TORONTO—By a vote of 115
to 13 the Ontario Waffle Move-
ment for an Independent Social-
ist Canada declared its intention
to become a political party.

The convention committed the
Waffle to the nationalization of
Canada’s energy and natural re-
sources; for cessation of all ex-
ports of oil and natural gas to
the U.S. It came out for a $4
minimum wage, a 30-hour work
week, a 25% increase in the
proportion of the national in-
come for working people, a price
freeze on food, clothing and
heating, a rent control system
and a national housing program.
It called for a fully-independent
Canadian trade union movement
and agreed to increase its activ-
ities along the lines of public
forums held in five Ontario in-
dustrial cities in November.

The decision to form a party
at the Dec. 8-9 conference cul-
minates 16 months of debate
and activity since the Orillia
meeting at which the Ontario
NDP purged the Waffle from its
ranks.

‘We Are Socialists’

“There was an inherent con-
tradiction”, said Mel Watkins,
chairman of the Waffle execu-
tive in his opening report. “The
NDP is a social democratic, not
a socialist party. It has moved
to the right to become the left
wing of the Liberals.” Watkins
told the delegates that the Waf-
fle has “moved successfully
from a left caucus within the
NDP to become a political move-
ment. We are socialists, not left
wing social democrats,” he said.
“Within the NDP we couldn’t
conduct educational activity,
now we have been compelled to
do our homework to understand
the nature of the Canadian
capitalist state. Our work has
sharpened our analysis of the
class nature. of Canadian so-
ciety.”

He told the convention about
the recent decision of the Sas-
katchewan Waffle to leave the
NDP (by a vote of 189 to 3) and
said that prospects exist to
create a B.C. and Alberta Waffle
and a Waffle conference on en-
ergy scheduled for Winnipeg in
March 1974 — all of which in-
dicates that groundwork is be-
ing laid for a national Waffle
movement. :

NDP Encumbrance

The discussion pointed clearly
to the Waffle belief that the NDP
was unable to lead the Canadian
working people in the struggle
for socialism and independence
— more than that, they charac-
terize the NDP as forming a
buttress and not an opponent
of the capitalist state. “The NDP
has become an_ encumbrance
around the necks of the Cana-
dian people and the time has
come to form a new party,” Jim
Laxer, Waffle executive member
told the delegates.

Far more difficult than char-
acterizing the NDP°as a left
wing of the Liberals was the
question of what role a new
Waffle party would play on the
Canadian left. Opposition to the
formation of a political party

"Frankly, sir, need more money...”

centred mainly on two things:
fear that the Waffle would be-
come pre-occupied with parlia-
mentary work and_ neglect
“grass roots” organizing and
educating, and doubts* about the
strength of the present Waffle
and its ability to successfully
form a political party with a
concrete program and organiza-
tional structure able to win and
hold” new  socialist-minded re-
cruits. ;
Oblivious of Problems

The convention had little dif-
ficulty in convincing itself that,
left of the present NDP, no poli-
tical movement exists (or has
existed) which has either the in-
terest or the ability to lead the
Canadian working class in the
struggle for independence and
socialism. The resolution con-
tains several references, gener-
ally accepted by the delegates,
that “for the first time in Can-
ada” a mass socialist party rep-
resenting the working class can
be created. And, “at present, no
such party exists” —_ all of
which is the basis of their argu-
ment for the formation of a par-
ty to fill the gap.

This is not only an incredible
negation of both the history and
present reality of the Canadian
working class -and socialist
movement, it will also quite in-
evitably lead the new Waffle
into an elitist corner, oblivious
to the problems involved in de-
veloping, in this country, left
unity of those Canadians work-
ing for fundamental social
change.

Socialist Bloc

Similarly, the convention de-
bated its concepts of the future
of Canada and Waffle alterna-

US. role in

e Continued from page 5

camouflaged as ‘volunteers’ con-
tinue to intervene in Cambodia
at the side of the puppet troops
of the Phnom Penh clique.”

