JULY 16, 1976 25 CENTS VOLUME 40/NUMBER 28

A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKLY/PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE WORKING PEOPLE

·Blacks are chiel victim ol death penallY -&ary TYler: how court ruling will attect his case ·Reactionary decision sparks broad opposition -PAGES 4-6

socialist candidates blast .death penallY ·Hit Ford, carter stands [Peter Camejo and Willie Mae Reid, Socialist Workers party candidates for president and vice­ president, released the following statement July 7.]

The Supreme Court ruling upholding the death penalty is a stunning setback for all working people. It is bitterly ironic that on the two hundredth anniver­ sary of the American revolution the men in black robes sanctioned a practice that has more in common with the Dark Ages than the ideals of the revolutionaries of 1776. Continued on page 5 In Brief

THIS PETER CAMEJO TO ANSWER DEMOCRATS: Social­ 'WOMAN'S EVOLUTION' AT HARVARD: Even the ist Workers party presidential candidate Peter Camejo will ivy-covered bastion of male academia is not impervious to a answer the decisions of the Democratic party convention at feminist view of the origins of women s oppression. This fall WEEK'S a public meeting July 16. He will also outline his party's Harvard students in Natural Science 36, the course on perspective for independent political action at the rally, "Biological Determinism," will be reading selections from MILITANT which will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Community Church, 40 Woman's Evolution by Marxist anthropologist Evelyn Reed. 3 Jury weighs fate E. Thirty-fifth Street, in New York. This course has stirred up controversy. Its teachers­ of San Quentin Six Outside the Democratic party convention, demonstrations Stephen Gould, professor nf geology, and Richard Lewontin, will be organized by supporters of the Equal Rights Agassiz professor of zoology-agree with Reed that biology 4 Supreme Court okays Amendment and abortion rights; ecology activists; advo­ does not determine destiny. This has brought them into 300 executions cates of gay rights legislation; and opponents of FBI conflict with the theses of Prof. Edward Wilson's book 8 Why socialist suit gets harassment. and the repressive Senate Bill 1 (S. 1). Sociobiology. Wilson is curator in entomology and a files Congress missed Socialists will be on hand to distribute literature and urge member of the same Harvard department. Also, Gould and activists to back the candidates of a party that fights for Lewontin's policy of uncompetitive grading in their course 13 Calif. ballot drive: their interests-the Socialist Workers party. Militant read­ has provoked criticism from the faculty council. 'Historic occasion' ers can help spread the word of the socialist alternative and Woman's Evolution has already been adopted in some thirty college classes. Problems of Women's Liberation, 16 Texas leaders discuss publicize the Camejo meeting. Campaign teams wilt' be 1 another book by Reed, is used in more than sixty university state -of Raza Unida party organized from the Chelsea SWP headquarters, 200 / 2 W. Twenty-fourth street, every day from July 12 through July courses throughout the United States and Canada. 17 Who needs child care? 15. You can also stop by on those days from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and talk with SWP candidates. PUERTO RICO LIBRE: Puerto Rico: U.S. Colony in the 18 Rubber workers Caribbean (thirty-five cents), written by Militant staff up against big money writer Jose Perez, was a popular item in Philadelphia on 24 Quebec unions debate Hugo Blanco July 4. Demonstrators at the "Bicentennial without Colo­ need for labor party nies" march bought 175 copies. Interest in socialist arrested in Peru literature was high-$179 worth of books and pamphlets 25 NY meeting says: Free Peruvian revolutionist Hugo Blanco has been arrested by published by Pathfinder Press were sold, including ten Soviet Tatar dissident the military regime of Gen. Francisco Morales Bermudez. At copies of Prospects for Socialism in America (regularly 1:30 a.m. July 3, the Policia de Investigaciones del Peru, the $2.95, now on sale for $1.50). Both are available from 26 Can Peking build political police, took Blanco from his brother's home in Pathfinder Press, 410 West Street, New York, New York socialism in one country? Cuzco. Blanco had spoken at a public rally in Cuzco on June 10014. 27 Marches demand 24. On July 5 the police transported him to Lima. Upon arrival at the Lima airport a friend was able to speak to gay rights SOCIALIST CAMPAIGN SPREADS TO TOLEDO: Blanco. The friend reports that Blanco was unharmed at Socialist Workers party campaign supporters in Toledo, 29 Communist party slanders that time. Since then, the police have held the Trotskyist Ohio, will hold their first rally Friday. July 16, at 7:30p.m. SWP petition drive leader incommunicado and his condition is unknown. Featured speakers will be Melissa Singler, the socialists' Officials refuse to explain the arrest or their intentions. candidate for U.S. Senate, and John Hawkins, a member of 2 In Brief The junta has suspended constitutional rights under the the SWP National Committee. Parts of the rally will be current state of seige. 10 In Our Opinion conducted in Spanish as well as English. It will be held in Several months ago authorities allowed Blanco to return the Chicano community at Swiss Hall, 735 S. St. Clair. Letters to Peru after five years of exile. Prior to his deportation he The next day at Bowling Green University, the socialists had been imprisoned for leading a massive peasant struggle 11 National Picket Line will sponsor an educational series. The first session at 11:00 for land. By Any Means Necessary a.m. will be a talk on rape given by SWP member and ERA Telegrams demanding Blanco's immediate release should activist Allyson Kennedy. At 1:30 p.m. John Hawkins and a 12 The Great Society be sent to: Gen. Morales Bermudez, Government House, representative from the Paul X Moody Defense Fund will Women in Revolt Lima, Peru. American Way of Life speak on "In Defense of Black Rights." Both discussions will be in Room 112 of the Life Science Building. For further 14 Campaigning information call (419) 474-6541 or (419) 242-9743. for Socialism FREE THE 'CHARLOTTE THREE': Jim Grant, the last -Ginny Hildebrand of the "Charlotte Three" to walk out of jail, was released on 28 In Review $50,000 bond in North Carolina June 24. T.J. Reddy was released two days earlier on $10,000 bond. Charles Parker WORLD OUTLOOK was paroled last December. They are awaiting a federal 19 Banzer imposes state of district court ruling on their petitions for freedom or a new 'exception' in Bolivia trial. 20 Arab League aids In 1972 the three Black men were convicted on frame-up Lebanon intervention charges for the 1968 fire bombing of a riding stable. Two individuals who admitted responsibility for the arson gave 21 Portuguese left caught the only testimony against- the three. In addition to in election trap immunity, these star witnesses each received $4,000 "relocation payments" from the U.S. Justice Department. Prior to their arrest, the three political activists had been targets of police harassment. Grant, Reddy, and Parker had been draft-counseling Black youth and protesting an THE MILITANT experimental military recruitment program launched in the VOLUME 40/NUMBER 28 Black communities of Charlotte and Nashville, Tennessee. JULY 16, 1976 CLOSING NEWS DATE-JULY 7 ERA DEFEAT IN LOUISIANA: On June 16 the Louisiana state legislature rejected the Equal Rights Editor: MARY-ALICE WATERS Amendment for the fifth time since it was passed by Business Manager: ROSE OGDEN Special Offer Southwest Bureau: HARRY RING Congress in 1972. The House Committee on Civil Law voted Washington Bureau: NANCY COLE ten to six to kill the bill. This defeat came in spite of recent polls that show most Louisianans supporting the ERA. Published weekly by The Militant Publishing Ass'n .. At the committee hearings, speakers for the ERA included For New Readers 14 Charles Lane, New York. N.Y. 10014. Telephone: Editorial Office (212) 243-6392; Business Office Fran Bussie of the Louisiana AFL-CIO. Speakers against it The Supreme Court has sanctioned the murder of (212) 929-3486. Southwest Bureau: 1237 S. Atlantic came from Young Americans for Freedom, STGP ERA, hundreds of prisoners on death row. The Militant will Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif. 90022. Telephone: (213) Catholic Daughters of America, and Females Opposed to bring you the reactions of the men and women inside the 269-1456. Washington Bureau: 2416 18th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20009. Telephone: (202) 265- Equality (FOE). FOE stands out in this pack of right­ pnsons. It will cover protest actions against this barbaric 6865. wingers for its call to repeal the Fourteenth Amendment! ruling. And it will continue to report on the struggles of Correspondence concerning subscriptions or Women's rights supporters have reacted to this defeat by Gary Tyler. J.B. Johnson, Stanton Story, and other changes of address should be addressed to The calling for ERA activities on August 22 to commemorate victims of racist frame-ups. Subscribe today. Militant Business Office, 14 Charles Lane, New York, N.Y. 10014. ratification of the woman suffrage amendment on August Second-class postage paid at New York, N.Y. 26, 1920. Subscriptions: U.S., $7.50 a year; outside U.S., The Militant-10 Weeks/S1 $13.00. By first-class mail: U.S .. Canada. and Mexico, 'U.S. OUT OF SOUTH AFRICA': On June 26 several ( ) $1 for ten issues (new readers only) $35.00. Write for surface and airmail rates to all other hundred people in Washington, D.C., protested the wave of countries. ( ) $4 for s1x months ( ) $7.50 for one year repression and murders of Black South Africans. Chants of For subscriptions airmailed from New York and ( ) New ( ) Renewal then posted from London d1rectly to Britain, "Stop the murders," "Down with apartheid," and "U.S. out Ireland, and Continental Europe: £1.50 for eight of South Africa" could be heard as demonstrators marched Name ___, ______issues, £3.50 for six months, £6.50 for one year. to the South Mrican embassy. The action was sponsored by Send banker's draft or international postal order Address (payable to Pathfinder Press) to Pathfinder Press, a group of thirty organizations calling themselves the June 47 The Cut, London, SE1 8LL. England. Inquire for Sixteenth Coalition. (June 16 was the day that protests City ______State ____ Zip air rates from London at the same address. began in Soweto, South Africa, sparked by government 14 Charles Lane. New York. N.Y. 10014 Signed article~ by contnbutors do not necessarily moves to force students to study in the Afrikaans language. represent the Militant's views. These are expressed in editorials.

2 Jury deliberates fate of San Quentin Six By Michael Schreiber Angeles Police Department hand over wig. He then pulled the gun on a guard SAN FRANCISCO-A jur.f in near­ a .38-caliber pistol in a paper bag to and ordered the other prisoners re­ by San Rafael will soon decide the fate two San Quentin guards. The witness leased. Jackson was allegedly shot of the San Quentin Six, two Latino and said that the gun was to be given to down when he was "escaping" into the four Black prisoners who stand ac­ Jackson to set him up in an escape prison courtyard, expecting-like a cused of asl)ault and murder of prison attempt. human fly-to scale the twenty-foot guards during a rebellion in San Prisoner Charles Johnson told of walls ringed by snipers' towers. Quentin on August 21, 1971. seeing Jackson on August 21 about to Witnesses demonstrated, however, Prison activist George Jackson was enter the prison's "adjustment center." that a .38-caliber pistol could not fit slain by guards during an alleged Johnson said that guard Paul inside the tape recorder Bingham escape attempt shortly before the rebel­ Kraesnes, who accompanied Jackson, carried. Moreover, guard Edward lion. had a pistol bulging from his pocket. Fleming testified that he thoroughly For the past fifteen months the one Defendant Hugo Pinell demonstrat­ searched Jackson's hair before he Black and eleven white jurors have ed to a hushed court how Kraesnes approached the adjustment center. watched a parade of prison guards and pulled a gun on Jackson as he was Prisoner Council McCoy backed up state officials leap over each other in about to enter the adjustment center. defendant Pinell's observation that their haste to finger the defendants. Pinell said that Jackson aimed a blow Jackson was not wearing a wig but a Their testimony, however, suffered a at Kraesnes and wrenched the gun tight-fitting cap. According to guard corresponding leap in unbelievability from his hand. Carl Umland, a truckload of evidence, each time a part of the prosecution's During the trial, pathologist John including George Jackson's clothes story was contradicted. Manwaring changed his analysis of (and perhaps the cap), was carted off Defendant Fleeta Drumgo, one of San The patchwork quality of the state's the entrance and exit wounds on to the co~nty dump to be destroyed. Quentin Six, who face charges of evidence seems to bolster the defense's Jackson's body. His new testimony It appears tha,t the defendants­ assault and murder. contention of a cover-up designed to lent evidence to the defense's belief Willie Tate, Johnny Spain, Pinell, mask its conspiracy to assassinate that Jackson was still alive on the David Johnson, Fleeta Drumgo, and Jackson. ground when he was murdered at close Luis Talamantez-were singled out for from Drumgo's alleged kick. Later it Louis Tackwood, former member of a range-probably by prison guard Eu­ prosecution because they were among was revealed that Drumgo had not squad of Los Angeles police agents gene Ziemer. the most active in their opposition to been wearing any shoes at the time. who were assigned to infiltrate radical The testimony of defense witnesses oppressive prison policies. Defendant Supporters of the San Quentin Six groups, testified on April 12 that his radically contradicts the battered tale Drumgo, for example, was indicted are urged to participate in the vigil last assignment was to "get George that prosecutor Jerry Herman tireless­ solely on the testimony of a guard who that will take place each day of the Jackson." ly repeated in his final arguments. said he kicked Kraesnes before jury's deliberations at both the Marin Tackwood told the jury that three According to the state, Jackson Kraesnes was killed. County Civic Center and the office of weeks before the August 21 incident he received a .38-caliber pistol in a tape Manwaring, however, testified that the San Quentin Six Defense Commit­ witnessed Robert Sharnett of the recorder carried by attorney Stephen there was no way the bruises on tee, 3169 Sixteenth Street, San Francis­ criminal conspiracy section of the Los Bingham, and hid it under an Afro Kraesnes's face could have resulted co.

Indian leader beats one ERA vigil in D.C. charge, faceS another By Stacey Seigle Banks says he fears for his life in PORTLAND, Ore.-Fugitive charges South Dakota, a state where dozens of against American Indian Movement Indian activists have been murdered in leader Dennis Banks were dismissed the past three years. He also says he here at a July 2 hearing before a can't get fair treatment in South county circuit court judge. Dakota courts. In addition to dismissing fugitive Judge Pat Dooley, in ordering the charges against Banks, however, dismissal, expressed anger that neither Judge Dooley also ordered that a Gov. Robert Straub of Oregon nor Gov. bench warrant be prepared for Banks's Edmund Brown, Jr., of California had arrest as a result of the fact that the yet made a decision on whether Banks Indian activist was not present at the would be extradited to South Dakota. July 2 hearing. The judge also ordered Banks is wanted in South Dakota for that Banks forfeit the $1,000 bail that sentencing on trumped-up riot charges. had been posted in the case. He was convicted almost a year ago Banks was unable to be in Portland and fled the state. July 2 because he was in jail in San Francisco, unable to raise bail. Banks is facing fugitive charges in California similar to those just dis­ missed in Portland. At the July 2 hearing, the prosecu­ tion said that an agreement that would have permitted Banks to attend the Portland hearing fell through because the defense would not go along with it. Banks's attorneys explained that they couldn't guarantee California authorities that Banks could attend San Francisco court hearings if re­ leased under the agreement. Portland District Attorney Harl Haas is not content with stealing Banks's bail money and effectively banning him from Oregon. In addition, he is considering filing criminal

charges against Banks for failure to Mlllltan'ttNIIn"~ Cole appear at the July 2 hearing. These women, dressed in suffrage costumes, are the first contingent in a fifty­ If criminal charges are filed against five-day national vigil at the White House. Every day a delegation of women's Banks he could face up to five years in rights supporters will be posted at these gates to focus national attention on prison, in addition to a contempt-of­ the Equal Rights Amendment. Four more states must ratify the ERA before the court sentence, for failing to attend a Constitution will recognize legal equality for women. The National hearing on charges that were dis­ Organization for Women patterned the vigil after the daily suffrage pickets in missed. 1917. In June the National Education Association convention, attended by The vindictiveness with which Ore­ 12,000 delegates and guests, voted to endorse the vigil and other summer ERA gon politicians are persecuting Dennis activities. The convention resolution read, in part: 'The National Education Banks indicates that-at least for the Association supports the National Organization for Women's call for Muysenberg time being-the AIM leader might be designating August 26th as Equal Rights Amendment Action Day, with pro­ DENNIS BANKS: Charged with being in safer in a San Francisco jail than ERA activities taking place around the country.' prison at the wrong time. anywhere in the state of Oregon.

THE MtLITANT/JULY 16, 1976 3 Cites 'retribution and deterrence~

By Nancy Cole state prisons were Black, although Delivering a startling blow to Blacks only 11 percent of the population is and all working people, the Supreme Black. Court announced July 2 its approval of Those prisoners working full-time the death penalty. before their arrests had a median In a seven-to-two decision, the court annual income of only $4,639. turned its back on the 1972 ruling that The victims of capital punishment had judged the practice of capital are even more heavily drawn from the punishment unconstitutionally arbit­ most oppressed segments of society. rary. The justices decided this time Since 1930, 3,859 persons have been around that three of the six .prisoners executed in this country. More than whose cases were under consideration half-53.5 percent-were Black. should die. Dismissing charges of racial discri­ The other three gained a reprieve mination, the government argued in its only because the statutes under which brief submitted to the court that they were convicted and sentenced did "although blacks are sentenced to not meet the court's standards. death at an apparently high rate, There is nothing inherently wrong they also commit a disproportionate with sentencing people to die, the share of the capital crimes." highest court of the land proclaimed. In other words, contends the nation's The decision means that nearly half "justice" department, Blacks get what of the 600 prisoners on death row in they deserve. The concept that perhaps this country could now be executed. there is discrimination at the point of arrest, as well as in sentencing, never NAACP fund pledges action enters the argument. The response was immediate from Later the government brief states both proponents and opponents of the that any studies suggesting discrimi­ death penalty. The NAACP Legal nation were "conducted in the South Defense and Educational Fund, which during a time when blacks were often had argued against the penalty before excluded from grand and petit juries." the court, pledged to pursue additional Racial discrimination is no longer a actions to stop th~ executions. factor, the government argues, "now "We hope that this nation's 200th that blacks sit in judgment on other year-the bicentennial-will not after blacks." all be marked by a resumption of A Bicentennial Gift from the Supreme Court That might make a credible argu­ official electrocutions, gassings, hang­ ment if it were true. But where were the ings, and shootings," the fund's Blacks on the all-white jury that director-counsel, Jack Greenberg, said. condemned Gary Tyler to die in Loui­ Former Supreme Court Justice Ar­ siana? Why did no Blacks "sit in thur Goldberg labeled the ruling "one judgment" on Stanton Story as he was administered, a violation of the Eighth of the worst decisions since the Dred ically upheld-as well as more than handed the death penalty in Pitts­ Amendment barring "cruel and unusu­ Scott opinion [the 1857 pro-slavery 100 in states with similar laws. burgh? al punishment." decision], which marks a day of Another twenty states have legisla­ The penalty was imposed in a infamy in the court's history." tion similar to that of Louisiana and "freakish," "arbitrary," and "capri­ 'Retribution and deterrence' Georgia's Gwinnett County District North Carolina, which the court struck cious" manner, the justices said, and In the majority opinion sanctioning Attorney Bryant Huff-who had ar­ down. the state laws as written gave juries death, the justices cite two purposes: gued in favor of Georgia's law-said It is unclear how or if these nearly "retribution and deterrence of capital that he was "ecstatic" with the deci­ 300 prisoners will be resentenced. "unbridled discretion" in deciding the life or death question. crimes by prospective offenders." siOn. The National Association of Attor­ They also contend that "a large Florida Gov. Reubin Askew prom­ neys General promptly devised a way proportion of American society conti­ ised to go right ahead and begin 1972 ruling to get around the ruling: rewrite the nues to regard it as an appropriate and signing death warrants in that state. The last electrocution in the United laws imposing mandatory death sen­ necessary criminal sanction." The some 300 prisoners now facing States was in 1967. In 1972 the tences for certain crimes. Justice Thurgood Marshall, who death include those in Georgia, Flori­ Supreme Court in a five-to-four deci­ Thirty-five states proceeded to pass along with William Brennan decided da, and Texas-those state laws specif- sion found capital punishment, as some form of the suggested legislation. against the death penalty, took issue Even the U.S. Congress got on the with this reasoning in a dissenting bandwagon, enacting a mandatory opinion. Arguing against the retribu­ death sentence for airplane hijacking. tion claim, Marshall wrote, "It simply Death row: majority Black The July 2 decision declared manda­ defies belief to suggest that the death tory death sentencing "unduly harsh penalty is necessary to prevent the and unworkably rigid." Since the first American people from taking the law American revolution, the justices not­ into their own hands." ed, "American jurors have, with some Even the majority opinion was regularity, disregarded their oaths and forced to admit that studies attempting refused to convict defendants where a to prove that capital punishment is a death sentence was the automatic deterrent have been "inconclusive." consequence of a guilty verdict." Dissenting, Marshall contended that Some states, however, tempered their "the American people, fully informed statutes with certain qualifiers. Texas, as to the purposes of the death penalty for example, requires that three ques­ and its liabilities, would in my view tions be answered in the affirmative reject it as morally unacceptable." before a mandatory death sentence be In arguing along these lines, the imposed. Was the killing unprovoked? NAACP Legal Defense and Education­ Was it deliberate? Is there a possibility al Fund had cited a poll published in that the defendant would in the future 1974 that found 59 percent of the "commit criminal acts of violence that public in favor of capital punishment. would coustitute a continuing threat to But only 39 percent would vote guilty if society?" they knew the defendant would be put The Texas statute was upheld. And to death. state officials are wasting no time in At the time of the July 2 Supreme The fate of North Carolina's and constructing legislation that will mir­ 'Law and order' Court ruling on capital punishment, Louisiana's 169 prisoners, and some ror such "acceptable" laws. The hue and cry about "law and 611 persons were on death row in 100-140 in states with similar laws, Some states that currently have no order," which has included demands to thirty states, according to United is unknown. laws on the books imposing the death restore the death penalty, is aimed at Press International. Of these, 317 penalty began drawing up new legisla­ diverting the attention of the Ameri­ were Black, 15 were Chicano, 8 were In the three states where the laws tion the same day the Supreme Court can people, who face a rapidly deterio­ Native Americans, and 1 was Puerto were upheld by the decision, 144 are decision was released. rating quality of life, from their real Rican. That adds up to 55.8 percent on death row. That includes 73 in Maine legislator Stanley Laffin de­ problems. It's the Blacks, the Puerto nonwhite. Florida (33 of them Black), 29 in clared jubilantly, "We're going to live Ricans, the unemployed who are rob­ North Carolina had the highest Georgia (18 or them Black), and 42 long enough to see capital punishment bing you, declare this country's rulers. number with 122 prisoners sen­ in Texas (16 of them Black, and 5 the law of the land." And, they continue, we need to terror­ tenced to die. Only 40 were white. Chicano). ize them into good behavior with some That state's law, along with the one Another approximate 150 prison­ Jails filled with oppressed "deterrents." in Louisiana where 47-39 Blacks­ ers still face death in states where The jails of the United States are Meanwhile they hope that the real faced death, was struck down by the the laws appear to meet the criteria filled with the most exploited and crimes-the police terror, the ravaging high court decision. set by the court's decision. oppressed. A 1974 government survey of the environment, the cutbacks and reported that 4 7 percent of those in layoffs-will fade into the background.

