EDITORIAL Now that the United States and the Soviet negotiations on a wide range of issues, from missiles to star wars, has a moment not arrived for Ottawa to take a serious look at U.S. cruise missile. tests over Canada? Under the Canada-U.S. Test and Evaluation Program, concluded by the former Trudeau government in July, 1983, the first cruise missile was tested in March 1984 despite massive pub- lic objections. The five year program’s next phase is a series of four free-flight cruise tests between Jan. 1 and March 31, 1985 on a 2,600 kilometre path from the Beaufort Sea to the Canadian Forces base at Cold Lake, Alberta — a region similar to Soviet terrain. There was and is no attempt to _ disguise the fact that the cruise, with its stealth factor and heavy punch, is aimed at Soviet targets. “Stimulating the private sector” is Tory doublespeak for a licence-to steal. It’s a green light for the corporate sector to rip off the public; an announcement of open season on consumers. When it comes to pushing to the front of the line in this exercise, we can always count on the ' giant oil companies to acquit themselves with vigor. Led by Imperial Oil and joined by Gulf, Texaco and PetroCan in a move that smacks of collusion, these corporate citizens have dug their hands deeper into the pockets of every Canadian. Gasoline, diesel fuel and home heating oil jumped in one day last week, with retail gas prices increasing as much as 25 per cent in some cases. In the dead of winter, not missing a trick, the energy moguls boosted home heating oil by as much as 1.5 cents per litre. Nothing in the depressed Canadian econ- omy was “stimulated”, except the oil compan- ies’ profit sheets. Not one new job resulted. Parliamentarians were conveniently all at home for the holidays. Union have come to an agreement to begin - _ Time to end cruise tests Critics have argued that Canada’s agreement to test this U.S. first strike weapon has placed this country firmly in the category of a belliger- ent. Anti-cruise proponents add that Canada’s production of the missile’s guidance system reinforces that role. The Canada-U.S. umbrella agreement also. contains two other provisions: one, that the program can be terminated by Canada on one year’s notice and two, it provides for Canada’s right to cancel or suspend any specific project. What better contribution could our country make at this moment when a small window toward peace and disarmament has been opened at Geneva, than to cancel this series of cruise tests immediately and re-examine the full implications of the testing agreement? It would be a first step to regaining our sovereignty and assuring our security. A clear case of robbery What Canadians received in real terms was an across-the-board income reduction, coming on top of the sales tax increase levied by the Mulroney government two months earlier. The Tory assault rolls on with a vengeance. Retail gasoline prices have jumped by more than 100 per cent in less than five years, the oil compan-. ies calling this “a bargain.” The unfettered public robbery reinforces the demand that Canadian energy resources and the giant multinationals who exploit them for profit be placed under public control — a demand consistently advanced by the Com- munist Party and others who believe our resources to be a vital part of our. Canadian _ heritage and wealth. This demand will grow in strength for it goes to the heart of a “put Canada first’’ policy. What is immediately needed is a strong call for a rollback on gas and oil prices, a demand that ‘the government protect Canadians from such muggings and a demand that the anti-combines agency investigate this lastest collusion. DUMMY WAR -HEAD Unicorp Canada Corporation, a management and investment — holding company is into real estate, energy, financial services, 4 etc. had an after-tax profit of $10,000,000 for the nine months © ended Sept. 30, i.e., up $7.7-million from the same period of 1983. — No Tory cutbacks here. iJ IRIBUNE Editor — SEAN GRIFFIN Assistant Editor — DAN KEETON Business & Circulation Manager — PAT O'CONNOR Graphics — ANGELA KENYON Published weekly at 2681 East Hastings Street Vancouver, B.C. V5K 1Z5 Phone (604) 251-1186 Subscription Rate: Canada — $14 one year: $8 six months Foreign — $20 one year, Second class mail registration number 1560 Dom: the years of the U.S. war against Vietnam, there were many close bonds developed between Canadians and Vietnamese — and none have been more enduring than those developed by the Vancouver-based Canadian Aid for Vietnam Civilians, founded by Dr. Allan Inglis and his wife, Kay, in 1966 and still at work 19 years later. We had a note from Dr. Inglis last week enclosing the photo at right of the plaque © put up by Red Cross of Vietnam in memory of the legacy of Henry Hughes which F assisted in the construction of the Ben Hai ae Canadian Doctor’s December issue, 10 are written by chartered accountants and law- yers, and deal with financial and tax mat- ters. Only two articles, written by MDs, relate to medical topics. ical Associations recently launched a major public relations campaign to con- vince the public that physicians are only their patients. are any indication, it’s the fiscal well-being Ironically, the B.C. and Canadian Med- | 3 interested in the physical well-being of But if the articles in Canadian Doctor hospital. Hughes, who had donated to wanted the money from his estate put to the construction of the pediatric ward. The particular hospital — it is on the 17th parallel, the border established when the U.S. partitioned Vietnam — was chosen because it was the area most devastated by the long war of aggression. The plaque itself, which was paid for by a special donation from CAVC, will prob- ably be formally commemorated with the Inglis visit the hospital next month. Their tour will also include another hospital, the Tien Son hospital near Hanoi, which the CAVC helped to rebuild after it was virtu- ally destroyed in a U.S. bombing raid. At last count, CAVC had raised over $600,000 for Vietnam and although the CAVC. before his death in 1980, had_ organization has not issued a formal appeal for contributions for some time, a few hundred dollars still come in unsoli- cited every month, says Kay. And on their way to Vietnam, the Inglis will be using the money to place another order for medical supplies. — * * * octors and bombs don’t mix, correct? Such is the philosophy behind peace organizations such as the Physicians for Social Responsibility. Unfortunately, Canada’s medical establishment doesn’t always see things that way. According to a report we’ve receiveu from Tribune reader and sometime corres- -pondent I.G. Bulic, Canada’s most influential medical magazine, Canadian Doctor, is encouraging its readers to invest money in the largest U.S. producer of mil- itary electronics. Bulic reports that the December issue of the Toronto-based Southam publication recommends several “lean and mean American companies” as good investment potential for physicians’ dollars. Among those listed are the union-busting Tandy Corporation, the Aluminum Company of America and the military electronics giant, the Raytheon Corporation. _ Raytheon produces missiles, radar sys- tems, aircraft and a host of other military products. The company expects to earn record profits this year from its U.S. mil- itary contracts. Whether or not it’s in the military, investment rather than health appears to be the chief concern of Canada’s medical establishment. Of the 12 main articles in of its members — at least the more well- heeled ones — that is the true concern of Canada’s medical establishment. Se OS, 3 W: had a call this week from Peggy — _Chunn to tell us that Jack Ewing, a long time Trib seller and supporter is in St. Paul’s Hospital, after suffering a series of small strokes. Although he is recovering and can get around a bit in a wheelchair, he is expected to be in hospital for some time yet and would greatly appreciate vis- itors. He’s in Room 469 on the fourth floor of St. Paul’s and visiting hours are 2-8 p.m. Readers may also recall that Jack’s recollections were featured in a piece we did on organizing the unemployed in the | 1930s. Sane nec matm desc nenca eal cuecfhealas isles ia aca ea aa A Lac 4 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, JANUARY 16, 1985 Z