“Protest vicious South Africa sentences Strong protests were launched around the world this week following the vicious life prison sentences meted out by the South African courts to Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and six other leaders of the anti-apartheid movement. (Sis Bi ' \ U.S. scientist speaks in city next Friday Speaks on Cuba visit Dorothy Steeves, above, and Rosaleen Ross will report on their recent trip to Cuba ata public meeting to be held at the Teamster’s Hall, 490 East Broadway, Vancouver, on Sun- day, June 21 at 8 p.m. Spon- sored by the Canadian Cuban Friendship Committee, color slides will also be shown which were taken during their 23 day tour of the Island. The present policy of the United States Defense Department as it relates to nuclear weapons, will be discussed by Dr, E, W, Pfeif- fer, Zoology Professor from the University of Montana, at a public meeting June 26th, sponsored by the Canadian Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, - “Officially,” says Dr, Pfeiffer, “the strategy is said to be one of deterrence, but some senators and independent scientists are worrying about why we need so many nuclear weapons just for deterrence, These people are raising the question of the pos- sibility of the Pentagon some day using their tremendous build-up of missiles for a first strike against the USSR, This is, of course, the concept of preventive waY sr : Dr, Pfeiffer, who will be in Vancouver to attend aconference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, will discuss present and future pos- sible uses of these weapons and the effects of such possibilities on international politics and the arms race, The meeting, tobe held Friday, June 26, 8 p,m, in the Peretz School Auditorium, 6184 Ask Street (near Woodward’s Oak- ridge), is free to the public, The trial of South Africa’s courageous leaders has been con- demned by the United Nations and nearly every nation in the world, Last autumn the U,N, General Assembly voted by 106 to one votes against the trial and urged the immediate release of the prisoners. Mandela, Sisulu and their col- leagues have been sentenced to savage prison sentences’ because they strove to achieve what dem- ocratic opinion throughout the world has demanded, the end of apartheid in their country, Blocked in every way from working through normal consti- tutional channels, Mandela and his companions acted as any dedi- cated lover of freedom would do, In his speech from the dock Mandela declared; “I have cher- ished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together inharmony and with equal opportunities, It is an ideal which Ihope to live for” and to achieve, But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am. prepared to die,” The Canadian Labor Congress, which previously has condemned racism in South America, last week urged the Canadian govern- ment to protest the sentences and urged that it intervene with the Sout African government, At the same time a world-wide campaign has been launched from Britain to arouse maximum pub- lic pressure to secure the re- lease of 411South African political prisoners, A message from Chief - Albert Lutuli, Nobel Peace Prize winner and leader of the banned African National Congress, said that reason and justice had de- parted from the South African scene. CP URGES ACTION Lutuli, who is himself unde: restrictions at his home near Durban, called on all countries to impose sanctions on South Africa, His message was read in the U.N, Security Council in New York last week, On Monday the National Execu- tive of the Communist Party of Canada wired Prime Ministel Lester Pearson strongly ureine” that “your government protest against the cruel sentences jim- posed on Mandela, Sisulu ane their colleagues by the south African courts, By such acHol” you will maintain Canada’s 600 record of opposition 0 hideous system of apartheid amt the police state to which it has given rise,” The Party also wired thesouth African Ambassador in OttaW?r W, Dirkse-van-Schalkwyk, PIO” testing the sentences, The W" reads: “Most vigorously protes’ against conviction of Mandela ant his colleagues who have struggle against cruel and hae human system of apartheid. WS call for the immediate release” of these patriots, Nothing elbes will satisfy Canadian and wor! opinion,” . Last Sunday Bertrand Russel! spoke at a huge rally in London Trafalgar Square. in which 3 called upon the world’s trai unions to take action agaim South African “tyranny.” Voice of Women parley urges ‘world of peace’ -At the annual conference otf the Voice of Women of Canada, 150 delegates and observers were challenged to use their talents “to make a peaceful world more _ ~exciting than a worldinconflict,” The weekend meeting at the Banff School of Fine Arts re- ceived a message from Prime Minister Lester Pearson stating: : “There should be no slackening in the effort to bring about that international friendship, under- standing and cooperation which is the only enduring and solid basis of peace,” With Mrs, C, B, Macpherson presiding, delegates worked to achieve agreement on a long agenda of resolutions pertaining to different aspects of worldten- sion, and to help women of the world exercise their responsi- bilities as citizens on behalf of the family of mankind, Worried about the deteriorat- ing situation in Southeast Asia, the delegates resolved that the Canadian government be urged to use its influence toward the demilitarization and neutraliza- tion of Cambodia, Vietnam. Laos and = Regarding the present discus- sions concerning the reorganiza- tion of defence policy, VOW re-- quested that “Canadian defence planning be undertaken to make possible a withdrawal from NATO on the first date permissible - under the Treaty, in order to place greater emphsis on Cana- dian plans to enlarge the peace- keeping role of the middle and smaller powers in the world,” Following a report by Mrs, Macpherson, who led the Cana- dian delegation at the Women’s Peace Keeping Force Conference at The Hague, where 1,500 women from 14 NATO countries met to protest against the formation of a multilateral nuclear force, VOW endorsed the Peace Pledge from The Hague which restated their hope for a treaty to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, and for the elimination ofnuclear arms in the conviction that “the survival of humanity does not depend on superior military power, but on peace, friendship and mutual respect ofall people.” Prime Minister Pearson was informed of the meeting’s con- cern about the forthcoming secret military talks between the U.S, and Canada and the VOW unani- | mously passed a motion urging that Canada. stand firm on the existing restrictions on nuclear armed aircraft flights over Canada, In view of extensive Canada- China trade, VOW requested that an invitation be extenJed to the People’s Republic of China to participate in the 1967 World's Fair in Montreal, urged Ottawa to grant immediate diplomatic recognition to China, andto press for full membership for China in the United Nations at the next - session of the General Assembly, VOW was empowered to assist in convening meetings of labor, industry and all interested or- ganizations to consider problems of economic planning necessary to achieve the transition to a peacetime economy, and to make representations to appropriate government departments, The conference urged applica- tion of the U,N, covenants on discrimination, urged Canadian U.N, delegates to vote for pro- posals directed toward securing human rights for all South Afri- cans, and for VOW members to concern themselves with civil rights of minorities in their own provinces, particularly in educa- MRS. C. B. MACPHERSON tion, employment and housing, Despite the abstention of the Quebec delegates and some others, the conference resolved to seek deletion from the Crimin- al Code of the words which make promotion or sale of contracep- tives illegal. This obsolete law, said delegates, interferes with individual liberty, as well as the practice of medicine, j The meeting adopted the Que- bee delegation résolution calif on VOW members to worn increase the freedom of women to become fully Testa sible citizens, Other resolutions reaffirme previous stands against nucle? weapons, racism and childre? war toys, a Deliberations were airecte toward implementing the ae VOW projects for 1964-65, inte national Cooperation Yeats ay gestions for action to impr understanding betweet peoples of the world came fr fi all across Canada, It was 287°. that projects be undertake? local communities, calliné the creative participation of of largest possible number citizens, ; The meeting concluded Witte adoption of a new constitutio?” election of the following offic?” President, Mrs, Kathleen Be pherson, Toronto; Vice-Pr a dents: Miss Beatrice Brig®’ ” Winnipeg; Mrs, Muriel Dive worth, Halifax; Mrs, Terry o ries, Calgary; Mme, Ghisl Laurendeau, Outremont, Mrs, Mira V, Yarwood, Vic ei and Mrs, Aileen Pavers, Edmo" ton, - : Ze 12 1 tori - June 19, 1964—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Pag?