He underlined the fact that
the Nixon administration also
was trying to prevent solidarity
between the Cambodian people
and all others in Indochina by
frenzied propaganda to try and
“prove” that it is only a civil
war and that there is no U.S.
involvement. “It’s unspoken ob-
ject,” he added, “is to make us
forget the U.S. imperialist ag-
gression which continues in
Cambodia and to make public
opinion lose interest in the Cam-
bodian problem, which, however,
remains crucial. Its eventual
aim is to bring the FUNC (Na-
tional United Front) and GRUNC
(Royal Government of National
Union) to the ‘negotiating’ table
and to a ‘compromise’ with the
fascist regime of the Phnom
Penh traitors, which is the only
way for the Nixon administra-
tion to maintain U.S. colonial-
ism in Cambodia.”

Over to Offensive

In spite of the continuing
U.S, aggression in which over
the last four years 400,000 Cam-
bodians out of a population of
seven million have been killed
or wounded, the Cambodian peo-
ple, he said, continue to win
victories. More than 40 B-52s
were shot down this year.

.The Conference hailed “the
great strategic victory gained
this year over the ‘American-
ization of the war’ in the course
of which Cambodia, the people
and its army, were able not only
to resist with unexampled hero-
ism but to go over to the offen-
sive and daily to tighten their
grip on Phnom Penh and on the

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1973—PAGE 10.

- Ontario Waffle to form party

tives to capitalist policies ex-
clusively outside of the fact of
life that this country is part of
the world imperialist camp; that
a powerful socialist bloc of
countries exists and ~ exercises
tremendous influence upon world
and Canadian policies; that the
struggle of millions of people
against colonialism has weaken-
ed and shaken the hitherto com-
plete imperialist stranglehold on
their lives — and that these his-
toric trends will continue to play
a majar role in the development
of the Canadian left and social-
ist movement.

There was an unreality about
debating policy for Canada in
isolation from the world outside.
And, as if to raise this to a
principle, the only written refer-
ence to the Communst Party in
official documents was a Criti-
cism that it has become isolated
from the workers “because of
its failure to develop policies
independent of Soviet influ-
ence...’ Here Waffle simply re-
peats what the old line parties
and the right wing NDP leader-
ship have been saying for years
in their anti-communist attacks.
The problem the Waffle would
face if it evaluated the Com-
munist Party’s history and pro-
gram objectively would be the
collapse of Waffle theory claim-
ing exclusive rights to socialism
in this country.

The goals set for itself by the
Waffle — to struggle in support
of workers’ immediate needs as
well as advancing the socialist
alternative will come about only
in unity with those Canadians
moving leftward as well as with
those thousands already actively
working for similar changes.

Cambodia

other strongholds still held by
the enemy.”

The Conference also reaffirm-
ed “its complete support for the

just struggle of the Cambodian !

people for the national salvation
under the leadership of FUNC
and GRUNC,” and appealed to
all peoples “to reinforce, as a
matter of urgency, their politi-
cal, moral and material aid to
the just struggles of the Cam-
bodian people.” ‘
Ask World Support

The specific demands of the
conference were for ‘the imme-
diate, total and unconditional
end of the aggression and inter-
vention by the United States
and its lackeys in Saigon and
Bangkok, the immediate with-
drawal of the advisors, mercen-
aries and other military person-
nel as well as of military equip-
ment, and the cutting off of all
aid and support to the puppet
regime of Phnom Penh.” In ad-
dition they decided that in every
country pressure be put on to

break off relations with Phnom .

Penh and accord de jure recog-
nition to GRUNC as the only
legitimate government of Cam-
bodia. This has now been done
by nearly 60 states.

Among recommendations for
action adopted by the Soladarity
Conference was a program of
information on the, situation in
Cambodia as a result of the
American aggression, a program
of support including demands
for recognition of GRUNC, de-
veloping active committees of
support to the struggles of the
Cambodian people, and provid-
ing financial and material aid.

A week of International Soli-
darity with the Cambodian peo-
ple was proposed for March 17
to 24. March 23 is the anniver-
sary of the foundation of FUNC.

| on a program of drastic tax reform, a price freeze, and withdrawal

friends and comrades gathere
at a banquet at the Morris Win
chevsky Centre, in Toronto on
Dec. 9 to say: Good health and
long life, Joe. ;

Greetings to Joe Gershman,
whose work in the trade union
field, in the Communist Party
and its press, and in progressive
Jewish circles goes back half a
century — these greetings came ©
from many parts of the world,
and from close to home.