4 ... socialist candidates hit ruling Carter: Continued from page 1 a stance of silence on the ruling. But There are two standards of justice in The victims of this barbaric decision their positions-as well as that of the this country: one for the rich and one signed death will be found disproportionately third candidate, Republican Ronald for the poor. among Blacks, Chicanos, Puerto Ri­ Reagan-are a matter of public record. The Supreme Court says the death bill into law cans, and Native Americans. It was Jimmy Carter who signed penalty is necessary as a "deterrent." More than 600 prisoners sit on death Georgia's death law as governor in But even government statistics fail to row-56 percent of them nonwhite. An 1973. The court upheld that law, giving bear this out. estimated 300 face execution because the go-ahead for the execution of People are harassed, battered, and of the court's ruling. twenty-nine persons on death row in debased by a system that wants only Racist officials like Florida's Gov. Georgia. to make a profit on their backs. Their Reubin Askew have already an- For whom did the pious advocate of acts of desperation will not be halted "ethnic purity" intend the death pe­ with more brutal and repressive laws. nalty? Clearly not for criminals like Only the alleviation of poverty, hunger, The Militant is widely distributed My Lai mass murderer Lt. William and unemployment will do that. among this nation's prison popula­ Calley. In fact, Carter proclaimed But while capital punishment will tion. The Supreme Court decision American Fighting Men's Day in not serve as a deterrent, it will function upholding the death penalty will Georgia in response to Calley's 1971 as a weapon to terrorize and intimidate have its greatest impact on our conviction. the people of this country, especially readers behind bars. The Militant, in Former California Governor Reagan those who stand to suffer from it the future issues, will open its pages to signed that state's law, under which most. It is one more warning to those these prisoners by reprinting letters fifty-seven prisoners have been sen­ who would fight for their rights and received in response to this barbaric tenced to die. against their oppression. While Ford has not had the opportu­ The racist terrorists in Boston and ruling. nity to sign such a law, he has gone on Chicago, those who stone school buses record for the death penalty. and burn crosses, will take heart from One of the three state death penalty nounced their intention to sign death This is what the Democrats and the Supreme Court decision. statutes upheld by the Supreme Court warrants as soon as they can be Republicans have to offer the Ameri­ What is needed now is a massive July 2 was signed into law by Jimmy prepared. can people. They preach "law and outcry by the American people against Carter as governor of Georgia. Other states are rushing to enact order" while their secret police agen­ the death penalty. Carter has refused to comment on laws that conform to the court's new cies carry out assassinations and their We must redouble our efforts to win the Supreme Court decision guidelines on capital punishment. war machine commits mass murders. freedom for victims of racist frame-ups, validating his own murder law. It is a macabre race to dust off the The Supreme Court says the· death such as Gary Tyler, J.B. Johnson, Asked about details of the death electric chairs, in disuse now for nearly penalty is necessary for "retribution." Delbert Tibbs, Stanton Story, Ray penalty statute that Carter had ten years. This "eye-for-an-eye" concept of justice Mendoza, and others. signed, his Atlanta campaign This move by the highest court of the is totally reactionary. It is lynch-mob The labor movement, groups and headquarters recommended that the land must be condemned by all who justice. individuals from the Black, Puerto Georgia government should be support basic human rights. Yet there Where is the "retribution" for the Rican, and Chicano communities, contacted. are politicians-candidates for the thousands of murdered Vietnamese, women's organizations, students, civil There are currently twenty-nine presidency of the United States-who the Chileans, and the Attica prisoners?, libertarians, and others must unite to people on death row in Georgia: have declined comment. The biggest criminals of all-the abolish the death penalty. eleven white and eighteen Black, Both President Ford and Democratic Henry Kissingers and Nelson Rocke­ We must join forces to stay the including one Black woman. contender Jimmy Carter have assumed fellers-go scot-free. hands of the executioners. Death penalty: 'A heavy blow to justice' [The following is a sampling of fight for justice and equality has been to use the July 10 activity which is the "We are opposed to it. Our belief is reaction to the recent Supreme dealt a heavy blow. We must counter day of Gary Tyler's birthday to orga­ that there is no one unredeemable, or Court decision opening the way this by organizing peaceful rallies, nize protests and demonstratillns for beyond the realm of rehabilitation. for states to once again use the teach-ins, and protests and continuing the release of Gary Tyler and show And our view is that since man cannot death penalty.] our fight for justice for all people in their opposition to the Supreme Court bring a life into the world really that this country. decision."-Maceo Dixon, coordina­ he should not take a life from the "The National Student Coalition tor of the National Student Coali­ world."-Rev. George Riddick of "The National Student Coalition Against Racism calls upon its chapters tion Against Racism. Operation PUSH, Chicago. Against Racism deplores the recent Supreme Court decision which stated "I know my son is innocent. They that the death penalty is legal in the never got their story straight at the United States. 'Militant' poll: Blacks say 'No!' trial and so we're waiting for the "Over 60 percent of the people on appeal. Any mother would be worried death row are Black, Puerto Rican, Seventy percent of Black respond­ Black, with white women between about the Supreme Court decision if Chicano, and other oppressed national­ ents in a Militant opinion poll in the ages of twenty-six and forty her son was in the same situation as ities. We see this as a direct attack on New York City indicated that they having the largest number, 37. Stanton. I don't think twelve people the status of Blacks in this country. are opposed to the use of the death Most of those who said they were should play twelve disciples, and I "With the Supreme Court decision in penalty. The sharp opposition to against the death penalty cited don't think nobody should play God. I favor of the death penalty the opportu­ capital punishment among Blacks moral or religious reasons. Some think God is the judge as far as death nity is open for many states which reflects a recognition of the racist Blacks, however, pointed to a dual is concerned. It hits the poor people have struck down this ruling to recant way the death penalty is applied. system for Blacks in the criminal anyway, and the poor people are the their decisions and come out in favor Fifty-five percent of total respond­ justice system. Others replied that majority, and I don't think they'll go of capital punishment. ents, Black and white, stand op­ the death penalty is not a deterrent for it."-Catherine Raglin, mother "This decision ironically comes at a posed to the death penalty, but 45 to crime. of Stanton Story, a young Black time when this country is celebrating percent of the total sample of 378 Most who favored capital punish­ man on death row in Pennsylva­ its bicentennial and 200th birthday. persons replied affirmatively to the ment expressed the belief that the nia, framed up for the murder of a Just as this nation is celebrating the question "Should there be a death death penalty is a crime deterrent. cop. so-called rights of Americans to life, penalty?" Perhaps a dozen of those responding liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, affirmatively did so with vigor, a the Supreme Court is speaking for A large number of those respond­ few indicating that the high court "I view it as essentially racist. death. For those people who face the ing affirmatively, however, did so decision was overdue. Coming from the people who are well death penalty this occasion means with some hesitation, and many of Negative replies included the fol­ off, the upper class, trying to repress nothing to them except injustice, them further indicated that each lowing: the turmoil going on in the lower class. inequality, and murder.. case should be weighed closely. "Two wrongs don't make a right"; The people who have security in this "For Gary Tyler, a Black youth The sample involved 192 whites "The jury could be all white and society see the wave of resistance to sentenced to death in Louisiana by a and 186 Blacks. It was conducted stacked"; "A person could be wrong­ unemployment, discrimination, and so racist frame-up, the death penalty no July 5 chiefly on the streets of the ly accused"; "God should be the one forth. I figured they would restore the longer holds at this time. However, midtown Manhattan area. to determine death, not man"; "The death penalty anyway because when a this does not mean that Gary Tyler is Of those replying negatively to the death penalty doesn't right wrongs"; society starts losing control of their free. The facts are not clear on the question, 76 were white and 131 were "They just want to fry some nig­ system they are going to have to status of Gary Tyler or other Black Black. gers"; "Man should not put other reintroduce repressive measures."­ brothers and sisters who are in the Of those replying affirmatively to people to death"; and "No state Bob Anderson, a former prisoner same situation. the question, 116 were white and 55 should take a life." and new member of the Socialist "In the year of this bicentennial the Workers party.

THE MILITANT/JULY 16, 1976 5 La. Y.Outh now faces life in j~ High court decision overturns Tyler death By Joel Aber Louisiana Supreme Court building NEW ORLEANS-Gary Tyler's life July 24. has been spared by a U.S. Supreme Louisiana legislators want to ensure Court decision. But that same court that future Gary Tylers will not escape decision gives a green light to the the electric chair. They are already legalized murders of hundreds of other busy drafting a new death penalty law death row prisoners. to conform with the Florida and The high court's action adds historic Georgia laws upheld by the high court. importance to the campaign to free Meanwhile, Gary Tyler's lawyer, Gary Tyler, a seventeen-year-old Black Jack Peebles, told the Militant he youth convicted by an all-white jury believes the authorities will try to for a murder he did not commit. His resentence Gary and the other Louisia­ supporters plan a rally in front of the na death row prisoners to life impris­ onment. Forty-one prisoners in Louisiana had faced the electric chair prior to the Help free Supreme Court action. All but six are Black. The majority were convicted of rape, and all of these are Black. Gary Tyler "I'm relieved," the New Orleans Things you can do to support Gary Times-Picayune quotes one death row Tyler: prisoner. "It's a big pressure off my 1) Come to New Orleans July 24; back. I guess it means I get to live. But assemble at Duncan Plaza at 12:00 now I'm gonna do a life sentence noon. here-is that what it means? A life 2) Sponsor a fund-raising activity sentence at Angola?" or build a rally for Gary Tyler in Conditions in the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola are inhumane, your community or at your club, Police campaign against Gary Tyler continues: denied visits from mother, Juanita school, union, or other organization. among the worst in the country. State officials are under federal court order Tyler (left). Brother Terry Tyler and hearing witness Donald Files (far right) arrested 3) To obtain speakers you may on phony charges of stealing two-dollar bill. contact Walter Collins, coordinator, to reduce the prison population at Gary Tyler Defense Committee, 1610 Angola and improve the sanitary Basin Street, New Orleans, Louisia­ conditions, but news accounts make it na 70112. Telephone: (504) 522-2244. clear that little change has occurred. Gary's mother, Juanita Tyler, de­ weapon-a spoon; charged with "defi­ 4) Contributions to the defense Sixteen Angola inmates have been scribed to this reporter her most recent ance" because he broke his own pencil; fund may be sent to Gary Tyler assassinated in the past year, alleged­ trip to visit her son. After the long and received threats on his life. Fund, c/o Liberty Bank, 3939 Tulane ly by other inmates, the authorities drive from her home in St. Rose, prison Almost every week recently, one of Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana admit. According .,o the New Orleans officials told her there was a new Gary's brothers or cousins is arrested 70118. States-Item, the l,rice of a hired assass­ regulation: "They said I couldn't see by St. Charles Parish police on some 5) Write to Gary Tyler: Gary in is fifty dollars at Angola. While the Gary because I'd afready used up my petty frame-up charge. Tyler, Death Row, C-127, Angola, U.S. Supreme Court action frees Gary two visits for the month." Last week, Gary's brother, sixteen­ Louisiana 70712. Tyler from the death penalty, the Previously, Juanita Tyler had been year-old Terry Tyler, and Donald Files, 6) Send letters of protest at this threat of death remains for him and visiting Gary twice a week. The au­ a witness at Gary's hearing for a new injustice to Gov. Edwin Edwards or every other Angola prisoner. thorities have also decided to prohibit trial, were arraigned on a burglary Attomey General William Guste, It is a three-hour drive from the New visits by Gary's brothers and sisters. charge. Cops claim they stole a two­ State Capitol, Baton Rouge, Louisia­ Orleans area to Angola. North of The restriction of visits is the latest dollar bill May 16. On that date, na. Copies should be sent to Walter Baton Rouge, the road twists and tums in a long string of incidents of harrass­ however, Terry Tyler was not even in Collins at the defense committee. through junglelike terrain. Along a ment faced by Gary and the Tyler the state. He and his mother were in 7) Get prominent sponsors of the bend of the Mississippi River, the family. Gary Tyler has been tear Detroit speaking for the defense of defense in your city. prison sits in an isolated comer of the gassed in his cell; put in "the hole" for Gary. The trial for Terry Tyler and state surrounded by wildemess. twenty days for having an alleged Donald Files was set for September 3.

'No P-lace in civilized society~ Capital punishment and its opposition span By Baxter Smith In the New World, Maine became the Chessman, convicted in 1948 of sions for execution and seven post­ A world must be turned upside down. first state to end capital punishment kidnapping and murder, was sen­ ponements. But each tear that flows, when it could except under the order of the govemor tenced to die in the gas chamber. He Chessman s case was championed have been spared, is an accusation, in 1837. spent eleven years on death row. His by students and others who marched and he commits a crime who with The death penalty became a major case went through seven "final" deci- and petitioned. Observers frequently brutal inadvertancy crushes a poor issue in the 1840s in this country, with earthworm.-Rosa Luxemburg m numerous prominent people taking up "Against Capital Punishment." the cause for its abolition. Rhode Island abolished its death penalty in Capital punishment and opposition 1852 and Wisconsin in 1853. to it span several centuries of recorded The first electrocution in this coun­ history. try came in 1890 in New York. The The moral justification for the death event touched off a new wave of penalty in most societies has been opposition to the inhuman practice, public revenge for criminal activity, and in 1892 the federal govemment and in earlier times, -appeasement of reduced its seventeen capital offenses the gods. to three-treason, rape, and murder. Doomed individuals have been Many states ended their death pen­ bumed alive, flogged to death, cruci­ alties in the period up to World War I. fied, drowned, impaled, boiled in oil, Through the twenties, thirties, and cast before wild beasts, and had killer forties there were attempts to abolish birds and insects set upon them. the death penalty, but they drew less Societies have designated any num­ attention. ber of crimes as ~apital offenses. In the During the late 1950s and early American colonies, aside from murder 1960s public opinion here and abroad and the more severe crimes, hanging once again cried out for abolition of the was prescribed if persons were found death penalty. Today slightly more guilty of public drunkenness, being on than one hundred countries still have friendly terms with the devil, stealing death penalty statutes, but in many grapes, or being a rebellious son. they are rarely or never used. The beginnings of a reform move­ The drawing card for opposition to ment against capital punishment ap­ the death penalty in the early 1960s peared in Europe in the eighteenth was the case of Caryl Chessman in century. Califomia.

6 Fight for socialist democracy in Poland sets example for E. Euro--- sentence By David Frankel the party and the people. The people no But "keep on keeping on" is the From Intercontinental Press longer say 'we' for themselves and watchword around the Tyler home and The Polish working class has no say 'they' for the party as in the past." in the defense committee office. "When in the basic economic decisions that Apparently the people who burned I go to Angola, I try to make Gary feel affect it. This simple fact was graphi- the Communist party headquarters in good," Juanita Tyler explains. "I tell cally illustrated by the angry protests Radom had not yet gotten the him how lucky he is to get free food that swept Poland June 25 over in- message. and all that mail. And he laughs and creases in food prices. Even the tireless tries to make me feel good." Last time defenders of Stalinist "socialism» in Bureaucratic privilege she visited, Gary had received twenty the American Communist party were Gierek's attempt to give the Polish letfers in that day's mail from all over reduced to silence. regime a face-lift never touched on the the country. "Total silence" was how one corre­ issue of bureaucratic privilege, and it Gary Tyler has been in jail since spondent described the way the strikes was this issue that gave the workers' October 7, 1974, when he was picked and demonstrations were handled in protest its explosive character. The off a crowded school bus and framed the East European media. In Poland resentment generated by the decision up on a murder charge. He is a victim itself, where the regime could not to raise food prices can be easily of white mob violence, a victim of afford the luxury of silence, the mayor understood. The workers know that racist resistance to school desegrega­ of Radom claimed that "drunken party officials and factory managers tion. hooligans and hysterical women were buy imported delicacies, wine, and He was convicted last November of the most active" in the protests. He did liquors in special shops that ordinary first-degree murder. The judge pro­ not explain why the government people are excluded from. They see the nounced the mandatory sentence: "A backed down if this was really the bureaucrats living in fancy vacation current of electricity through your case. houses and driving new cars. And then body ... until you are dead." But neither silence nor slander can they are told that they have to sacri­ After the trial, the lone witness hide the fact that the upsurge in fice, that the needs of the economy Workers line up to buy food in Poland. identifying Tyler admitted she had Poland is a reflection of the overall demand higher food prices-a measure 'They know that party officials buy been forced by police and prosecutors crisis confronting the Stalinist regimes that hits the lowest paid workers the imported delicacies in special shops to lie under oath; she had not seen in Eastern Europe and the USSR. hardest. that ordinary people are excluded from.' anyone fire a gun. Despite this over­ Viewed from this broader angle, it is The dissident movement in the whelming new evidence, the judge particularly significant that the June Soviet Union has generally raised the turned down Gary Tyler's motion for a 25 explosion took place in Poland. issue of democratic rights in terms of artistic and intellectual freedom. The pushed Poland's bill for imports up by new trial. That motion is now on If the disaffection of the population $1.4 billion over the last two years, is so close to the surface in Poland upsurge in Poland poses it in terms of appeal to the Louisiana Supreme while the 1974-75 depression caused a ~ Court, which is expected to hear it this which has one of the more liberal abolishing the special privileges of the bureaucracy. loss of about $1 billion in Poland's fall. regimes in Eastern Europe, what is the exports to the capitalist market. The Gary Tyler Defense Committee mood in countries like Czechoslovakia The issue of democratic rights for the masses is posed objectively in every Similar problems are faced by all the is mounting a nationwide campaign to and East Germany? The fact that workers states. The Soviet Union has correct this miscarriage of justice. Soviet troops continue to occupy those Stalinized workers state because the political regime of bureaucratic rule is imported huge amounts of grain at They expect a large turnout for the countries is an indication of the inflated prices, and the USSR and rally at the Louisiana Supreme Court Kremlin's opinion. in contradiction to the optimum re­ quirements of scientific planning. East European regimes are also big in New Orleans July 24. Buses and Since the massive upsurge in 1970 importers of machinery and other As long as the workers are denied cars are being organized to come to that ended Wladislaw Gomulka's ca­ complex technological products from their right to determine economic New Orleans from throughout the re(~r as chief of the Polish Communist the imperialist countries. policies through representatives of South. party-and threatened to go even As a result, Poland is not the only Supporters of the defense effort further-the Polish regime has fol­ their own choice, there is no way of winning their full cooperation in carry­ workers state where the workers are believe that revulsion at the U.S. lowed a policy of placating the work­ being told to tighten their belts. Clyde ing out the policies decided on. The Supreme Court decision will result in ers. Edward Gierek, Gomulka's sue- H. Farnsworth reported in the June 29 alienation of workers in the Soviet new momentum for the effort to free , _cessor, instituted a system of New York Times: Gary Tyler. A victory for Gary Tyler "consultation" with worker representa­ Union and Eastern Europe is reflected will be seen as a victory for all who tives, and cultivated an image of being in low productivity of labor, high rates In Czechoslovakia, what is called a oppose legal lynching and all victims open to suggestions from below. of absenteeism, and industrial sabo­ "restructuring" of wholesale prices was of racist injustice. tage. supposed to have been introduced last Jan. The response of the bureaucrats was 1, and is now expected to be applied at the Failure to communicate? indicated in a November 18, 1975, beginning of 1977. "To some analysts here,'; New York In Hungary, the Government has decided Reuters dispatch from Warsaw that "in principle" on a 35 percent increase in Times correspondent Raymond H. said: "In its war on absenteeism and meat prices to take effect on Sunday. Anderson said in a June 11, 1973, job switching, Poland has introduced Last week, Viennese newspapers carried dispatch from Warsaw, "the most new penalties for state workers who go reports of food rationing in the Soviet promising aspect of the Gierek reforms on unjustified sick leave or who walk Union. is the opening of channels of com­ out of their jobs." plaint, permitting corrections before Thus, the bureaucrats face a situa­ The economic difficulties faced by centuries grievances reach the exploding point." tion in which they cannot run the the Stalinist regimes show that inter­ A similarly optimistic assessment country without democracy, and in nal democracy has become more imper­ cite it as one of the early protests was presented to Times reporter Henry which they cannot stay in power with ative than ever. Still more, the im­ against injustice giving rise to the Kamm. In a December 8, 1973, dis­ it. This dilemma explains the tendency possibility of "building socialism in radicalization of the sixties. patch, Kamm reported that "an influ­ of Stalinist regimes to swing back and one country" has received fresh confir­ His execution-which could have ential member of the [Polish] party's forth between policies of repression mation. been prevented had a misdialed phone · Central Committee" told him, "Gierek and limited reforms. The resistance of the Polish workers call ordering a stay gotten through in has established a partnership between Because of the contradiction between shows that gains can be won if the time-touched off condemnations and the parasitic role of the bureaucracy masses mobilize to fight for, their protests around the globe. and the needs of the planned economy, rights. The example set by the Polish In a Mexico City prison 5,000 prison­ bureaucratic rule is inherently un­ workers June 25 will be taken up by ers observed a minute of silence to stable. A mass upsurge threatens to the working class elsewhere in Eastern protest his death. In Ecuador and in unseat it within days. Only Soviet Europe-and in the Soviet Union as other countries in Latin America, tanks saved the· Stalinist regimes in well. where anti-U.S. government feelings East Germany in 1953, in Hungary in were already strong, there were stu­ 1956, and in Czechoslovakia in 1968. dent protests and bitter statements by Under capitalism the organization of officials. production is in the hands o( individu­ Newspapers termed the execution an al capitalists and corporations. This is "inhumanity" and "an atrocious an essential function under capitalism. crime." but there is no economic necessity for "The American ruling class can an uncontrolled bureaucracy in a continue to clamor that Chessman was planned economy. Decisions now made justly executed; mankind has formed a by the bureaucracy could be better different verdict, and that verdict we made in workers councils, the proletar­ believe will stand," wrote the Militant ian form of democracy, and carried out editors May 9, 1960. by technicians paid by the state. A reporter once asked Chessman what had carried him through his Crisis hits workers states •Poznan .. many years on death row, and he In economic terms, the only function replied: of the bureaucracy is to act as a brake POLAND "A fierce determination to win vindi­ on economic development and progress cation, to do something creatively in general. This negative role has useful with my life, and to demonstrate become especially burdensome because that gas chambers and executions of the world economic crisis. have no place in our civilized society." More than half of Poland's trade is with capitalist countries. Inflation has

