When the ill-fated League of Nations expired on the eve of World War II it’s end did not come about unexpectedly, suddedly, or without due warning. As a body dedicated to the lofty cause of ‘‘peace at its origin, it was early destined to become nothing more than a not very subtle international conspiracy for war. Born out of the Versailles ‘“‘peace’’ Treaty of World War I, it was inevitable that the then Big Powers dominating the League, mainly Britain, France and the U.S., would direct the bulk of their attention to war as the only instrument they knew for the preservation and extention of-their own imperialist interests. They balked long and loudly against admittance of the Soviet Union into the League (just as today the United Nations by U.S. domination, has managed to exclude the Peoples Republic of China for nearly 20-years until now), then ignored all basic propositions for peace from U.S.S.R. sources. The same League powers that had repeatedly expressed their great “indignation” (?) at Kaiser Wilhelm’s imperial attitude on ‘‘poor little Belgium’’ and his Potsdammer estimation of international treaties as ‘‘scraps of paper,’’ were themselves to do exactly the same 20-years later in the Munich betrayal of poor little Czechoslovakia. Many of the older generation of today will remember the impassioned pleas of Soviet Ambassador Maxim Litvinov before the sessions of the League Assembly on the pressing urgency of collective security against the rising menace of Hit- lerism. But his pleas were destined to fall on deaf ears, and history was to ‘‘repeat itself’’ in another costly and bloody war. During the greater half of its short lifetime, the League’s principle powers had assisted in the total elimination of the provisions of the Versailles Treaty, and built up Hitler as an instrument of their implacable hatred of the Soviet Union. “The evil that men do live after them, the good is oft interred with their bones.’’ So wrote the Bard of Avon. But he could have added a footnote, in the case of most of the principles of the League of Nations, there “was little left to inter. The burning question of today is still that of Man’s quest for peace, and in this agonizing and long drawn struggle, will the United Nations survive or suffer the same ignominious fate as the League of Nations. Will history once again repeat itself? True, the UN is much stronger, much healthier, much closer to the millions of the world’s peoples than ever the League of Nations was. It has many more organizational ties, economic, political, social and humanitarian than ever the League possessed. But it is cursed with the same inherent evil, the domination of a U.S. imperialism, to which aggression and war, murder and mass genocide at home and abroad, is second nature. An evil which asserts itself in the councils of the UN by bribery, intimidation, corruption and worse. Can an organization (any organization) dedicated to “keeping the peace” long survive under such a baneful influence: and/or, taking upon itself the role of ‘‘world policemen,” unleash its “‘private’’ wars upon other nations and peoples, entirely independent of the UN as a world body for the preservation of peace? and upon precisely the same pretext as Hitler advanced for World War II? The wars and killings now raging in Indochina, the Middle East. Pakistan, Ireland and elsewhere, with British and U.S. connivance and participation, and especially the latter, render the peace-keeping work of the UN almost impotent and hopeless. Each power, with U.S. backing and support, covert or open, steps up its killings and destruction, and despite the pleas of the UN, regards its actions as its ‘‘own private affair.” Now we have the long-practiced U.S. *‘Two Chinas”’ issue to further bedevil the UN, its mounting pile of debt, accum- ulated by peace-keeping activities, but without much success, and the stepping down of its trusted and devoted Secretary- General U Thant. Grave portents that history (this time as a great tragedy) may again ‘‘repeat itself.” This time the world’s peoples in their tens of millions have an opportunity. nay a sacred duty, to see to it that the UN will neither be destroyed nor transformed into an empty husk. It is still mankind's only hope for universal peace. You Are Invited to A RECEPTION To Meet WM. KASHTAN, National Leader Communist Party of Canada to mark the PARTY’S 50th ANNIVERSARY TUESDAY — OCT. 12 at7 p.m. DELL HOTEL — 10662 King George H'wy Surrey Smorgasbord & Refreshments Adm. Adults $2. Students $1. All Welcome PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1971—PAGE 2 By ALD. HARRY RANKIN The Amchitka nuclear test which president Nixon. plans to carry out in early October is not only irresponsible — it is a criminal act against mankind. Highly placed U.S. scientists have pointed out the dangers in- herent in the five megaton blast, in terms