Here’s a section of the crowd at the University of B.C.
rally last Wednesday which was attended by 5000

students.

SSSSE

U.B.C. editor

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“FOLLOW THE LEADER: A FATAL GAME” is the
title of an editorial in the Thursday, October 25th issue of
The Ubyssey. This editorial reflects the views of the vast
majority of students, as was shown in the huge rally last
Wednesday. Most of the editorial is reprinted here:

“We cannot cope with the possibility of nuclear war
because—democratic principles be damned—our fate lies in
the hands of one man and his advisors,

“John Kennedy on Monday took not only his own people,
but the people of the Western bloc nations and the people
of the rest of the world, to the brink of war. The action can
only be described as reckless and unlawful.

“Our fates are in the hands of a man who many U.S.
government officials admit has made the move partly to
mollify the militant U.S. right wing.

“Our world is the plaything of the leader of a peace-
loving nation who willfully breaks the laws of the only or-
ganization which can preserve world peace—the United
Nations.

“Let us ignore for a moment our blind unquestioning
support of the U.S. and consider the facts surrounding the
action,

WHAT ARE THE RULES?

“President Kennedy announced that the U.S. has “re-
liable” evidence that Cuba is assembling Soviet-made inter-
mediate range missiles—and aiming them at the United
States. We will ignore the fact that this information has
probably been gathered by the same _ intelligence agency
which predicted the people of Cuba would rise up in support
of an invasion of the island. We will acknowledge that there
is a missile buildup. in Cuba.

“Does it mean that because one country is supplying
missiles to another country that an attack is imminent? Or
does it constitute an aggressive action?

“If it does, then how does the U.S. justify the ring of
missile bases which surround the Soviet Union .. . or for that
matter the island of Cuba?

“Do we have one set of rules for one player in this game
of international roulette and another set for the other?

“At the same time, has the U.S. not said it will go to
war to defend Berlin should it be blockaded by the Soviets?
So, then, is war not justified upon the U.S. and upon us, for
this quarantine on Castro?

“The U.S. says it will sink ships which do not allow
themselves to be searched by self-appointed American pro-
tectors of the world good. But what would be the reaction
to a U.S. plane being shot down while enroute to a block-
aded Berlin?

HARD TO JUSTIFY U.S.

“If we assess the actions of the United States, we are
hard pressed to find reasons to justify them.

“But what can we do but follow along in the footsteps
of the giant who has made a wrong turn?

“Britain was the first to fall into line, Then the other
Commonwealth countries began dutifully supporting the
move that the president took.

“Canada, of course, eventually tagged along.

“But the countries of the Western bloc, just as the man
on the street and the student on campus are saying: ‘What
can I do?” And they are left with the obvious answer:
nothing. So they go along without protest.

“When World War Three does come, it will be helped
along by the Britains, the Canadas and the men in the street
who haven’t the courage to call a spade a spade or a mistake
a mistake” | s

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5

- hits Kennedy |

der to protest the blockade

DOUGLAS AT NDP PARLEY

‘No nation has righi
to endanger peace’

By JERRY SHACK

“In the kind of world in
which you and ] live to-
day, no nation, no matter
how great and powerful,
has the right to take uni-
lateral action if that ac-
tion endanger the peace
of the world,’ Tommy
Douglas, national leader
of the New Democratic

Party, said in New West-

minster last Friday.

Douglas was addressing the
provincial convention of the NDP
and was speaking of the grave
international situation caused by
the U.S. blockade of Cuba.

The above statement (as did
others) drew one of the largest
outbursts of applause heard at
‘the convention up to that point.

“We should build the rule of
iaw in the world — and _ this
means strengthening the role of
the United Nations,’ Douglas
went on. ‘‘The UN will be a farce
if the great powers decide to

settle their problems by unilat- -

eral action.

“Unless we get information
that this move was unavoidable
(and so far, we haven’t received
this information) I find it very
difficult to accept President
Kennedy’s action.” —

SCORES DIEF

Scoring the Diefenbaker gov-
ernment’s endorsation of the
move, he stated: ‘“‘We have back-
ed the U.S. without even being
consulted on so important a
matter. It would appear that our
Tory and Liberal governments,
who, in the past, answered all
calls to war with the slogan
‘Ready—a’ ready’ have switched
their allegiance from Downing
St. to Washington.

“We should keep our heads ccol
and exercise mature judgment at
this time. Some people talk cf
going to war as if they are cc-
ing on a picnic.