THE MILITANT/JULY 16, 1976 7 By Larry Seigle contact with members of the Weather The Socialist Workers party suit Underground. against the government has triggered However, news reports differ on a new round of FBI revelations and set Why socialists' whether or not the SWP or the Young in motion a chain of events with far­ Socialist Alliance were targets of the reaching consequences. recent break-ins. Some reports say no. A federal grand jury has begun But Associated Press correspondent hearing evidence against FBI agents lawsuit digs up Margaret Gentry, who talked with a and officials involved in black-bag jobs Justice Department official who since 1971. Some thirty G-men have apparently has access to the burglary been identified. According to newspa­ reports, wrote that "one target of the per accounts, hundreds may ultimately FBI files post-1971 burglaries was the Socialist be implicated. , Workers party." Although federal prosecutors are If this is true, it is still more bad offering "street agents" immunity news for Kelley, as well as for the from prosecution in return for informa­ Congress missed lawyers trying to defend the tion nailing higher-ups, there is no government in the SWP case. The only way to grant them immunity from civil documents concerning burglaries of suits for damages. the SWP and YSA that have been The revelations have rendered "inop­ CO~«~SSIOML 0Yml6ltT produced so far concern burglaries erative" FBI boss Clarence Kelley's between 1960 and 1966. These were earlier statements that the burglaries turned over to the socialists last March ended in 1966. Kelley's job itself is on along with a statement that they were the line, and there are indications he the only documents "which have been may be forced to resign. located." Moreover, the new facts are casting If any evidence existed then or has a lengthening shadow of doubt on the turned up since about more recent report of the Senate Select Committee burglaries against the SWP or the on Intelligence, headed by Sen. Frank YSA, it is being withheld in clear Church, the Idaho Democrat and violation of court orders. onetime presidential hopeful. The la­ test disclosures may even force yet another congressional inquiry into the Kelley's last stand? crimes carried out by the secret police The affair may be Kelley's undoing. against the democratic rights of the The shattering of his "plausible American people. denial" comes just at the wrong time According to the New York Times, for a government agency desperately the current black-bag probe is "the trying to restore credibility. Time broadest criminal investigation of the concluded that Kelley "had either been F.B.I. ever conducted." misled by his colleagues or, as one of The Times reported that "the legal them suspected, been doublecrossed." liability of some of the street agents Of course, he may just have been lying. was 'astronomical,' one source said, At a news conference in ,July 1975, because the burglaries were committed Kelley had asserted that the FBI by special trained teams and some conducted no burglaries against men made 'dozens' of entries. Another domestic targets after 1966. FBI source said he knew of one agent who officials later testified before the had made 60 entries, each of which Senate Intelligence Committee that could be the base for a criminal they had no records of break-ins after charge." 1968. The disclosures are "beginning to In last week's statement to the press, give us all the shakes," said one a strained attempt to defend his Justice Department official. "This credibility in the face of the latest could go very high," an FBI source told bombshell, Kelley limply claimed that Newsweek. when he had said there were no break­ The Los Angeles Times reports that ins after 1966, "I knew of none." He the events are "said by FBI sources to said he had based his earlier denial on have crushed morale inside the bu­ the "memories" of FBI officials and a reau." 1966 memo from Hoover purportedly Good. ordering an end to burglaries. An indication of Kelley's problems is the decision by the Justice Department 'Do not file' files to bar FBI agents on the case from The crisis, according to news ac­ reporting their findings to Kelley ·or his counts, was set off by a search through assistants. The probe is being carried secret files in the FBI's field offices, out by a team of twelve special ordered by a federal judge in connec­ investigators who report directly to the tion with the SWP suit. Justice Department, bypassing normal Under orders from U.S. District Herb lock FBI channels. Court Judge Thomas Griesa, and faced with a pending motion for contempt of Church committee discredited court filed by the socialists, Kelley sent The Church committee 'failed' to find out what it didn't There is more than a little irony in out a teletyped order on May 13 to all want to know. And the FBI had no reason to tell the the fact that the new disclosures came field offices. He directed a search for only weeks after the Senate In­ "any documents containing informa­ senators more than they were asking to hear. telligence Committee issued its final tion concerning surreptitious entries, report without turning up even a hint break-ins, or burglaries" against the of these recent FBI crimes. The socialists. "a highly confidential source" or some that the burglaries under investigation committee report, presented by "It is imperative that all information such euphemism. "constituted only a fraction of the politicians of both capitalist parties as and documents be produced at this This setup allows FBI officials in extralegal activities he said had been bringing down the curtain on this time," said Kelley. And he warned that Washington to swear on a stack of engaged in by some F.B.I. agents, in unpleasant period of sagging con­ "if it is subsequently determined that Bibles that they have "no information many cases with the knowledge and fidence in government, is now itself pertinent information has been with­ in their files" on any illegal activities. approval of bureau executives." being discredited. held, judicial sanctions could be in­ Published reports differ on when the In a June 25 editorial, the Boston voked and the FBI's credibility serious­ Document search burglaries detailed in the new docu­ Globe noted glumly that the new ly harmed." The search of the secret field office ments rook place. In a written state­ expose broke "just when it appeared The SWP had specifically demanded files, directed by Judge Griesa, is the ment issued June 30, Kelley confirmed that the FBI was getting its act that the FBI search include not just a first of its kind ever undertaken. that burglaries occurred as recently as cleaned up in Washington. . .. review of regular files, but also the Exactly what the searchers have 1972 and 1973. One FBI official said "The disclosures are alarming, and opening of the bureau's supersecret turned up remains murky, since Jus­ that the break-ins stopped "no later not only because of the alleged files. These included what the FBI tice Department officials aren't talking than April1978"-three months before burglaries against organizations and calls the "personal folder" and the for the record and different "sources" Kelley took office. individuals of the New Left.... They safes of the Special Agents in Charge have different information, judging cast doubt on the methods of the of the fifty-nine field offices, as well as from the news accounts. Senate Select Committee on In­ the so-called "do not file" files where Most of the inquiry seems to center However, Time magazine reports telligence Activities, which spent sensitive information is stored outside on the New York FBI office, the that "the last one on the list is believed months investigating bureau the FBI's routine indexing. bureau's largest. The New York Times, to have taken place in 1974." And, operations but apparently never Materials documenting illegal activi­ however, has reported that the probe according to Crewdson of the New sought access to separate field office - ties, such as burglaries, are kept in will be "far wider" and already in­ York Times, "One F.B.I. source said files." these files in the field offices. The cludes field offices in San Francisco, the burglaries in some areas of the The editors of the New York Times corresponding files in the FBI head­ Los Angeles, and Chicago. country continued up to last April." said that the revelations, resulting quarters in Washington contain only There is also the possibility that Still another discrepancy concerns form the SWP suit, provide a "sobering the information stolen as a result of crimes other than burglaries are being the victims of the black-bag jobs. One lesson for Congress. The Socialist these illegal spy operations, along with looked into. One FBI source told New of the primary targets is reported to be Workers Party lawsuit is prying out of a phrase attributing the information to York Times reporter John Crewdson people the FBI suspected were in the F.B.I. files information that was in

8 G-men ask court order to gag press in lawsuit By Diane Rupp on the press. The court decided that NEW YORK-"It strikes me that "prior restraints on speech and publi­ there is a very deliberate campaign cation are the most serious and the here to feed information of a particu­ least tolerable infringement on First larly venomous nature, personal na­ Amendment rights." ture, into the press," complained one If their timing was bad, their argu­ lawyer for the FBI burglars in court on ments were even worse. The G-men are June 29. not in a good position to complain Government lawyers and the private about manipulation of the press. mouthpieces hired by the FBI burglars For a really vicious press campaign have opened a campaign to put a lid on we can go back to 1961, for just one press coverage of the Socialist Workers e&le. In October 1961, the FBI party lawsuit. The case against gov­ planted a story in a newspaper to ernment spying and disruption is in smear Clarence Franklin, a Black too many newspapers, in their opinion. candidate running on the SWP ticket Their opening shot came near the in the New York elections. Philadelphia lnquirer/Auth end of the June 29 hearing before FBI agents fed information about an 'I give up!' Judge Thomas Griesa. William Brandt, old arrest record to the press to disrupt a U.S. Attorney, asked to "just take Franklin's campaign. An FBI memo two minutes" for "a very, very simple urged planting the story so people existence but was withheld from both Church committee did very little that thing." would have "a lower opinion of the of the committees expressly charged was new or independent. Nearly every­ Brandt asked the judge to order the SWP." with investigating intelligence thing they looked into had already socialists to delay making testimony Two weeks later the FBI reported abuses." been publicly reported." from a former FBI agent public. that the New York Daily News had But why is it that the Socialist In other words, the Church commit­ Herbert Jordan, the socialists' attor­ picked up the FBI story on Franklin. A Workers party has been able to un­ tee "failed" to find out what it didn't ney, argued that the American people memo bragged that the reporter had earth secrets that escaped the grasp of want to know. And the FBI-which have a right to know what's happen­ thought the story was "dynamite." the entire United States Congress? knew exactly what kind of an investi­ ing in this case, and newspapers have But that was in 1961. Now, in 1976, The Los Angeles Times summarized gation the committee was conducting, a right to report it. The socialists have the FBI is complaining that the press it this way: "The Senate committee what documents they were demanding, given reporters accurate information is pestering them. failed to uncover evidence of the much and what questions they were asking­ when asked, so how could the govern­ Brandt complained that another more recent burglaries . . . because of had no reason to tell the senators more ment complain? former FBI agent had also been called a decision not to press the Justice than they were asking to hear. "There are quite serious First by a reporter. Brandt charged that this Department and FBI for field office The FBI merely continued the de­ Amendment problems here," Jordan former G-man might suffer "embar­ files. cades-long policy of keeping Congress argued. rassment . . . annoyance or harass­ "Instead, the committee relied on in blissful ignorance of the details of Brandt protested, "I don't think this ment." information in the FBI's Washington the bureau's heinous deeds. is a First Amendment problem at all." Harassment is a serious charge. headquarters, gained primarily This cozy relationship allows the The First Amendment guarantees That is what the SWP lawsuit is about: through interviews of all supervisors in hypocrites in Congress to act shocked freedom of the press. But objecting to a decades-long campaign to harass the domestic security field." and outraged at each new revelation. an order limiting what can go to the and-more than annoy-to destroy a In the meantime, the FBI continues to press, said Brandt, "is to really blow political party. spend the appropriations lavished on it the First Amendment out of all propor­ The Cointelpro papers and other FBI Fishing expedition? by the members of Congress, and tion." files show what real harassment can Staff members of the Senate commit­ cooperates harmoniously with the The burglars' lawyers jumped in to be. They record how FBI and other tee repeatedly told representatives of committees supposedly supervising the support the government's request for a government agents visited and, in the Political Rights Defense Fund, who secret police. court order. John Malone, his lawyer some cases, sent \loison-pen letters to urged them to request the field office What a fraud! claimed, had been called by a reporter socialists' employers and landlords. files, that the committee didn't want to at 3:00 a.m. an~ "grilled" about his appear to be going on a "fishing Right to know work as former head of the New York Malone's lawyer summed up his expedition." The defense fund is spon­ The politicians of the Democratic FBI office. protest, "I can't avoid the conclusion soring the suit brought by the SWP ' and Republican parties give lipservice The next day a "humiliating" story that the public interest is deliberately and the YSA. to the right of the American people to appeared in the papers about Malone's stimulated." Cathy Perkus of the PRDF staff told know the full truth about secret-police role as the one who approved the In reality, what have stirred the the Militant that the head of one of the crimes. But their real aim is the midnight break-ins against the social­ national concern about the govern­ Church committee task forces had told opposite. Their investigations are tai­ ists. ment's campaign against democratic her, "We don't want to ask for any lored to give the illusion of full disclo­ After the hearing, one courtroom rights are the revelations that began more than we can read through. We sure in order to bolster confidence in observer commented that if the phone with the Pentagon papers and Water­ don't want to be buried by FBI files." the integrity of the government and call did happen as the lawyer de­ gate, and are continuing now. Perkus recalled that one committee the two ruling parties. scribed, it may just have been a Judge Griesa concluded that there staff member, an aide to Sen. Walter But they uncover only as much as misunderstanding. The reporter proba­ was no legal way to hush this case up. Mondale (D-Minn.), had even remarked they think they have to in order to bly assumed that 3:00 a.m. was a G­ "I think there would be serious First that "Mondale doesn't disagree with patch up their threadbare image and man's regular working hours. Most of Amendment problems if I forbade a FBI harassment of the Socialist Work­ eroded moral authority. Their problem the black-bag jobs, after all, occurred plaintiff here [the socialists] with ers party because they harassed him is that each new stage of revelations, between midnight and 6:00 a.m. respect to having discussions with the while he was campaigning." rather than dampening the demand for The defense lawyers chose a bad press," the judge said. "What he meant," Perkus said, "was further disclosures, merely fuels the time to ask for a gag order. On June The government and FBI burglars that socialists had asked Mondale fire anew. 30, the very next day, the Supreme will just have to live with the conse­ questions at some public meetings, or The Senate Watergate hearings, held Court ruled against such restrictions ·quences of an open, public trial. had the nerve to run a candidate in the summer of 1973, merely led to against him. It shows the mentality of intensified demands that those respon­ those who carried out their investiga­ sible for crimes against the Bill of tion. Rights be brought to justice. When "In fact," she added, "as far as the Nixon was finally forced to resign in FBI investigation was concerned, the the fall of 1974, Ford proclaimed that the nation's nightmare was finally over. But it wasn't. Ford was soon forced to convene the The first Rockefeller commission to investigate illegal CIA activities. But this report, in-depth look· released in the fall of 1975, was thoroughly discredited soon after· it was published. Now the Church com­ at the illegal mittee report is losing its authority as a complete and final compilation. FBI counter­ As the rulers fail in each new attempt to put the lid back on the can intelligence of worms that Watergate opened, the suit filed by the SWP and YSA in July 1973 assumes greater importance and program plays a bigger role. This suit is $2.95 paperback. becoming a major weapon in the hands not just of the SWP and YSA, Now at your bookstore but of all those who have a stake in the fight for democratic rights and in the VINTAGE BOOKS fight for the right of the American A division of f) Random House ••~ FRANK CHURCH: Wanted to avoid people to know the whole truth about 'fishing expedition.' the activities of the FBI and the CIA.

THE MILITANT/JULY 16, 1976 9 In Our Opinion Letters

Socialism-for efficiency position, here is a quote by Hua Kuo­ Israeli raid I noticed in the New York Times that Feng, from the May 14 issue of Peking Dr. Barry Commoner, the prominent Review. "At present, the international On July 4 an Israeli commando team staged an illegal raid ecologist, made some interesting situation is developing in a direction into Uganda to rescue 103 hostages held by pro-Palestinian remarks to a recent conference on most favorable to the people of all skyjackers. This racist swoop into Africa left twenty innocent "Working for Environmental and countries but unfavorable to Ugandan soldiers dead and many more wounded. Economic Justice and Jobs." imperialism and hegemonism. Nonetheless, the Israeli action was greeted by an outpouring The conference was sponsored by the "The third world countries and of support by hypocritical defenders of Zionism. United Auto Workers and more than peoples, strengthening their unity and The New York Times praised the "resourcefulness, 100 other labor, environmental, and supporting each other, have scored one civic organizations. victory after the other in the struggle determination-and guts" of the Zionist regime. President Ford Commoner suggested the need to against imperialism and hegemonism expressed "great satisfaction." And the French ambassador to reorient the nation's economy away and are playing an even greater role in Israel said, "A moral victory has been won tonight, a victory from inefficient use of both energy and international affairs. over brute force." capital. "Their [imperialists and This orgy of self-congratulation totally ignores Israel's role as According to the New York Times, hegemonists} intensified global rivalry the chief perpetrator of "brute force" and terrorism in the Commoner said, "We face a big debate for spheres of influence and world Middle East. on how we're going to devote resources hegemony is the cause of world intranquillity. But no matter how Israel came into existence by driving the Palestinians out of for the common good rather than for private profit. There's a whole question desperately they may struggle, they their homeland. It continues to survive with the support of of inventing a new form of socialism." will not escape their ultimate doom. Washington, and remains a warfare state constantly attacking A. C. The people are the masters of history." the Palestinians. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Gregory Worley The racist and brutal nature of Zionism has been dramatical­ Wilsons Mills, North Carolina ly exposed in recent months by the mass protests of Arabs inside Israel and its occupied territories. The murderous response of Israel to these protests has led to its growing Chicano history mural isolation in world public opinion. More than 100 students and eight Sold out in Toledo But the June 27 skyjacking by a small, isolated group played faculty members marched recently to While I was selling the Militant at a into the Zionists' hands by allowing them to obscure the real show support for a Chicano mural at supermarket in a predominantly Black nature of their regime. It allowed these butchers of the Santa Maria High School in Santa neighborhood, one Militant buyer Palestinian people to posture as brave and courageous rescuers Maria, California. commented, "You know, you're right about all this, but nobody cares of innocent hostages. The students and teachers, carrying signs and banners, chanted, "Give us anymore-I mean, look, how long h;lVe our mural!" They marched during the you been out here selling?" lunch hour in the street in front of the "Oh, about twenty minutes." school and through the lunch area. "And how many have you sold?" All who marched agreed that it was "Seven." Abortion victory a smashing success. As one student "Yeah?-WOW!" A few minutes later something else U.S. commented, "The last time this On July 1, the Supreme Court reaffirmed the right of happened that showed that the wot:nen to control their own bodies. The high court struck down happened was never." To top it off, the march got local press and television political consciousness in America is state laws giving a woman's parents or husband a veto over her coverage. not as low as some think. decision to have an abortion. This action was the first of a general Three patrol cars and a paddy In the case of adult women, the ruling was categorical-the campaign by SOMOS (a Chicano wagon screeched into the parking lot, decision is hers. In the case of unmarried minors, the court said student group) to force the school surrounding a parked car occupied by parents could not be given a "blanket" veto. However, the court board to allow the mural to be painted one young Black man. hinted that some more limited restrictions might be approved. on the electronics building. Several white cops piled out, ran up to the car, drawing their guns and Since the court's 1973 decision legalizing abortion, reaction­ At a meeting on May 10, the white, upper-middle-class school board yelling, "Get out of the way, lady!" ary forces, led primarily by the Catholic church hierarchy, have decided that the mural could be They cocked their weapons, sought to return to the days when thousands of women died painted on a piece of plywood and obviously overly prepared to take any from back-alley butcher abortions. hung up. It could then be moved to the ."necessary" action against this These self-proclaimed "right to life" hypocrites managed to library if there were any "complaints" "potentially dangerous man." pass restrictive legislation in at least twenty-six states. Now the by the "community." The cops ordered the man from his court has given these efforts a sharp rebuff. The reply by SOMOS was a definite car, only to discover a toy gun­ probably belonging to his son, who The decision came amid some reactionary court rulings. But "No!" It was decided to launch a school was in the store shopping with his in this case the Supreme Court bowed to public sentiment. Poll and community campaign to show that the real "community"-the mother. after poll has shown the majority of Americans support a thousands of Chicanos, students, and The cops began laughing as several woman's right to choose abortion. working people-supported the mural. onlookers commented: "I don't see The anti-abortionists have been set back. But they haven't To the Chicano and white students anything funny about that shit." "You gone away. They now say they're going to amend the involved, the racist power structure of can bet if that dude's got one little Constitutiop.. The majority that supports the right to abortion capitalist America is really being traffic violation, they'll pull him in on it." "Yeah, that's why them coppers should be vigilant and ready to mobilize to defeat new right­ exposed, and methods of fighting back got his license plate number." wing attacks. are being explored. At a recent SOMOS meeting, We left, though people were still someone asked how racism can be requesting copies of the Militant, overcome. A member answered, "By because we had run out of copies in a doing just what we're doing-getting little over half an hour! Chicano and white students working S.A. Skinner CP ballot slanders together in these kinds of campaigns." Toledo, Ohio Two articles in a recent issue of the Communist party Dale Bretches Santa Maria, California newspaper the DJLily World accuse the Socialist Workers party and other smaller parties of illegal practices in gaining ballot status. (See article on page 29.) Panthers endorse Democrats The Daily World charges that the government winks at such The June 5, 1976, Black Panther violations-even encourages them-because the SWP and the newspaper contains the other parties are actually in its service. The 'Militant' and China recommendations of the Black Panther Such irresponsible slanders have no place among those who I have read your paper, the Militant, party for the June 8 California claim to defend the interests and liberties of working people. for quite a while now and I have elections. Minor parties must stand united in opposing the barriers to greatly enjoyed the articles. But when They endorsed all Democratic ballot status erected by the Democrats and Republicans. it comes to China, it seems as if you politicians, including Gov. Edmund Accusations such as those leveled in the Daily World instead have no education at all. Brown, Jr., for president, whom they China's position of uniting against approvingly describe as "a fresh strengthen the hand of these politicians. Moscow is the only sound thing to do. change upon the national political We urge Militant readers and all supporters of civil liberties to The Soviet presence in Eastern Europe scene ... able to re-evaluate failing send letters and telegrams to the Communist party's Hall-Tyner is all too well known. governmental solutions to today's Election Campaign Committee urging it to halt its slanders. Soviet fishing fleets rape the fishing rampant social ills," and other such Write to 156 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1100, New York, New York grounds all around the world and drivel. 10010, and send copies to the Socialist Workers Campaign recent victories in Angola are merely a It amazes me that these Panther­ Committee, 14 Charles Lane, New York, New York 10014. foothold. Soviet policy is to gain as Democrats would even have the nerve many military and economic bases as to try to foist this "racist pig" on Black possible. people nationally. To give a good example of China's How can they justify, as self-

10 National Picket Line Frank Lovell proclaimed "people's revolutionaries," not supporting Peter Camejo and Willie Mae Reid (the Socialist Workers candidates for president and vice­ St. Paul AFSCME strike president) and picking Democrats over [The following guest column is by Peter Seid­ On May 26, Locals 2508, 844, and 1842 hit the bricks. them? man.] An estimated 880 workers did not report to work and Camejo ail.d Reid have a real another 300 city employees honored their picket line. program to change "failing This year the mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota, got a This was the first major municipal workers' strike in governmental ills," and really wage increase of $1.08 per hour. And members of St. St. Paul since 1946. represent a "fresh change upon the Paul's city council got a pay boost of $.71 per hour. The strike was militant and effective. For the first national political scene" -not some But when approximately 1,000 city clerks, technical time in St. Paul's history, the city clerk's office was reworn politico like Edmund Brown, workers, and librarians in St. Paul demanded pay closed. Supervisors and "foremen" had to answer the Jr. increases of $.34 per hour so they could keep up with phones. Because there were no typists, all memos were It just goes to show you the level of inflation, the city "fathers" had a familiar answer: handwritten. Street cleaning and patching slowed sectarianism in the American radical "There's no money." down. Five of the city's thirteen trash collection trucks movement when one supposed And so the mostly female members of American stopped operating. The zoo closed, as did all the "revolutionary" organization can Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees branch libraries and dental health clinics. endorse a capitalist candidate and (AFSCME) Locals 2508, 844, and 1842 found them­ The city responded by threatening to fire other refuse and condemn a true working­ selves the object of the same kind of attack on public municipal workers who honored the strike. But in St. class candidate. workers that is taking place throughout the land. Paul, the union movement stuck together-unlike New Or to put it this way: What is the The city hoped that it could quickly defeat the York and San Francisco-in meeting the bosses' difference between a Panther­ demands by its technical employees and staff. By offensive. Democrat and a Communist party­ defeating the "little people," the behind-the-scenes On May 26, ten unions filed for an injunction to Democrat? I'd like to know! workers who actually make the city run, the city hoped prevent authorities from carrying out these unfair A prisoner to pave the way for even deeper attacks on other labor practices. Georgia employees. Finally, on May 28, the city began to back down. So when AFSCME's contract expired at the end of Mayor-elect George Latimer entered into serious 1975, the city stalled for almost six months. negotiations with the striking workers for the first In negotiations, the city refused demands by time. The payoff AFSCME for salary and benefit increases comparable On June 1, the unions ratified an agreement that New York City's financial guardian, to those granted other municipal employees. It resulted from these talks. They won a two-year the Municipal Assistance Corporation, opposed even wage increases that would keep up with contract that provided a 7 percent pay increase the has itself spent more than $4.7 million inflation. It proposed terms that would lengthen the first year and a 5 percent increase the second. They in the course of "saving" the city from workweek and make city employees absorb more of forced the city to maintain previous levels of health bankruptcy. the cost of health and insurance plans. and insurance coverage. And they won a partial The June 14 New York Daily News The city clearly did this because it wanted to force victory by getting fifteen minutes of a forty-five­ pointed out an interesting item in Big St. Paul's relatively inexperienced AFSCME locals minute lunch hour paid by the city. Mac's expense ledger: "The legal fees into a strike. (The clerks have been organized for only For the moment, St. Paul's antilabor offensive has went to nine firms, the largest share, a little more than two years, the technicians for just a stumbled .. $1,207,592, going to the Park Ave. firm year and a half.) It hoped to break the new unions, One union activist told the Militant that the of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. rather than take advantage of a law that permits the settlement wasn't as good as she had hoped for. But, "Former Federal Judge Simon city to prevent a strike by submitting disputed issues she explained, when you saw the sentiment of the Rifkind, a partner in the firm, was one to binding arbitration. workers at the meeting that voted on the settlement, of the four architects of Big Mac." Mayor Lawrence Cohen, like so many other Demo, you understood there was something more involved: Virginia Scott cratic party "friends of labor," helped set the tone for "When you haven't had a union at all for years-when Maplewood, New Jersey the city's anti-union drive when he explained his there has been no one to get anything for you, no refusal to go to arbitration: "They thought that since grievance procedure, no raises or promotions for years they had endorsed me for office, I should give them the on end, you don't expect to get everything all at once. keys to the city treasury." This is just a beginning; we made waves!"

