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On Feb. 13 this year, 100,000 citizens of
Dresden in the German Democratic
Republic (East Germany) — or one-fifth of
the entire population of the city — gathered
in a powerful peace demonstration. They
were commemorating the 38th anniversary
of the destruction of their city.

On the night of Feb. 13, 1945, a wave of
British and American bombers, 242 in all,
dropped 1,400 heavy bombs and 137,000in-
cendiaries on the city. A few hours later
another wave of 524 bombers dropped 1,500
heavy bombs and 279,000 incendiaries.
Within a few hours the city became an infer-
no and was reduced to a mass of rubble, with
35,000 people blowp up or burned to death.
Thousands died from suffocation. The fire
was So great that it consumed all the oxygen
in the area’s atmosphere.

At the time of the bombing the war was all
but won. The Soviet army had advanced so
far west that it was already within 100 miles
of Dresden. In the bombing of Dresden the
railway yards and industrial areas were not
targeted. The target was the centre of the city
and the residential areas.

Dresden was not one of Hitler’s military
centres. It had historically been a centre of
German learning and culture. The decision
by Churchill and Eisenhower to pick out
Dresden for destruction was a political deci-
sion, not a military decision. Its purpose was
to destroy this centre of learning and
obliterate its people before the Soviet army
got there. :

I mention this to illustrate not only the
havoc and suffering caused by ruthless
politicians and military leaders in war-time
but to show that the people of the socialist
countries of eastern Europe are also
demonstrating for peace, even if their
demonstrations are not reported in our
media. They do not want another war any

more than we do.

Around Easter hundreds of thousands, if
not millions, of people in western Europe
also paraded and demonstrated for peace,
against the stationing of more U.S. nuclear
missiles in Europe and for an end to the arms

race. One of their central demands was a -

nuclear-free Europe.

On Saturday, Apr. 23, it will be our turn.
On that day thousands, I hope tens of
thousands, of our citizens will parade and
meet for peace.

The need for the peoples of the world to

Harry

BRED Se oe ee a arene

Rankin

assert their demand for an end to this mad
arms race is the paramount question facing
mankind. Unless it is stopped, it could soon:
be too late. :

President Reagan is hell-bent on forcing
Europe to accept more nuclear weapons and
is preparing now to take the arms race into
outer space. All of this is aimed at creating a
military superiority for the U.S. in prepara-
tion for a strike-first attack on the Soviet
Union, a nuclear Blitzkreig that would
destroy it in one blow.

Reagan’s zero plan is not a peace plan at

all — it is a peace hoax. What he is deman- -

ding, in effect, is that the Soviet Union
should disarm, leaving nuclear bombs still
stationed in Britain and France, and leaving
the Soviet Union surrounded by U.S. nuc-
lear-bomb carrying subs, ships and
bombers. Reagan knows quite well that the
Soviets cannot and will not accept this zero

VANCOUVER

Walk for ‘nuke-free’ Canada Apr.

option — that’s why he made it. He doesn’t
want any end to the arms race. He wants
U.S. nuclear superiority in preparation for a
U.S. launched nuclear war. w

That’s why Reagan has also turned down
all the proposals of the Warsaw Pact powers
for steps to end the arms race. Meeting in
Prague earlier this month they proposed that
NATO and the Warsaw Pact powers should
eliminate all nuclear weapons from Europe
and implement a general arms reduction as
well. They also proposed a non-aggression

pact with the west. To my mind these pro-
posals coincide with what the people of the
world want and would be important steps on
the road to peace and an end to the arms
race. But predictably, the U.S. ignored
them, terming them propaganda.

It’sno wonder that more and more people
are beginning to compare Reagan with
Hitler. In Edmonton the other day woman
peace marcher of German descent, who was
protesting the testing of cruise missles at
Cold Lake, Alberta, told reporters that in
Germany Hitler had used the same kind of
anti-Soviet scares to prepare his world war.
And in Winnipeg, and NDP provincial
cabinet member told the press (when the
U.S. demanded an apology for a Winnipeg
demonstration against U.S. armed interven-
tion in Nicaragua) that to ask Canadians not
to protest against Reagan’s actions was com-

PEOPLE AND ISSUES,

wa the NDP revealed the Socred’s covert legislative plans to
jack up health care user fees, it prompted a spate of not-quite
unequivocal denials from the unmasked Socreds — denials which,
even if they were equivocal, would have about as much credibility as
their television ads.

But significantly enough, another piece of draft legislation also
leaked has never been denied by the Socreds, even though a number
of public references have been made to it.

The draft bill is that proposed by Pat McGeer’s science and
technology ministery which would enable employers wanting to set
up shop in the Discovery Park high-technology facilities to be ex-
cluded from the provisions of the labor code. [WA researcher Clay

| Perry revealed a leaked copy of the legislation at a forum on policy

alternatives held last month. We referred to it two weeks ago in an

| analysis of the current attack on the labor code and union rights by

employers and the Socred government. And Perry again touched on
= significance at the “reality day’’ conference in Port Alberni Mar.

But McGeer has not denied it. Far from it, he acknowledged in a
press conference announcing the financial aid to high-tech in-
dustries that “‘legislative changes” would be instituted where
necessary to establish those industries. A story in the Globe and
Mail’s Report on Business on the press conference had this
revealing last paragraph: ‘‘Although he (McGeer) refused to
speculate on the nature of the legislative changes required, he said
that he believes that the climate in the province has frightened com-
panies out of moving to British Columbia.’

