eter gs oj! we FH) Sa ee red Tt.e by Sa VW wh gol VIA. Cab Deor Friends, a = P and rep fresh-air. danger of loosing his sight. Israeli Communists ask for aid to save imprisoned Arab leader COMMUNIST PARTY OF ISRAEL—CENTRAL COMMITTEE Cable address: Iscompar Tel-Aviv TEL-AVIV, P.O.B. 26205 PHONE:611904 It is over two years that Na'im El-Ashhab, leading personality of the Communist Party of Jordon, wos arrested by the Israeli occupation authority in East Jerusalem and detained administratively without indicting him of any crime of offence, without trial. About a year ago, an attempt was made on the life of comrade El-Ashhab, in prison. Since then, N. El-Ashhab was jailed in the Shatta prison, near Beisan, in solitary confinement, on the pretext of “safeguarding him" from attacks by hooligan and incited prisoners. Notwithstanding his deteriorating health and disregarding the public ds to release Na‘im El-Ashhab, the Israeli authorities continue to hold him imprisoned in his separate cell. deprived from light and air. Lately No'im El-Ashhab's health has further deteriorated and particularly his sight now is in danger. The doctor who examined his eyes asserted that his eye-sight is being weakened and endangered by the continued solitary imprisonment and deprivation from sun-light and The Communist Parliamentary faction in the Knesset (Israeli. Parliament) submitted an urgent interpellation to the Defense Minister, Moshe Dayan, drawing his attention to the situation of Na‘im El-Ashhab and demanded his immediate release. There are thousands of victims of the Israeli occupation of Arab territories - imprisoned, tortured, exiled, oppressed in many other ways and deprived of elementary human rights. But the particularly deteriorating situation of Na'im El-Ashhab urges us to bring his case to the notice and knowledge of democratic organisations calling for solidarity action as deemed fit, raising the demand from the Israeli Government and its representa- tives to immediate release of the Communist leader Nai'm El-Ashhab and save him from the We shall appreciate receiving information on any action taken. DVINIWN WyYoOIIPA NayzsaA sr29NA THIN 61 N°IND JIN ,3°3N-SN 611904 y1990 — 26205 An Janvary 11, 197) Fraternally yours, COMMUNIST PARTY OF ISRAEL CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEIR VILNER ENERAL SECRETARY NO ‘FISHERIES WAR’ Pact benefits both sides By P. AVANESOV MOSCOW (APN) — The new year has put an end to the “fish- ing war” as journalists labelled the differences that had arisen between the Soviet Union and Canada in that sphere. On January 22 an agreement was signed here between the governments of the USSR and Canada on cooperation in fisher- ies in the north-eastern Pacific off the coast of Canada and agreement on provisional rules of navigation and fisheries safety in that area. Preliminary negotiations were held in Ottawa last October. In the opinion of both sides, the agreement creates favorable conditions for fishing operations by Canadian and Soviet fisher- men on the basis of mutual benefit. Besides, the agreement envisages a regular exchange of Wire from Warsaw In reply to a message of soli- darity and cooperation from the Communist Party of Canada to > the Polish United Workers Par- ty and its newly elected leader- ship, the following cable was received from Warsaw, address- ed to William Kashtan, general secretary of the CPC: “Thanking you cordially for conveyed wishes, I express my belief that the development of cooperation between our parties will serve the strengthening of the unity of the international Communist movement, the cause of peace and socialism. Edward Gierek, First Secretary, Polish United Workers Party. PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 1971—PAGE 6 scientific information and co- ordination of fisheries investiga- tions in that part of the Pacific which, in_ the opinion of Soviet and Canadian experts, will pro- vide a more effective and rational basis for the utilization of bio- logical resources, as well as for carrying out fishing operations on a scientific basis. Both dele- gations discussed and approved a report which outlined the measures to be taken according to planned fisheries investiga- tions. The agreement on provisional safety rules will ensure safety of fishing operations and pro- tection of life at sea. The agreements were signed on behalf of the Government of the USSR by the head of the Soviet delegation Vladimir Ka- mentsev, first deputy minister of fisheries of the USSR, and on be- half of the Government of Can- ada by Dr. A. Needler, deputy minister of fisheries and forestry of Canada. The ceremony of signing the agreements was at- “tended by the minister of fisher- ies of the USSR A. Ishkov and Canada’s ambassador to the USSR R. Ford. Speaking after the signing, V. Kamentsev said that all the complex problems which the ex- perts of both countries had to resolve were discussed in an at- mosphere of sincereity and mu- tual trust. He expressed the con- fidence that these agreements will serve as an excellent basis for the further cooperation be- tween the Soviet Union and Canada in the field of fisheries and the strengthening of friend- ship between the two countries, Behind the scenes Portugal's war and NATO By V. LAKIN For nearly 10 years now the Portuguese colonialists have been fighting a war in Africa to preserve their rule over a ter- ritory which is more than 20 times larger than Portugal itself. At the tail end of last year gangs of Portuguese mercena- ries invaded the territory of the Republic of Guinea. The ruling clique in Lisbon is trying to test the strength of the regimes in the independent neighbors of the Portuguese colonialists, and to engineer coups there in order to enclose Angola, Bissao- Guinea and Mozambique within a reactionary “cordon sanitaire.” Why are Portugal’s ruling cir- cles so tenaciously clinging to their old colonialist policy, against which history has long since pronounced its verdict? The 11 monopoly groups in Portugal, which have ties with Big Business in the USA, West Germany and other NATO states, have grabbed hold of virtually the country’s entire economy. A handful of bankers