Canadian Communist leader William Kashtan, who attended the recent 4th Congress of the Vietnam Worker's Party as a fraternal delegate, is shown in discussions with General Vo Nguyen Giap.

‘Vietnam at new stage’

William Kashtan, general secretary of the Communist Party of Canada, has just returned from Vietnam where he was a fraternal delegate to the 4th Congress of the Vietnam Worker’s Party. In the following interview with the Tribune, Kashtan gives some impressions of his visit:

Our Party was among 30.

fraternal delegations present at the Congress, which suggests that the Worker’s Party of Vietnam and the people of Vietnam think highly of the Canadian people and the assistance given by progressive Canadians to their heroic struggle.

Our aireraft, which took us half Way around the world to Hanoi, was met at the airport by a large delegation from the Vietnam Workers’ Party Central Com- mittee. On the plane were fraternal delegates from many countries to the Congress. There were at least 1,000 people at the airport, which gives an indication of the spirit of the people and the pleasure they have in greeting delegates from around the world.

fraternal.

From the airport to the city we were immediately struck by the fact that Hanoi is a city of bicycles —thousands of them. We stayed at a hotel built by the Cuban govern- ment for the people of Vietnam. Appropriately, it was called “Victory Hotel’’ —a victory gift by

‘the Cubans.

The Congress was of tremendous significance for the Vietnamese people and for the progressive forces of the world. It was an historic event, because it was a victory Congress — the victory over U.S. imperialist aggression. It was a unity Congress because it took place under conditions of a unified Vietnam. It was a Congress of socialist construction because the main aim of the Congress was to build socialism in Vietnam.

I was interested in the fact that, although the Congress adopted a Five Year Plan of construction, it set it within the framework of 20 years of development. I could understand why. It was because imperialism had created havoc

Progressive Yugoslav halls in Toronto and Hamilton were set on fire Y a group of Croatian extremists in the. week before Christmas in a

New outburst of right wing terrorism.

‘Curb arms race’

World peace forum meet

An important international gathering for peace will open in Moscow on Jan. 14 when the World Forum of Peace Forces meets to consider measures to ensure the continuity of action by the world peace movement to increase its role in preventing a new world war and curbing the arms race.

A major sponsor of the Forum is the International Continuing Liaison Council of the World Congress of Peace Forces held in Moscow in 1973. (That gathering was. the largest peace assembly ever held with 3,200 represen- tatives from 144 countries, 60 of whom were from Canada.)

In the intervening three years the interaction of various public movements for peace has been a major factor in the struggle to preserve world peace and advance the fight for detente. It has been emphasized by world _ peace leaders that the future of in- ternational detente does not merely depend on the actions of governments and statesmen, but on the active and = consistent

with Vietnam in destruction.

Vietnam itself had been an un- derdeveloped country with a low level of productive forces. Vietnam also had a semi-colonial history.

terms of

The tasks before the Congress were to overcome that relative backwardness in an_ historically brief period of time. The 20 years of the general framework . under which the Five Year Plans would operate is based on their belief that in 20 years, given peace, they will transform Vietnam into a modern, advanced, socialist state.

It was literally a David and - Goliath operation that the Viet- namese people carried out against U.S. imperialism. And they at- tribute it not only to their own consistent struggle over the last 30 years, but to the great assistance they received from the socialist countries, from Communist and Workers’ parties all over the world, from the peace forces. If one wants to see the shift in the balance of forces in today’s world, Vietnam illustrates it very clearly.

The victory in Vietnam is not only important for the Vietnamese

. people but it has strengthened the

forces of peace, democracy and independence in Southeast Asia. Today Vietnam, a unified socialist state, with 50 million people, will play an increasingly important role in that area. At the same time, the victory in Vietnam not only

‘shifts the balance of forces in

Southeast Asia, but it does that also on a worldwide scale.

In short, the Congress indicated that a qualitatively new stage of the revolution has been reached. The first stage was to uphold and defend socialism in North Viet- nam, carry through the national, democratic revolution in South Vietnam and unify the country. The new Stage is to carry through the socialist revolution — which is now the main task of the Viet- namese people and the Party which, at this Congress, changed its name from the Vietnam Workers’ Party to the Communist Party of Vietnam.

