FRENCH COAL MINERS WIN, Unity of
Socialist
forced the de Gaulle govern-
Despite threats to
conscript workers into an army mobilization

French workers, Catholic,
Communist,

ment to come to terms.

and

draft, French workers forced sweeping con-

cessions from the government. Final settle-
ment was a 12.5 per cent increase—6.5 per
cent immediately and the rest over the next
12 months. Picture above shows a mass rally
in Borbach to support the striking miners.

Rioters in British Guiana
aim to block independence

GEORGETOWN — The ruling
People’s Progresive Party said
here this week that politicians and
trade unionists hostile to the gov-
ernmen ‘‘seem determined”
present a case for the British
government to delay British Gui-
ana’s independence.

The P. P. P. said the govern-
ment’s opponents were making

A-arms for Bonn

menace fo peace

BERLIN—If the ex-Nazi officers
of the’ West German army are
authorized to use tactical atomic
weapons it will hardly be possible
to prevent a world-wide nuclear
war, said GDR State Secretary
Otto Winzer last week.

He told Finnish TV interviewer
it ‘‘could easily result in military
conflicts with unpredictable con-
sequences.’

to >

strenuous efforts to stall econom-
ic expansion by frightening off
investors, reducing government
expenditure and increasing. un-
employment.

Its statement said that the cause
of last Friday’s rioting—when one
man was shot dead and over 24
injured—was an inter-union dis-
pute. But it added:

“We canot help noting the very
pronounced political substance
associated with all the incidents
of the past two weeks.”

It was significant that the inci-
dent which sparked off the riot
was the destruction of the car of
Mrs. Janet Jagan, P.P.P. secre-
tary and wife of Premier Cheddi
Jagan, on the ‘‘ridiculous excuse”
that the crowd wanted to ‘“‘exam-
ine parcels” in the car.

The statement ‘said the P.P.P.
wanted the government to pro-
vide stricter penalties for looting-

Election rejects U.S.

Con’t. from pg: 1
continued support for Canada’s
membership in NATO and NOR-
AD.

““Many people could not see how
the NDP could oppose nuclear
arms for Canada and at the same
time support the military alliance
with U.S. imperialism, out of
which comes the demand _ that
Canada accepts nuclear arms,”’
Morris explained.

COMMUNIST CAMPAIGN

What were the results of the
Communist campaign?

Communist candidates were
under great difficulties, but they
and their friends worked with
great verve and confidence in the
campaign. The ‘‘moved out into
the public eye as rarely before,’’
and devoted themselves not only

to the 12 constituencies were they

SOCIAL. _
Saturday April 20

“I grew up in Hitler Ger-
many & have just returned
from a visit to East Ber-
lin.”

® Gisela Schwanz will
speak on “EAST GER
MANY TODAY”. Slides

will be shown.

® THE COURIERS Folk-
song Trio

® Retreshments

Pender Auditorium
(Upstairs)

3389 W. Pender St.
8:30 p.m
Admission 50c
Aus.: B.C. Peace Council

ran candidates, but did magnifi-
cent work in support of the NDP
candidates.

The Communist campaign
centred on the main issues, no
nuclear arms, stop U-S. interfer
ence, put Canada first.

This campaign said Morris, ‘‘un-
doubtedly influenced many peo-
ple, although this influence did
not translate itself directly into
increased votes for the Communist
candidates. Under present circum-
stances, this is not surprising.”

The party placed ads in daily
and weekly papers across the
country calling on people to see
nuclear arms as the main issue
in this ‘special election’, and
urged them to vote NDP except in
ridings where there were Com-
munist candidates.

Its struggle for labor and peo-
ple’s unity caused the party to
Withdraw three candidates in rid-
ings held by the NDP, and ‘“‘we
are glad to see that in each case
the NDP held the seat,’ said
Morris.

“We are proud of the contri-
bution of our Party in this crit-
ical election,’’ concluded Morris:

“First, because the issues we
have ‘long .raised became the
issues for the country:

“Second, because we placed
above all else the cause for

peace of
working people, and so limited

the number of Communist candi-
dates, and in. the vast majority
of ridings supported and worked

for the election of the NDP.”

and the interests of the:

Special May
Day Edition

The April 26 issue of the
PT will be a special 12-
page May Day edition. La-
bor's internationa] holiday
will be featured with a
number of interesting art-
icles.

May Day greetings and
bundle orders for the spe-
cial issue should be in the
PT office by noon Monday,
April 22.

U.S. uses napalm
says Russell

The New York Times this week
published a letter from Lord
Russell accusing the United States
of conducting a ‘‘war of annihil-
ation’? in Vietnam to retain a
“brutal and feudal’’ regime there.

He said the war was being con-
ducted as an “atrocity,’’ with
napalm jelly being used against
whole villages.

The New York Times com-
mented: ‘‘American advisers
have opposed its (napalm jelly)
employment on both moral and
practical grounds, against all ex-
cept clearly identified military
targets.”

