Editorial The U.S.-backed war As the bloody civil war in El Salvador escalates sharply, and with it the cost in civilian deaths, the dirty role played by Washington in financing and leading the slaughter must be emphasized. Every independent source has clearly charged that violence by the army and police has risen markedly since the U.S.-backed Cristiani regime took power earlier this year. It was, we should recall, the bombings of the offices of the Salvadorean Union (FENASTRAS) and of the Mothers of Disappeared Per- sons (COMADRES) a month ago which ruptured talks underway between the regime and the FMLN. With Bush’s backing — and $85-million in U.S. military aid, and another $12-million to train and equip the police — the right wing regime obviously felt it could shoot its way through the crisis. This includes killing everyone remotely connected with calls for a political settlement, for national reconciliation, protection of human rights and economic justice. Use of napalm, phosphorous and high-explosives dropped from aircraft on the working class suburbs around San Salvador while homes of the wealthy remained unscathed, graphically illustrated jus who this war is between. None of this was possible without U.S. support. Even after the torture-murder of six Jesuit priests two weeks ago, an outrage which El Salvador’s archbishop Arturo Rivera y Damas places squarely on the doorstep of the military, Washington’s ardour for battle and blood remains full blown. Revulsion over the murders which threatened to derail U.S. military aid was quickly squelched in Congress. While the condemnation of the killings by External Affairs Minister Joe Clark is welcome, not so welcome is Ottawa’s quick negative response to appeals by church, labour and other groups to suspend Canadian economic aid to El Salvador on the basis that this frees up money for the regime to pour into its war and repression. Also unwelcome is Ottawa’s refusal to heed urgent appeals it suspend all deportations to El Salvador. These, argue refugee workers, amount to a death sentence. Sadly, four of 13 deportations this year were carried out in the past two weeks. Solidarity with the people of embattled El Salvador in every way possible is urgent. Ottawa should pluck up its courage and openly condemn Washington’s backing of the Cristiani regime. We should end our own financial support and put an immediate halt to deportations there. iy SELLE TE EE TE EDITOR Published weekly at Sean Griffin 2681 East Hastings Street | Vancouver, B.C., V5K 1Z5 7 ASSOCIATE EDITOR Phone: (604) 251-1186 Dan Keeton Fax: (604) 251-4232 ' Subscription rate: ESS BUSINESS & CIRCULATION MANAGER Canada: ®@ $20 one year @ $35 Mike Proniuk two years @ Foreign $32 one year GRAPHICS Second class mail registration number 1560 Angela Kenyon a ! oe Ed EIS GF ite JESUITS Wiel ANSWER 4 O . HIGHER PoweR ! ANT /PREes\0err] hatever its intentions, the banquet tribute to labour historian, educator and journalist Ben Swankey was not a prelude to retirement, some 200 well- wishers and friends were told on the even- ing of Saturday, Nov. 25. The round of applause greeting those remarks from Pacific Tribune editor Sean Griffin showed the audience, many of whom have learned everything from how to handle shop floor grievances to international pol- itical developments from the honoured guest, was thankful for that. Those who have known and been the recipient of Ben’s knowledge and wisdom over several decades were reminded of Ben’s quiet nature, “rock-like stability” and general warmth during speeches given by the likes of Ald. Harry Rankin, Jef Keighley of CAIMAW, Fishermen editor and Pacific Tribune board member Geoff Meggs, Marineworkers and Boilermakers Union representative Walter Jacobs and MC Diane Jolly of CUPE. Ben himself stayed true to character by quietly sitting through these tributes before taking the podium to launch into a speech on devel- opments ranging from the federal govern- ment’s unpopular Goods and Services Tax to changes underway in the socialist countries. Greetings from Communist Party of Canada general secretary George Hewison were read, and singer-songwriter Lindsay , Ben himself modestly observed: “We've Kenyon, a new face to many in the crowd, got much to do in the months and years Ben Swankey (I) receives collector's edition of Carmanah book from Tribune board member Geoff Meggs at tribute banquet Nov. 25. Guard during World War II. Jim joined the Communist Party in the Speakers who addressed the crowd ‘Twenties. packed into the Maritime Labour Centre rae Se Burnaby council representatives, Van- couver aldermen Harry Rankin and Bruce Eriksen and Richmond Ald. Harold Steves. Included also were guests from Odessa, Vancouver’s sister city in the Ukraine: Vitaly Duchenko, chair of the regional ‘trade union council; Vladimir Krivouchko, a trade union activist and machinist; Vadim Vasilenko, deputy director of Odes- sa’s International Seamen’s Club and a member of the Sea and River Worker’s Union. The Vancouver labour council has also produced 12,000 copies of a memorial book, available for members of the trade unions and municipal councils which’ helped pay for the printing costs, and a memorial pin. People and Issues * * * n a sadder note, we have word that Jim Doherty, a long-time Tribune supporter, died in his sleep on Nov. 15 at Memorial Pavilion in Victoria. He was to turn 100 in December. Jim was born in Muings Balliner, Ire- land, and emigrated to Canada in 1921. He lived in Winnipeg, Lac Lu, Ont., and Thunder Bay before moving to Victoria in 1962. He served in the British Army dur- ing World War I and in the Veterans on Nov. 22 included former council presi- entertained. : ahead, and I hope to continue being with Griffin assured those attending that Ben —_you in the front lines.” was not retiring — "I doubt he'll have time for that” — and in fact had been est ay busy in recent months writing a pamphlet on the GST, conducting classes on the origins of World War II, and visiting and writing articles on the German Demo- cratic Republic, and was planning a series of lectures on Vancouver Island. hey came from as far away as the Soviet Union and as close as the city of “Vancouver. But all were there — some 460 of them — to pay tribute to 100 years of the struggle for workers rights waged by the Vancouver and District Labour Council. dent Sid Thompson, current president Doug Evans, and Canadian Labour Con- gress president Shirley Carr, who pres- ented a plaque acknowledging the labour council’s 100th anniversary. Secretary Frank Kennedy introduced the guests, who included Vancouver Mayor Gordon Camp- bell, provincial Solicitor General Russ Fraser, several former council officials, A reminder that End the Arms Race continues its Toy Drive, whereby you can recycle toys your children have out- grown. Part of the proceeds from the sales go to the anti-nuclear arms coalition. Items should be dropped off at Garrison’s Toy Bin, 4883 McKenzie Rd. in Vancouver, or at EAR, 1708 W. 16th Ave. (in the Fair- view Baptist Church). Phone 736-2366. 4 e Pacific Tribune, December 4, 1989