Sexploitation in ads Women Against Violence Against Women, a coalition of feminist groups and supporters, staged an early­ By Any Means Necessary morning picket line on the Sunset Strip June 22, protesting a billboard advertising the Rolling Stones' latest album, Black and Blue. Baxter Smith The billboard is part of Atlantic Records' promotional campaign depicting a woman strung up by her hands and spread-eagled, with bruises ~vou'd like the FBI' all over her body and her clothes in MEMPHIS-Encamped among career opportunity Director Kelley has apologized for the abuses. We have shreds. In between her legs is the and display booths sponsored by American Airlines, to keep up with what is going on because we're out Stones' album with the caption, "I'm Pepsi-Cola, Kodak, the Office of Revenue Sharing, and here in the public eye, and if anything ·like that had black and blue from the Rolling Stones others, was one festooned with pictures of white men happened I would know about it. Besides, the NAACP and I love it." in black baseball caps taking aim with guns at invited us here." After a week of negotiations and silhouette targets of human beings. When asked why the FBI had spied on the Panthers protest, Atlantic Records authorized Two Black men staffing the booth had broken out and SCLC, the agent, who wore a big Afro hairdo, removal of the billboard a few hours career opportunity pamphlets and they served up a said: "We can't let Black militants tell us what to do. prior to the scheduled demonstration. recruitment spiel as if they were serving up the gospel. So we have to spy on them. All over.... " Women Against Violence say they "You'd like the FBI," one told a participant at the He paused, catching his error, then quickly added, will continue to protest the ad, which is June 28-July 2 NAACP convention. "We've changed "But we just do it here. The CIA spies overseas." being used in national magazines and our image." The CIA, as it turned out, also had a booth set up for displays. They are demanding an end minority recruitment. But a cursory search on the to the promotional technique that Front-page stories in April disclosed that the FBI opening day by some delegates failed to turn it up, and exploits violence against women to sell had kept the NAACP under a surveillance and there was snide and groundless speculation that CIA records and they are demanding an disruption program for twenty-five years. But when was doubling at the Lockheed and Peace Corps booths. apology from Atlantic Records. one of the agents was asked about this, the seven Eventually, though, the booth was sniffed out. It Sally Frumkin danger signs of cancer couldn't have brought more had no pictures of derring-do agents risking their lives Los Angeles, California alarm. in training to defend human rights, and the two Black "Wha-where'd you hear that?" he Nervous Nellied. agents who worked it were cagey and declined to "That's a lie. We never spied on the NAACP." answer probing questions. The questioner, in all honesty, had the bureau's A large photograph of a portion of Cuba, taken from number, and was bending Scout's Honor as a gag. a high-altitude spy plane, graced the CIA booth. One "Some guy told me he read about it in the papers. He of the agents asserted that it was taken during the The letters column is an open sounded like he was against the FBI." 1962 Cuban missile crisis. A conventioner, however, forum for all viewpoints on sub­ "No. Not the NAACP," the agent insisted. demurred and suggested that perhaps it was taken the jects of general interest to our "Sure, we spied on the Black Panthers and SCLC, day before. readers. Please keep your letters but the media is lying," the agent claimed, sticking to (Next week's Militant will contain full coverage of brief. Where necessary they will his guns. "Some of the things we did were wrong, and the NAACP convention.) be abridged. Please indicate if your name may be used or if you prefer that your initials be used instead.

THE MILITANT/JULY 16, 1976 11 The Great Society Harry Ring

Sorry about that-"BALTIMORE said it's really not harmful but they News-Record, a construction industry (AP)-The provincial general of the IF 8NYoF ~Hose are considering a reduction in the journal, suggests that the federal Pallotine Fathers has issued a public amount of uranium used. government do the job, adding: "Per­ apology for the Roman Catholic SPY GUYS Go To haps it could get the Central Intelli­ order's recent balance sheet: JaiL~~ li\1 GOING To Touching all bases-In an appar­ gence Agency, specialists in under­ $20,431,344 received in contributions; ent bid to a new constituency, Jimmy ground activities, to work out some $1,084,526 spent on missionary work. SeNbTHefv1a caKe Carter, the first presidential nominee way to help finance the project. Best 'We readily admit that serious mis­ to be born twice, confirmed that about part ... is that no one would know we takes and judgmental errors have been tJ.ITH a F'IL~. IN IT. .•. _. a year before he became governor of had spent the money, because such an made,' the Very Rev. Domenick T. Georgia he had the experience of underground operation would doubt­ Graziadio said.... " seeing a UFO. lessly be highly classified."

All that glitters ..•-Fifty million Daleygas-Some Chicagoans will Americans are walking around with be getting methane gas processed from No security clearance-Unlike radioactive false teeth. For forty years ~: cow manure. It's provided by an Nixon, Ford permitted photographers uranium has been mixed in with FILe! Oklahoma company called Calorific to snap him arriving and departing the porcelain to give false teeth "luster." ... MY Recovery Anerobic Process, or, for White House via helicopter. This was Plain porcelain lacks good color in the short, CRAP. discontinued when there were too ultraviolet light of a discotheque or many shots of the president bumping under the mercury vapor lamps of a Sounds subversive-Arguing in his head in the copter doorway and parking lot, a Food and Drug Adminis­ favor of a third water supply tunnel in getting his feet tangled in his dogs' tration official explained. The agency New York, an editorial in Engineering leashes. Women in Revolt Cindy Jaquith Schlafly: All shook up Phyllis Schlafly is furious. So furious that when May 16 demonstrators, with such banners as: "NOW is for abortion.... she sat down to pound out the June issue of her Coalition of Atlanta Public Employees; Feminist "NOW is for taxpayer-financed state kiddy-care antifeminist rag, the Phyllis Schlafly Report, she Alliance, Urbana, Illinois; Louisville Young Social­ centers for all children. couldn't restrain herself. She had to let loose with a ist Alliance; Lesbians Support the ERA; and "NOW is for prolesbian legislation so that reactionary tirade. American Federation of State, County and Munici­ perverts will be given the same legal rights as What set her off? "On Sunday, May 16 the pal Employees. husbands and wives ...." proponents of the Equal Rights Amendment had "Look for yourself at the pictures... ," shrieks How outrageous! their biggest demonstration in history," she la­ Schlafly. "See for yourself the unkempt, the Schlafly's vicious attitude toward public employ­ ments. lesbians, the radicals, the Socialists, and the ees is worthy of special note. Her remarks are right With a little shrewd calculating, Schlafly government employees who are trying to amend our in tune with the escalating attacks on municipal manages to whittle her estimate of the crowd down U.S. Constitution to force us to conform to their unions by the Ford administration, city govern­ to 3,500. (I estimated there were 8,000 at least.) But demands. ments, and now the U.S. Supreme Court. even 3,500 is not quite low enough to save face for "Even these pictures don't tell it all, however, We have news for Schlafly. On future actions for STOP ERA, Schlafly's outfit, which mustered only because they don't reveal the obscene language and the ERA, we're going to do everything possible to 400 demonstrators in a countermobilization in the foul four-letter Words that are part of the get more union banners and bigger labor contin­ Springfield on April 27. everyday language of the women's lib movement." gents there. And more NOW members, socialists, Well, if you can't outmobilize your opponents, try You know, four-letter words like "equal rights." students, Blacks, lesbians, and others who stand up red-baiting, lesbian-baiting, and anything else you Schlafly singled out the National Organization for social justice in this country. think might help discredit them and confuse people for Women (NOW), which sponsored May 16. In May 16 showed that a united effort by all who about their goals. case her readers aren't aware of the many "un­ support the ERA is the best way to keep up the So, Schlafly's June Report is titled "The Pictures American" things NOW supports, she tells them in pressure on those who are still denying us our the Press Didn't Print" -three pages of photos of her own inimitable style: rights.

The American Way of Life

Custer had it coming There's been a lot of hoopla about historical dates to steal the Black Hills, Custer resists, losing his So the movie is kind of like making a flick about this bicentennial year. But there has been only one command for his efforts. Custer then goes to how much Hitler loved Jews and put them in nice really worth celebrating, from the point of view of Washington. After a heart-to-heart talk with Presi­ camps to save them from racist pogroms. The gas Indian peoples. dent Grant he is allowed to return 'to his beloved ovens were just a tragic misunderstanding. That's June 25. It's the centennial anniversary of Seventh Cavalry and die with them in battle. At the Custer Battlefield National Monument in the day the Indians rubbed out a column of The night before Custer's Last Stand, he sends Montana the National Park Service conducted a invading U.S. troops under the command of back a letter exposing how a big business-Bureau of low-key memorial on June 24 this year. Pahuska-Sioux word for Long Hair-a man also Indian Affairs conspiracy has brought on the Some in the maiply white audience were audibly known as Gen. George Armstrong Custer. bloody war. The BIA gets purged, the company gets apprehensive when they saw a band of about 150 By coincidence, I had been thinking about writing dismantled, the Sioux get their land. Indians approaching led by Russell Means, the something on this when I went home one night and But that's not how it was. American Indian Movement leader. They had come saw in TV Guide that "They Died With Their Boots One thing they left out was the Washita Massa­ to protest the exclusion of Indians from the official On" would be played on the late show of a New cre, where-to the tune of "Garry Owen"-Custer program, and the naming of the memorial after the York station. That's the 1941 Errol Flynn rendition led the Seventh Cavalry in butchering 103 human hated Custer. "I couldn't imagine a Lieutenant of the way it was with Custer. beings, peaceful Southern Cheyemies who were not Calley National Monument in Vietnam," Means Flynn played a noble, heroic man of honor, who at war with the government. said. fights the Confederacy, Indians, Washington bu­ Another thing was left out. It was Custer who led The Indians then held a victory dance around the reaucrats, and big business alike. Pahuska, accord­ the Seventh Cavalry in the invasion of Paha Sapa "last stand" marker. The victory song, sung in the ing to the film, was the Indians' One True Friend. and made the Thieves' Road through which white native language of the Sioux, was "Custer Died for He gets the Great White Father to give the Sioux a settlers came into the Indians' country, in violation Your Sins." great big hunk of land in a treaty, including Paha of an 1868 treaty. Reporters said some of the cars in which the Sapa, the sacred Black Hills. Another is that the whites' land-grabbing has Indians were traveling bore the bumper sticker When thieving businessmen come along and try never stopped. It goes on to this day. "Custer had it coming." -Jose Perez

:12 Militant/Wendy Mascaro 325 socialists rallied in San Francisco on night before Los Angeles meeting. Lucha y Paz, a Chicano musical group, performed at opening of Bay Area rally. CALIFORNIA BALLOT DRIVE 'Historic occasion for socialists' {The Socialist Workers party the capitalists and their twin parties million voters the opportunity­ contribute. held a rally in Los Angeles June on the question of who should rule. probably the first in their lives for We can only give our time, our effort, 25 to launch its drive to secure the And that's just what we're going to do. most of them-to vote socialist. our material means. But the movement 100,000 petition signatures neces­ I don't know exactly what the We joined together with La Raza gives us a cause greater than any of sary to place its presidential ticket socialists of Debs's day had to do to get Unida party, the Peace and Freedom us. It gives us a warrant for living in a on the California state ballot. A on the ballot. I do know that since that party, and others to challenge the law world of poverty, disease, hunger, war, collection at the rally netted more time, the Democrats and Republicans requiring 300,000 signatures to get on racism, and sexism. Being a socialist is than $5,000 to finance the drive. have done all they can-by hook or the ballot here. like carrying a passport to the future. [Sherry Smith made the appeal crook, and mostly by crook-to try to We won a partial victory when our And that passport is inscribed with the for funds. Now active in the Los keep socialists off the ballot. They pressure resulted in the legislature names of all humanity. Angeles SWP, she was the party's have passed restrictive ballot laws like lowering the requirement from 300,000 Are we socialists because we're candidate for governor of Texas in the one in California, and they have signatures to 100,000. That figure's smarter than other people? I don't 1974. The following is an abridged used the FBI and CIA to do the still not low enough. We're going to think so. We all became socialists the version of her remarks.] seamier "black bag" work. keep on fighting this undemocratic same way-because others before us Well, neither the FBI, nor the CIA, law. And in the meantime we're going explained, in speeches, books, and nor reactionary election laws are going to beat their game. We're going to pamphlets, and we learned from them. It's an historic occasion for the to stop us! We're going to fight, and collect the 100,000 signatures-and That means we socialists can teach socialist movement tonight. Socialists we're going to win. more-to put Camejo and Reid and our others. In fact, we have an obligation are meeting together to map out a We're going to give California's 7 senatorial cadidate, Omari Musa, on to do that. Who will speak for social­ battle plan to win a place on the the California ballot. ism if we don't? As Debs used to say, California ballot. How are we going to do this enor­ you can't do it by proxy. It's not that we haven't wanted to do mous job? We can only do it with the While we don't underestimate the it before. But there's something new in help of everyone here. Our battle plan obstacles placed in our way, we are 1976. We're in the opening stage of an calls for launching this effort July 10 going to win our ballot fight. And in upsurge of radical activity in this with everyone we can get out in the the process we're going to talk social­ country. And there's a tremendous streets. And I mean everyone. We're ism to hundreds of thousands of people openness to our ideas-our radical going to Keep at it-come hell or high in this state. And we're going to solution to the crisis created by this water-until the job is done. distribute hundreds of thousands of outmoded, decaying, corrupt system. We socialists demand a lot of our­ pieces of socialist literature. What's new is that we are gaining selves. And we ask little in return, in When we're through, millions of the power through our growing num­ the ordinary sense. Being a socialist is people will know there are socialists in bers to do the job. We look around this not, so to speak, a paying business. California. People will want to know country, around this state, around this But it's a job that's worth doing. more about what we stand for. Many room-and we think the prospects for That's because it's about building the will join our ranks. socialism look pretty good! future. We have to raise a lot of money to do Eugene Debs was a mighty socialist Our ballot fight is a fight to win a the job. How can we be so confident of the early movement. He and those hearing for socialists who are for we'll do it? Because we know this: All who stood with him found hundreds of busing and Black rights, for bilingual­ people pay for their ideas what they thousands of socialist voters in this bicultural education, for passage and think they're worth. And we think our country. They found them in the daily enforcement of the Equal Rights ideas are the most important in this struggles of the oppressed and Amendment, for the farm workers, for world, that they represent the future of exploited-and through their socialist a "Bill of Rights for Working People," humanity. That's why even if we have election campaigns, just as we do for socialism. to pay a high price for our ideas, we do today. And our cause is something more. it without complaint. Masses of people were won to social­ SMITH: 'It's worth a lot to us here in Each of us who gives to the socialist And it's worth a lot to us here in ism because the socialists were on the California to be able to vote socialist for movement receives something far California to be able to vote socialist ballot in so many places-challenging the first time in forty years.' greater and far better than we can ever for the first time in forty years.

Minor parties fight unfair Michigan election law By Ron Jamgochian primary. This law threatens to ban Once this rationale for the law the ballot rights of minority political DETROIT-Hearings were held most parties from the ballot in was questioned, the Michigan direc­ parties, Michigan's board of can· here June 29 on a suit against the November. Every party in the state tor of elections admitted that the vassers disqualified the petitions state of Michigan for attempting to besides the Democrats and Republi­ purpose of the law was specifically submitted by the Communist party. keep minority parties off the ballot. cans is contesting it. to limit the number of parties that This would rule out a place for the The suit was filed in federal district ACLU attorney Ronald Reosti voters could choose from. In its CP on the ballot. court by the American Civil Liber­ made his final arguments in the case closing arguments the state tried to Tom Dennis, Michigan CP state ties Union (ACLU), representing the June 29. Expert testimony was given justify the new law as an· experiment chairperson, said that there was no Socialist Workers and Communist by Dr. Warren Miller of the Institute with the constitutional rights of way that the state could have parties as well as the Socialist for Social Research in Ann Arbor. political parties. actually checked all the signatures Labor, Communist Labor, and Hu­ Dr. Miller argued that since prima­ It argued that even if parties were the CP submitted. He called the man Rights parties. ries are overwhelmingly used by the banned from elections for several state's move politically motivated Democratic and Republican parties, years this would not have any and said that it occurred after the Last spring, Michigan passed a requiring approval in a primary for constitutionally harmful effects. So legally designated time limit for new and extremely restrictive elec­ a minority party could not reflect much for constitutional rights in the challenging nominating petitions. tion law requiring minority parties that party's support among the elec­ bicentennial year! The CP says it is challenging this to participate in a state-organized torate. Meanwhile, in a fqrther attack on ruling in court.

THE MILITANT/JULY 16, 1976 13 Campaigning for Socialism

CAMPAIGNING IN BAYOU Petitioners are also gathering well over communities of Gary and Indianapo­ "People in these cities should expect to COUNTRY: "Help put the socialists the 4,500 needed to qualify Andrew lis. be seeing a lot of us during the next on the ballot" was the theme of a Pulley for his race in the First Con­ "Many people there are familiar with two weeks." meeting in New Orleans June 18 to gressional District on Chicago's South Willie Mae Reid's campaign," Owens launch a statewide Louisiana petition­ Side. said, "and as a result of the petition­ NEW MEXICO SWP CONVEN­ ing drive for the presidential ticket of Joyce Stoller, a member of a full-time ing, the SWP is becoming a more TION: The June 13 convention of the Peter Camejo and Willie Mae Reid. Illinois petitioning team, has obtained visible part of Indiana politics." New Mexico Socialist Workers party Suzanne Weiss of the New Orleans 3,500 signatures alone, according to heard speeches by Ruth Getts, south­ Socialist Workers campaign committee Militant correspondent Tom O'Brien. RHODE ISLAND BALLOT west coordinator of the Camejo-Reid reports that many rally participants During a recent Saturday petitioning DRIVE: According to Annette Gagne, campaign, and by Juan Jose Peiia, turned up the next morning to canvass blitz at a shopping center in the Black Rhode Island petitioners found partici­ for signatures. community, two petitioners topped 400 pants in the June 26 Gay Pride Speaking at the meeting, Minerva signatures each, followed by a third demonstration in Providence very Foster, a leader of the Gary Tyler petitioner who turned in 300. willing to sign for Socialist Workers Defense Committee in New Orleans, With the drive more than half party candidates. So much so that described some of the injustices completed, more than 25,000 signa­ several times four or five persons at a against young Blacks in Louisiana. tures have been collected for the state time were lined up to sign the petitions "Unless we get out there, this world is ticket and more than 4,000 for Pulley. and pick up a copy of the SWP's going to be so bad that you won't be The illinois socialists will .file thou­ platform, the "Bill of Rights for Work­ able to stay in it," she said. sands of signatures above the state ing People." Foster said that she for one is "100 requirements to help ensure their Attempts by Providence cops to percent behind" Peter Camejo and ballot status. intimidate the petitioners were re­ Willie Mae Reid. "I'm more than sure At a June 26 rally to celebrate the buffed. The police had originally said we are going to do the best we can drive's halfway point, Pulley saluted that in order to petition in Providence's down here in New Orleans to make the the struggle of South African Blacks Westminster Mall the socialists would petitioning successful," she said. against apartheid. have to turn in the names and photo­ As the ballot drive heated up, so did He attacked the racism of the Ford graphs of all petitioners. the Louisiana weather. On Saturday, administration, which backs both the On the advice of an American Civil July 3-the final day of petitioning...:.. white-supremacist Vorster regime in Liberties Union attorney the petition­ the thermometer hit ninety-five de­ South Africa and antibusing bigots in ers carried out a test day of gathering grees. Nonetheless, well over the re­ Boston. The government's policies, signatures at the mall. No resistance quired 1,000 signatures were collected Pulley said, encourage the Nazis, who was offered by the local gendarmerie. during the drive. have been carrying out attacks against Black people in Chicago's Marquette CANVASSING IN THE BADGER La Voz del Pueblo ILLINOIS SOCIALISTS HIT THE Park neighborhood. STATE: Ten thousand signatures, the PENA: La Raza Unida leader spoke at STREETS: Illinois petitioners for The rally was also addressed by maximum permitted by state law, have New Mexico Socialist Workers party Camejo, Reid, and the statewide So­ George Novack, noted Marxist philoso­ been collected and will soon be filed in convention. cialist Workers party slate are racking pher and historian, who spoke on Wisconsin for the SWP's presidential up impressive totals in their drive to "Reform and Revolution in American slate and for Robert Schwarz, socialist collect the required 25,000 signatures. History." candidate for U.S. Senate. chairperson of the New Mexico Raza The SWP petitioners recently had a U nida party. The Raza U nida party HOOSIER SOCIALISTS FIGHT successful day of campaigning and has voted to endorse the SWP presiden­ FOR BALLOT RIGHTS: Fanning signature gathering at a commemora­ tial ticket. out to street comers and shopping tion of the signing of the Emancipa­ The convention was called to nomi­ center parking lots in Indianapolis, tion Proclamation sponsored by the nate presidential electors for Camejo Gary, Bloomington, Ft. Wayne, and United Black Community Council and and Reid. Both Getts and Peiia were other cities, dozens of Indiana socialist other Milwaukee Black groups. interviewed by Channel 13, a local campaign supporters are spending New Mexico television station. After their Saturdays in· an effort to gather PUTTING SOCIALISTS ON the well-publicized convention, several well over the 8,000 signatures needed MINNESOTA BALLOT: The peti­ people called the secretary of state's by state law to qualify Peter Camejo tioning drive of the Socialist Workers office asking how to get in touch with and Willie Mae Reid for the November party in Minnesota will begin this the SWP. ballot. month. "This is the biggest ballot drive By early July the petitioning drive we've ever launched," Bill Peterson, PETER CAMEJO SPEAKS: "The had netted 8,500 signatures. SWP candidate ·for U.S. Senate, told Profit System: Root of America's In 1974 Greg Peterson, SWP candi­ the Militant. "But our movement is Crisis" is the title of a new four-page date for U.S. Congress, was undemo­ bigger than ever, with more people tabloid issued by the Socialist Workers cratically excluded from the ballot, supporting our socialist campaign." Campaign Committee. It contains a even though his supporters had collect­ The Minnesota socialists plan to speech by Camejo given last December ed well above the signature require­ qualify eight candidates by collecting at the University of Chicago. ment. Peterson was the only Black 7,500 signatures. Copies of this new socialist cam­ candidate in the race. Campaign supporters will petition paign material can be ordered from the Ann Owens, statewide chairperson daily in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, committee by writing: 14 Charles of the SWP campaign, told the Mili­ and other cities. "And we'll be going Lane, New York, New York 10014. The tant, "The response to our drive to get door to door to bring our campaign cost is three cents each, or two cents PULLEY: Blasts Ford's ·support to on the ballot has been overwhelmingly into the neighborhoods," reports Jim each for orders of more than 500. apartheid regime and antibusing bigots. positive, particularly in the Black Carson, candidate for state senate. -Lucy Burton

By Andrea Morell, director, the generosity and commitment of 1976 campaign committee hundreds of contributors in thirty-four Over the top! Socialist The Camejo & Reid '76 Campaign states. The Camejo and Reid campaign Fund has shot over its new goal of committee wants to thank all those $15,994 June 30 • $15,000. who responded to our fund appeal. campa1gn Originally launched April 9, the fund Nearly 200 supporters contributed to $15,000 drive had an initial goal of $10,000. the fund as a direct response to articles $14,000 The deadline was June 30. in the Militant and a special fund The enthusiastic response enabled us mailing. These contributions account­ $13,000 fund tops ed for $2,858, or 18 percent of the total. $12,000 ~~ Hundreds attending socialist cam­ $11,000 paign rallies throughout the United $15,000 ~~®~ $10,000 States contributed to the Camejo-Reid campaign. These contributions added to meet our goal more than three weeks $13,136 to the total of $15,994. target ahead of schedule. So we set a new The campaign activities this sum­ target of $15,000. And when June 30 mer, together with the candidates' April 10 rolled around, we had made it. We had participation in the August Socialist even gone over the top by $1,000! Workers party convention, are the During the week leading up to June prelude to an intense period of cam­ 30, campaign supporters sent in the paigning leading up to the November largest amount during any single week election. Camejo and Reid will whistle­ to tap all the opportunities open to the in the entire drive. We received $2,574 stop through more than thirty cities in socialist campaign. in donations. less than two months. Many more We hope that we can count on your This victory was made poasible by thousands of dollars will be necessary continued support.

