SUPPORT OF U.S. FOREIGN POLICY HIT ‘Best thing Meany can do for labor is to resign now’ — says B.C. labor Under the heading, ‘Meany Right Behind LBJ’s Shock Troops,’’ the June issue of the Labor Statesman, which is published jointly by the B.C. Federation of Labor and the Van- couver and District Labor Council, carries a leading editorial calling for the resignation of AFL-CIO President George Meany. The editorial expresses the growing criticism of Meany which is spreading in U.S. and Canadian labor circles. Following is the full text ofthe Labor Statesman editorial: rc There is something bordering on the obscene to hear a labor leader applaud the use of shock troops to suppress an oppressed minority in a foreign country, But that done. Specifically, Dominican Republic. There and wrongs were simply reduced to specious questions of Rights and Lefts. So Mr, Meany supported the U.S, intervention in the Domini- can Republic on the dubiously familiar grounds that this was another blow “for freedom” struck by the State Department and the Pentagon, How wrong he was is now abundantly clear by the retreat of even the Pentagon from the original position that the revolt: in the poverty-ridden Dominican Republic was another “commun- ist plot.” But it was enough to get U.S, troops into the country and Meany was right behind them in spirit, VLC head hits Meany PADDY NEALE The policies of AFL-CIO pres= ‘ident George Meany came under sharp fire last week on theSeven O’Clock Show, Channel 2TVpro= gram, by Paddy Neale, secre- tary-treasurer of the Vancouver and District Labor Council. Neale told interviewer Doug ‘Collins that Meany’s policies were far to the right and contrary to the interests of North Ameri- can labor, He supported the policy put forward in an editorial in the Labor Statesmen which called for Meany’s resignation. is precisely what George Meany, shining head of the AFL—CIO has recently Mr. Meany has come out four-square behind U.S, President Johnson’s dispatch of paratroops and marines to the were apparently no questions in his mind, no reser- vations as to the rights and wrongs of the situation, Rights. Yet we should not be too sur- prised at this man’s attitude. For a long time he has been recognized as standing usually. somewhat to the right of Ameri- can Manufacturers’ Association, For example, Mr. Meany warmly approved the threat to close all U.S, ports from Maine to Mexico if U.S, surplus grain were shipped to communist coun- tries, : This threat came from the kingpin of the notorious Inter- national Longshoremen’s Asso- ciation, an affiliate of the AFL— CIO. and in approving of it Meany was far to the right of many U.S, business men, But what makes this latest. tactic most disturbing was that he used the name of the Internation- al Confederation of Free Trade: Unions in order to give asem- blance of international labor approval, This maneuver has been firm- ly rejected by many Canadian unions, As contributors to the ICFTU they have voiced their re- sentment and point out that the ICFTU has fought hard to improve the lot of workers under totali- tarian regimes around the world, Indeed, ICFTU concern ex- tends to totalitarian regimes such as existed in the Dominican Republic which U,S, troops, with Mr, Meany’s approval, seem de- termined to prop up. What Mr. Meany has done in a single stroke is to bring the ICFTU’s slogan “Peace, Bread and Freedom” into serious dis- repute, But no less important, it has revealed Meany’s total bankrupt- cy of the ideals of labor, ideals normally associated with anyone holding the responsible position as leader and spokesman for labor. Thus Mr, Meany has hopelessly compromised labor and himself by his support of the U,S, inter- vention, More recently, Meany has in= truded into Canadian labor af- fairs, He has castigated the Canadian Labor Congress for. daring to issue charters toCana= dian workers, charging this con- stituted establishment of “com- pany unions.” Past-intrusions into Canadian labor matters evidently have taught him nothing, His arro- ‘gance during the SIU affair, the chaos which the AFL-CIO pre=- cipitated at Crofton Pulp Mill - still rankles with many Canadian ‘unionists, " The severe problems he has created for several international unions in Canada indicate that Meany looks on Canada in mich the same way as he does the Dominican Republic. Perhaps labor cannot expect anything less of a man who once publicly boasted that he “never walked a picket line.” We cannot afford such a com- promise, Meany’s continued leadership of the AF of L-CIO is a serious liability, His resignation at this point would be the most important con- tribution he could make to North American labor, ‘This picture reproduced from the Labor Statesman shows President Johnson and China pays tribute On May 31 Peking newspapers ‘paid agreat tribute tothe memory George Meany. The Labor Statesman editorial reproduced here charges Meany is far to the right of many U.S. businessmen and condemns his “past intrusions into Canadian labor matters.” of the Canadian surgeon, Norman Bethune, who died 4 years ago while serving with” Eighth Route Army ofthe Chin@ People’s Liberation Forces. This tribute marks the 000 sion of a new book entitled*NO™ man Bethune—Great Internatio? alist Soldier” by the China YOU" Publishing House. The People’s Daily (Pe and other Peking papers dev full pages of stories and pictll of the Canadian surgeon at W and among his Chinese com rades, They also carry in full 4 wor word to the book by Vice-Prem ‘ Nieg Jung-chen, who at that uu was commander of the Shensh Charhar-Hopei military % where Dr, Bethune worked. In the foreword the china Vide Premier says: “Norman Beth worked, not only for the peo of his own country, but for all ; oppressed and exploited 6 world, He went to Spain in Mae to help the Spanish people a ing against German and Itall ‘ fascism, and when the chine : people began their long against Japanese aggressiOMy came to China.” 1S THE EVENT OF THE YEAR san ; Sat., June 12 8 p.m. QE Playhouse * | Be there early! (Doors open at 7 p.m.) 30th Birthd ay WILL PERFORM AT PARTY. One of the: star attractions at the PT 30th Birth- day Party will be TOMASI TAWAKE, young folk artist who came to Van- couver from his native Fiji Islands re- cently. He will be joined by many other young performers at the gala celebration. Party Music Dances | Folk Songs Festivities * Final result#m of Spring Finan cial © ; Drive it! “9 sone June. 11, 1965—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Pad”