OE ee ee ee FLASHBACKS FROM THE COMMUNIST PRESS 50 years ago... CATHOLIC CHURCH GIVEN THE CREDIT John - Bassett of the Montreal Gazette, one of the Canadian dele- gates to the Imperial Press Con- ference in Melbourne, paid a tribute to the influence of the Roman Catholic Church in Que- bec for keeping the workers con- tented with low wages while arousing in them a spirit of hos- tility toward the class struggle. “Quebec. is one of the greatest bulwarks against bolshevism within the British Empire, due to the influence of the priests who have created a spirit of ‘common sense’ between employers and employees,” he said. * oe LONDON — The Rev. Cecil Walker Brett was fined 50 shillings here recently for punching a woman on the nose. They had a dispute over rent for a cottage the parson owned. The Worker, Sept. 26, 1925 25 years ago... BAN THE BOMB, USSR APPEALS UNITED NATIONS — A new Soviet resolution presented to the UN General Assembly to end the Korean war was suppressed by most Canadian newspapers. It ended with a powerful appeal for peace: 1. Ban the atomic bomb “with strict international controls.” 2. A Five Power Peace Pact be- tween the USA, USSR, Britain, France and China. 3. Immediate reduction by one- third of all armaments of the five major powers and discussion by the UN for further reductions. Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister Malik repeated his government’s pledge that the USSR _ would “never be the first to drop an atomic bomb.” U.S. News and World Report brushed the pro- posal aside with fears of “peace ‘breaking out.” The Tribune, Oct. 2, 1950 ‘Hang On! Wait ’Til It Drops!” PACIFIC TRIBUNE—SEPTEMBER 26, 1975—Page 4 - of Public Employees, “ah Edttorial Comment... Not another dollar to armaments! | U.S. Defence Secretary James Schles- inger has finally admitted what millions of Canadians have long known — and which Ottawa still refuses to admit as it clings to the fraudulent North Ameri- can Air Defence agreement—that there is no such thing as a Soviet bomber threat in the north. But Schlesinger, who obviously doesn’t give a damn about Canadian sovereignty, Canadian economic pro- gress, or the requirements of the Cana- dian people, has his own reasons: he wants increased Canadian military spending in Europe. His pitch in Ottawa, Sept. 16, was to tell the Canadian government to get more deeply involvd in the USA’s mili- tary and nuclear strategy in Europe. He complained that this country’s tax- payers have not been handing over enough of their wages to bolster the anti-democratic, anti-socialist North At- lantic Treaty Organization. Obedience to Schlesinger’s orders’ would at once add to the already crush- ing inflation burden. (Close.to $3-billion of taxpayers’ money is now going every year down the “defence” drain.) An arms dea] against a non-existent threat would gain Canada nothing, but would fatten the arms profiteers, and attempt to expunge U.S. imperialism’s defeat in Vietnam. Canadians would be soaked to prop up the moth-eaten U.S. policy of tying to roll back socialism. Ata conservative estimate (the figures are suppressed) Canada’s ruling class already dumvs $100-million every year into the NATO pot, to brew up intimi- dation against detente, against demo- cratic progress and against the flourish- ing socialist community. The only move that would serve Can- ada and its people would be immediate withdrawal from NATO, the bringing _ home of the 5,000 troops in Europe, - and cancellation of orders for West Ger- Solidarity in Sydney! Let’s hope the display of labor solidar- ity demonstrated in Sydney, Nova Sco- tia, will spread across Canada and be- come contageous. It ean contribute to the formation of a united, invincible labor movement. The onslaught of the ruling class demands it — and Sydney offered an example. eo Growing out of a strike of workers at Maritime Telephone and Telegraph, half a dozen unions on the spot united and proposed that the Nova Scotia Labor Federation consider the possi- bility of a general strike. In the midst of it all, Sydney police- men, members of the Canadian Union unanimously’ adopted a motion refusing to be used as strike breakers by escorting scabs across the picketline. Of course, such solidarity takes guts. Of course, extreme political pressures force such unity to ebb and flow like the tides of Fundy — but it’s there just the same! And as the labor movement comes more and more into its own such solidarity will inspire all the workers across this vast country, and win their emancipation from the exploiting sys- tem. — - ready for use when monopoly interests . ed determination in the winter months — my man tanks and the $2.5-billion in war - planes from the U.S. bribe-givers. (Someone in Saudi Arabia got $116 | milliort in bribes for buying US. planes! |, What is the offer in Canada?) a In no way is Canada’s NATO force in i Europe in a peacekeeping role. US. plans | # for “little” atomic wars are well ad- | vanced. Air crews have already revised | their training procedures. Nuclear wat; r long advocated by Schlesinger and ap | proved by Ford (who refuses to rule out a U.S. first strike), beyond endang- |_ ering detente, threatens the mutilation |; and death of mankind. The Canadian government is on thi ice in welcoming Schlesinger’s “help ful” remarks, which lead nowhere bu to ruin. What the government shoul tell Schlesinger is: Not another dolla for the arms build-up! Never has th Trudeau cabinet so richly deserved barrage of patriotic protest from every 4 corner of Canada, demanding disarma- | 1, ment, not an arms build-up, in the real | ‘interests of Canada. : Policies for workers If ever working people were justified | in shucking off ruling-class induce | ments and proclaiming the anti-monop- | oly policies of the labor movement and le the Communist Party, they are justi- | fied now. = Leading spokesmen for the crisis i, ridden capitalist system are in grave | doubt. : Says Financial Post writer Anne ; Bower: Most “current research into the trade-off between unemployment and inflation holds out the possibility |_ that the old tools can still be counted || on to reduce inflation.” But six paragraphs later she ob- serves “that in the late 1960s the trade — off curve shifted upward (more unem- | ane for a-given level of infla — ion); ;..°. “Then in 1978-75, the old trade-off | was wiped completely off the map.” : In other words, as Communist spokesmen have insisted, the intent of | monopoly capitalism is to keep unem ployment high as a pretext for fighting 2 inflation, but in reality to make work: | ing people pay for both unemployment and inflation, and to launch new as- saults on their rights. ee The wage-freeze idea is kept handy, |: consider it opportune. Bank of Canada governor, Gerald Bouey skated all around wage controls in a speech to the | * Chamber of Commerce, careful not to | utter the exact words. The Prime Minister won’t say. Act- | ti ing Finance Minister C. M. Drury won’t | ™ sav. But economist Peter Martin, of |,- McLeod, Young, Weir and Co. suggests that the bank interest rise was a trick _ to create an outcry that would pave the — way for “price” and wage controls. He Says a wage freeze is less than six months away! ! In the coming months it is the job of | ; Working people, through mass unity to | snike the weapons of the ruling class. + le, Working-class policies, volicies for iobs, — | W purchasing power, and labor’s rights, be will have to be fought for with increas of 1975.