14 Missouri socialists gather Petitions support for ballot rights fight of Mass. By Barbara Tentaty ST LOUIS-The Socialist Workers socialists party's fight for ballot status here in Missouri won important new backing during the first week of July. okayed "The Socialist Workers should re­ By Susan LaMont ceive every encouragement and consid­ BOSTON-On Tuesday, July 6, eration," urged an editorial in the July 47,410 of the 65,000 signatures filed by 2 Kansas City Times, a major daily in the Socialist Workers party were vali­ that city. "The party is trying to get dated by state election officials here. into the legal electoral system which is This far surpasses the 36,000 signa­ exactly what legitimate political tures required to ensure a November causes are supposed to do .... ballot spot for the socialist presidential "Election officials exist to encourage slate and for the SWP candidate for participation in the system and to U.S. Senate from Massachusetts, Carol make voting and representation as Henderson Evans. easy as possible-not to throw up The Massachusetts requirement is roadblocks. Election boards and offices among the most exorbitant in the are not there merely for the conve­ country. nience of the established parties." In addition, 3,051 signatures were The editorial followed news confer­ validated for James "Mac" Warren, ences in St. Louis and Kansas City SWP candidate in the Ninth Congres­ called to announce that the SWP had sional District, which includes the met Missouri's legal requirements for Roxbury Black community. ballot status. The socialists are contin­ The secretary of state said in a news uing to petition in order to file well release that barring any challenge­ above the 17,844 required signatures Barbara Bowman (left) and Helen Savio, SWP candidates for U.S. Senate and the deadline for which is Friday, July by .the July 31 deadline. governor of Missouri. 9-the SWP candidates will appear on At the Kansas City news conference, the ballot next November. held June 29, Barbara Bowman, candi­ date for U.S. Senate, charged that deny ballot status to the SWP by "In any case," Bond's assistant told Missouri's election laws are "written Democratic Gov. Christopher Bond the press, "I don't think the governor and enforced by Democrats and Re­ and Republican Secretary of State would have any comment. It's not his publicans specifically to deny, rather James Kirkpatrick. function to tell the secretary of state than protect, the democratic rights of "In 1974 we were arbitrarily, undem­ what to do. Either they qualify or they Reid set to third parties. ocratically, and unlawfully ruled off don't." "They are one way in which these the ballot by Secretary of State Kirkpa­ Such statements provide Kirkpatrick two big-business parties protect their trick," Savio said. Not only did Kirkpa­ with a blank check to repeat his tour N.Z., monopoly over the ballot at the price of trick invalidate thousands of valid discriminatory treatment, Savio denying all other Missouri citizens signatures, he even harassed circula~ charged. their right to hear and choose from the tors and signers of SWP petitions by To mobilize pressure on the secretary Australia broadest spectrum of political opin­ phoning them at their homes and of state's office, the SWP has launched By Matilde Zimmermann ion." places of employment. a drive to sign up endorsers for its Socialist Workers party vice­ Bowman said that the Missouri SWP "I wrote a letter to Governor Bond right to a ballot spot. presidential candidate Willie Mae is "under no illusion that meeting the dated June 9," Savio said, "informing Reid will tour Australia and New signature requirement 100 percent, 125 him of what occurred in 1974 and Among the more than sixty endorse­ Zealand for three weeks in July percent, or even 150 percent will by demanding that he use his authority to ments received so far are those of the speaking on the American political itself guarantee" the party a ballot ensure that the secretary of state Western and Eastern Missouri chap­ situation. spot next November. performs his lawful duties this year. ters of the American Civil Liberties In Australia, Reid's tour will be Bowman's news conference was He has not responded. . Union; JoAnne Wayne, a St. Louis sponsored by the Socialist Workers attended by all the major television "Does this mean that Governor Bond alderwoman; Bruce Sommers, an alder­ party and Socialist Youth Alliance. stations and newspapers in Kansas condones Kirkpatrick's acts?" Savio man; Gus Lumpe, editor of Missouri Her speaking engagement in New City and also received extensive cover­ asked. Teamster; Sheila Lumpe, University Zealand will be organized by the age in nearby Kansas City, Kansas. One of Bond's executive assistants City Board of Education; and Kansas Socialist Action League and the Later in the week Helen Savio, SWP told the press that the governor's office City Women's Liberation Union. Young Socialists. candidate for governor. spoke at a had no knowledge of the letter, but The endorsement drive will continue Reid is slated to speak at a Black news conference in St. Louis. Savio Savio has a postal receipt proving that until the SWP has been certified for the rights demonstration in Brisbane, con~emned the bipartisan attempt to Bond's office did receive it. November ballot. Australia, on July 17. Aboriginal activists recently established a Black Embassy in Brisbane to help coordinate their struggles for land rights and against government spending cuts. SWP wins exemption from Vice-president Nelson Rockefeller recently visited Australia and was met by protests. The SWP and SYA disclosure law in Minnesota expect that Australians will be By Kit Hansen ment. victory at a widely covered June 17 interested in what a socialist vice­ MINNEAPOLIS-The Minnesota During the 1974 hearings, the SWP news conference. Bill Peterson, SWP presidential candidate has to say Ethical Practices Board has unan­ produced hundreds of pages of affidav­ candidate for the U.S. Senate seat now about U.S. politics from a working­ imously approved an exemption for the its and statements backing up the held by Hubert Humphrey, said that class vantage-rather than from the Socialist Workers Campaign Commit­ request. The socialists cited instances the decision "upheld our right to standpoint of the American super­ tee from state regulations requiring the of burglaries of political documents express our views and to dissent free rich. disclosure of the names and addresses from private homes; threats of job loss from government interference. In our of campaign contributors. and discriminatory rejection of em­ view, the Ethical Practices Board has The ruling was an extension and ployment applications; anonymous blocked at least one avenue of govern­ expansion of the exemption granted in phone calls; and mail tampering. They ment spying and harassment." 1974. The earlier exemption covered also pointed to the massive evidence Ralph Schwartz, candidate in the only contributions to the statewide already co~piled at the time in support Fourth Congressional District, said campaign; the current decision applies of the SWP's lawsuit against govern­ that the campaign disclosure laws to all Socialist Workers campaigns run ment harassment and surveillance. were put on the books by Democratic here in 1976. The Ethical Practices Board (then and Republican politicians in the hope The Ethical Practices Board said it called the Ethics Commission) subpoe­ that the American people would be­ was "acting on its own initiative" in naed local police and the FBI to testify lieve that the government was "clean­ renewing the exemption. This sets an at the 1974 hearings. The FBI refused ing up its act" after Watergate. important civil liberties precedent not to testify, while the cops provided "The real target of these laws," only because it is the second consecu­ contradictory and unlikely testimony. Schwartz said, "is the labor movement tive exemption, but because the exemp­ "We don't even know where the SWP and the Black and Chicano communi­ tion was approved without the·custom­ headquarters is," one police official ties. The politicians in Congress want ary procedure of a public hearing. claimed. to make it as hard as possible for In light of revelations since 1974 of The SWP also mounted a nationwide working people to break from the two­ massive illegal FBI activities against endorsement and telegram campaign party system. the SWP, the Ethical Practices Board in support of its exemption request. "The way these laws can already be was apparently satisfied with its 1974 Minnesota socialists were prepared used against parties such as the SWP ruling. The Minnesota socialists had to wage another campaign this year, today," Schwartz said, "shows how argued that disclosing the names of but the recent decision has made such they could be used in the future their contributors would open these ·an effort unnecessary. against backers of an independent individuals to government harass- The SWP announced its exemption labor party or Black political party." WILLIE MAE REID

THE MILITANT/JULY 16, 1976 15· By Harry Ring "We're always grappling with that During a visit to Texas in late March problem," he observed. "We're going to and early April I talked with a number put a booklet together.... One of the of leading members of La Raza Unida problems is that it's just very difficult party. They had differing ideas on the to sit down and do it, and get agree­ state of the party and where they ment on what it should say." thought it should be going. All, how­ Perhaps, he suggested, the problem ever, seemed preoccupied with basic LARAZA is that they've concentrated "on the questions of political perspective, pro­ practical, the expedient," and not gram, and ideology. In this they given ideology as much attention as is reflected a process that now seems needed. almost universal among Chicano polit­ UN IDA Velez is totally convinced that Chi­ ical activists. canos must find the way to achieve Future articles will report on the fundamental change. very significant activity-and political "Eventually," he said, "even if La thinking-of Raza Unida party activ­ Raza Unida really gets going, even it ists in New Mexico. Then I'll offer my will get to the point where it will be in own thoughts on some of the political Texas leaders discuss need of change. That has to be true as issues discussed in this series of inter­ long as you stay within the guidelines views. of the present system. While in Crystal City I talked with "Politics and political parties are not Judge Jose Angel Gutierrez, founding state of the party an end in themselves," v elez stated. leader of the party. Gutierrez has "You have to look at the economic critics within the movement, but I system." doubt that the harshest of them would argue that he doesn't say what's on his mind. When I talked with him, it was on Rosie Castro the eve of the April 3 elections. A ticket our local and regional base," Gutierrez They're really not political in the sense Rosie Castro, one of the RUP's he was supporting in the municipal said. The problem now is just to do of analyzing the structure and system leaders in San Antonio, had a more elections was being fiercely opposed by something-except places like Robs­ of government the two parties repres­ positive view, although she too agreed a contending faction within the RUP, town, a few places in the [Rio Grande] ent. While they see change as being the party had to consider how it could and the Gutierrez slate did lose the Valley, and here in Crystal, where feasible, they see it as being feasible achieve basic change. election by a few hundred votes. things are going on. through the Democratic party. Castro has been deeply involved In that heated factional situation, "I can't put my finger on it," he "We contend that's not the case," he recently in an ongoing fight to democ­ Gutierrez seemed to be in a somewhat reflected. "The activists aren't drop­ continued, "but it's very difficult to ratize Texas election laws and regula­ gloomy mood, and I think this was at ping out. They're all there. They're deal with so many years of this tions. One notable victory was won least partially reflected iri what he had working very hard, but it just doesn't thinking and try to change it. last year. After the party won the 2 to say about the state of La Raza seem to jell. "But in the small towns, they can see percent of the vote necessary for a Unida party. "There's no identifiable program," the problem a lot more visibly-they place on the ballot, the legislature tried Since the 1974 elections, he said, "it's Gutierrez said. "There's no specific list can see there's no Chicanos on the to boost the requirement to 20 percent. of priorities that you can deal with as a county commission, or whatever. A vigorous challenge by the RUP led statewide party. Everybody can an­ They're able to identify with La Raza to a Justice Department decision that swer the questions. Everybody can tell Unida as a political party in which you this violated the Voting Rights Act, you what they're doing in Austin, in can have a voice." and the requirement was reset at 2 San Antonio, or Crystal, or whatever. Velez was grappling with the sugges­ percent. But it just doesn't come together." tion that between elections the party Castro says she knows the Demo­ But while Gutierrez was glum about build its influence by developing cen­ cratic party from the inside. When she the present situation, there was no ters to provide needed social services to and others in the San Antonio barrio suggestion that he was about to take a the people. where she grew up first became active, rest. "I think we should be a political their initial political efforts were In 1978, he noted, there would be party," Velez said. "We need our own through the Democratic party. She another gubernatorial election in Te­ political power. I know it can be quickly realized it was a racist setup xas, and he assumed the RUP would argued, 'How can you reach the people that offered nothing of substance to run for governor, if only to maintain if you don't provide services?' If we Chicaaos. She became an early builder its place on the ballot. had the resources, maybe we could do of La Raza U nida. He saw the need, he said, for an both." She feels strongly that there is no effective, vigorous campaign. The But the main problem, he said, "is room for deals by the RUP to support project will be discussed at a state that we have left a vacuum. Even Democrats in exchange for support to committee meeting and at a fall state within the party, people are not that one or another RUP nominee. convention. Meanwhile, he said, infor­ politicized. They see the party as "There are some in the party," she mal discussions are beginning. something they can identify with, but commented, "who are considered 'pur­ He had a conversation about this they don't really understand its main ists,' and some who aren't so pure. with Ramsey Muniz, the party's candi­ purpose." They're the ones who talk about being date for governor in 1972 and 1974. v elez feels the party has not done more 'practical,' but, they say, the They are considering proposing that enough to develop the ideological goals are the same. both of them function as campaign understanding and commitment of its "But I maintain it's not the same, managers. Muniz, a hard-driving members. · because you have to have a certain Militant/Harry Ring campaigner, would spark the party ideology,'' she continued. GUTIERREZ: Sees need to concentrate effort in the heavily Chicano coastal "If you're making deals, you're doing on building local and regional base. bend area of Texas stretching south the same thing the Republicans and from Corpus Christi. Gutierrez would Democrats have done, and I don't buy organize the campaign in the South that. Texas and Rio Grande Valley areas. "We've gotten into discussions of The two could certainly generate a been a dull two years. Kind of anticli­ party officials endorsing a Democratic lot of momentum for a campaign. mactic, nothing spectacular happen­ candidate in a Democratic race," she ing. I don't know why. I guess it's the recalled. "I can't see how anybody can mood in the country. It's everywhere. even consider it. . . . In California, we haven't been able to Paul Velez "You're not going to have change motivate anybody to do anything. In Another party activist who thinks unless it's a fundamental change of Illinois it just fizzled. things are difficult is Paul Velez of not looking at everything in terms of "Now there is an upsurge in the Austin, the Travis County chairperson profits. South Side of Chicago," he added. of the RUP. Velez, a student activist in "Like when you talk about police "The community there is beginning to the late 1960s, was an early builder of brutality,'' Castro added. "It's incon­ move. Wisconsin is moving very well, the RUP. He participated in the initial ceivable to me that a kid could be shot but they're more into social programs, struggles in Crystal City. . because he's on somebody's property, social services. v elez feels the decision to focus on or they thought he was stealing "Here in Texas," he continued, "it's electoral efforts in smaller towns is a something. It's just inconceivable to been a disaster. I suspect it's partly necessary one. One of the difficulties, me how life can be worth less than because of the decision to go statewide. he said, is that in the larger cities, the property." Now we've rethought our position and Democrats give Chicanos token repres­ Perhaps the most optimistic person I voted to go regional." entation in governing bodies. That talked with in Texas was Ines Tovar. In 1972, a Texas RUP convention deepens the illusion that change is Born in Galveston, she went on to voted, with Gutierrez opposed, to run a possible through existing institutions. college in Houston, obtained three state gubernatorial ticket. In Novem­ The process of politicizing people in degrees, and is now on the faculty at ber of 1975, the party's state committee the cities is arduous, Velez said. "We the University of Texas· at Austin. voted, as he favored, to focus on have all these organizations doing Tovar has been active in the RUP on a contests in smaller towns with heavy work," he commented, "They say local and state level since 1970. Chicano populations, where larger they're doing it for la causa, for the She feels the core group in the party votes could be polled and elections mouimiento, for the Chicano, for the Militant/Harry Ring is growing in numbers and in political won. community. But they still have not CASTRO: Opposes any moves to consciousness. They're realizing the "We shoufd now spend time building seen through the two-party system. support Democratic candidates. need to think and speak for them-

16 selves, she thinks. That's all to the good in her opinion. She said this core group feels, "If we're in this just to be like any other Who needs child care? party and perform like any other party, then what for? By Ginny Hildebrand "We don't want Raza Unida pa­ The old saying that a woman's place trones [bosses], she emphasized. "We is in the home is still around. While don't want a political machine.... there are those who stubbornly hold to "I believe I have the right to criticize this reactionary sentiment, it has little anyone," she continued, "and anyone to do with the real experiences of has the right to question me. millions of women today. "Now," she added, "I know that's More American women than ever are ego-shattering to a lot of people in the seeking and holding jobs outside the party, but I believe that's the way it home. A recent Harris survey showed is." that 54 percent of these women need Discussing the RUP's perspectives, employment in order to support them­ Tovar said she thinks the Chicano selves or their families. people will· come to play a key role in This has created an acute need for the politics of the Southwest. child-care centers. Yet across the She said, "We've gone through a country the government is cutting very bitter, very intense struggle to back funds, closing child-care facil­ maintain our culture, our identity, our ities, and firing day-care workers. The message to parents, especially moth­ ers, is that child care is their individu­ al problem-not a responsibility of society as a whole. In the past, large extended families living under the same roof or in close proximity made it easier for working parents to make personal child-care arrangements. But now, families are smaller and more dispersed. Young adults leave home at an earlier age. In March 1975 the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that 28 million children under the age of eighteen had mothers working or looking for work. Of these children, 6.5 million were under six. Even before cutbacks began, only a tiny minority could get into child-care programs. In 1972 licensed day-care centers (those meeting minimum gov­ ernment standards) could accommo­ date only 1,021,202 children. The space was evenly divided between public and private centers. Militant/Harry Rmg Much of the existing child care is TOVAR: 'We don't want a political inadequate. Few facilities offer devel­ machine' like Democrats and opmental, educational programs. Most Republicans. provide minimal supervision, often called "custodial" care. This is particu­ larly common in private, profit-making pride. I believe that we've adjusted to it centers. These range from facilities in now in a manner which one day will individuals' homes to large chains have us as a focal point between the with franchises in several cities. two continents. We have the two A 1972 study of 431 centers caring languages, the two cultures. The for 24,000 children concluded that 49.5 things that have been called disadvan­ percent of private centers were of tages before, we see now that they're "poor" quality. not. Here is how a researcher described "I believe there will be a governor one of these: children, one four and one five. She the parents. It belongs with this social elected by Raza Unida someday, Tovar "This is an abominable center. could not get them into a child-care system. Under capitalism profits-not said. "I can't tell you when, but I Couldn't be much worse. One worker center. What she had to do was park fulfulling human needs-determine believe that. washed each child's face with a cloth her van outside of where she worked social priorities. Guilt belongs with the "Furthermore, that governor will not dipped in a bucket of water one-tenth and lock the two children inside. Every Democrats and Republicans who. run be doing the same kind of things," she full. No decent toys. The center was once in a while, she'd run down to the the government. They spent only $1.2 said. "I don't see this as a reformist run by high-school girls without any car to see if the children were all right. billion on child care in 1974. At the movement. I believe that we're at least adults present. The children were not "Had another vehicle run into her same time they allocated $85 billion to planting the seeds for some kind of allowed to talk. . . . Ratholes were van, the mother would have been the war budget. fundamental change." apparent.... Mass custodial." arrested and accused of negligence. In To these people, child care is expend­ A working mother will often find fact, it is the city that is negligent, able. But millions . of working people that she has to pay at least thirty-five because the woman could not get a desperately need child care. Increas­ or forty-five dollars a week to put her child-care center." ingly, they think that it is their basic child in the poorest of private centers. Many parents have no choice but to right-something society should FOR FURTHER Parents are frequently forced to leave children home to fend for them­ provide-not a "fringe" social service. READING ON resort to more appalling alternatives. selves. Nobody knows exactly how Every child should be guaranteed The most common form of care is many of these "latch-key children" the best care society can offer. Every "baby-sitting" done by a relative or there are. But Changing Education child has a right to the educational neighbor. The Child Welfare League of cites one estimate that in Chicago and social opportunities that quality Chicano America has estimated that more than 15,000 children under six are left on child-care facilities can provide. 500,000 children are cared for by their own. The right of children to this care is brothers and sisters under sixteen, who For millions of parents child care is paralleled by the right of every woman liberation often have to miss school to provide a dilemma that often dominates their to hold a job and engage in education­ supervision. Another 1.2 million chil­ lives. Hardest hit are women, on whom al, social, cultural, and political activi­ THE STRUGGLE FOR dren stay at home with a parent who is this society puts the main responsibili­ ties. Today, more and more women are CHICANO LIBERATION too handicapped or sick to provide ty for raising children. demanding this right. Inspired by the Resolution of the Socialist Workers proper care. What does a single mother do? feminist movement, they are rejecting Party. 32 pp., 60 cents Fifteen percent of working women "Many stay at home with their chil­ the idea that a woman's place is in the with children under six take their dren and take welfare," Sylvia Wein­ home. CHICANAS SPEAK OUT children with them to their jobs, stein said. "If they do this, they are Women: New Voice of La Raza A 1975 Harris survey reports that 72 according to the American Federation looked upon as a burden to society, By Mirta Vidal. 16 pp., 35 cents percent of women and 61 percent of of Teachers publication Changing even though it's not their fault that this men support expanding child care. VIVA LA HUELGA! Education. What do they do with them happens to them. If they go out and Why is it, then, that a government The Struggle at work? Sylvia Weinstein, a Socialist work, they're looked upon as mothers claiming to represent the will of the of the Farm Workers Workers party member and a leader of who really don't care for their chil­ majority is severely cutting back on By Jose G. Perez. 16 pp., 25 cents the child-care movement in San Fran­ dren." already inadequate child-care pro­ cisco, described the plight of one Both alternatives leave these women grams? The scope of these cutbacks Order from Pathfinder Press, 410 working mother she knows: with an unbearable responsibility and and the reasons behind them will be West Street, New York, N.Y. 10014 "Her husband had a heart operation, sense of guilt. the subject of a future article on child so she had to get a job. She has two But the guilt does not belong with care.

