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SHAM BATTLE

CSSR—Soviet
communique

_ “Soviet-Czechoslovak negotia-
tions were held in Moscow on
October 3-4, 1968.

“Taking part in the negotia-
tions from the Soviet side were
. I. Brezhnev, general secretary
Of the Communist Party of the
Soviet Union’s Central Commit-
- tee, A. N. Kosygin, member of
Central Committee, and chair-
man of the U.S.S.R. Council of
Ministers, N. V. Podgorny, mem-
ber of the political bureau of
the CPSU Central Committee
and President of the presidium
of the U.S.S.R. Supreme Soviet.
‘From the Czechoslovak side:
A. Dubcek, first secretary of the
Central Committee of the Com-
munist Party of Czechoslovakia,
Cernik,~ chairman of fhe
Czechoslovak government and
member of the presidium of the
Central Committee of the Com-
munist Party of Czechoslovakia,
G. Husak, first secretary of the
Central Committee of the Com-
Munist Party of Slovakia and
Member of the presidium of the
Central Committee of the Com-
munist Party of Czechoslovakia.
The sides studied questions
~f developing relations between
the U.S.S.R. and Czechoslovakia.
Special attention was given to

the fulfilment of agreements
and undertakings drafted by the
delegations of the U.S.S.R. and

. Czechoslovakia in Moscow from

August 23 to 26 this year, pro-
ceeding from the principles re-
corded in the final documents of
the meeting in Cierna-Nad-Tisou
and the conference in Bratislava.
It was reiterated that these
undertakings are the basis for
achieving a normalisation of
socio-political life in Czechoslo-
vakia, for developing Czecho-
slovakia’s friendly relations with
the Soviet Union and other
countries of the socialist com-
munity.

The Czechoslovak delegation
informed the delegation of the

CPSU Central Committee on the

concrete measures carried out in
Czechoslovakia to fulfil the in-
dicated agreement, and also
about its views on further work
in this direction.

The Czechoslovak delegation
stated that the Central Commit-
tee of the Communist Party of
Czechoslovakia and the govern-
ment of the Czechoslovak
Socialist Republic would take

every measure to ensure the
fulfilment of the Moscow agree-
ment. They will step up efforts

Ya

Platform

AA SL
to raise the leading role of the
communist party; will intensify

the struggle against the anti-
socialist forces, will take the
necessary measures to place all
the mass information media at
the service of socialism, will re-
inforce the party and_ state
organs with men firmly adhering
to positions of Marxism-
Leninism and: proletarian inter-
nationalism.

The delegation of the CPSU
Central Committee confirmed its
readiness to give the Czechoslo-
vak comrades every assistance
in the implementation of their
plans directed at normalising the
situation. in the country and in
the party in the spirit of the
agreement reached in Moscow.

The question of the presence
of Allied troops on the territory
of Czechoslovakia was discuss-
ed in the course of the talks.
The sides agreed that the gov-
ernments would consider and
sign a treaty on the temporary
stationing of allied troops in
Czechoslovakia...In accordance
with the documents of the Aug-
ust 23-26 talks in Moscow the
withdrawal of the other troops
will be carried out by stages.

The delegations of the Soviet
Union and Czechoslovakia dis-
cussed the tasks of strengthen-
ing the fraternal alliance and
inviolable friendship between
the peoples of the two countries,
development between them of
all-round fruitful cooperation in
the economic, political, cultural
and other spheres, and also
strengthening of relations be-
_tween towns and regions which
maintain traditionally friendly
contacts. >

The most important problems
of ensuring international peace
and security were also discuss-
ed. The sides confirmed their
determination to follow un-
swervingly the jointly drafted
foreign political course in the
interests of strengthening the
socialist community and _ suc-
cessful struggle against the
policy of imperialist powers. In
his the delegations view as
their prime task the implementa-
tion of measures to create a
reliable barrier in the way of
the mounting revanchist striv-
ings of West German militaristic
forces, the rendering of effective
aid to the people of struggling
Vietnam, the curbing of the im-
perialist aggression in the Mid-
dle east area.

The talks passed in a spirit

of comradeship, businesslike co-
operation and frankness.

Canada —
Bonn’s accomplice

The question of war in Europe stands more
stark and menacing now than at any time since
the conclusion of the Second World War. Ob-
scured from the news and buried behind the
platitudes of speeches and statements of western
diplomats, the action and calls of the Bonn gov-
ernment have become more strident. Using the
events in Czechoslovakia as a pretext, the pow-
ers that be in West Germany are putting the
screws to “the NATO allies” making the pact
more openly an instrument of their revanchist
policy.

__ Thus on the day that External Affairs Min-
ister Mitchell Sharp tabled his speech to the
General Assembly of the United Nations in
which he promised (or forewarned) that Can-
ada’s contribution to the U.N. would be “prag-
matic and realistic,” the NATO nuclear planning
group had a meeting in Bonn.

This group, which included the defense min-
isters of the U.S.A., Britain, Italy, Belgium,
Denmark and Greece, as well as Bonn, reported-
ly discussed “the tactical employment of nuclear
weapons and the drafting of corresponding di-
rectives,” as well as, “preventative employment
of nuclear weapons in Central Europe.”

Meanwhile back at the U.N. Mitchell Sharp
spoke lovingly about the Nuclear Non-Prolifera-
tion Treaty, and in the framework of being
either “pragmatic” or “realistic,” refused to
mention that the U.S. has refused to ratify the
treaty, and the odds-on favorite to be the next
President of the U.S., Richard Nixon has re-
peatedly said that he is in no hurry to sign the
treaty at all. Kurt Kiesinger, Chancellor of the
Federal Republic, has not moved away from the
position that the treaty is a “capitulation” which
“nothing will persuade” him to sign.

Mitchell Sharp did speak of the danger to
peace in Europe, but the point he made was that
the danger of peace arose because of charges
leveled by the Soviet Union against the Federal
German Republic. Such a position is neither
realistic nor pragmatic, it’s just plain stupid.

The threat to peace in Europe stems from
Bonn’s refusal to accept either the political or
geographic reality of post-war Europe. The So-
viet position is that there will be no Drang nach
Osten, now or in the future.

Canada, by its continuing role in NATO is
an accomplice of Bonn. Let us not speak great
platitudes about “realism and pragmatism” let
us speak of the future and of peace in concrete
terms. There will be neither peace nor a future
unless we can cut away the tangled web of
NATO, before the situation is played to its
tragic conclusion.

RENT
OFFICES

—

“We'll still be paying the same rent, only it'll be every
week instead of every fortnight!”

Ah C2 ar Oe cette 2 LOS Be, Ween Ae fe Eos oe RS

PACIFIC TRIBUNE— OCTOBER 18, 1968—Page 3 __