The spirit of the Congress makes it clear that the aims set will be realized and in this the Vietnamese people will receive the assistance of the socialist countries ‘ and peoples everywhere.

mobilization of people all over the globe.

Participants in the Jan. 14 meeting in Moscow will have before them documents drawn up by scientists from dozens of countries who were formed into commissions at the World Con- ference to End the Arms Race, for Disarmament and Detente, held in Helsinki in September 1976. These documents show that neither technical difficulties and verification problems, nor dif- ferences in assessments on one or other aspects of disarmament are insurmountable obstacles if the countries concerned display

goodwill and adopt a constructive approach to the issues of disar- mament and peace.

Condemning the arms race, this New York woman is collecting names on a petition for a nuclear test ban treaty. ;

Soviet Communist Party leader Leonid Brezhnev emphasized this several weeks ago when he said that ‘‘No other problem is now more important than the ending of the arms race.”

However, in recent months there has been a rallying of generals and politicians of the Western military industrial complexes who have urged, and in many cases adopted ambitious programs of arms build- up. The ‘latest recruit to this campaign to step up the arms race is U.S. defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who said this week that U.S. military strength is not suf- ficient, and called on the new Carter administration to ‘provide real increases” in arms spending to establish U.S. military strategic superiority.

The Forum in Moscow will enable the forces of detente on a world scale to rally public opinion to oppose the calculations of the anti-detente forces. The meeting therefore assumes major im- portance and will undoubtedly consider new initiatives by the peace movement.

Representatives from important peace organizations in Canada left this week to attend the Forum in Moscow.

OBITUARY

THOMAS SEAMON

A veteran supporter of the progressive movement and its press, Thomas Seamon, passed away in Mission on Jan. 7 at the age of 87. Bornin Norway, he came to Canada at the age of 18, working in the logging camps of Quebec and later moving to the prairies where

‘he worked on the railway and

farmed for several years. in Alberta.

Seamon cametoB.C. in the early thirties and worked in the mining industry. In 1936 he settled in Mission where he lived until his death. Loved and respected by all who knew him, Seamon’s passing is mourned by his many friends and neighbors.

Funeral service was held in Mission Wednesday.

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COMING EVENTS

BUSINESS PERSONALS

JANUARY 16 - The Congress of Canadian Women will sponsor an afternoon social on Sunday, January 16, at 2 p.m. at the Britannia School Community. Centre, Vancouver. A film will

be shown followed by a social -

hour. Everyone welcome.

JANUARY 16 - Supper and Dance, Sunday, January 16 at the Russian People’s Home, 600 Campbell Avenue. Supper 5 p.m. Dance 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. with Harry Hoshowsky. Young and old welcome. Admission $5.00 - pensioners $4.00. Spons. by Senior Citizens’ Club.

JANUARY 29- Annual Burns Night Banquet and Dance, Saturday, January 29 at the Fishermens Hall, 138 E. Cordova, Vancouver. Banquet at 6:30, Dance at 9:00 p.m. Special Burns Night musical program. Refresh- ments. Tickets available; call 937-3565 or 936-4467. Admission $5.00.

NOTICE COPE raffle-draw, Sunday, February 27th. Tickets available until COPE membership

meeting, February 15th.

RON SOSTAD, Writer-Researcher. Ph. 922-6980.

MOVING? CLEANUP — Wanted articles for resale. All proceeds

to P.T. Phone 526-5226. ‘‘THE GOODIE BIN.” BOOKKEEPING and AC-

COUNTING services for small and medium size businesses. Personal income tax $5.00 and up. -My home or yours. Phone 874-3817 or 876-4542. Ask for Don Boudreau.

WANTED CARETAKER NEEDED at

Webster’s Corners Hall starting ©

April 1st, phone 255-1415 or 874- 1546.

HALLS FOR RENT

UKRAINIAN CANADIAN CULTURAL CENTRE — 805 East Pender St., Vancouver 4. Available for banquets, wed- dings, meetings. Ph. 254-3436.

WEBSTER’S CORNERS HALL — Available for banquets, meetings, etc. For rates: Ozzie, 325-4171 or 685-5836.

RUSSIAN PEOPLE’S HOME — Now available for rentals. For reservations phone 254-3430.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JANUARY 14, 1977—Page 11