control roughly 80% of all in- vestments. In agriculture 2,000 landlords own as much land as more than 400,000 land-hungry peasants. = The desire to pump profits out of the invested capital builds a bridge between the Portuguese colonialist exploit- ers and their foreign partners. This explains the political, eco- nomic and military backing Lionist ultras wont succeed By BERT WHYTE MOSCOW—“The ‘acts of vio- lence and terrorism perpetrated by extremists from the Zionist camp in connection with Soviet personnel in the United States, amaze not only by their cruelty, but by their senselessness,” Pro- fessor Yevsei Lieberman of Kharkov University wrote in a letter to Pravda. “It seems as though the mad- men from among the extremists wish by their actions to sow dis- cord between Soviet and Ameri- can peoples. Iam convinced that nothing will come of this. I know a number of scientists — economists — from the USA. through personal talks and cor- respondence. In spite of differ- ences in evaluation of the effec- _ tiveness of the level of economic systems, I am able to draw the conclusion that the majority of intellectuals in the United States —whether Christian, Jewish or Moslem—will condemn the ban- . dit actions of Zionists. “Soviet Jews, honest working people, will never think in the same terms as Zionist extre- mists. They will continue to work creatively in close friendly union with all nationalities of the Soviet Union to strengthen and improve the socialist system in their common and true home- land.” Professor Lieberman, whose books on economics are widely known throughout the world, and many of whose ideas helped to shape the Soviet Union’s new economic policy, himself is a man who has experienced hard- ships and suffered much during his lifetime, yet he was and re- mains a fine example of a gen- uine Soviet patriot. ae given Portugal’s ruling clique by NATO. This also explains Lis- bon’s promise to dedicate every effort to suppress the peoples of the colonies in order to ensure a “conducive climate for invest- ment.” The Lisbon rulers have farmed out to the USA part of the Azores for a big naval base. They are offering NATO for similar purposes the territory of Portuguese colonies in Africa. Reluctant to spill their blood for monopoly interests that are alien to them, some 14,000 ser- vicemen desert from the Portu- guese army every year. The Portuguese colonialists are now staking on gangs of mercena- ries. Military spending accounts for nearly half the expenditures in Portugal’s national budget. , The plight of the working classes is growing worse in view of continually rocketing prices. Every year some 100,000 emigrate in search of a better lot. Freedom of speech, assembly, demonstrations and _ organiza- tion is absent. The Communist Party and progressive political organizations continue to be outlawed. Only the government party and the so-called national trade unions, controlled by the regime, are allowed officially to act. The struggle of the Portu- guese people — workers, office employees, intellectuals, stu- dents — reached a high level in October ] the National Assemb tion” campaign was iff Rallies and demonstti which thousands took] held in Lisbon, Porto, Moscavida, Vila Fre other cities, where f were passed demandif tablishment of democh doms in the country, | nation of the war in A the satisfaction of thé of millions of Portug Agents of the Genél ity Directorate arres! prominent patriots. employ most brutal torture against their ¥ The manifestations Portuguese people existing regime are 4 . Mass-scale nature. — “All these manifé the Central Committ Portuguese Commulfl stresses, ‘“‘testify to ity for the democ ment passing over offensive against the ary forces.” It exp readiness, together W opposition represent# define the immediaté struggle and also the methods of co-operall the opposition forces, and illegal, in order still greater scope an@ ness to this struggl Canadian writer sees SIBIR—My Discovery of Sibe- ria. By Farley Mowat. Pub- lishers: McClelland and Stew- art. Price $10.00. Sibir, a down-to-earth, free ranging narrative vividly tells of the successes and difficulties of the Small Peoples of the North, and other Soviet citizens of many nationalities, in plan- ning and building the new so- cialist life in the Far North re- gions of the Soviet Union. The author gathered the ma- terial for his book during two extended trips in Siberia total- Sil ling 29,000 miles in all. Mowat ~~ decided on the second trip when - ee the first trip in 1966 did not ~ provide him with sufficient first- hand knowledge to write a book “designed to dispel some of our misconceptions about Siberia.” The book, he says, is the out- come of these two jorneys. In my opinion, however, the book is more than that. For there are travellers, and travel- lers. Through his writings, Far- ley Mowat has demonstrated that he is a keen observer of nature and the results of man’s economic impact on the natural environment and the _inhabit- ants therein. He has worked and travelled widely in the Canadian North. Consequently he is fully’ conversant with the economic and social conditions of our Small Peoples of the North which qualifies him to expertly compare the lot of the North- ern Peoples of capitalist Can- ada with those of the socialist Soviet Union. In addition to his trained keen sense of observation, Far- ley Mowat, with his apparent ability to be as one with the people he met, gathered his in- formation directly from the actual builders of the new life A WW 4 ew Ses eae eae FARLEY MO in Siberia. They in ernment and party gineers and workers: trappers and hunte authors and students. individual experiences ions he relates in the tively debunk misle? ern propaganda of . formed Soviet people: Soviet citizens to ¢ criticize” and “low ards in the Soviet U? In his book Mowa times critical of “D interference and red tered in Moscow ane instances, tends to pli and the state in OPP one another. But thrust of the book is credit to Soviet pow® system of socialis™ miracle that has bee? the peoples of the North. It is to be hoped will soon appear in P® form in order that * should read this high book may do so m@ —,