of radiation leakage, earthquakes, tidal waves and damage to ocean life. Some predict the harmful effects will continue for 50,000 years. Other experts have testified that the test is completely unnecessary from a military point of view because the Spartan missile involved has already been declared obsolete. The test is a downright invasion of Canadian sovereignty in the sense that if anything does go wrong, now or later, Canada and its West Coast will be the first to suffer. Although U.S. politicians have repeatedly declared that the possibility of adverse effects is almost nil, their actions belie their words. If the test is indeed harmless, why is it being carried out a point farthest away from the U.S. mainland? One can only conclude that the Wes. military-industrial complex is so hell-bent on testing destructive weapons that it doesn’t give a damn about possible effects now or in the future. What the U.S. military has done to Indo China with its. new weapons of destruction, against both the land and its people, bears this out. It may be of some consolation to some people to believe that “whom the gods would destroy they first make mad,” but our problem is to stay the hand of these madmen before they destroy us all. We can only hope that the almost unanimous opposition of the Canadian people to the Amchitka blast will cause President Nixon to have some second thoughts and call it off. Trudeau must act on H-test The B.C. Peace Council this week wrote Prime Minister Trudeau urging him to make a strong condemnation of the proposed Amchitka test directly to Nixon. The letter says that the B.C. Peace Council, along with thou- sands of B.C. citizens is deeply concerned about the explosion of the Amchitka nuclear bomb. “We are glad that you and Mr. Sharp and Mr. Davis made such good statements setting forth Canada’s position, but it is our understanding that the last formal written note from Canada to the U.S. was deliv- ered to the U.S. State Depart- ment in February, 1971. “We feel that the protest in Canada has been so great that Canada’s condemnation of the test should be communicated directly by you as head of our government to Mr. Nixon.’’ A stronger protest is needed at this point, says the letter. Pointing to the disaster the test may lead too, the letter says, ‘‘We are sure that a majority of Canadians would welcome the action we suggest.”’ 4; lili! ihe \ iN: Pill iy \! \ S 1h | | unt watt hi ja ‘To trigger or not to trigget? |) |e LL : : i Hitt in) y ii i iO it Ly Socred banner. in Ontat : nd Two self-admitted members of the fascist edn at Society are running as Social Credit candidates 0 } bine provincialprovincial election, in Toronto Beaches ce High Park ridings. wood William Stewart, Ontario Leader of the Communist this week wired Premier W.A.C. Bennett demanding mie “immediately repudiate the presence of these @” ke Canadian democracy on the Social Credit ticket, 0" to see that their nominations are withdrawn at once: d pul In his wire, Stewart points out that the Society is notorious in Toronto as a group of Edmun fascist | mo) => engaged in disruption of democratic meetings a violence against peaceful citizens. The PT would like to hear from Premier Ber important issue: Where does he stand on fascl running under the Social Credit banner? The P would like to know. st ho? eople 0 Civic political storm boils up in Victoria VICTORIA, B.C— ‘“‘I_ think it is going to be one hell of a fight, the likes of which we have not seen in a long time,” said a city hall official recently. That statement pretty well sums up the city political situation in Victoria and indi- cates that campaigning has already begun. The reason for the early start is that the city and surrounding municipalities ane. facing. a= crisis ~ of development policy. On the one side is a real estate, land speculator, Chamber of Commerce dominated council whose only concern is a quick buck regardless of the long term effect on the appearance of the city or the quality of service to the homeowners and tenants. On the other is an aroused, angry public, determined to put an end to these practices and to © elect aldermen and a mayor more responsive to their wishes, interests and needs. In the City of Victoria 400 ratepayers, a record, turned out cao -) mectif to a recent council ne coll attempt to prevent 404 from giving the V- 0 afd option on this propery al ge to receive urban rep ; for this project. ie In Oak Bay, 8 pemnee out to the last coun’ tt? a oppose shopping or 0a? which would © ty Windsor Park. : activin? All this intens fot va crystallized in t e cit of a broadly basé zation, at pres’ of af ‘Concerned cities dry | toria” (CCV), Wie [Ole i up a program of aC aif round activity 0? oth iat average citizem, "to ie and tenant. It pla and ! ie slate of ratepaye! 49 aldermen and may?’ ypll this December * a elections for ‘aaa seats.