LAUNCH BIG LAND, AIR ATTACKS U.S. and Australian troops this week opened their first big land offensive against the Vietna- mese National Liberation forces 30 miles from Saigon in what could mark a new stage in es- calating the war into a large scale Asian land war. At the same time U. S. planes stepped up their air war against North Vietnam, bombing targets only 65 miles from China’s border.— Early reports indicated that 2,000 U.S, paratroopers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade and about 1,000 Australian troops were in- volved in the offensive supported by “swarms” of U.S, planes and helicopters, For some .weeks now the U.S, government has been preparing the American public to expect large scale casualties from the fighting, The threat of mounting American dead in an Asian land war has brought sharp criticism from the American people with the demand for an end tothe war, Last week the Women’s Strike for Peace published a large ad in the N.Y. Times showing an American student with a gradu- ating cap, The ad asks the question: “He graduates in June of ’65 — Will he die in Vietnam in June of 66?” It urges Presi- dent Johnson to hear the mothers of America, “The war in Viet- nam must end, American boys must be brought home,” says the ad, : Meanwhile, there were reports that Johnson is weighing the sending of 100,000. to 150,000 more U.S, soldiers to Vietnam, Newsweek: magazine in its June 28 issue’ contemplates that the U.S, commitment may bring the total number oftroopsto 225,000, Also last week the noted U.S, political commentator Walter Lippmann, who recently returned ‘from Europe, proposed that a settlement be negotiated by the r " a if = Se eemmmnnllllt | Saigon ‘regime, the South Viet-. namese National Liberation Movement and North. Vietnam without intervention by Wash- ington or anyone else, Last week Alex Quaison- Sackey, president of the UNGen- eral Assembly, called for the inclusion of the South Vietna- mese Liberation Movement in any negotiations involving South and North Vietnam, The demand for the U.S, to withdraw and to leave the Vietnamese to settle their own problems is growing by leaps and bounds, The Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ conference ended its sessions last Friday after seeing Prime Minister Wilson’s attempt to launch his U.S.-backed “peace mission” grounded, The con- ference ended witha communique which suggested that the U.S, sus- pend its bombing operations and that North Vietnam undertake to stop helping the Liberation forces, both as part of a general ceasefire in Vietnam, American policy in Vietnam came under sharp attack from many Commonwealth prime min- isters, However, because of Prime Minister Wilson’s open support of U.S, policy and Prime Minister Pearson’s failure to re- pudiate the U.S, aggression, the ‘Commonwealth mission was given little hope for success, A statement by Soviet Premier Kosygin last week said: “I should like to say that in the opinion = Tima, 2, ee of the Soviet government, on this question one should approach the government of that country which fell victim to aggression — the government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, andalso the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam, which repre- sents the South Vietnamese people in respect to whom the United States of America. em-. barked upon the road of armed intervention, and is interfering in the domestic affairs of South Vietnam.” Kosygin added that “it would be logical if the mission of the Heads of Government of the four countries would use its influence and demand of the U.S, adminis- ‘tration an immediate end to armed intervention and with- drawal.of the U.S, forces from South Vietnam, an end to the aggressive actions against the Democratic Republic of Viet- nam,” The Soviet Union has taken the stand that “any talks on a settle- ment in Vietnam cannot take place without the consent and partici- pation of the Vietnamese them- selves — the government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the National Front of the Liberation of South Vietnam,” Kosygin said: “AstotheSoviet Union, it has not been authorized by anybody to conduct talks on a settlement in Vietnam, and the Soviet government does not in- tend to conduct such negotia- tions.” : Exploitation is a word which springs readily to mind in any consideration of private hospitals in B.C.—exploitation of workers, Some 1,800 women are em- ployed by B.C,’s private hos- pitals, They now work for as little as 85 cents an hour in conditions where labor statutes are virtually ignored. Patients, often helpless and alone, are forced to pay charges which would obtain accommoda- tion in a deluxe hotel, Six hun- dred dollars a month is not un- common while the, standard is about $300 to $450 a month. These hospitals are not obli- gated to accept welfare cases but in most cases they will, The reason is simple: Social Ser- vice pay up to $205 a month a patient, Such patients often live in the most appalling conditions, Inone instance these patients live out the remainder of their lives in squalid “wards.” : With so much coming in andso little going out it is not hard to understand why private hospitals is a “boom” industry in B.C, The desperation of the aged en- sures that beds are 90 percent filled, There are more private hos- pitals per capita in B.C. than Wiese \ | { i q \ ‘Duty of all to save peace Douglas tells Burnaby rally With NDP national leader T.C. “Tommy” Douglas billed as guest speaker, some 500 people, fam- ilies and friends attended last Sunday’s annual NDP picnic in Burnaby’s Confederation Park, Burnaby MLA Gordon Dowding, . acting master of ceremonies, in- TOMMY DOUGLAS The June issue of The Labor Statesman, published by the B.C. Federation of Labor and Vancouver District Labor Coun- cil, gives the following front page account oj the disgraceful situation prevaiiing in private. hospitals in B.C. _there is in the rest of Canada. The number of beds rose almost 100. percent between 1953 and 1963, Since late last year the Pri- vate Hospital Employees Union has been fighting these flagrant abuses of patients and workers, It began with a flood of requests from employees for organization, Edith Cavell Private Hospital was first organized in Van- couver—with immediate results: the first four union members were fired! Charge of unfair labor prac- tices were filed. The Depart- ment of Labor ordered rein- statement and reimbursement of lost wages, The Department also certified a new Local (980). as bargaining authority, Organization and negotiation continued throughout the industry with management replying with a stubborn “no concessions.” Through increasing in number and affluence private hospital operators claim they cannot af- ford union requests, troduced Bob Prittie, Mey 7 (Burnaby-Richmond) who briefly on some of the problems facing Canada before introdue the guest speaker. si As in previous speeches, intl’ House of Commons and thr’ es4 scored U.S. aggression policies in Vietnam with its attendant id gers of escalating into “2 we nuclear war.” The NDP 1e@ _ strongly urged a cease-fire a” return to the Geneva Agreemen as a base for peaceful nes? tions as the only way to ef! senseless killing and destruct™ in Vietnam, j “The place to preserve oe and prevent world war,” f Yanks step up ageression in Vietnam ough out the country, the NDP leader athe | Douglas, “is here and noW. — 4 | is a duty facing all of ves Throughout his inspiring ai dress on the issue of peac® an end to U.S, aggression inV. “nam, the NDP leader was corded thunderous applaus@ __ PRIVATE HOSPITALS: ‘NASTIEST RACKET’ que re union re In no way a a ntl) unreasonable, a view apPat™ 4 shared by a conciliation tne which recommended most iy union demands in a majo report May, 31, ; The board recommended: a creases of $25 a mont 0 from graduate nurses, ie ses jet | $290 a month; wage ine Ave 3 for other workers of 1°" hour, bringing the starting to a dollar an hour and ¢ $1.25 an hour over 12 mo? Paid holidays and sick ie as well as a 50-50 shariné medical coverage costs were recommended. The union seems to doubt ee the operators will accePt : ¢ recommendations, In this fof it will probably be necessat) i employees to exercise economic strength. The union maintains, men 7 | while, that private hosP_ | should come under BCHIS+ 4 is unjust that workers © ive pay taxes through prod pes years only to be denied PU chronic care in old age. : eins | The immoral profits nowP ef made from elder citizens © of Bill Black, president of the “jo, clare “This is the na& pital Employees Union, mes! racket,” % ees = Hardly anyone could os 4 July 2, 1965—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Pad”