Meanwhile, fighting broke out in

neighboring Laos this week fol- ;

lowing the assassination of For-
eign Minister Quinim Pholsena.
Britain and the Soviet Union joint-
ly appealed Monday to all groups
in Laos to help prevent any actions
endangering peace in Laos.

Of every 10 motorcycles sold
in the world today, four are

manufactured in Czechoslovakia.

‘NATO NUCLEAR FORCE WOULD
SPREAD MISSILE A-ARMS RACE’

Soviet Union issues warning
against A-arms for W. Germany

The Soviet Union has warned
Western imperialism that crea-
tion of a NATO nuclear force
would, impede progress in the
East-West disarmament negotia-
tions for at least 10 years and
imperil world peace.

In a dipolmatic note to the
ambassadors of the United States,
Britain, France and West Ger-
many, the USSR charged that the
real purpose of setting up such
a force was to satisfy the de-
mands of West Germany for
nuclear weapons.

Such an action would mean fur-
ther preparation for a thermo-
nuclear war and would ‘@nleash
a nuclear missiles arms race
which recognizes neither state
nor geographical borders,’ the
note stated, adding: ,

“If the United States, Britain
and France proceed along the
road of the dissemination of nu-
clear weapons, the Soviet gov-
ernment naturally will be forced
to undertake such measures as
would ensure the maintenance of:
the security of the Soviet Union
and of its friends and allies.”

The forthcoming conference of
NATO powers, slated for Ottawa
some time in May, is expected to
press for the creation of a multi-
nation nuclear force (the spread
of nuclear arms to countries not
now in possession of them) and
also to crack the U.S. whip over
the heads of smaller NATO mem-
bers in order to increase their

military expenditures on con-
ventional forces. (See Editorial
on Page 4).

B.C. PROBLEMS

GET SCANT

ATTENTION AS HOUSE ENDS

By NIGEL MORGAN

Many of the major problems
confronting British Columbians
received scant attention from the
fourth session of B.C.’s 26th Legis-
lature — and this in spite of a
comparatively heavy agenda and
the fact that it sat for 45 days,
the second longest session in 42
years.

Such questions as unemploy-
ment, the expansion of manufac-
turing’ and markets for B.C.
goods, a new deal for our muni-

cipalities, repeals of anti-labor
legislation, etc. got short shift.
There was, in fact, less argu-
ment about the government’s

power and resources policy than
for some years. The complete
absence of pressure by the organ-

ized labor movement eliminated
whatever chance there was of
serious attention being given

NDP appeals for improvements in
labor and social legislation.

Socreds reversed their stand of
previous years to join with
Liberal MLA’s in voting down a
motion calling on the government
to protest to Ottawa against ac-
quisiion of nuclear arms, which
was supported by the NDP and
Socreds Bert Price, Cyril Shel-
ford and Don Robinson.

Notable exceptions to this trend
were the approval of motions
placing B.C. on record as de-
manding of Ottawa declaration of
the 12-mile coastal limit and care-

A Soviet-built power shovel is shown clearing the debris at
the Aswan dam site in the United Arab Republic The project
will reclaim most of the UAR’s desert land, and provide

electric power.

ful study of projected amend-
ments to the North Pacific Fish-
eries Treaty (strongly opposed
by the UFAWU), also, a motion
calling on Ottawa to increase the
“Old Age and Blind Pensions from
$65 to $85 per month.

Highlight of the 70 bills enact-
ed was legislation to provide for
implementation of the MacDonald
Report on higher education, on
which the government moved
with unusual speed in face of
strong outside pressure as_ well
as from opposition parties.

In addition to the Universities
Act, among bills of major im-
portance adopted were: removal
of bridge tolls from all but two
B.C. highway bridges; a boost in
the Homeowner’s Grant to $70
from $50 (already being eaten up
by increasing municipal taxes);

restoration of the right of the
province to collect. succession
duties; establishment of a new

School Financing Authority; abol-
ition of the five percent Amuse-
ment Tax; and pay increases for
MLA’s to $6,400 from $5,000 per
annum.

Obituary

ALEX SHOLDRA

For many years provincial
secretary of the Association of
United Ukrainian-Canadians and
an active participant in labor
struggles in the United States and
Canada, Alex Sholdra passed
away April 9 in the Valleyfield

Hospital in his 73rd year. .

Alex Sholdra, accompanied by
two brothers, came to Canada
from the Ukraine in 1903. In the
U.S. and Canada Alex worked in
the great railroad building booms,
the harvest treks, lumber worker
and common laborer. An active
member of the Communist party
and Ukrainian cultural and educa-
tional movements, Alex was a
well-known figure in the B.C.
labor and progressive movements
during the 30’s and 40’s. Alex

Sholdra is survived by one broth-—
er, Bill Sholdra of Langley, B.C.

Funeral services will be con-
ducted in the Bell Funeral Home,
2746 East Hastings on Saturday,
April 13 at 2:30 p.m. Alex Shol-
dra bequeathed his body to UBC
for scientific purposes.

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