a

ROTO rE Ts Ne ES

Canada missed chance
at Leipzig trade fair

By MAX REICH

BERLIN—‘‘A most successful
fair’’ was the opinion of exhib-
itors and visitors at the closing
of the Leipzig Trade Fair on
March 10.

There were exhibitors from 64
countries, visitors from 91 coun-
tries and, during the fair, deals
between the GDR and business
representatives from 81 coun-
tries were concluded, including
Canada and the USA.

All countries of any import-
ance in world trade were well
represented in Leipzig, with one
sole exception: Canada. McCabe
Co. Ltd., grain dealers from Win-
nipeg, were exhibiting as well
as an asbestos firm through a
British representative and Can-
ada Packers through a Hamburg
firm. About 40 business people
from Canada visited the fair.

I had a discussion in Leipzig
with Hans Kynast, deputy gen-
eral manager of the fair. I want-
ed to know his opinion on the

‘lack of Canada’s interest. Was

it a boycott, had Canada no-
thing to offer or was there no
incentive for Canadians to ex-
hibit in Leipzig? :
‘Kynast did not believe the
reasons were political. The ad-
vice by NATO to boycott the
Leipzig fair is disregarded by

’ the member countries. The lead-

ing firms of Britain, France,
Belgium, Holland are very keen
on what Leipzig has to offer
them in business contacts and
contracts,

: Of the NATO countries it is _
only the USA—to please Bonn

—which refuses to issue licences
to would-be Leipzig exhibitors.
Just the same, the boycott is a
fiction. Many and big U.S. firms
are represented in Leipzig
through their branches in Brit-
ain and other West European
countries.

West Germany, the instigator
of the boycott, is one of the
largest exhibitors in Leipzig.
Trade between East and West
Germany amounts to a billion
dollars annually. Those big West
German firms like Krupp, who
officially bow to West German
pressure on the boycott, have
their representatives in Leipzig
unofficially.

Kynast believes that the ab-
sence of Canadian exhibitors
and business people is due to an
underestimation of the realtrade
possibilities between Canada and
the GDR and is a failure to rec-
ognize the role of the fair in
trade promotion.

*‘We are interested in buying
from Canada,”’ Kynast said,
‘sand not only wheat’’. But it
will be mainly. up to Canadian
business not to miss such an
opportunity as Leipzig offers.

Bonn makes a concentrated
effort in Canada to present a
distorted picture of the German
Democratic Republic and people
are kept ignorant of the real
tradé opportunities with this
highly-developed country. Bonn
is afraid once the true potential
is recognized, it would lead to
an expansion of trade between
Canada and the GDR,

Hit anti-Semitic book
put out in Soviet Union

The official Tass Agency in
Moscow this week reprinted
strong criticism of a Ukrainian
book on Judaism, which had
been attacked abroad as anti-
Semitic.

The criticism first appearedin
a lengthy review of T. K. Kich-
ko’s book in the Kiev Ukrainian-
language journal Radyanska
Kultura Goviet Culture).

The review said drawings in
the book were ‘‘of low artistic
standard’? which ‘‘can only in-
sult believers.”’

The text, said the review,
contained statements which
were ‘‘denied by scientific data’.

It added that working Jews
of the Soviet Union ‘‘toiled with
dedication’ on the five-year
plans, fought the nazi invaders,
and were now helping to build
communism.

The review noted that 99 Jews

Geneva trade

Soviet Foreign Trade Minister
Parolichev has told a UN-spon-
sored trade conference inGeneva
that U.S. advice to needy na-
tions to help themselves is ‘‘a
rather slippery formula.”’

The USSR was countering” it
with her own formula of low-
interest credits to the develop-
ing lands to finance projects
which became their own property,
he went on. :

He added that the USSR also
looked for an expansion of trade
with Western countries and with
the developing lands. i

Patolichev said that last week’s

hold the title of Hero of the
Soviet Union, while ‘‘tens of
thousands have received orders
and medals.’’

* * *

In Canada, the United Jewish
People’s Order condemned the
book and especially the ‘‘despic-
able caricatures.’’ It called on
the Soviet government to with-
draw the book from circulation
and place the author and car-
toonist on trial.

At the 18th national conven-

tion of the Communist Party of -

Canada, held in Toronto over
the weekend, delegates applaud-
ed an announcement that Soviet
authorities had withdrawn the
book from circulation. Earlier
the convention had endorsed
action of the national executive
committee in writing for a copy
of the offending book, prepara-
tory to issuing a statement.

talks begin

policy statement by George Ball,
U.S, Under-Secretary of State,
had created a ‘‘rather hard im-
pression’’ which had not been
lost on delegates from under-
developed countries.

The American formulaseemed
to be: ‘*You are not willing to
help yourselves, so why should
we help you?’’

The conference is meeting with
the aim of starting to resolve
some of the enormous problems
faced by countries which have
suffered for years under the
yoke of imperialism and foreign
exploitation.

Vancouver Labor Council sec-
retary Paddy Neale reported to
Council meeting Tuesday night
that the VLC and B.C. Federa-
tion of Labor will submit a joint
brief to the External Affairs
Committee. hearings in Ottawa,
opposing the present Columbia
Treaty and endorsing the Mc-
Naughton plan.

