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SOYUZ-13 COMPLETES MISSION

Toward U.S.-USSR program

After eight days of successful flight during which scientific experiments were conducted, the USSR’s Soyuz-13 spacecraft returned to earth on Dec. 26. The main purposes of this flight were to study the stars by means of a system of telescopes on board, a detailed study of the farth’s surface and a_verifica-

tion and check on the craft’s Systems.

Launching and orbiting proce- dures abroad Soviet and Amer- ican Spaceflights are basically the same. However, unlike the US. “splashdown” landings,

re-entry and braking.

In Soyuz-13’s case, a new re-.’:

entry team takes over at the ight control center, specially trained in the on-board units and systems designed for land- ing. The entire flight, including € precise landing spot in pre- Programmed — in this case a desert area in Kazakhstan. In Preparation for re-entry the en- gines are shut down over the Atlantic Ocean on the ap- Proaches to Africa and the ship

. «breaking proceeds Soviet spacecraft are returned to earth by a complex system of

is positioned to leave the earth’s orbit. Soyuz Landing

The next stage is the separa- tion of the ship’s compartments once the cosmonauts have trans- ferred materials and equipment to be returned to earth. The entry vehicle moves into the denser layers of the atmosphere at cosmic speeds. Its breaking path extends from Africa to Kazakhstan during which time the control system keeps the craft’s heat shield facing forw- ard to protect the crew from.the tremendous heat build-up..

During the entire descent, gradually with the G-load not exceeding

‘three to four units. At the

height of seven kilometers the parachute opens and, with the assistance of soft-landing en- gines, the craft settles to earth. In the case of Soyuz-13 this was completed during a snow storm and high winds, a testimony to

the sophistication of the landing _

system.

' This was the second success- ful Soviet mission in the past three monihs and the USSR stressed the scientific signific- ance of this series which had

“confirmed that Soyuz could tackle increasingly complex re- search tasks.” This is taken as an indication that work toward the joint Soviet-United States space flight scheduled for July 15, 1975 is proceeding on schedule. Mutual Aid in Space

The aim of the joint project is to develop a mutual assistance system for outer space. Special- ists from both countries are working on compatible link-up and life-support systems. On July 15, 1975 the spacecraft Soyuz will be launched from the USSR with two men aboard. Seven and one-half hours later, Apollo with three men aboard will be launched from Cape Ca- naveral to link up with Soyuz. The two ships will orbit the earth two days with visits be- tween capsules, joint experi-

ments and eventual separation.

at which time the ship will carry out the flight according to their individual programs.

The U.S. program set a new record for spacewalks on Dec. 25 with Skylab III’s crew out of the capsule for seven hours. They are half way through a scheduled 85-day mission.

Communist Party or Uruguay

Two declarations have just

been received from the Com- Munist Party of Uruguay, which, along with the Socialist Party and 12 other organization of the left, including the Students’

€deration, had been banned by decree on Nov. 28.

The first declaration, issued €c. 5, states:

’ ignominious step, another state- - ment of the regressive character of the dictatorship, but also of.

“A new outrage, a further

its isolation and weakness: the dictatorship has decreed the dis-

Solution of the Communist Par-

ty, the Socialist Party, and other Orces of the left . . c

“The decree dissolving the Communist Party, Socialist Par- ty and other left groups hopes, among other things, to distract Public opinion from the real Situation inside the country.”

The declaration points out

that the National debt has jump-

red up, that 40% of Uruguay’s’ pndeet is spent on “defence”, : at inflation zoomed, and that “the Cost of living has gone up by © In the last. year.

Misery Growing

“The real fact is that salaries do not even cover 50% of the minimum needs of a working- class family. Buying power is rapidly declining, misery is growing... .”

Listing actions by the people in face of their worsening situa- tion, the declaration states: “It is to block all this that the Com- munist Party is decreed dissolv- ed. It is not,a new move. On the contrary, it is an old one... The reactionaries have used it fo divide the people, to cover up their calumnies .. . F

“The problems of our country continue to grow, and the people are demanding real solutions, not anti-communism. We are the flesh and blood of the working class and people, their heart. No one can force us out, either by violence, or by intrigue, or by provocations.

“We are real patriots, con- tinuous fighters for the inviol- able rights of our people. Half a century of unquenchable fidelity to the cause of the working class and people has won us this. From this comes our pride as Communists. From this comes

: Uruguay has taken another step towards fascism, with the army Ng the main force behind a brutal and oppressive reactionary

‘Sgime,

End fascist dictatorship

the love of workers for our party...” All for Unity

The declaration concludes by calling for unity of all popular forces against the fascist dicta- torship.

