “Ban the Atom
Bomb” campaign was the World
Peace Council’s aim, Ehrenburg
declared: “A thousand million is
only about*half the world’s popu-
lation. The number of signatures
we want is unlimited.

“Our real aim is to force the
governments of the nations to re-
cognize the will of humanity and
forbid the development, manufac-
ture and use of such weapons of
indiscriminate destruction.”

At the end of its session, the
bureau issued a declaration say-

ing: “At the outset of 1955 two
threats to the peace of the world
have become definite: the remili-
tarization of Germany and the
steps taken to prepare and justi-
fy atomic war.”

4

Scientists may see Soviet A-plant

An “appeal against the prepara-
tions for atomic war” warned:

“Today certain governments are
-preparing to let loose atomic war.
They are trying to make the peo-
ples accept it as inevitable.

“The use of atomic weapons
would result in a war of extermin-
ation. We declare that any gov-
ernment that lets loose atomic war
will forfeit the trust of its people
and find itself condemned by all
the peoples of the world.

“We demand the destruction of
all stocks of atomic weapons
wherever they may be and the
immediate stopping of their manu- —
facture.”

An “Appeal to the Peoples of
Europe,” issued by the bureau,
calls for the continuation of the
struggle against the rearming of
Germany, saying that “the peo-,
ples cannot be bound by deci-

sions adopted by parliaments
against their will.” -

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — JANUARY 28, 1955 — PAGE 3

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