Speakers included William
Kashtan, Leader of the Com- ©
munist Party of Canada, Jack
Cowan, President, United Jewish —
People’s Order, and James Blu-
german, a veteran. UJPO activ-
ist. A program of folk songs
added a bouyant note to a pro-
gram which concluded with a-
speech by the guest of honor.

Thanking those who had come
to the banquet, and encouraged
by the very successful launch-
ing of the financial campaign for
the continued publication of the
Vochenblatt, Joe Gershman said
he would continue to be a part
of and participate in the publi-
cation of the paper. ef

Honor
Gershman

In a 70th birthday tribute to
Joshua Gershman, editor of Vo-
chenblatt (Canadian Jewish
Weekly), and a leader in the
United Jewish People’s Order,

“WORLD NEWS

BIG COMMUNIST GAIN IN DANISH ELECTIONS

COPENHAGEN—Denmark’s Communists, who had held no seats _
in parliament, emerged from the Dec. 1 election with six parlia-
mentary seats and a sharply increased vote, particularly in urban
industrial areas. The vote was devastating for all the traditionally
main-line Danish parties, and most of all for Premier Anker Joergen-
sen and his Social-Democratic Party. Joergensen announced plans
in Copenhagen to dissolve his government. Even though the SDP
kept a mural: it ee sulted its worst electoral losses
in a century. In the -seat parliament
rae aay p , the SDP dropped from 78

The severe economic crisis, unemployment, inflation and tax hikes
were blamed for the SDP defeat, along with Joergensen’s strong]
pro-Common Market stand. In Nov. 30, Denmark banned all fori :
workers from entry into the country in an effort to ease the anaes
ployment situation. The Communist Party (CPD) fought the election

from NATO and the Common Market.

ITALIAN WORKERS CALL CRISIS “MONOPOLY BLACKMAIL” —

| ROME—The United Federation of Italian Food Industr

demanded last week that the Italian government take ammeniane
emergency action to deal with the present “food crisis” in Ital
which the workers said_is the result of “monopoly blackmail.” Mache
roni and macaroni-type foods have almost disappeared from sho
in Rome, Naples, Milan, Bari and- other large Italian cities althouRe
they are basic staple diet items. The situation has produced neat ‘
panic reactions among some of the public. However, the food indus-
try workers charge that the crisis is an artificial one, created by the
monopolies. :

The workers in their statement list facts showin S

panies had asked the government for large price es pe
they were not making a profit. The companies’ demand was turne
down, and then the “shortage” developed. °

C0 CTIA AI neg ae

’ MUJIB SAYS “SOCIALISM IS OUR FUTURE”

DACCA—Creation of the popular unity front groupi
AGES a8 ping the
main political parties in Bangladesh was welcomed ay Preaek
Mujibur Rahman when he addressed the congress of the Bangl:
desh Communist Party in Dacca. sa
The front of the ruling Awami League, the National Awami
‘ , m +
and the Communist Party has become a bulwark in the stroce
-against the reactionary forces in the country and their attemptees :
se aie off the road to Socialism, he declared. ‘
“The Communists are sincere friends of the people and 1 :
triots. We will work together to build a Sociali iety,” Prem
Rahman ‘said. . ane
“There are forces in our country which are engaged in oe
. eye . s b i
activities against the government, using leftist Snes aX 5 cou
but serving the interests of imperialism and reaction,” he char a
Bangladesh will never turn away from the Socialist road of ave
opment chosen by the people,” he added, calling on all patriotic ae §
-forces to rally their ranks and defend the country’s independence. _

BRAZILIAN NOVELIST REJECTS “POLICE” AWARD
SAO PAULO—Erico Verissimo, Brazil’s leading noveli
week refused to accept an honorary Ph.D. from the University |
Porto Alegre, said the newspaper ‘“‘O Estado de Sao Paulo” ne K 3
day. Verissimo declared he wants no titles from an intl ma
controlled by the secret police, whether it calls itself a “univ i
or a prison. Verissimo, born in 1905 in the southern state of Me |
Grande do Sul, has several novels published in English eee ae
including “The President,” “Time and the Wind,” and “Grassy ae
The Sao Paulo newspaper also said Verissimo had protested ye

the expulsion of progressive faculty and stud :
universities, Porto Alegre in particular. ents from Brazilian

St, last