Tribune welcomes Open Letter to Canadian Nationalists CANADIAN INDEPENDENCE HAS AND IS OUR CONCERN TOO By the EDITORS HE issuance by the editors of Canadian Dimen- sions of an Open Letter to Canadian Natio- nalists can only be welcomed. The appearance of a proposal from them is certainly in line with the growing concern which they have been expressing in their magazine about the domination of our country by the United States. It is to be hoped that all those who are con- cerned with Canadian independence will react positively to the proposal put forward by Gad Horowitz, C. W. Gonick and David Sheps. In the letter they say: “Canadian nationalists have this in common. We are persuaded that.a Canada independent of the United States is desir- able; we are persuaded that current government policy is permitting Canada to drift ever further into the American society.” They correctly point out that the “advocates of closer integration with the United States are less numerous than are the nationalists, but they are far better organized. They are entrenched in big business, in the daily press, in government, in party organizations and in academic circles.” Their specific proposal to mobilize the sentiment in Canada for independence is “the formation of a non-partisan, non-sectarian, non-regional, non- racial alliance for independence.” Of such an alliance they say: “We need not gical strife is to have any significance in the fut- ure.” Pressure from such an alliance they visualize as being exerted through “petitions, lobbies, cross- country hearings, seminars, national assemblies, regular publications, policy statements, organiza- tions with political parties and voluntary associa- tions, and so on.” The record of the Canadian Tribune in support of a policy of Canadian independence from the United States goes back almost 20 years. When the policy of integration of the economies of the two countries was advanced by the then finance minister, Douglas Abbott, the Tribune op- posed them, warning that this could lead to the loss of Canadian independence. Since 1948, on all questions relating to the inde- pendence of our country, the Tribune has opposed policies which were whittling away at the fabric — of Canada. We advocated new trade policies to free our economy from U.S. domination; a foreign policy of. neutrality: an all-Canadian route for the trans-Canada pipe-line; Canadian development of the Columbia River, laws to prevent the taking- over of our manufacturing and raw material pro- duction by the U.S.; and so on. Our paper advocates socialism as the type of society, which can fully answer the needs of the Canadian people. But we do not believe that one must be in agreement that socialism is the best form of society in order to unite with all those i We do not share the view of some a too late to ensure Canadian independen@ if we share the view that the prices of indé is economic misery in Canada. fot We believe that if the main thrust of OF is and domestic policy was to be the inder development of our country Canada CO measure up to the vision that was rier’s: the 20th century shall belong We are aware that the fight for indeP oy will not be easy, that the Establishment are? mitted us to a road of integration, but we convinced that Canadians concerned W! y% dence, if they, as the Dimension editors ah, their differences and concert their actiO™ issue,” can succeed. (0 The record of our paper bears witness pl commitment to the principle of Canada ut! dence. We welcome the open letter an re! editors of Canadian Dimensions that we ® heartedly in accord with their propos@ 5 id Perhaps the editors of Domension eri their proposal one step further ant “oll conference of all those concerned Whit | 45! cuss a common minimum program 48 form of a continuing organization. ‘ pe! To be successful, we feel, there i sot fullest participation at every stage of ane do. so that those issues on which we di ol ft prove to be a barrier to the maximum of ind’? on.that with which we agree: a free 4” agree on everything, but we must agree on a com- who are in agreement with the proposition that mon minimum program now, if our partisan ideolo- Canada must be independent. Above is a view of the demonstration organized by the Committee for the Restoration of Democ- racy in Greece, which took place in Toronto last week. The committee called for the help of every democratic Canadian. Its appeal read in part: : “Recent news reports indicate that a coup has established a military dictatorship in Greece since Friday, April 21. “The nation’s capital and all major centres are under military occupation and martial law was de- clared. Articles of the Constitution which guarantee fundamental human rights have been rescinded. “All political leaders and the elected members of parliament of all parties were arrested and im- Prisoned. Soccer and track fields were converted into concentration camps where thousands of citizens opposing the new regime are being detained. “Freedom of press and speech, as well as the right to congregate were suspended, all corres- pondence is censored and telephone conversations monitored. An order has been issued to the patrol- ling troops to shoot on sight without warning during curfew hours, and political crimes are punishable by death. In essence, the constitution no longer functions. “People all over the free world have expressed their dismay that in the year of 1967 a dictator- ship was imposed upon the freedom-loving Greek people, in the land where democracy was born and nurtured so that the world can enjoy it today. “It is our expressed aim to inform the people of Canada of the true facts surrounding the coup and its disastrous effects on Greece and for that matier the Western world and to campaign in order to convince the Canadian government that recognition of this regime will not only show tolerance on the part of Canada but also consent to tyranny. This aspect is particularly significant in view of Can- ada’s predominant role in world diplomacy and the respect she enjoys among the world’s peoples.” dent Canada. We buy and sell Used Furniture Sporting Goods We are Reasonable We are at 0 ) Granville We : B.C. Autom Service 0 : ) Sra al klar 573 E. 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