The labor council also voted
unanimously to send a letter
to NDP national leader Tommy
Douglas and the entire NDP par-

OBITUARY
GEORGE SAWZIK

In failing health for the past
year or more, George Sawzik of
Vancouver passed away last week
at his residence in the Stratford
Hotel in his 88rd year.

Born and educated in the
Ukraine, Mr. Sawzik emigrated
to Canada at the turn of the cen-

tury and spent the greater portion,
of his working years on railway

construction work.

Keenly interested in all pro-
gressive movements . and the
building of a strong labor press,
George Sawzik was one of the first
honor press builders in this
year’s financial campaign for the
Pacific Tribune. Just a few days
before his death he came to the
PT office and donated $110.00
to the campaign, one of the many
donations George Sawzik had
made to the cause of progress
over the years.

NORMAN SMITH

A staunch worker for peace, a
veteran Communist and a man of
sterling qualities, NormanSmith,
widely known in Vancouver labor
and progressive circles, passed
away on April 13 in St. Paul’s
Hospital in his 86th year.

In failing health for anumber of
years, Norman Smith was well
known for his work and activities
in the Vancouver Peace Council,
and inearlier years intrade union
circles in Edmonton and the
Yukon Territory. He joined the

Communist Party back in the

“Hungry Thirties” and took an
active part in party and press
campaigns.

Norman Smith is survived by
a sister resident in Virden, Mani-
toba, and by other close relatives
in West Vancouver andthe Fraser
Valley.

liamentary group, congratulating
them on . their ‘‘determined
stand’” oppe’sing the sellout treaty
and fighting for the McNaughton
plan.

Council delegates also decided
to request the B.C. Federation
of Labor to urge.the Canadian
Labor Congress to lend its sup-
port to the NDP group in Ottawa
and urged the CLC to invite
James G. Ripley to state his
position on the treaty before the
Congress. The CLC convention
opens in Montreal on April 20.

Ripley is a leading engineer
who has been one of Canada's
most outspoken advocates of
scrapping the sellout treaty.

The Commons External Affairs
Committee hearings
Columbia Treaty opened Tues-
day. The first witness to appear
was External Affairs Minister
Paul Martin, who was the chief
negotiator in finalizing the terms
of the present treaty.

’

on the —

i WD

a

Attending the opening sessl :
of the hearing was General ‘
L. . McNaughton, the 1
chairman of the Canadian
negotiating with the U.S» ie
now the treaty’s chief @M 7”
After Martin’s submission ©
Naughton indicated that he re
not altered his belief that
treaty is a sellout of Cane oo

He said Martin's submis®
added nothing new whatevel | .
suggested that the comm}
should closely question 4
ternal Affairs Minister. —

Adding considerable weig™
labor’s opposition to the ;
was the current issue Ohne
formation’’, a magazine PU
ed by the United Steelwo
of America in Toronto. ‘

The magazine devotes 2
pages to an article by L
Higgins, economist with thé
ario Hydro Commissi0M; ©”
strongly condemns the treaty®

supports the McNaughton PIE

te’

PM promises action on race
issue in reply to protests

Prime Minister Lester Pear-
son, replying to a letter fromthe
Victoria Branch of the Com-
munist Party, has promised that
Serious attention will be given by
his government to the problem of
race literature flooding the
mails.

Text of Pearson’s letter fol-
lows:

‘Thank you for your letter of
March 9 expressing your deep
concern, on behalf ofthe Victoria
Branch of the Communist Party
of Canada, about the distribution
of anti-Semitic and hate litera-
ture through the normal mail
services. I deplore and despise
such activities and can under-
stand your feelings about the dis-
tribution of such material,

‘“As you may know, my col-
leagues, the Minister of Justice
and the Postmaster General, are
looking into this matter thor-
oughly with a view to action that
would bring effective results in
preventing the distribution of
such literature and in prosecut-
ing the culprits under the law,
while respecting freedom of
Speech and communication. We
are very conscious of the impor-

tance of this matter. A
“T appreciate your writilé
you did.”? (The letter was si E
ed by the Prime Minister). ee
Pearson’s reply was if ae
to a demand from Ernie
of the Victoria branch, 10%
government ‘to put enough t a
in the Criminal Code to pre ie
the dissemination of such ¥” ae”
U.S. inspired, racist and ae
tionary propaganda in our oe
try and to punish those resp?

ible for participation in SUC
tivity.” :

Also speaking out on the q ‘
tion of fascist literature in
mails was the United Elect
Workers Union (UE).

C. S. Jackson, union pres!
wired the Prime Ministe? ©
recent distribution of hate lit
ture ‘‘reveals a weakness if
adian laws in protection °
citizens and requires imme
legislation to make it a eri
offence to incite hatred Fé
or color.”’

Jackson’s wire welcomed
announcement that postal
thorities had already act
close down some of the
which were known to be

di

tributing material of this Ye

ALVIN HAMILTON, former Canadian agriculture min-
ister, is shown above during his visit to People’s
China, which he undertook to promote trade between
the two countries. He said during his visit that ““90

spa

percent of the Canadian people want to develop

friendly relations” with China. Hamilton, who is poitf
accompanied by his wife, said ‘‘there will be tré
dous interest if people in our country get the pict
that we see here.”’ ;

; April 10, 1964—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Pag? ‘

f
ott

—7 mw (ABs fo Ce Eee,

Go = QD wy

n> Cm OFF QD |

oe ty a Pe Ay

pe: ae wae Se oe