THE MILITANT/JULY 16, 1976 17 Mike's letter makes some important cealed in trust funds that are held in points. banks, the holdings of one other major People are supposed to believe that American financial family in the the corporations run pretty much on rubber industry are known. their own. The "Big Four"-Goodyear, Uniroyal, B.F. Goodrich, and DuPont empire Firestone-are huge corporations, each The DuPont family is the major with thousands of shareholders. It is stockholder in Uniroyal. These hold­ up to the managers of these corpora­ ings were revealed by government tions to make the highest possible suits. The DuPonts own 18 percent of profits. Uniroyal. They are represented on the So it is easy ·to see that the managers board of directors by Joseph Chinn, of the rubber companies would join Jr., who is also chief executive officer forces to lock out the rubber workers of the Wilmington Trust Company,· and to try to drive back their wage where the DuPont family stocks are demands. What is concealed is that these held. But for the DuPonts, as well as for managers are acting for the capitalist the Rockefellers and Mellons, the class as a whole. The rubber compan­ rubber hodings are not the main part ies are owned by the same interests of their investment empires. The Du­ that own all of the other major U.S. Ponts are the major holders of DuPont corporations. Chemical and General Motors stock. In A defeat inflicted on the rubber fact, the DuPonts bought into Uniroyal workers would benefit the capitalists (previously U.S. Rubber Company) in not only as owners of the rubber order to own a corporation that could industry but as owners of every other provide cheap tires to GM. industry where workers might be Uniroyal still lists GM (as of the intimidated by a defeat of the rubber 1975 Annual Report) as its major strike. The electrical and auto indus­ customer. tries are two places where contract So in the case of the DuPonts, GM, negotiations are coming up later this and Uniroyal, there is a clear enough year. They will be heavily influenced case of collusion against the rubber by the outcome of the rubber strike. Let's take· a closer look at the men workers! Business Week reported June 21 that who sit on the boards of directors of rubber workers "had been counting on the rubber companies, the men who the auto industry to run out of tires locked out 60,000 rubber workers at midnight April 20. · this month. At that time, it was thought, the auto makers would pres­ Banking interests sure the Big Four rubber companies to settle at any price. But the auto makers Two of these directors are partners delivered that strategy a crippling in New York investment-banking blow this week by letting it be known houses. Investment banks sell the that they have enough tires on hand to stocks and bonds issued by corpora­ finish the 1976 model year in late tions. A syndicate of New York invest­ summer. The disclosure could force the ment banks exercises monopoly con­ union into a long and losing strike." trol over the flow of securities on Wall Street. Within the group, two of the Corporate strategy most powerful are Goldman, Sachs & Business Week exploits the myth Company and Kuhn, Loeb & Com­ that each corporation is out only for its pany. own. The truth is that the rubber and John Weinberg, a partner in Gold­ auto industries have basically the man, Sachs, is a director of B.F. same interests. Both stand to gain Goodrich rubber. John Schiff, a gener­ from dealing a blow to the rubber al partner of Kuhn, Loeb, is on the workers. board of directors of Unir.oyal. In fact, We can say with certainty that the the Schiff family's interests in Kuhn, Loeb were so great as· to rank them auto and rubber trusts planned from among "America's Sixty Families" in the outset on a long strike, which they 1937, when Ferdinand Lundberg con­ forced on the rubber workers by offering completely inadequate wage ducted his famous study of the Ameri­ proposals. Furthermore, the auto com­ can ruling class. panies undoubtedly built up a large Another of America's most powerful tire inventory to tide them over. The ruling-class families is represented on corporate strategy was likely as not the board of directors of Goodyear. worked out in a Wilmington board­ This is the Mellon family. room. John Harper, a director of the Mellon Workers have much to gain by National Corporation, is a director of recognizing the class interests of their Goodyear. Harper previously served bosses. When workers tackle an indus­ the Mellons as chairman of the board try like rubber they are taking on the of directors of the Aluminum Company capitalist class as a whole. This of America (Alcoa), in which the includes the capitalist government. Mellons own a controlling interest. The Another article could be written Mellons control Gulf Oil as well. tracing the lines of control back from The most powerful sector of the Rubber workers demonstrate in Akron the DuPOnts, Mellons, Rockefellers, American ruling class has its director and Firestones to the Democratic and on the board of Firestone. Willard Republican politicians that these capi­ Butcher, who is president of the By Dick Roberts up the profits of banks and industry. Rockefeller family's Chase Manhattan talists finance. Following is a letter I received from "My main opponent is the incum­ Bank, is a director of Firestone rubber. In fact, it was revealed on June 8 Mike Alewitz, Socialist Workers party bent, liberal Democrat John Seiber­ The Rockefellers also control Exxon, that Firestone Tire paid out $330,000 candidate for U.S. Congress from ling. (Ironically enough, Seiberling in domestic political contributions in a Mobil, and Standard Oil of California. Akron, Ohio. comes from a rubber-industry-owning two-and-a-half-year period between "Dear Dick, family. He is 'Mr. Seiberling Tires.') 1970 and 1973. No names were dis­ "We are entering the eleventh week Seiberling and the other Democratic as closed. But if they had been it is a safe of the United Rubber Workers strike well as Republican candidates entirely Fires tones bet that the donations went to Demo­ against the 'Big Four' rubber compan­ avoid the issue of the rubber strike. But the Rockefellers are probably not crats and Republicans alike, liberals ies. It's clear that the rubber corpora­ They pretend that 'there's nothing the biggest holders of Firestone itself. and conservatives. tions 'geared up to inflict what they wrong here.' According to the 1975 proxy statement That was the case with Gulf Oil. hope will be a major defeat on the "By avoiding such an important of that corporation, two Firestone When Gulfs contributions were made union. struggle as that of the rubber workers families, both represented on the board public last December, they included "The rubber workers are simply for a decent living standard these of directors, owned through various political candidates across the capital­ fighting to maintain their standard of politicians are aiding the owners of trusts 10,958,040 shares of Firestone as ist party spectrum-from Sen. Fred living. They want an escalator clause industry. of October 31, 1975. This would be Harris to Richard Nixon. and a $1.65-an-hour wage increase to "What would be helpful is facts and worth about $250 million on the New Workers are handicapped by the fact make up for what they've lost through figures to illustrate that the same York Stock Exchange today. that they don't have their own political inflation in the past three years. capitalists who own the rubber com­ The Democratic party candidate party. "I'm stressing the importance of this panies own other industries. It looks against whom Mike Alewitz is run­ In the week-in and week-out battle of struggle in my campaign. I point out like they own the government too, and ning, John Seiberling, comes from a the rubber strike the Democratic and that the attack on the rubber workers are demanding the right to run it-if tire-company family that sold out to Republican candidates are helping the is part of the across-the-board offen­ Seiberling is an example! the Firestones in 1964. According to bosses by remaining silent. If workers sive of the rulers of this country "This would illustrate why the capi­ the Wall Street Journal, the Seiher­ had a labor party, their candidates against wo~kers. talist class has joined forces against lings received about $30 million in that would seize the opportunity of an "Akron is joining New York as one the rubber workers and why the two transaction. election year to campaign up and down of the places where the rulers of this parties of big business are going along While the exact stock holdings of the countryside about the ruling-class country are gouging workers to build with them." most ruling-class families are con- attack on the rubber workers.

18 A WEEKLY INTERNATIONAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE MILITANT BASED ON SELECTIONS FROM INTERCONTINENTAL PRESS, A NEWSMAGAZINE REFLECTING THE VIEWPOINT OF REVOLUTIONARY SOCIALISM

JULY 16, 1976

MilitarY. fails to break mtners' strike BoHvia: Banzer imposes state of !exception'

By Judy White

Bolivian President Hugo Banzer Suarez placed approximately one-third of the country's population under military occupation June 15. He insti­ tuted laws of "exception" in the depart­ ments of Oruro and Potosi, suspending individual rights and placing decision­ making on all aspects of daily life in the hands of the army. A few days earlier he had ordered the military to occupy the mines for the first time since he seized power in 1971. Banzer moved in response to grow­ ing mobilizations by miners and stu­ dents that had escalated into a general strike June 14. Up to 70,000 workers in the state-owned mines and 20,000 university students in all but two of Bolivia's universities were reported affected by the strike. Tin production at mines accounting for about 75 percent of the country's output came to a standstill. Workers upsurge Miners' strike brought 75 percent of Bolivian tin production to a standstill The dictator had tried a number of steps short of imposing the laws of student contingent of the considered one of Banzer's chief politi­ vacations so they would start that very exception to put a damper on the mobilization-to release arrested stu­ cal rivals. Although his death was day. workers' upsurge Bolivia has been dent leaders and give students more widely reported to be the work of the The general strike that began June experiencing since the beginning of control over university life. "International Che Guevara Brigade," 14 centers on the demand for the this year. a shadowy group of alleged French withdrawal of troops from the mines, In January, a strike of workers at terrorists, several Bolivian news or­ the release of mine workers' leaders, Manaco, the largest shoe factory in the Mine workers meet gans blamed the Banzer government and the reopening of wage negotia­ country, was declared illegal. When the The FSTMB, which historically has and the military high command for the tions. shoe workers refused to go back to been in the vanguard of the Bolivian action. The strike was sparked when work under Manaco's speedup "re­ class struggle, has been regaining officials of the regime retaliated by form," the company laid off 820 strength over the past year. Despite beating up one journalist and threaten­ Government violence workers. This act, in turn, sparked the fact that all trade-union activity ing to deport several others. When the protests continued and solidarity strikes among members of has been illegal since November 1974, broadened, the government used vio­ the Federaci6n Sindical de Trabaja­ it was able to hold a congress of 400 Torres murdered lence to try to stop them. By June 16, dores Mineros de Bolivia (FSTMB­ delegates in Corocoro May 1-4 of this The most recent wave of mass at leas.t three persons had lost their Trade Union Federation of Mine Work­ year. actions began June 3, following the lives, two of them students in Oruro. ers of Bolivia), other sectors of the Reports on the congress are fragmen­ announcement of the murder of former The strike continues despite Banzer's working class, and students. tary, but they indicate that political Bolivian President Juan Jose Torres. declaration of a state of "exception" in By January 29 Manaco workers were tendencies within the workers move­ Torres, who was living in exile in Oruro and Potosi. In fact, by June 18 it back on the job with a victory for their ment function freely among the more Argentina, was kidnapped June 1 and had spread to the privately-owned side. than 30,000 members of the federation. killed by right-wing terrorists. mines. Although the dictator accom­ Moreover, Banzer was forced to The congress strongly criticized the The FSTMB held a twenty-four-hour panied his announcement with an grant the demands raised by the Banzer government and pledged to general strike, which was joined by offer of a 30 percent wage increase, the work toward rebuilding the outlawed other sectors of the working class and miners insisted on the withdrawal of Central Obrera Boliviana (COB­ students. • troops as a condition for their return to Bolivian Workers Federation). When the Banzer government an­ work. Moreover, they are demanding a The congress also came out in favor nounced three days later that it would 130 percent wage raise. of wages for the unemployed, the six­ not allow Torres' remains to be re­ Banzer's latest moves indicate how hour day, workers control, immediate turned for burial in Bolivia, the pro­ severely the Bolivian ruling class feels occupation of the mines in the event of tests escalated. threatened by the growth of influence bankruptcy, and the sliding scale of Banzer responded by declaring a and effectiveness of the FSTMB. Not wages. state of siege June 9. His press secre­ only does the federation threaten the On May 24 another sector of the tary explained the step as a way to profits of some of the world's largest working class wrung a victory from "clear up an atmosphere of subversion exporters of tin, but its political pro­ the regime. Following a twenty-four­ prevailing in the country." gram and fighting tradition have hour general strike by the nation's The military was flown into the begun to set a contagious example for journalists, Banzer pledged the govern­ main mining centers to take over the rest of the Bolivian masses. But ment's "unfailing respect for freedom miner-operated radio stations and sending the army into the stronghold of the press." occupy the facilities. Mine workers' of the class struggle is a tricky busi­ The strike occurred following the leaders were rounded up and jailed. ness, one that up to now the Bolivian May 11 assassination in Paris of Gen. The Ministry of Education an­ ruling class has been unwilling to Joaquin Zenteno Anaya. Zenteno was nounced it was moving up school undertake. It may cost Banzer his job.

19 World Outlook

Arab League aids Syrian intervention in Lebanon By David Frankel participated in the attack on the surrounded enclaves. Jisr el-Pasha, a Maj. Abdel Salam Jalloud, the prime largely Christian Palestinian refugee minister of Libya, bragged in Damas­ camp, the Tell Zaatar refugee camp, cus June 21 that he had "created a and the Nabaa district all remain miracle." Syrian President Hafez al­ under siege. During the first twenty­ Assad did not bother to tell reporters four hours of fighting, more than 1,000 what he thought, but he must have shells were fired into Tell Zaatar, been at least as happy as Jalloud at where about 35,000 people live. the arrival of the Arab League truce force in Lebanon. Forced settlement Between 800 and 1,000 Syrian and Neither Assad nor any other Arab Libyan troops, described as the van­ leader has commented on the rightist guard of the Arab League force, took offensive, and the Arab League "peace­ up positions around the Beirut airport keeping" force has ignored it. This June 21. At the very least, the deploy­ lends support to the supposition that ment of this nominally pan-Arab force Assad has gained agreement from the has given Assad important new politi­ Arab regimes to a plan forcing through cal cover for his intervention in Leban­ a settlement in Lebanon based on on. maintaining the domination of the Up until a few days before the right-wing Christian establishment. arrival of the new force's first units, William Blakemore commented in a Palestinian and Lebanese Muslim dispatch from Beirut in the June 25 negotiators were taking the public Christian Science Monitor: position that no Syrian troops should be allowed to participate in the suppo­ It is difficult to ascertain the degree to sedly neutral Arab League force. In Arab League 'peace-keeping' force was transported to Lebanon on Syrian trucks which right-wing and Syrian actions in practice, however, the Arab League recent months have been coordinated. But force was transported from Damascus there is nothing yet to refute the assertion on Syrian army trucks, painted with ers pulled up near Sidon [Saida] and dug in made it clear that Syria does not of Salam Khalaf (Abu Iyad)-second in again. Soldiers were seen painting white command of the Palestine Liberation Orga· white stripes for the occasion. "Syrian intend to withdraw a sizable part of its nization (PLO) and military commander of soldiers in the trucks wore their stan­ lines on them, marking them out as part of intervention forces-now estimated at the Arab peace-keeping force .... Palestinian forces now in Lebanon-that dard maroon berets with green bands 14,000 troops and 400 tanks-until Syria, with the cooperation or acquiescence added," New York Times correspond­ there is a durable cease-fire and a of the Lebanese right wing, virtually all ent James M. Markham said in a June 'Cease-fire' , Lebanese government, under other Arab powers, the United States, and 21 report from Beirut. According to the cease-fire agree­ President-elect Elias Sarkis, is func­ Israel, is trying to cut the Palestinian A June 22 Reuters dispatch from ment between the Syrian invaders and tioning." resistance movement down to size. Beirut described what happened after their Palestinian and leftist opponents, By pulling back a few miles Assad's Joseph Kraft reported in his column the Syrian units that had been dug in Syrian troops are supposed to with­ forces would not be relinquishing any in the June 22 Washington Post that significant military advantage. On the around the Beirut airport and that had draw from forward positions around Syrian diplomats in Paris stated in so participated in the shelling of Palesti­ Beirut and Saida and be replaced by other hand, the Syrian version of the many words what their calculations nian refugee camps in Beirut were Arab League forces. "Ranking Syrian cease-fire pact allows for the reopening were. Kraft said that: replaced by the Arab League force. officials," New York Times correspond­ of all Saiqa headquarters in Beirut. ent James F. Clarity reported in a June Saiqa, now composed largely of Syrian ... according to the Syrians who came A convoy of 75 Syrian Army lorries which here to Paris [June 17-19] with President moved south with guns and rocket launch· 20 dispatch from Damascus, "have regulars, was originally a pro-Syrian­ Baathist Palestinian guerrilla organi­ Assad, the acceptance of other Arab forces zation. Its forces were driven out of is strictly a charade designed to provide a cover for Syrian actions. Beirut after bitter fighting earlier in The Syrians claim they have almost total June. control over Lebanon now. They told If either Saiqa forces or Syrian French officials they would restore order Palestinians under siege troops wearing the green bands of the and achieve a ceasefire between Christians Arab League truce force are allowed to and Moslems. They hinted they would then By Peter Seidman and largely Moslem leftist forces enter Beirut, it would put Assad's be ready to move toward settlement with said they were mystified by the forces in a better position to threaten Israel. July 7-A beleaguered force esti­ inactivity of . . .Syrian troops in the further military action. Robert Fisk mated at 1,200 is still fighting to country. Syria is making no move to commented on this aspect of the cease­ hold off a massive Christian rightist halt the devastation it swore it fire agreement in the June 22 London Deal with Israel offensive against the Tell Zaatar would not tolerate." Times. He argued: Assad has made no secret of his The refugee camp at Jisr el-Pasha refugee. camp in Beirut. The seige, Now that both Syrians and Palestinians desire for a deal with Israel. After described by the Palestinians as fell to the rightists on June 29. A are waiting for the Arab League's token coming to power in 1970, and especial­ "murderous," is now in its third Christian radio report says the area army to arrive in Beirut, it is clear that ly following the October 1973 war, week. has been "cleared" and declared a President Assad need not order any further Assad has normalized relations with A spokesman for the right-wing military zone. A dusk-to-dawn cur­ military attacks. His Syrian soldiers will be Washington. Since 1972 U.S.-Syrian Christian Phalangist party told few has been imposed. able to walk the streets of Beirut as pan­ trade has grown eightfold. the New York Times on July 6 that The Palestinian news agency Arab peacekeepers in a few weeks' time, In addition, Assad has courted the the camp's defenders were "fighting WAFA released ghastly accounts of which means his army can advance the last most reactionary regimes in the Middle back only with sporadic volleys of massacres, tortures, and executions 12 miles into the city 'by diplomacy rather East. In 1975 he established close than gunfire. automatic light weapons fire." inflicted on the estimated 500 people working relations with Jordan's King The Palestinians and their leftist still in Jisr el-Pasha when it fell. Mahmoud Riad, the Arab League's Hussein, ending the year with a four­ Muslim allies have charged Syrian The ongoing rightist offensive has secretary general, has said that the day visit with the shah of Iran. Assad complicity with the rightist Chris­ led the Palestinian-Muslim leftist complete Arab Leage force will range has also sought close ties with the tian attacks. forces to launch a counterattack in size from 6,000 to 10,000 troops. It conservative, oil-rich regimes in Saudi Syrian forces attacked leftist posi­ against rightist-held areas north of remains to be seen whether any of Arabia and the Arab-Persian Gulf, tions in the mountains near Ayoun Beirut. these troops will actually be allowed to allowing greater openings for private Siman, about thirty miles east of The Palestinians have declared occupy areas held by the Muslim­ capital in the Syrian economy. Beirut, as well as Muslim positions that if Tell Zaatar falls they will Palestinian-leftist coalition. "Assad would surely have been as near the Southern port of Saida. The open an all-out offensive. cooperative as [Egypt's] President Palestinians say that Syria has Meanwhile, a July 1 column by Sadat, if not as congenial, had the moved an additional 4,000 soldiers Rowland Evans and Robert Novak Furious attack American Secretary of State persuaded and a new tank column into Leban­ reported that during the naval While fighting between this coalition Israel to return a portion of the on. This would bring total Syrian evacuation of American citizens and Assad's invasion force has Golan," Eric Rouleau pointed out in troops in Lebanon to about 16,500. carried out June 20, President Ford stopped for the time being, the military the June 3 issue of the Paris daily Le The Palestinians say the Syrians are had threatened to send in the U.S. pressure on the Muslim and Palestini­ Monde. using these troops to tie down Marines if the Palestine Libera­ an forces has been maintained by From the point of view of the Arab reserve forces that might otherwise tion Organization obstructed Wash­ Christian rightists in Beirut. On June regimes, the biggest obstacle to a deal be used to reinforce leftist positions ington's plans. This constant threat 22, the day after the truce negotiated with Israel has been the Palestinian under attack in Beirut. of imperialist intervention shows by Jalloud went into effect, the people and their struggle for self­ A dispatch in the June 29 Wash­ that Syrian President Assad's man­ rightists mounted a furious attack determination. If the Syrian interven­ ington Post reported that "analysts euvering and new attacks on the against two Palestinian .refugee camps tion in Lebanon succeeds in beating concerned about the recent intensifi­ Palestinians may provide the pretext and a Muslim slum area isolated down the Palestinian masses there, it cation of fighting between the for an assault on the Arab peoples behind the rightist lines. would open the door for a new attempt predominately Christian rightists as a whole. Between 4,000 and 5,000 rightist at a negotiated settlement with Israel troops, backed by tanks and artillery, at the expense of the Palestinians.