“The Bordaberry dictatorship and his military colleagues have taken another step towards the installation of a fascist govern- ment, which each day looks more and more like thé ‘gorilla’ model that oppressed Brazil,” states the Communist Party’s declaration of Dec. 8.

“The facts are: dissolution of Parliament, abolition of public liberties, particularly freedom of press and assembly, imprison- ment of political and trade union leaders under the pretense of halting all ‘biased’ political ac- tivities, banning of the CNT (National Confederation of Lab- or) with attacks. on workers’ rights and demands, interven- tion in the university, govern- ment by decree, uncontrolled use of public funds and the di- rection of the national economy, etc. And now the decree ‘dis- solving’ the Communist Party, Socialist Party, the Students’

Federation and other left

‘groups .

“This is what Hitler and Mus- solini did. This is what the most corrupt and retrogressive Latin American dictatorship have done . . . Where are Hitler and company now? And where is Marxism, ideology of the work- ing class and inspiration of the great socialist and national liber- ation revolutions that have triumphed in our area. . .”

Six-Point Program

The Communist declaration calls for the ‘broadest unity of the working class and people

| around the six-point program of

the Broad Front, including the restoration of all political, trade union and democratic liberties, freedom for all political prison- ers, salary increases and econo- mic and social reforms.

“Through the people, united, freedom will emerge and Urug- uay will see itself liberated from dictatorship.”

Commander of Soyuz-13, Piotr Klimuk (left) and Flight Engineer, Valentin. Lebedev, both 31 years of age, at the space museum before their successful flight on December 18.

Ireland’s Communists are call- ing for a consultative confer- ence of all those committed to Irish self-determination and the unity of its people, Protestant and Catholic, in reply to the Council of Ireland announce- ment.

The Communist Party of Ire- land’s national political commit- tee calls for a conference to work out a joint policy in the new conditions of the struggle against British imperialism.

“Under the pressure of mili- tant struggle for democracy in Northern Ireland the British government, realizing that it could no longer rule there through the Unionist Party as it has been doing for the last half century, has been forced to create a new form—the Council of Ireland,” the Party says.

“This 1973 strategem is no more a solution of the Irish question than was the Act of

Union 1801, when it integrated.

Ireland into Britain, or the An- glo-Irish treaty of 1920, which gave a degree of political inde- pendence to the major -portion of the country but which pre- vented the future development of independence by partitioning the country. Donation

“As it was with the ‘Union’ and ‘partition,’ so it is now with the ‘Council’ — a structure de- signed to continue British impe- rialism’s domination over the whole island.

“There is little point in argu- ing as to who conceded what to each other in relation to the ne- gotiating between Dublin and Belfast—the significant thing is that the British government conceded nothing and it still maintains dominance in Ireland.

“The British government seeks ‘to camouflage this by ag- reeing that the membership of the Council of Ireland ‘would be confined to the representatives of the two. parts of Ireland,’ thereby trying to give the im- pression that it is disinterested in its role as ‘peacemaker.’

‘Obnoxious’

“Whilst it will not ostensibly participate in the council, the Sunningdale agreement laid down that there must be ‘ap- propriative safeguards for tho

British Government’s financial and other interests’ (paragraph 7) ‘and that it is accepted that it would be legitimate for Bri- tain to safeguard, in an approp- riate way, their financial in- volvement in Northern Ireland.’ (paragraph 8).

“Since it financially owns Northern Ireland and is the main foreign investor in the ‘Repub- lic,’ these sections of the agree- ment mean that, far from de- taching itself, the British Gov- ernment has entrenched its posi- tion in this island as a whole.

“One of the most obnoxious features of the agreement is the section dealing with ‘law and order.’

“It is sufficiently precise in Stating, in paragraph ten, ‘that the British and Irish govern- ments would jointly set up a commission to consider all the proposals put forward at the conference and recommend as a matter of extreme urgency the most effective'means of dealing with those who commit these (political) crimes.’

“However, it is silent on the question which that section raises—will Irishmen be tried in courts presided over by British- appointed judges sitting on the same bench as Irish judges? Will

‘ the same court try the British

soldiers who were indicted for ‘sheer unadulterated murder’ on Derry’s bloody Sunday?

‘Not Violence’

“The new situation arising from this agreement, which was fixed, as admitted, in the con- text of the Common Market, calls for a new political think- ing and co-ordinated action by all those committed to Irish self-

determination and the unity of

its people, both Protestant and Catholic.

“Clear political action, not

violence, is what is demanded now. : “The Communist Party: of Ire- land is prepared to convene a consultative conference of all such forces — Socialist, trade unionists, republicans—in order that an agreed strategy be worked out to meet the new Situation in the struggle against British imperialism,” the state- ment ends.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, JANUARY 4, 1974—PAGE 9