_ Capitalist media, Robert, Rosenberg. left, and Michael becdertel the sons of Julius and Ethel Cont'd from pg. 1 brought under government control. AS expected, the Socialist Party Feacted to the new round of Nationalization and the decision to €Stablish the people’s defense Committees with charges that the AFM and Communist Party were attempting to establish a_ dic- torship. Contrary to reports in the the defense Committees are not intended to Teplace’” political parties. The decision is intended to strengthen the unity of the AFM with the road democratic movement, the keystone of the revolution. The committees are to be based on already existing local people’s beamizations such as residents’ block committees and workers’ actory committees. ‘iilttees will lay the basis for local, The com-. DEFENCE COMMITTEES regional and provincial peoples’ assemblies. A national people’s assembly will then be formed, with supreme power remaining with the 30-member Revolutionary Council of the AFM. The AFM and the political parties will participate in the people’s assemblies at all levels. The new structure of people’s assemblies, the AFM assembly stated, ‘‘will be a consistent and effective plan for building a socialist society in Portugal.” HAVE YOU RENEWED YOUR PT SUB YET? Unity League; Organizations; ADDRESS B.C. LABOUR HISTORY PROJECT Two SFU graduate students are recording the experiences’ of People involved in the trade union movement, and would like to Speak with labour activists. Special interests are: 1935 Longshoremen’s the Post Office Sit-in; ishermen’s Union or Canadian Seamen’s Union. People may telephone Don Muldoon (438-9248) or Robin Stewart (291-0076) or mail this coupon to them c/o History Department, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C. the Workers Strike; unemployed the IWA; Boilermakers; Interested Honolulu/ Waikiki & Maui From $349 ‘Double occupancy’ includes Hotel », accommodation " Theexpertsintraveltothe USSR _ 2679 Hastings Street East/Vancouver B.C./253-1221 > Z - The Rosenberg sons tell their own story WE ARE YOUR SONS: THE LEGACY OF JULIUS AND ETHEL ROSENBERG. By Robert and Michael Meeropol. Houghton- Mifflin. 419 pp. Illustrated. Available at the People’s Co- operative Bookstore. Since Watergate, public interest has been aroused about many of the historic witch hunting cases in the 50s — cases that shook the consciousness of millions not only here but in the rest of the world. The most famous was the trial and eventual execution of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg for conspiracy to commit espionage and for giving away the so-called secret of the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union. In the last few years we have seen documentaries, books and stage plays, all of which have raised serious doubts about the government’s evidence. The best were the Schnier’s Invitation to an Ingest artd the public television documentary The Unquiet Death of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. But it was a best-seller called The Im- plosion Conspiracy by Louis Nizer that brought the two sons of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg out of a self- imposed anonymity. When a friend . informed them that Nizer had used letters from their parents’ prison correspondence both in his book and on television without the sons’ permission and had distorted the intent of the letters, they could not keep silent. And once they filed suit against Nizer and the publishers, their privacy vanished overnight. »There followed money-raising parties all over the East, and as Michael writes, ‘‘wherever we travelled people asked us when we expected to reopen our parents’ case. We were still adjusting to our situation, teaching, taking care of our children, so we merely reaf-, firmed our resolve to do so one day. . ake didn’ t have one to wait. A memorial program was planned by the National Committee to Reopen the Rosenberg Case for Carnegie Hall on June 17, 1974, 21 years after the execution. Carnegie Hall sold out and 3,000 were left outside trying to’get in. Michael wrote, ‘..the ardent enthusiasm of the audience indicated that we were doing the right thing and would receive strong support for our efforts.”’ We Are Your Sons fills out the missing chapters of what happened to the Rosenberg children up until Carnegie Hall and a little beyond. Michael and Robbie divide the writing, with Michael describing the first half of the years between 1950 when his parents were arrested to 1953 when they were executed. Letters from Ethel and Julius to their lawyer Manny Block, to the family, the govern- BOLER TRAILER TO RENT ‘Carl Warder 731-4084 or 531-5909 Beaver Transfer} * Moving : * Packing Y Storage 790 Powell St. Phone 254-3711 | = ees ment and their sons are skillfully blended chronologically with events occurring at the time. Many of the letters are new to us, never having been published before. It was a stirring experience for me: I found myself again getting involved as deeply as I was at the time. Once more I shared their hopes that the execution would be stayed when world-wide protests in the millions were mounted. The letters grow in strength and eloquence as their lives drew to a tragic end. For these letters alone the book is a must: I have never felt more keenly the innocence of these two, or that one day, through the present fight to open the government files, the fouin will come out. We also get a Peat bly warm and rich picture of what happened to the boys — their being shunted around from home to home and their eventual legal adoption by two extraordinary people, Anne and Abel Meeropol. One of the deeply moving passages is narrated by Robbie about the time Michael read the book Knock On . Any Door. “‘. ..He was unprepared for the ending of the book, the thoughts and activities of the hero presented in excruciating detail as he prepares for and goes to his death in the electric chair. Michael was revolted, as he had been five and a half years earlier when television blared the an- nouncement of our parents’ death schedule. Feeling a strange emotion building up he flung himself on his bed and started to cry for all the years since 1953 he had remained dry eyed.” As Michael later wrote in his diary, “It shook me, and it broke me. I realized that the two dearest people in the world to me had gone through that agony and mine.”’ In short, we learn in part of the effect of the past on the Rosenberg children. Their father and mother had stated in court that they could not confess to crimes they did not commit and would not allow themselves to bear false witness against innocent people or be used as a tool to create anti-Soviet and anti-Communist propaganda to add to the hysteria and the cold war. Julius wrote ina letter to Manny Block, ‘“‘I would not allow myself to be used even for propaganda purposes to increase tensions between the U.S. and Russia. Only better relations-between these two countries can benefit the people of both lands and ensure world qeace.”’ In this book the Meeropols are saying, to quote the New York Times reviewer, ‘‘We are your sons in every sense.’ They are. defending their parents’ work with glad hearts and renewed _ spirit- s.... In short, the fruit has not fallen far from the tree.’’ I agree. —John Randolph Daily World Naval base ‘not there’ American journalists “naval base” in Berbera, Somalia after a tour of the city at the in- vitation of Somali government. The tour of the area was arranged in response to the widely publicized accusations of American defence secretary that the Soviet Union had large-scale war installations at Berbera, including missile sites, naval docks, and a military air- field. According to three jour- nalists from CBS-TV none of these. _ were found to exist. Somali foreign minister, Omar .Artch Ghaleb said that it had been conclusively = shown that Schlesinger’s allegations were “unfounded and incorrect’”’ and deplored the “‘unseemly”’ means used to cover American action in setting up bases of their own in the Indian Ocean. A fF TWINS RESTAURANT Good food, reasonable prices 165 E. Hastings, Van. Open 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING COMING EVENTS July 20 PICNIC, SUNDAY, JULY 20 at Confederation Park. Russian food. Starts 12 noon, in case of rain to be held at Russian People’s Home, 600 Campbell Ave. Spons. by F.R.C. JULY 20—FRASER~ VALLEY | REGIONAL PICNIC — Fred Bianco’s — 10246—132nd St. 1 | p.m. Admission $1. Refresh- ments, Concession, Sports, Games and entertainment. Speaker Jack Phillips. Barbecue Salmon supper 5 p.m. Adults $2; Children under 12 $1. Auspices ~ North and South Fraser Region CRO. SATURDAY, July 26, 1:00 p.m. — 3rd ANNUAL YCL SALMON BAKE — at the Legebokoff’s, 3310 Cardinal Dr., North Bur- .naby. Swimming, en- tertainment, refreshments, good food. Admission (includes meal) $3.00. All welcome. JULY 27 -— CELEBRATE CUBA’S NATIONAL HOLIDAY - ANNUAL GARDEN PARTY, _ PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JULY 18, 1975—Page 7 3882 Yale St., Sunday, July 27 - 2- 7 p.m. Cuban menu, supper at 5 p.m. Adults $3.00 under 12 $1.50. Slide showing. Refreshments. Ausp: Canadian Cuban Friend- ship Cttee. Proceeds to the School for the Blind. _ WANTED ARTICLES for resale — Proceeds to P.T. Phone 526-5226. STORAGE space, preferably in ~ Burnaby — for articles for resale. Phone 526-5226. were. unable to find any trace of a Soviet — _ HALLS FOR RENT UKRAINIAN CANADIAN CULTURAL CENTRE East Pender St., Vancouver 4. Available for banquets, wed- dings, meetings. Phone 254-3436. eet seo RUSSIAN PEOPLE’S HOME — _ Now available for rentals. For reservations phone 254-3430. WEBSTER’S CORNERS HALL. - Available for banquets, meetings, etc. For rates; Ozzie, 325-4171 or 685-5836.