“The role of the NDP should be

the salt of sanity in a world go-~

ing mad. We should say to the
Canadian and U.S. governmenis:
‘We understand your apprehen-
sion at having a base 90 miles
from the shores of the U.S., but
we hope you understand the ap-
prehension of the Soviet people,
who, for 14 years, have had to

_live with bases ringed all around

them.”’ :
The only way out of the present

situation was to place it entirely ~

in the hands of the UN, he said,
and praised the action of the
Soviet. government in avoiding
direct contact with the blockade

by sending back or
some of its shipping.
Stating that he had often diff-
ered with Scviet foreign policy
in the past and probably would
again in the future, he emphasiz-
ed: “‘But, we must learn to look
at both sides of a question; we
should call for the dismantling of
missile bases in Cuba, yes, but
‘we should also demand that they
be dismantled in Turkey, in Pak-
istan and in every other place
where they exist.’’ (This was
greeted with prolonged applause).

RENOUNCE FORCE

“We should call on people ev-
erywhere to renounce using force
as a means of settling interna-
tional disputes. We should fight
for the rule of law, not as I
suspect is the case with Cuba, to
make the world safe for Standard
Oil and United Fruit.

“The great majority of the
world’s people (excluding some
militarists and munitions-makers)
‘don’t want war — they want to
join hands across the oceans and
the barriers of language to live
their lives as they see fit...
free from want and fear,’”’ Doug-
las concluded.

Previously, he had dealt with
what he desGribed as ‘‘Canada’s
number one domestic problem—
unemployment, lack of economic
growth and the general stagna-
‘tion of our economy.’’ He point-
ed out that the so-called solution
of this state of affairs—austerity
—would solve nothing, but would
only make matters worse and
called for much greater public
spending, but failed to mention
the arms budget and U.S. domin.-
ation of our economy.

Before turning to Cuba and the
international scene, Douglas rap-
ped the present Columbia treaty,
stating that all Canadians are
entitled to know:

© For the lifetime of the treaty,
are we giving up all rights to
the water which flows into the
U.S. via the Columbia?

® It is true that two ministers
. of the crown stated that the fed-

stopping

‘posal was rejected by

eral government prefer
McNaughton plan for d
ment, but yielded to Pp
form Premier Bennett of B

© What will happen to
share of the power genél
from the proposed sites 0
Columbia? !

“We, in parliament,” he”
“shall use every means at
disposal in order not to bé@
our heritage for a mess Of
tage.”

The convention itself
take any definite positt
Cuba. The resolutions comm
had brought in a rathe!
warm resolution which th
gates referred back ‘to th
mittee. Leading the fi
refer back were Orville
(Pulp and Sulphite unio
Cedric Cox, MLA (Burnab

Just before adjournme
committee reported that
been unable to draft a
resolution due to the
changing international |
and recommended that dé
use the speech of national
Douglas as a ‘‘guide.”’
MAJORITY BACK UNITY

Braaten and Jerry Le B
(Oil, Chemical and Atomi¢
ers union) sparked a debal
resolution which advocate
any trade union be giv!
right to affiliate to the N.
gardless of whether or
was a member union of th

Jack Moore, (Regional
dent of the IWA) who was
ing the session, ruled that 4
thirds majority would be ™
sary to have the motion

The voting showed 157
gates in favor and 87 OP
thus, the motion was 0
votes short of being suce

Previously, the province
utive had submitted a
mendation to hold the pre
convention every two
rather than annually. —

vention on the grounds
would make it more difll®
have rank and file paru®
on questions of policy.

pa!

La

Photo shows the first plastic passenger ship built a
Soviet Union on its trial run. The ship carries 65 pass
and is directed by one man from a control desk. The P:
nearly as strong as steel and four times lighter. ;

U.B.C. STUDENTS SAY:

‘War no

Close to 5000 students at
the University of B.C. last
Wednesday loudly applauded
five professors at the largest
rally in the history of the
university when they criti-
cized the U.S. for action in
Cuba which brought the
world to the brink of war.

The applause was -just as
strong when the speakers said
the problem should be re-
solved through peaceful neg-
otiations in the U.N. rather
than armed unilateral action.

Dr. Norman Epstein, urged
a mass rally at the U.S. bor-

of Cuba. He said public ac-
tion, if it is to impress gov-
ernment authorities, would
have to be drastic.

Dr. James Foulks, said the
U.S. had “acted contrary to
international law” and that
“most Canadians will resent
the unilateral U.S. restric-
tions as an in'ringement on
our own rights as well as
those of others.” Foulks, who
visited the Soviet Union re-

‘cently, said the Russian peo-

ple “have shown great re-
straint” over the ring of US.
bases around their country.

t the answer

the U.S. has lone Wa" aybi
do something about ot
even before the PFC
leged military threat: ai
Dr.'Donald Brown: #
U.S. action was ee |)
and dangerous.” H? agp
that the crisis had bey p
ufactured” for politi¢
Yeo Kou
charsed hie busin® Cue,
tried to thwart th® 4 a
agrarian revolutio®s ie
ed the Cuban Peer
better off than ever