The implications of that leave little to the imagination.

That the Socreds jumped all over themselves trying to defuse the
bomb of health care user fees indicate just how sensitive the issue is.
But the fact that they have not denied the Discovery Park legislative
plans, coupled with Bennett’s increasingly strident tirade against
ferry workers, teachers and now the labor code, should emphasize
what many have already predicted: that the Socreds are moving to
make the trade union movement and labor rights a major issue in
this campaign.

The labor movement needs to answer that — with a united, co-
ordinated response.

* * *

A powerful wave of peace action, which began in Europe on the

ter weekend, will reverberate across Canada Apr. 23 with
mass rallies planned for Vancouver, Regina, Saskatoon, Prince
Albert and Toronto and, on the following day, Apr. 24, in Victoria.
A smaller echo, perhaps, but one no less significant for local
residents will be heard a week sooner in Parksville when the Mt. Ar-
rowsmith Disarmament Coalition holds its Walk for Peace in the
mid-Island community.

tion to the peace movement, the upcoming ‘‘Give Peace a Chance”’

Reunited Bargain band plays for peace Apr. 24.

The march begins at 2 p.m. Apr. 16 at St. Edmond’s Parish Hall
and will make its way from there through the centre of Parksville,
past the war memorial to return to the starting point. A rally is
scheduled for 3 p.m. and various local disarmament activists as well
as NDP MP Ted Miller have been invited to speak.

Earlier in the day, activists from around Vancouver Island will
also be meeting in Parksville to begin the organization of the Peace
Caravan which will travel to Ottawa late this summer in support of
the campaign to make Canada a nuclear-weapons free zone.

* * *

Fo eight years the collective voice — running anywhere from six

: to more than 30 people — of the folk choral group Bargain at
Half the Price resounded in labor halls, university and college
auditoriums and open-air stages at numerous concert benefits for
labor, peace and progressive affairs. About two years ago, the
various members went their separate ways, with founder Steve
Gidora going on to form the group Ash Street with other area folks-
ingers.

Now the group has reformed, for a one-time ‘‘10th anniversary
reunion’’ to perform at the Fraser Valley Peace Council’s contribu-

concert at the Surrey Arts Centre Apr. 24.

As the photo attests, the reformed Bargain will be a sizeable
group indeed, and Steve tells us there are at least four others not in
the picture who will sing for peace that Sunday. Taking place the
day after this year’s Walk for Peace, the concert has been endorsed
by the Surrey municipal council, the Surrey Teachers Association,
the New Westminster and District Labor Council and numerous
other individuals and organizations.

The duet Pied Piper is also on the bill, and all proceeds go to the
End the Arms Race committee.

—_—

parable to asking Canadians not to protes
ainst Hitler.

eThe politicians who lead our govern!
today can’t be trusted any more thal
who led us 45 years ago when they WOT
peasing Hitler and encouraging him 10
arm, allowing him to seize one county ath
another, in the hope and expectation th ie
would then attack and destroy the 5? |
Union. When I was overseas in the last Wy
MacKenzie-King was prime ministef-
always claimed he was for democracy
against facism.

~ That now turns out to be a lie. In 193 H
visited Nazi Germany where Hitler #
militarized the economy, destroyed :
trade unions and imposed wage contfob™
the 60 hour week. When he returm
Canada this is what he wrote in his-P2™

would be wise to follow rapidly on sl
principles.”” No wonder they kept his
secret until a few years ago — in fact ™
wonder that it was released at all!

No, we can’t trust the politicians at’
head of our government today. P. Us
minister Trudeau says we have to test
cruise missles in Canada because be
bound by NATO. But who the hell say5
have to stay in this U.S. dominated i
gressive military pact? We in Canada sho |
have our own independent peace policy
not be just an echo of Uncle Sam.

That’s why we should all get out for Ki
big Walk for Peace on Apr. 23 and let
government of Canada know that we :
B.C. want Canada to get out of NATO ®
Norad, to make Canada a nuclear-weap0
free zone and not to test any U.S. crus
missles here. We want steps to end the am
race, not intensify it!

All our for Apr. 23!

Jobless urged
to turn out

~Two issues that affect Vancouver’
unemployed workers are being put befol
civic officials for voting this month, and
strong attendance to impress upon some 0!
ficials that the issues are of importance }
necessary.

Tuesday, Apr. 26 has been set aside for '
“show cause’? hearing for Job Mal
Magazine, the Winnipeg-based busine
which publishes a list of help wanted ads f0
sale to the jobless, at 7:30 p.m. in the cit
council chambers.

Job Mart has been the target of recetl
demonstrations by the Vancouver all
District Labor Council’s unemployed actiO
committee, and was the subject of a repo!
prepared for city council’s community sé!
vices committee. City solicitors said the firt
is violating the provincial Employment Stan

‘dards Act which prohibits selling informé

tion about job openings.

Council voted unanimously last month t
summon Job Mart to show cause why it’
business licence should not be suspended 0
revoked.

And this Monday the Vancouver park
board will vote on COPE commissioner P4
Wilson’s motion that all Unemployment In
surance recipients and their immediat
families be allowed free access to publi
swimming and skating sessions on cit!
premises. The meeting begins at 7 p.m.

Wilson reports that she has encounteret

no “philosophical”’ opposition, but lots o

the nit-picking variety from the NPA ma
jority on the board, and urges the communi
ty to “‘fill the galleries’? and show th
public’s desire for the no-fees motion.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—APRIL 15, 1983—Page 2

PRESS DRIVE