20 Portuguese left caught in trap set by Carvalho in elections

By Gerry Foley political activity. The Ministry of Justice decreed that anyone who "libels" a civilian or military official is Only two months ago, in the April 25 subject to one year in prison. "Libel" legislative elections, the Portuguese against a member of the cabinet, the n Portuguese elections (clockwise from upper General workers parties won a victory that Council of the Revolution, or · the Antonio Ramalho Eanes, Jose Pinheiro de Azevedo, Otelo Saraiva de severely set back the bourgeoisie's Assembly of the Republic is now Carvalho, and Octavia Pato. plans for liquidating the revolutionary punishable by from two to eight years upsurge. This vote showed that despite in prison. two years of disappointing experiences The defeat of the workers in the June on 35% of the vote in April, actually That is, he stands fora left demagogic and a deep split in the working class, 27 elections was all the more tragic were able to get the support of only regime, governing on behalf of the the great majority of the masses still because it was clearly the result of the 17% or 18% of the electorate for their bourgeoisie by decrees. wanted a government of the parties betrayals of the reformists. The work­ policy of making a de facto alliance The MFA is the first demagogic they thought represented them and ers showed in every way possible that with the right in order to exclude the leadership in Portugal that has made a would realize their aspirations for they wanted to vote for a working-class CP from the government. fine study of the sensibilities of the socialism. alternative, and both the Communist The political position of the SP centrist and ultraleft currents among In the June 27 presidential elections, and Socialist parties lost heavily leadership is actually far weaker now, the youth and that has learned how to however, there was no clear or credible because of their subordination to the as a result of backing Eanes, than it play on them. Carvalho proved espe­ working-class alternative. The mass generals. was before. It is the captive of "its cially skillful, coopting these currents workers parties, as well as most of the The rate of abstention rose to general." In fact, the political weight among the young soldiers into his groups that claim to stand to the left of approximately 25%, three times that in of both reformist workers parties has military security command and using them, capitulated to one or another of the first free elections in 1975 and been greatly reduced, to the advantage them as a means of negotiating with the three military candidates. Con­ significantly higher than in the of the bourgeois bonapartes. the masses. fused and divided, the workers suffered legislative elections this year, The CP, Since at least half and perhaps a their gravest political defeat since the which tried to give backhanded majority of the SP voters rejected the Left centrists start of the revolutionary crisis in support to Eanes while running its directives of their leadership, some sort Because of their politcal softness, the Portugal two years ago. own candidate, lost almost half its of crisis in the party seems inevitable. left centrists in Portugal were easy The bourgeoisie's number one candi­ previous hard-core vote to the military meat for the MFA demagogues who date for military strongman, General demagogue Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho. supported the "People's Power" Ramalho Eanes, won 61.54% of the The SP leaders managed to deliver Carvalho-left demagogue scheme in an attempt to extend their vote. The triumphant general only about half their party's vote to The perennial "left" demagogue of influence directly into the factories and immediately announced an offensive Eanes. the MFA, former General Carvalho, neighborhoods. This attempt by the against the gains of the workers. In his Carvalho's campaign had exactly won his greatest political victory so "leftist" wing of the MFA was not first news conference he said that his the effect the CP feared. It cut deeply far. Undoubtedly, his vote came pri­ successful last summer in the sense of election marked the beginning of the into the CP base of support, which was marily from the most radicalized building an organic transmission belt era of "democratic legitimacy." reduced to less than 8% from the 14.5% sectors of the industrial workers and for the MFA. It was successful to the Henceforward, he said, "the laws will that party scored in the April agricultural laborers, who identified extent that it halted the political never again be dead letters and will be legislative elections. Nationwide him with the hopes prevalent in the advance of the workers toward a applied in full throughout the national Carvalho got 16.52%, more than a third earlier phases of the MFA regime that determination to take the government territory." of which must have come from the CP. socialism was on the horizon. These out of the hands of the generals. It One of the laws the government has The rest must have come from the SP masses took the "socialist" rhetoric of divided the workers, and maintained notably failed to enforce up till now is and the left-centrist parties (the .latter the Goncalves governments seriously the political influence of the MFA in the no-strike decree of the Communist got about 3% in the April elections). and refuse to give up the aspirations to itS various forms over them. Party-backed Goncalves government. which the MFA demagogues made As of now, the main danger present­ The Council of the Revolution, the CP points to silver lining verbal concessions. ed by Carvalho's "People's Power" leading body of the MFA (Movimento The CP tried to use Carvalho and his Despite the subjective beliefs of the scheme is that it will divert the most das Forcas Armadas-Armed Forces demagogic schemes last spring and workers who supported Carvalho, and combative workers from organizing an Movement) began threatening to en­ summer to counter the Social Democ­ despite the left verbiage he used to effective resistance to Eanes's austeri­ force it as a means of intimidation rats, who, utilizing their victory in the appeal to them, the vote for this ty program and from breaking politi­ against a strike wave that started to Constituent Assembly elections, demagogue weakened the working cally from the MFA. develop in the period before the April sought to press the MFA to grant them class politically. It did not represent a The. Portuguese revolutionary pro­ elections. more positions in the state apparatus, rejection of MFA tutelage but redirect­ cess has been the first decisive test for In decrees issued July 1, the the unions, and the mass media at the ed the masses most hostile to Eanes the ultraleft and centrist currents that provisional government announced a expense of the Stalinists. This maneu­ back to the MFA by another route. It claim to represent a revolutionary series of austerity measures, including ver required sowing illusions in the CP gave Carvalho the opportunity once alternative to the Social Democratic an increase in the prices of oil and ranks themselves about the "People's again to divert important sections of and Stalinist betrayers. So far, they gasoline, which are already the Power" scheme and the left MFA the workers from raising and pressing have failed to offer any such alterna­ highest in Europe. This inevitably demagogues. Now this has had the their own political demands. tive, and in fact bear a significant means a new round of price rises in result, finally, that the supposedly Fundamentally, Carvalho still re­ share of the responsibility for serious basic necessities. "naive but pure soldier," Carvalho, has presents a possible governmental op­ defeats suffered by the working class. At the same time, the government walked off with half the CP's marbles. tion for the bourgeoisie, if in the next Will they now go further along this moved toward stepped-up political The elections showed that the SP period it proves unable to get a road? This is the question raised by the repression. The cabinet threatened to leaders, who backed Eanes to get his majority of the masses to accept its support Carvalho succeeded in gaining deport forei!P;lers who participated in support for an SP government based ruling on an openly capitalist basis. in the electoral arena.

-21 World Outlook

Rising toll of death squad victims in latin America By Judy White bodies were found with the victims' The old cemetery in Marapicu, a few Press reported in its October 11, 1971, hands tied behind their backs and miles from Nova lguac;a, is known as the Issue: Twenty-five political refugees were showed signs of torture. death squad cemetery. During the last three He announced the removal from the freed in Buenos Aires June 12 after Death squads, like the Alianza months, 32 unclaimed, bullet-ridden bodies were buried there. police force of a certain "Lieutenant Nunez, being told in no uncertain terms that Anticomunista Argentina (AAA­ a controversial figure whom the political they had better leave Argentina within Argentine Anticommunist Alliance) opposition accuses of being the link be­ forty-eight hours. They had been and the Brazilian Esquadrao da Morte Officially tolerated tween the police and La Banda".... abducted the previous day by a gang of (Death Squad), have operated with Balaguer went on to proclaim that he was heavily armed men who identified impunity in several countries of Latin It is common knowledge that such appointing a new attorney general to themselves as members of a nonexist­ America for years. terrorist gangs not only enjoy the ensure a full-scale roundup and prosecution ent state security body. toleration of the regimes in the coun­ of those responsible for the killings and Many were released with broken ribs In general, the death squads' in­ tries where they operate, but that abductions perpetrated by La Banda. and bruises. The men reported they tended victims are political and trade­ important officials mastermind and In the days immediately following, sever­ participate in their activities. In some al hundred alleged La Banda members were were tortured with electricity. They union activists, refugees, and slum picked up by the police. Most were quietly had no idea where they were held dwellers. Their tactics are directed cases, governmental support has been shown to extend to financing the released, however, within one to three days during the twenty-four-hour period. toward wholesale intimidation of the after their arrest. These twenty-five refugees were oppressed masses of the population. gangs' operations. lucky. Four Uruguayans, including An indication of their effectiveness The most notorious case to come to Predictably, La Banda was soon two former members of parliament, was provided by Jonathan Kandell in light was that of the AAA. Peronist functioning again; five victims of the and a former president of Bolivia were an article in the June 7 New York Social Welfare Minister Jose Lopez gang were found in Santo Domingo found murdered after being abducted Times on the recent killings in Brazil: Rega was involved in the founding of October 9. in Buenos Aires in similar operations the group, ministry funds were used to . . . many residents decline to even Nothing new in preceding weeks. bankroll its operations, and full-time discuss the death squad. Apprehension runs functionaries of the AAA were placed Semiofficial terrorist gangs are In Rio de Janeiro, thirty-eight per­ so deep that some do not even dare claim sons died at the hands of such gangs on government payrolls. Although ·nothing new in Latin America. There the bodies of relatives slain by the death Lopez Rega himself was forced into during May. Many of the bullet-riddled squad for fear of further reprisals. are reports of the existence of the exile as a result of protests against his Brazilian Esquadrao da Morte as early role in the murder gang, the AAA as the mid-1950s, but such formations continues to function. It has killed at began to be described in detail a least 155 persons since the March 24 decade later when their numbers and military coup. actions proliferated. No attempt was ever made by Peron The Mano Blanca (White Hand) in or by her successor, Gen. Jorge Videla, Guatemala became notorious in the to arrest or prosecute anyone for the late 1960s as a tool of the Mendez AAA's crimes. Montenegro government in its cam­ Such extralegal forces are useful to paign against guerrilla organizations, repressive regimes in that they provide political dissidents, and other sectors an instrument to carry out the dirtiest of the population seeking social work. Meanwhile, the government change. remains formally free of responsibility, In the years following the crushing giving lip service to civil liberties, and by U.S. troops of the 1965 revolt ih the at times feigning total ignorance of the Dominican Republic, La Banda waged terrorists. a more ferocious campaign of terror Occasionally, however, unfavorable against the Dominican masses than publicity has forced regimes harboring had been experienced at almost any terrorist gangs to make a show of time during the bloody Trujillo dicta­ clamping down. torship. In 1971, news articles in the U.S. In Brazil, following the 1964 coup, press on the murders being carried out the Esquadrao da Morte moved to the by La Banda in the Dominican Repub­ fore to aid in the elimination of the lic forced President Joaquin Balaguer mass movement that the military was Two victims of La Banda, a death squad in the Dominican Republic to do just that. As Intercontinental not able to fully crush.

Kremlin backs off attempt to declare Moroz insane By Marilyn Vogt psychiatric hospital-prisons for indefi­ stated, according to the May 27 Le forced to back down. According to nite terms. Monde: Svoboda, Raissa Moroz announced The international campaign to free Raissa Moroz, Valentyn's wife, It is inhumane and absurd to reproach a June 21 that she was informed of the the dissident Ukrainian historian learned from him that he was trans­ human being for that person's religious Serbsky decision by officials who also V alentyn Moroz has won a partial ferred to the Serbsky Institute because beliefs and to see these as proof of mental told her Moroz has been transferred to victory. In a virtually unprecedented the Kremlin rulers deemed he needed a imbalance. And what is even worse are Moscow's Butyrka prison from which ruling, the "doctors" at Serbsky Insti­ psychiatric examination as a result of allegations of supposed suicide atteiPpts. he will be transferred to a labor camp. tute in Moscow have "found" Moroz to his "excessive religiousness" and his One of Moroz's fellow prisoners reported not be sane, according to Svoboda, a "attempts to mutilate himself." long ago that Moroz asked him to inform Ukrainian-language daily published 1n Raissa learned this from Moroz the world that he was being forced to share the United States. during a meeting she was allowed to a cell with insane people in an attempt to Valentyn Moroz was sentenced in have with him at the institute on May break his mental resistance. The insane November 1970 to a fourteen-year term 19, according to a May 22 Toronto Star sometimes go berserk, and the "attempt at suicide': could well have been a physical (six years in prison, three years labor report of a telephone interview that attack [on him]. camp, five years internal exile) because paper had with her. of his writings in.defense of democratic She said a doctor at the institute told According to the May 24 Toronto rights in the Soviet Union and the her Moroz had to undergo an examina­ Globe and Mail, Tatyana Zhitnikova, national rights of the Ukrainian peo­ tion because he had recently "become who was an instrumental figure in ple. The six-year term of imprisonment morose." securing the release of her husband, was to have ended June 1. But instead "Let him be moved to a forced labor Leonid Plyushch, issued an open letter of transferring Moroz from Vladimir camp. The labor is hard, but there at to women's organizations around the prison to a labor camp as his sentence least he would be among friends," world, appealing to them to call for dictated, on May 10 he was transferred Raissa told the Toronto Star. "Let him Moroz's release. to the Serbsky Institute of Forensic be sent to a camp. I don't care about In response to the Kremlin bureauc­ Psychiatry. that. But he is a healthy person and rats' efforts to have Moroz declared must not be kept at the Serbsky." mentally ill, Zhitnikova said Moroz Serbsky is notorious because the Leonid Plyushch, a Marxist Ukraini­ revealed "the sufferings and pain of secret-police agents in white coats an who spent two and a half years in the Ukrainian people. That is the real masquerading as psychiatric experts the Dnepropetrovsk psychiatric hospi­ reason for his 'madness.' " help the Soviet rulers crack down on tal because of his activities in defense Under pressure from the mounting political dissenters by declaring them of democratic rights, until he was freed international defense work on Moroz's mentally ill and placing them in by an international defense effort, behalf, however, the bureaucrats were VALENTYN MOROZ

22 40,000 NY hospital workers out on strike By Caryl Towner membership is Black or Puerto Rican, NEW YORK, July 7-Some 40,000 and more than half are women. members of District 1199, National Since negotiations began, the league Union of Hospital and Health Care has refused to consider proposals from Thousands blast wage freeze Employees, struck voluntary (private) the union, insisting instead that the hospitals in this city at 6:00 a.m. union agree to a wage freeze and cuts today. in benefits. Immediately affected are thirty-four The league knows union members GOV~ REY: hospitals. On July 10, the strike is will not accept such a contract. The scheduled to be extended to thirteen majority of 1199 members take home nursing homes employing 3,000 union less than $160 a week in a city with one of the highest costs of living in the .. Caryl Towner is a delegate of the country. Guild Division of District 1199, and In mid-June, the league walked out ···:· ··.·.·.· .. -~-:-. a member of the union negotiating of negotiations altogether. The union had accepted a proposal frqm federal committee. She works at Beth Israel fact finders for a small cost-of-living Hospital. increase, and had even agreed to the risky proposal that other issues be members and to 1,500 workers at nine submitted to binding arbitration. municipal hospitals who fall under The league arrogantly rejected this 1199 jurisdiction. About 60 percent of offer. This made clear that the league's the city's hospital capacity will be real goal is to refuse to sign any city­ affected. wide contract with District 1199, no The union represents technical, den­ matter what the provisions. Instead, cal, and maintenance workers at the the league wants the union to nego­ struck hospitals-virtually all employ­ tiate with each of the nursing homes ees except doctors and nurses. Despite and hospitals on an individual basis. the obvious danger to patients that is Since mid-June the hospitals have involved, the hospitals plan to main­ made no offer for a contract. "We just tain operations at near-normal levels. don't have any money to give them," a A hospital official put it this way: league official claims. "We're very conscious that every time Individual settlements, league strate­ we have an empty bed we have lost gists hope, will allow the hospitals to income. We have to practice sound negotiate cut-rate wages and play off NEW YORK-Some 5,000 angry hospital workers and supporters rallied June business as well as sound medicine." the workers in one hospital against 30 at the New York City offices of Gov. Hugh Carey. They protested a freeze in Dr. Jay Dobkin, head of the Commit­ others. It is a way of chopping up the Medicaid payments that has been used by voluntary (private) hospitals as a tee of Interns and Residents, the union into semiautonomous units with pretext to demand a freeze in workers' wages. The protest was called by doctors union at the hospitals, blasted different work classifications and sepa­ District 1199, National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees. Several the attitude of the administrators. "We rate wage rates in all the different union leaders spoke. Among the participants was Marcia Gallo, Socialist think it irresponsible and dangerous to hospitals. Workers party candidate for U.S. Senate. In a written statement distributed at patients for the hospitals to maintain The only way the union can counter the action, Gallo expressed support for 1199's fight and urged the union to take business as usual to break the strike." this strategy of the league is to insist the initiative in uniting working people to fight cutbacks, wage freezes, and The strike is one that the union did upon a master contract with uniform layoffs of all kinds. not want, but had forced on it by the conditions of work on one basic rate of employers association, the League of wages. Voluntary Hospitals and Homes of The hospitals have been emboldened New York. The league represents in thil' offensive by the stunningly private industry. val of a state law that freezes Medicaid twenty-eight of the thirty-four struck successful attack on the New York Cooperating fully with the employers payments at 1975 levels. It is on the hospitals and the nursing homes. municipal unions carried out by Demo­ association assault on the union is basis of an alleged loss of income from District 1199 is one of the largest cratic politicians at the behest of Democratic Gov. Hugh Carey. Carey Medicaid payments that the hospitals unions in the city. It has taken bankers and big business. The league was supported by District 1199 in the are demanding a wage freeze. relatively good positions on important is trying to extend the wage freeze and last election as a "friend of labor." Unity and militance among hospital social issues. About 70 percent of the layoffs from the public sector to Carey proposed and obtained appro- Continued on page 30

N.J. schools closed; Chile torture ship protest funding unconstitutional By Andy Farrand The New Jersey government has NEWARK-On July 1, all public joined the national chorus demanding schools in this state were shut down by that working people tighten their belts. court order, as Democratic and Repub­ The disagreements in the state legisla­ lican politicians in the state legisla­ ture center on how this belt tightening ture maneuvered to see who would take is to be carried out. Some favor new the blame for imposing a tax hike on taxes. Others want to emphasize cut­ working people. backs in social services. Among the Immediately affected are half of the pro-tax camp, there is discord on what 2,500 schools that have summer ses­ kind of tax to impose. sions. About 4,000 teachers and Debate has centered on a state 100,000 students are involved. The income tax proposal that would place closing came after the state legislature an additional tax burden on the failed to approve a new constitutional already overtaxed working people of plan for financing education. the state. New Jersey has not had an Three years ago, .the New Jersey income tax. Supreme Court ruled the school finan­ Larry Stewart, Socialist Workers cing that relied primarily oil property party candidate for U.S. Congress in taxes was in violation of the state the Tenth District, has denounced the constitution's requirement that "thor­ shell game being carried out by the ough and efficient" education be pro­ politicians of the two major parties. vided for all children. Instead of imposing new taxes on The judges said this financing setup workers, Stewart advocates a halt to discriminated against poorer districts interest payments to banks and cuts in and their students. Last May 13 the· military spending to finance education high court ordered atl financing for and other social services. public education cut off unless a "The unprecedented closing of our constitutional funding plan was imple­ schools," Stewart says, "shows the mented. callous disregard the Democrats and These decisions were a step forward Republicans have for working people's in ensuring equal education for all needs. children of working people, most of all "We working people need our own Blacks and. Puerto Ricans. political representatives and our own NEW YORK-About 500 peopl~ picketed the Chilean ship 'Esmeralda' on July But the capitalist politicians, led by political party. We need a labor party 5 while it was moored at a pier here. The 'Esmeralda' was in the United States Democratic Gov. Brendan Byrne, have that will place the needs and standard as part of a bicentennial display of tall ships-antiquated sailing boats-used been using the ruling to ram through a of living above ensuring profits for by many navies for training purposes. In the case of the 'Esmeralda,' it has also new tax on working people. corporations and the rich." been used by the Chilean government as a floating torture chamber.

THE MILITANT/JULY 16, 1976 23 By Andy Rose MONTREAL-The wave of strikes and demonstrations that erupted in Quebec last April marked the high point to date of resistance to the Canadian government's wage controls and cutbacks. The upsurge was touched off when Liberal Premier Robert Bourassa pushed through the Quebec legislature a bill banning teacher strikes. Thousands of teachers, hospital workers, and other public employees­ backed by students and parents-took to the streets in defiance of the law. These workers had been without con­ tracts since June 1975. They were

ready to launch a general strike of public employees to win their demands for a decent standard of living. Yet the government managed to weather the crisis. It has now suc­ ceeded in fragmenting the Common Front (made up of public employee unions from Quebec's three major labor federations). What happened? Liberation/Sylvie Paul Kouri, organizer of the Mon­ Jacques Beaudoin (left) and Louis Gill, leaders of the Regroupment of Trade Union Militants, which is campaigning for treal branch of the Ligue Socialiste formation of a labor party. Ouvriere/League for Socialist Action (Canadian section of the Fourth Inter­ national), explains: sectors. Today the situation is grim." recent provincial elections (October "At every stage of the struggle," "The leadership of the Common Some 50,000 workers who are not in 1973), it won 31 percent of the vote. But Paul Kouri told me, "the most impor­ Front refused to put forward any clear the Common Front have accepted the as a result of the gerrymandering of tant calculation on which the union perspective. Before, they always said, government's contract offer. Since election. districts, the PQ won only 6 leadership has based its moves has 'We'll never propose a general strike schools are closing, the teachers feder­ seats out of 110 in the National been its links to the PQ. It attempted to unless the government attacks first.' ation decided to put off further action Assembly, while the Liberal party took channel the Common Front struggle "Then, when the government did until the fall. 102 seats. into a framework acceptable to the PQ. attack with these back-to-work laws, The Common Front's 80,000 hospital Although the PQ sometimes claims It tried to avoid a centralized confron­ they had to find a new excuse. They workers were left on their own. They to be "social democratic," its program tation with the government, even when said, 'We'll wait to see if the govern­ struck June 18, but as this article is and policies are thoroughly procapital­ such a confrontation was inevitable ment actually prosecutes people under written it seems likely they will be ist. The PQ aspires to win the confi­ and the only way to avoid it was for this law.'" forced back to work without gaining dence and support of the French­ the unions to back down. their major demands. speaking capitalists. "This happened repeatedly. The Stalling tactics Despite the extraordinary militancy The PQ is qualitatively different ranks came forward, and the leader­ Now, in fact, hundreds of charges and determination of the Quebec union from the New Democratic party, the ship did everything it could to stem the are being brought against unions and ranks, their struggle was crippled by social-democratic labor party in Eng­ mobilizations, to limit them. individual workers. The strategy of the the same disease that afflicts Ameri­ lish Canada. The NDP-although it "The Ligue Socialiste Ouvriere has Common Front leaders-limiting the can trade unions: subservience to the too has a procapitalist program-is long argued that the unions need to struggle to partial, sporadic actions to political parties of the bosses. based on the labor movement and is break with the PQ and form a labor pressure the government-has demobi­ The allegiance of most of the Quebec largely controlled by the unions. party. lized and to a certain extent demoral­ union officialdom is to the Parti Quebe­ (The NDP has never won mass "This was clearly posed around the ized the members. cms. support among Quebecois workers, antilabor laws and the political crisis "All these stalling tactics have Since its formation in the late 1960s, fundamentally because its leaders are [in April]. The Bourassa government played into the government's hands," the PQ has rapidly won a mass committed to the Canadian state and said, 'We're not giving in.' The Com­ Kouri said. "They enabled the govern­ following based on its nationalist, oppose the struggle for an indepen­ mon Front was strong enough to pose ment to chip off, one by one, various proindependence stance. In the most dent, French Quebec.) a real alternative to the government. '[\(zry labor struggle beccrnes pditk:al' [The following are excerpts from negotiate contracts by collective bar­ banner, in the same struggle against The demands of the workers can a resolution approved by the Syn­ gaining. the federal government. An important only be defended by the workers dicat du Transport de Montreal­ This is no longer the case with Law step has been taken toward centraliz­ themselves and this requires the con­ Employes des Services d'Entretien C-73, which regulates collective bar­ ing the fight against a law that affects struction of our own party. In this (Montreal Transport Union­ gaining with the result that each all of us. framework, the program of demands of maintenance workers' section) in conflict becomes essentially political. With this event, the question of the workers and the complete satisfac­ preparation for a series of work­ For a growing number of workers, it is political action has become conc<·ete tion of each and every one of our shops" on labor political action clear from now on that the o.bstacle to and immediate for the entire labor demands constitutes the basis for held throughout Quebec this the satisfaction of their demands is the movement, which wants its demands breaking with the capitalist parties, spring. The translation is by the Parliament! to be met. If the obstacle to satisfying including the PQ! Militant] Another event shows that workers in these demands is the government Our unions and our labor federations greater and greater numbers are seeing controlled by the bosses, then a gov­ are necessary and indispensable tools Because of the economic crisis of the that Parliament is the main obstacle to ernment. controlled by the workers is for defending our interests. However, capitalist system, the demands of the their demands: the demonstration last the only way to satisfy the demands! to fully satisfy our demands we must labor movement are incompatible with March 22 at the federal Parliament in For a long time the labor movement now, through our unions, organize the present economic order and can no Ottawa. did not organize itself politically and ourselves politically in a separate longer be met in the framework of the Thirty-two thousand workers from did not have its own party. It is not political party! profit system. That is why the federal throughout the country came to the surprising that many unionists felt We believe that the question of a government has stepped in and de­ capital to protest the wage freeze. This repugnance toward getting involved in labor party is urgent. The labor move­ cided to freeze wages by imposing Law was in spite of the fact that the politics. Politics appeared to them­ ment should have its own political C-73. organizers had done nothing to assure justifiably-as being against their voice, its party, to open up a labor Since the imposition of this law (also massive participation by all Canadian interests and completely in the service alternative for the next elections. At adopted by Bourassa [in Quebec] with workers and expected at most 15,000 of the capitalist parties, parties that the very least, the labor movement Law 64), all labor struggles are to be workers. oppose our demands and that once in should nominate workers' candidates resolved before Parliament. power pass laws to break our strikes. who could go to Parliament to defend Each and every demand of the labor This solidarity demonstration was We think that the political action for our demands. movement comes up against the gov­ clearly an important step in the fight us to take should be for our own • For a labor party! ernment and its laws. Strikes become against Trudeau's wage controls. For interests-by the workers, for the • For a program based on all the by this very fact political strikes, the first time in the history of the workers. The only way to concretely demands of the working class! which can no longer be resolved in the union movement in this country, realize this objective is with a party of • For the nomination of the workers' context of labor legislation that once workers from all parts of Canada and the workers with a program expressing own candidates, under the control of left it up ·to the local employers to Quebec came together, under the same our demands. the workers themselves!

