By WILLIAM KASHTAN

Among the many resolutions not dealt with at ihe!

€anadian Labor Congress convention were six which
called for the development of trade union exchanges
between: our country and the Soviet Union.

These were referred to the | ‘ = ‘
| wards Communist Russia — in

incoming executive Council
for decision. This decision has
since been made public by way
ef a press release which states

}a day and age when all means
|must be used to create a favor-
lable climate for constuctive in-

ternational communication and

| resolution — the leaders of the

| American

that ‘dealing with another
phase of international rela: |
tions, the CLC said it favored

changes with all

where the free trade union |

movement is established. It
made it clear that it was op-
posed to exchanges between
trade unionists in Canada and
the Soviet’.

This position is fully in line |

with that of President George
Meany of the AFL-CIO.

It is equally in line with the
thinking of all cold warriors
in the U.S.A. and our own
country.

And it is in the spirit of the
proposed foreign policy state-
ment which talked of peace
from one side of the mouth
while supporting U.S. imper-
jalist policy from the other.

In the U.S.A. at least there
are voices being raised inside
the AFL-CIO in opposition’ to
the Meany cold war line.

Despite Meany’s opposition
to an exchange of delegates,
Joseph Curran of the National
Maritime Union, has_ stated
that a delegation from his
union will be visiting the Sov-
iet: Union.

A delegation of trade union-
istS from a number of unions
will also be leaving shortly for
the Soviet Union. Among them
is Harold Gibbons, interna-
tional secretary - treasurer of
of the Teamsters.

When asked about this by
the capitalist press, President
Hoffa of the Teamsters. de-
elared his-trip was approved
by the union’s leadership.

“Mr. Gibbons is going,” he
said, “to see conditions for
himself and report to all team-
sters locals upon his return.”

Frank. Rosenberg, secretary-
treasurer of the Amalgamated
Clothing Workers, made a use-
ful contribution to this ques-
tion when he stated at the 22nd
biennial convention of the
ACW:

“Tt is one thing for:the lead-
ership of labor to say that we
hope for a gradual subsiding of
international tensions through
acts of good faith on-both sides
and then refuse to participate
in an exchange of labor dele-
gations and call such an ex-
change an act of betrayal .

“By stubbornly refusing to
budge from.a traditionally hos-
tile and insulting attitude to-

|stupid; it is

labor movement

: |have failed to make a positive
and extension -of cultural ex- | Pp

countries |

contribution - towards world

peace.”

While this remark: is addres-
sed to Meany and Co. it applies
with equal force to Claude Jo-

| doin and. most of the members

of the CLC executive council.

Their position is not only
dishonest’ and
downright harmful.

In effect what are they say-
ing in the CLC press release
quoted earlier?

That the CLC, or at least
the executive council, is op-
posed to cultural exchanges
between Canada, the Soviet
Union and other socialist coun-
tries.

By reference one can assume
that they, are equally opposed
to it everywhere.

Is this an expression of a de-
sire for understanding, for im-
proving relationships between
our country and the Soviet
Union? Is this in harmony with
peaceful coexistence?

Only those who want to con-
tinue the cold war and-look to
a hot war can take such a -posi-
tion.

The same can be said of the
position of the executive coun-
cil with respect to ‘exchanges
between trade unionists. in
Canada and the Soviet,’ to
quote the press release again.

The. Executive council is not
only exposing its cold war bias.

If it were fully honest with
itself and the trade union
membership, it would have to
declare that the ban. imposed
by the ICFTU and by Meany
is what stands in the way. of
thé Canadian trade union
movement establishing ncrmal
and healthy relations with the
Soviet trade union movement.

Jodoin talks about Canada’s
autonomous trade union move-
ment. But in practice he buries
it.

I rather think the executive
council has a hot potato in its
mouth and is likely to get
burned with it.

George Meany, despite his
epposition, has been unable to
stop the growing movement to-
wards trade union exchanges
in the U.S.A. President Jodoin
and those in the CLC executive
council who think like him,
will find the same thing to be
true in Canada.

a NN

JACK PHILLIPS
prominent trade union
leader was nominated . this
week as Communisf Party
candidate for. Vancouver East
in the coming provincial elec-
tion. He will be. the running
mate of-provincial leader Nigel
Morgan in the two-seat riding.
In accepting nomination Phil-
lips said “only the Communist
Party can-be relied on to pro-
ject the real issues.”

itary pact

The Japanese Communist Party declared last w eek
that the exchange of the instruments of ratification of the,

| new treaty was “null and void” as the Japanese people had ©

not given their consent to the treaty.

It has also been charged by
other opposition groups in Ja-
pan that the Japanese-U.S.
military pact is unconstitution-
al since the new Japanese con-
stitution specifically. prohibits
militarization’ of Japan.

Meanwhile, popular opposi-
tion to turning Japan into a
U.S: military base continues to
grow. Many thousands attend-
ed the funeral service of Mich-
iko Kamba, daughter ofa
university professor, who was
killed by Japanese police in
demonstrations before the Diet
June 15.

The Opposition Socialist
Party issued a statement say-
ing the party would not recog-
nize the new treaty. It demand-
ed that the socialists be given
the task of forming a caretak-
er cabinet which would dis-
solve the Diet and hold gener-
al elections.

The General Council of the
Japanese Trade Unions said it
would continue to fight for
the overthrow of the Kishi

=

cabinet and the dissolution of
the Diet.

“Though Kishi finally said
that he would resign,” they
said, “he again avoided
giving a definite date for his
cabinet’s resignation with the
obvious intention of preparing
the next reactionary govern-
ment before he resigns to take
over. his policy of protecting
his business.”

Also last week the execu-
tive committee of the Social-
ist Party, after meeting to de
cide its plan ofaction against
the treaty, said it would con-
tinue its efforts to smash the
“UJ.S.-Japan structure of mili-
tary co-operation” and con
tinue to demand withdrawal of
all U-2 aircraft.

The Socialist: Party said its.
foreign policy would be to con=~
centrate on the resumption of |
trade relations with the Sov-
iet Union and China and to.
restore diplomatic relations.

— |

“YOUNG CANADIANS: SPEAK UP, STAND UP FOR PEACE”.

An appeal “‘to all Canadians,
especially young’ people whose
ftuture lies before them,—to
speak up, stand up, and join in
the fight for peace,”
tained in a Canada Day state-
ment issued last week by the
national executive committee
of the Young Communist
League.

“We feel that. on this, our
country’s birthday, it is im-
portant that all Canadians: be-
come more aware of the dan-
gers that confront our coun-
try,’ the statement: declares: It

calls on young Canadians “to

is con-'

join in the fight et peace as
individuals or through any or-
ganizations and committees to
which you may belong.”

The statement goes on to
say:

“As young Communists we
have always been active in the
fight for peace and for the
banning of atomic and hydro-
gen weapons. We greet the
growing number of peace or-
ganizations and. committees
that are being formed.

“The Young Communist

Canada, for the withdrawal of
our country from the military
alliances to which we at

bound, which lower the status
of Canada to a mere sattelit®
of the United States.

“These entanglements in 1°”
way protect our country, bu
implicate us in advance to af
schemes of the United states
government. A case in point 1
the recent U-2 incident.’

The statement conelud es
with the words: :

“Tet us all, in our own ways

League fights for a positive| make Canada Day, 1960, a day ;
foreign policy of neutrality for! for peace.”

June 30, 1960—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 2