—~ x EDITORIAL PAGE LSEWHERE in this issue a Correspondent poses a ques- tion I have heard discussed alike by members-of the CCF and LPP Over the past few days, one that 8 troubling many progressives: Ould Soviet troops have been }) “Sed in Hungary? If you accept the highly color- €d presentation of the facts given Y the daily press, that this was “NO more than a popular uprising nd the concern only of the Hun- fatian people themselves, then You. will have no difficulty in faching a “principled” conclu- ‘lon. You will conclude that the oops of the first socialist state Were used against the people of other socialist state and that € Soviet Union should be con- €mned by all honest socialists. SY a different process of reas- ‘hing, that the Hungarian Peo- Dle's government by its blunders Nd injustices forfeited the con- lidence of the Hungarian people, You will reach the same conclu- ‘lon as those who proceed from © premise that all socialist rule ‘evil and that any weakening It is a victory for “freedom.” % % bos pope Hungarian people came to € threshold of socialism in their Wn way, not as the: Chinese People did by decades of revo- “tionary struggle against foreign Perialism and domestic tyran- Y; nor yet as the Czechoslovak People did, by national resistance azi occupation. A quarter a century of fascist rule ended the the Hungarian people when € Soviet armies swept their “Scist rulers out of the country ptheir westward advance across Urope, woven then there were many ho strove to maintain the old Mivileged order in new forms hd in the struggle against them Mistakes were made. ; Dl €re is no doubt that the peo- tik. Who marched in that first peonstration in Budapest had t levances. The majority wanted re &rievances settled by their Yernment and if their govern- *nt were not sufficiently re- Ponsive, they wanted changes in w., COVernment. Their demand tial Not for abandonment of $o- th, but for elimination of Se abuses which obstructed “la’ist achievement. q 1€re were others who march- Sin; that demonstration with ‘Ster aims and they were well pared. Ay °r months, ever since the Open ~ Hungarian border- was “ned to the free passage cf m8, fascist exiles had been lly returning to Hungary, bel Ting and organizing for re- the n. It was no accident that “rebel”? ship quickly Stablicy e leadership quick ai itself in that part of § Western Hungary adjoining the Austrian border. Where the workers, in venting their anger, were torn by con- flicting emotions, the counter- revolutionary elements were clear in their purpose. Premier Imre Nagy capitulat- ed before the counter-revolution- aries. Every concession he made produced a demand for greater concessions. The demands went far beyond the working people's own demands for rectifying the shortcomings of people’s d=mor- racy. The counter - revolution- aries were preparing for the re- storation of capitalism. Sections of the workers sought to halt the capitulation, but by this time the counter-revolution- aries controlled the situation. Cardinal Mindszenty returned to Budapest and talked about form- ing a Christian Democratic party patterned after that of Konrad Adenauer in West Germany. The counter - revolutionaries began a reign of terror in the capital. At this point the Soviet troops sent in response to the Hungar- ian government's appeal used the full force they had previ- ously withhe!d—itself an indica- tion of the Soviet Union’s reluc- tance to use them—to crush the counter-revolution. xt Bes Se Those who would condemn them should ask themselves these questions: Would the interests of the Hun- garian people themselves have been served by upholding “self determination” to the point where they were returned to fascist rule — the only rule that could sup- press them once they learned the bitter truth of their ‘‘free- dom,” Would the peace of Europe have been strengthened by the creation of a ‘“neutral’-cum- fascist Hungary pointed like a dagger at the other people’s de- mocracies? That is why Yugoslavia, the first to insist upon full and equal status in the socialist community of nations, and Czechoslovakia have both upheld the use of Soviet troops to suppress coun- ter-revolution in Hungary. The Hungarian People’s gov- ernment bears heavy responsibil- ity for mistakes but for which the counter - revolutionaries would have been able to win little popu- lar support. But the responsi- bility for shedding Hungarian blood must also be placed on those in the U.S. State De- partment as in the emigre circles of Western Europe — who ex- ploited the peopie’s grievances in a military adventure directed against everything fine the Hun- garian*people have created in a decade of people’s democracy. That, at least, has been saved, as a foundation upon which the Hungarian people can build a better socialst structure free from the defects of the o'd. The blood of two peoples, So- viet and Hungarian, has been shed and that is tragedy enough. But better that than the infin- itely greater bloodshed and trag- aay which could well have fol- lowed the triumph of counter revolution in ‘Hungary. The Egyptian people have a passionate will to independence. Withdraw from Egypt S THIS is written, debate, is proceeding in the UN Gen- eral Assembly on resolutions for a cease-fire, withdrawal of Bri- tish and French invasion forces from Egypt and setting up of a police force as proposed by Can- ada. Britain and France, who stand condemned as the aggressors, have agreed to a cease-fire. But news reports indicate that they are continuing military opera- tions. Israel has also announced it will abide by a cease fire but has so far given no indication that ic has any intention of withdrawing troops from Egyp- tian territory already overrun. The proposal made by Soviet Premier Bulganin for joint U.S. Soviet military action under UN supervision unless the aggressors immediately end the fighting and withdraw from Egyp: would have given strength to the UN decision. But even though the U.S. has spurned ihe proposal, it has had its influence in the course of events. Press reports state the French position as being that “‘now that the British and French have achieved their main objec- tive of restoring the Suez canal to international con rol the next step is to turn control of the waterway over to the UN po- lice force.”’ This proposition is shocking. Under no circumstances must the UN allow its police force to take over the Suez canal. To do so would be to condone Brit- ish-French-Israel aggression and reward the aggressors. Such ac- tion would violate Egypt's inde pendence. Canadian public opin- ion demands that there should bé a cease-fire and that foreign troops be compelled to get out of Egypt. The-aim of the UN police ac.ion must be to see to it chat this is done and that Egypt's borders are not violated again. Canadians should demand from parliament when it meets shortly to vote funds for Cana- dian forces that the government make a forthright statement for withdrawal cf all foreign troops from Egypt and that Canada will oppose any further viola-ion of Egypt’s territory or: sover- cignty. Pacific Tribune Published weekly at Room 6 — 426 Main Street Vancouver 4, B.C. Phone: MArine 5288 Editor — TOM McEWEN Associate Editor — HAL GRIFFIN Business Manager — RITA WHYTE Subscription Rates: One Year: $4.99 Six months: $225 Canadian and Commen-vealth countries (except Australia): $4.00 one year. Australia, United States and all other countries: $5.00 one year. NOVEMBER 9, 1956 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE — PAGE 7