24 But with no political party of their Levesque denounced the idea of a own, this was impossible for the general strike of public employees. The unions to do." PQ also refused to support the Com­ NY meeting says: Free A campaign for formation of a labor mon Front's demand for a $165 a week party in Quebec is now being carried minimum wage. out by the Regroupement des Militants Louis Gill added: "There are many Syndicaux (RMS-Regroupment of signs the PQ is an antilabor party. The Soviet Tatar dissident Trade Union Militants). Founded in workers were asking for correction for 1974, the RMS involves some 250 inflation over the past three years, a activists from all three labor federa­ total wage increase of 43 percent. tions. "The PQ made public statements Active in the RMS are members of that anything below 32.5 percent both the LSO and the Groupe Social­ would be robbery. It was subtle. They iste des Travailleurs du Quebec didn't say they were not supporting the (GSTQ-Socialist Workers Group of workers' demands. But what the PQ Quebec). was doing was undercutting their To find out more about the group, I demands, implying they shouldn't get interviewed Louis Gill, chairperson of anything more than 32.5 percent. the RMS, and Jacques Beaudoin, one "Actually," he added, "the PQ fa­ of its leading members. Beaudoin is vored Law 23, although they found president of the Syndicat du Transport some reason to vote against it while de Montreal-Employes des Services agreeing with it in principle." d'Entretien (Montreal Transport Gill and Beaudoin agreed that "there Union-maintenance workers' sec­ was definitely collusion between the tion), which waged a successful strike leaders of the Common Front and the in 1974 for reopening the union con­ PQ on the strategy of 'disruptive' tract to add a cost-of-living clause. tactics, the rotating strikes­ "The RMS is open to all trade-union everything to avoid a general strike." militants who are interested in discuss­ The PQ has also been rapidly toning · ing political action and questions down its nationalist rhetoric. In earlier relating to the three basic principles of years the PQ declared it would pro­ the RMS," Gill said. claim independence for Quebec the Among those at meeting to publicize case of Mustafa Dzhemilev were (from left): "These principles are, first, complete moment it achieved power. Now it stresses the need to go through a former Black prisoner Martin Sostre; civil libertarian Eqbal Ahmad; and Iranian poet independence of the unions from the and dissident Reza Baraheni. government and the bosses. number of "stages" first. "Second, unity of action of the . . vanous unwns. Disillusionment By Marilyn V ogt Union, including the Ukranians, who "Third, working toward construction From Intercontinental Press suffer under the Great Russian chau­ Of course, there are still a lot of of a labor party based on the unions." A meeting was held in New York vinism of the Stalinist regime. illusions in the PQ among rank-and­ The RMS holds monthly meetings, June 24 to publicize the case of The variety of the different national­ file workers. They believe it is financed organizes classes, distributes leaflets imprisoned Crimean Tatar leader Mus­ ities of the speakers at the meeting, she not by the corporations but by working and a regular "Bulletin de Liaison," tafa Dzhemilev. Dzhemilev was sen­ said, showed the awakening and people. They still think a PQ govern­ and has published two pamphlets on tenced in April in Omsk,Siberia, to his growing international ·solidarity of ment would bring significant reforms. the need for a labor party. oppressed nationalities around the "But there is a growing disillusion­ fourth term of imprisonment on a In recent months this call has been charge of "anti-Soviet activity." world. Only by continuing to extend ment," Paul Kouri reports. "As the PQ the subject of a far-reaching and His alleged crime is to have been this solidarity, she said, can the goals takes a more conservative stand on serious debate within the unions and active in the struggle of the Tatars to Mustafa Dzhemilev is fighting for be labor's struggles and backtracks on even in the pages of the daily press in return to their homeland in the Cri­ realized. independence, some labor and student Quebec. mea. In 1944, they were deported en Eqbal Ahmad, a fellow at the Insti­ militants are starting to ask, 'Is this masse by Stalin, who accused the tute for Policy Studies in Washington party really going to bring us any­ Debate in unions entire Tatar population of treason. and a prominent civil libertarian from thing?'" At its convention last December, the Pakistan, said: "I did have some Faced with this sentiment, the union Federation des Travailleurs de Quebec The more than 100 persons who trepidations" about appearing at this bureaucrats in Quebec find all sorts of (FTQ-Quebec Federation of Labor) attended the meeting heard an im­ meeting. "But I have a great deal of radical-sounding excuses for their discussed the necessity for heightened pressive array of speakers, including relief and sense of delight to be here refusal to launch a labor party. Louis political action by the unions. But FTQ exiled Soviet dissident Pavel Litvinov, . . . and surprise, because I had not Gill explained: head Louis Laberge declared formation former American political prisoner seen yet a meeting concerned with "You have the brand that says, of a labor party to be premature. He Martin Sostre, and Iranian poet and repression in Russia" that was organ­ 'We're 100 percent for a labor party, urged a policy of "tactical" support of dissident Reza Baraheni. ized "for reasons that concerned hu­ but it is too early. We have to have the PQ. Litvinov provided a firsthand ac­ manity rather than mere anticommun­ more political education.' Others say, In January, the Confederal Council count of the development of the Crime­ ism; that concerned liberty rather than 'We have to form a movement-not a of the Confederation des Syndicats an Tatar struggle and urged all who sheer anti-Sovietism." political party, but a political move­ Nationaux (CSN-Confederation of oppose the persecution of oppressed Mibeyyan Altan, a Crimean Tatar ment.'" National Trade Unions), adopted a nationalities to come to the defense of active in Amnesty International, point­ To help cut through this demagogy, proposal to "work out a political Dzhemilev. ed to the hypocrisy of the Soviet ideology and a program by and for the Continued on page 30 Sostre, a Black Puerto Rican who government "posing as a friend of the workers, and that we set in motion was sentenced in 1968 to a term of Muslim people" internationally, while procedures to carry out this program, forty-one years on phony drug charges, "oppressing the Muslim people within which may include organizing a labor ~Upl described his own case. He told how its own boundaries." He continued: party if the workers think it is needed." ... with the debates international protests, including an "We, the Crimean Tatars of the The CSN initiated political action inside the labor-based appeal from Soviet dissident Andrei United States, demand the Soviet workshops this spring in many regions Sakharov, helped secure his freedom. government free Mustafa Dzhemilev of Quebec (but not in Montreal) at New Democratic party "As a former political prisoner," he and all the political prisoners in the which the labor party was discussed. said, "I consider Mustafa as well as Soviet Union immediately ... reesta­ The question is expected to be debated . . . with the campaign for other political prisoners throughout blish the Crimean Tatar Autonomous at the conventions this summer of both a one-day general strike the world my brothers, because I can Republic [established by the Bolshe­ the CSN and the Centrale de l'En­ against wage controls really identify with political frame-up viks in 1921 but abolished by Stalin in seignement du Quebec (CEQ-Quebec and repression of persons of conscience 1946] . . . and have an organized Teachers Federation). ... with the struggle of the who fought for human rights and return of all the Crimean Tatar people Jacques Beaudoin's union is a CSN Common Front unions in dignity." to their ancestral homeland." affiliate. He explained:. "Under the "But the very fact that I am here Other speakers at the meeting were: cover of the present constitution of the Quebec now," Sostre continued, "is proof John Breheny, a member of the Irish CSN, which prohibits affiliation to any positive that even the most repressive Northern Aid; Pat Wright, Socialist political party, the union leaders claim Subscribe to the state can be forced to disgorge its Workers party candidate for Congress they should not actually launch a revolutionary socialist political prisoners.... My case is a from the Fourteenth District, Brook­ labor party. newspapers in Canada: classic case of what can be done to free lyn, New York; antiwar activist Ralph "In practice this means they give a politica-l prisoner.'' Schoenman; and Rose Styron, a poet backhanded support to the PQ. But the Baraheni, who was imprisoned and and member of the American Board of PQ is a bourgeois party. It has nothing Leba Ollllenge tortured for 102 days by the shah of Amnesty International. to do with the workers' interests." English-language biweekly. $1 Iran, was also freed by an internation- · As part of the effort to help secure al defense campaign. He spoke of the the victory of this struggle, partici­ Treachery of PO for six issues. 25 Bulwer Street, special identity he, as a Turk, felt with pants at the meeting sent a telegram of Beaudoin offered examples of the Toronto, Ontario. Dzhemilev, who is also a Turk. protest to the Kremlin, demanding PQ's treacherous role. "The Bourassa Although the ten million Turks in freedom for Mustafa Dzhemilev and government passed the essential ser­ Iran have not been deported, Baraheni recognition of the right of the Tatars to vices act, severely limiting the right to Liberatia"l said, they are deprived of their lan­ return to the Crimea. French-language monthly. $2 strike in the hospitals. The PQ voted guage, culture, and history by the shah The Mustafa Dzhemilev Defense for one year. b.p. 641, succ. 'n', for this law. just as the Crimean Tatars are by the Committee, which organized the meet­ "When the liberal government Montreal 129, Quebec. Stalinist regime. ing, welcomes the participation of all passed Law 23 [banning teacher Melanie Czajkowskyi, a Ukranian who support human rights, the rights ~arne ______strikes] there was a massive, united activist, spoke on behalf of the Com­ of oppressed nationalities, and freedom movement against this law. Rene Address. ______mittee for the Defense of Soviet Politi­ for political prisoners around the cal Prisoners. She linked the struggle Levesque, leader of the PQ, advised City ______world. Further information can be Bourassa to let the workers blow off of Dzhemilev and the Crimean Tatars obtained by writing to the committee steam and then things will get back to State,______Zip _____ to the cause of the more than 100 at 853 Broadway, Room 414, New normal." different nationalities in the Soviet York, New York 10003.

THE MILITANT/JULY 16, 1976 25 Can Moscow or Peking build 'socialism in one country'?

LENIN: 'We always staked our play upon TROTSKY: Defended socialist STALIN: Proclaimed doctrine of MAO: Accepted Stalin doctrine 100 an international revolution.' internationalism against Stalin regime. 'building socialism in one country.' percent.

By Dick Roberts struct a socialist society in an isolated omic upheaval in China testifies to the and rewriting a considerable amount (Fifth of a series) and economically backward country. impossibility of overcoming China's of history. Peking's ultimate justification of its Following Marx, Lenin and the Bolshe­ past centuries of imperialist exploita­ "According to Lenin," Stalin pro­ attempt to seek "peaceful coexistence" viks believed socialism was possible tion without internationalizing its claimed, "the revolution finds its force with world imperialism is that this only on the basis of a tremendous victory over imperialism. first of all among the workers and foreign policy will permit China to advance of technology. peasants of Russia itself. Trotsky has "build socialism" at home. Goods must be produced in abun­ it that the necessary forces can be Many former supporters of Peking's dance in order to be available to all Bolshevik view found only on the arena of the world foreign policy, such as the Guardian and in order to fulfill all human needs. The perspective of struggling for revolution of the proletariat." newspaper, criticize Peking's strategy Only then can a classless society, world revolution in order to bring Thus the bureaucrats pretended that of accommodation with imperialism. based on harmonious social produc­ socialism to humanity guided the their opposition to proletarian interna­ But they do not question the concept of tion, come into being. thinking of the Bolshevik party before tionalism was in the interests of the "building socialism in one country." Such an economy can only be it succumbed to Stalin's rule. The Soviet workers and peasants. They For example, Irwin Silber, the established on an international scale.· Bolsheviks saw their revolution as a slandered Trotsky as "underestimat­ Guardian's executive editor, stated at a "The proletarian revolution is directed stepping-stone to revolution in Europe. ing" Russian workers and peasants. New York meeting June 4 that the against both private property in the They explicitly rejected the concept of They denounced the program of world question of building socialism in one means of production and against the "building socialism in one country." revolution as "anti-Soviet," the charge country was solved many years ago. national splitting-up of world econo­ "The Communist revolution can be that Stalinists always level against Silber was referring to a crucial my," Trotsky explained. " ... Interna­ victorious only as a world revolu­ revolutionary critics of the Moscow debate-between the Soviet bureaucra­ tionalism is not an abstract principle tion. . . . In a situation where the regime. cy, which emerged in the early 1920s, but the expression of an economic workers have won only a single coun­ Did Lenin fear to call Soviet society and Leon Trotsky. Stalin, speaking for fact. . . . Starting from the world-wide try, economic construction becomes backward? Was he an opponent of the new bureaucracy, declared that the division of labor, the task of socialism very difficult. . . . For the victory of world revolution? Soviet state could establish a socialist is to carry the international exchange communism the victory of the world "We are one of the revolutionary society in a single country. of goods and services to its highest revolution is necessary." detachments of the working class," Trotsky upheld Lenin's position that development." So stated the ABC of Communism, Lenin said in April 1918, "advanced to socialism requires the internationaliza­ Today, let alone in Lenin's time, food the famous Bolshevik party textbook the front not because we are better tion of revolution and cannot be built and machinery are desperately needed written by Nikolai Bukharin and than others, but precisely because we in a separate country. by the overwhelming majority of the Yevgeny Preobrazhensky. were one of the most backward coun­ Workers had overthrown capitalism world's population in those countries "To overthrow the power of the tries in the world.... We will arrive and established a workers state in the whose economic development has been bourgeoisie and establish the power of at complete victory only together with Soviet Union, Trotsky said. But build­ blocked by imperialist domination and the proletariat in one country does not all the workers of other countries, the ing socialism in backward Russia plunder. These goods will only be mean to guarantee the complete victo­ workers of the whole world." would require the spread of revolution available if the socialist revolution is ry of socialism. The chief task of "Not for one minute have we forgot­ to the advanced industrial nations of further internationalized. It is neces­ socialism-the organization of social­ ten nor will we forget," Lenin said at a the West. sary to break the strangh~hold of the ist production-lies still ahead. Can session of the Central Executive Com­ Silber did not say where he thinks imperialist countries on the world this task be accomplished? Is it possi­ mittee of the Soviet government in socialism has been established, but he production of food and machinery. ble to attain the final victory of 1918, "the weakness of the Russian would probably put both the Soviet The Soviet workers state has ad­ socialism in one country, without the working class in comparison with Union and China in that category. vanced rapidly since 1917. Its great combined efforts of the proletarians of other detachments of the international This position is contradictory. strides forward show that nationalized several advanced countries. No, it is proletariat. . . . But we must remain and planned production is superior to not. . . . For the final victory of at our post until our ally comes, the Silber and the Guardian emphasize capitalism. But there remain huge sociali.

26 quoted earlier was rewritten. It now said, "Having consolidated its power, and taking the lead of the peasantry, the proletariat of the victorious coun­ Marches demand try can and must build a socialist By Ginny Hildebrand society." More than 15,000 people partici­ The anti-Leninist theory of "building pated in the seventh annual Christo­ socialism in one country'1 became the pher Street Gay Pride March and Rally law of the land. The ruling party in New York City June 27. "ought to say frankly that a lack of The New York demonstration and confidence in the possibility of build­ similar actions in other cities marked ing socialism in our country will lead the anniversary of the 1969 rebellion to a renunciation of power," Stalin against a police raid at the Stonewall declared in 1926, two years after Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village. Lenin's death. The resistance to that police assault Stalinism replaced Marx and En­ sparked the first widespread public gels's clarion call for world socialism demand for gay rights in this country. with the bureaucratic notion that the The dominant tone of the New York society· ruled by the Kremlin is already march and rally was festive. Many socialist. Stalinism preached that banners displayed gay pride slogans. workers everywhere should sacrifice In addition, anger ran high against their own interests to "socialist con­ the recent Supreme Court decision, struction" in the Soviet Union. This is reports activist Kurt Hill. This ruling the theoretical basis for Moscow's upheld a repressive sodomy statute in policy of "peaceful coexistence." Virginia. The action was called last Atlanta gay rights supporters gathering for 'Christopher Street South' march Stalin's concepts were 100 percent March by a mass meeting of 200 adopted by the Mao regime. Tl ey form activists, who voted to dedicate the the theoretical justificati<>n :or Pek­ action to passage of gay rights legisla­ order and were rebuffed by Jackson. House and from getting official recog­ ing's orientation· toward Washington: tion and repeal of sodomy laws. Reactionaries also tried to block gay nition for a gay rights march. How­ If the workers and peasants of China The crowd in Central Park listened rights activities in Boston; Providence, ever, the "Toward a Gayer Bicentenni­ do not need an extension of the world to speeches and entertainment. It also Rhode Island; and Los Angeles. al Committee" sued RI '76, reports revolution; if their interests are some­ heard messages supporting gay rights In Boston, the New England Gay Annette Gagne. The committee won how different from the interests of sent by Rep. Bella Abzug and Socialist Pride Committee was unable to hold a the right to use the Old State House workers and. peasants everywhere; if Workers party presidential candidates forum in city council chambers. While and a parade permit for a June 26 gay the Peking regime can "build social­ Peter Camejo and Willie Mae Reid. city council members regularly sponsor pride march, wnich drew seventy-five. ism"; then why not seek "peaceful From Atlanta, Linda Regnier reports antibusing meetings in their cham­ Los Angeles Mayor Thomas Bradley coexistence" with world imperialism at that 300 gay activists and supporters bers, none would sponsor a meeting in recognized Gay Pride Week as part of the expense of workers and peasants held a June 26 march and rally, support of gay rights. the official bicentennial festivities. everywhere else? "Christopher Street South." The dem­ However, a successful forum was This sparked a venomous outburst Silber declares that the question of onstration's theme came across clearly held in another room at city hall on from columnist Patrick Buchanan. "building socialism in one country" in chants, speeches, and the lead June 2~ as part of Gay Pride Week "They are being invited to celebrate a has been solved. In fact, the only banner, which proclaimed: "Support activities, reports gay rights leader common affliction: homosexuality. "solutions" Stalin ever offered to this Gay Civil Rights; Repeal Sodomy Ken Withers. Speakers included Ed Only a sick society would render debate were the purge trials and the Statutes; Defend Lesbian Mothers' Hougan of the Metropolitan Communi­ tribute to a sickness," wrote Buchanan assassination of those who disagreed. Child Custody Rights." The last slo­ ty Church; Carol Henderson Evans, in the July 1 New York Daily News. Like all the great ideological dis­ gan was inspired by support for Mary Socialist Workers party candidate for Fortunately, those who share Bu­ putes within the workers movement, Jo Risher, a gay mother in Dallas U.S. Senate; and Maceo Dixon, a chanan's views and back the Supreme the debate over "building socialism in fighting for custody of her son. coordinator of the National Student Court's ruling outlawing gay sexuality one country" reflected material condi­ The demonstration also answered Coalition Against Racism. are a clear minority. tions and social forces. Stalin's theory reactionaires who tried to ban the On several occasions during the Recent polls conducted by the news was the theory of a victorious bureau­ march. The day before the event, seven week's activities supporters of gay media reveal majority support for gay cracy that had established a strangle­ anonymous business men, calling rights pointed to the need for solidarity civil rights. In September 1975, poll­ hold on Soviet society and on the themselves "Citizens for a Decent among Blacks, women, and gays in sters for the Washington Post found 63 Communist International. Atlanta," sought a court order prohib­ their fight for basic democratic rights. percent of the population favoring (Next: the Stalin bureaucracy) iting the march. They argued that Carol Henderson Evans emphasized repeal of sodomy laws. In San Diego, since homosexual acts are a felony in this in a campaign statement that she KFMB-TV found 55 percent supporting Georgia, the demonstration was in and her supporters distributed to 200 gay rights legislation. And, according support of "crime." The group also gay rights demonstrators on June 19. to a New York Daily News poll this demanded that Atlanta Mayor May­ In Providence, "RI '76," Rhode spring, 63 percent of New Yorkers nard Jackscm rescind his proclamation Island's official bicentennial commit­ think "homosexuals 11hould be accept­ declaring June 26 Gay Pride Day. tee, tried to prevent gay activists from ed in society and treated the same as However, they failed to get the court using the city's historic Old State anyone else."

Calif. Gov. Brown undercuts UFW By Arnold Weissberg One of the three new members is a When the UFW was circulating the LOS ANGELES-Gov. Edmund professional labor arbitrator and the petitions to place the proposition on Brown and the Democratic-controlled other two are Northern California the ballot, Brown remained silent. An California legislature are still messing lawyers. All are Anglos. aide explained that the governor did over the United Farm Workers union. Last spring, the growers had insisted not consider it seemly to influence the On June 20, Brown named three new on cutting off funds for the ALRB with voters on the matter. members to the Agricultural Labor the demagogic charge that it was Even with a board on which they Relations Board (ALRB) in a move "biased" toward the UFW. Continued on page 30 designed to win legislative approval Even though the board had failed to for refunding of the now-defunct board. enforce the law and conducted its work All three are machine Democrats. at a snail's pace, the UFW had Brown's latest move is designed to consistently outpulled the growers' persuade grower representatives in the choice, the Teamsters, in the union New budget legislature that the farm labor board representation elections. will be "impartial"-that it will be With the demise of the ALRB, the aids growers TROTSKY better to vote funds for such a board UFW proceeded to collect an astonish­ than to have voters approve a UFW­ ing 700,000 signatures to qualify an LOS ANGELES, July 3- ON THE sponsored initiative next November. initiative f~r the November ballot. If Governor Brown yesterday signed a That measure would provide a farm approved by the voters, it would take new state budget that included a labor law with teeth in it. the law out of the hands of the state $6.8 billion allocation to fund the SOVIET UNION Brown's new appointees were greet· legislature and make funding automat· Agricultural Labor Relations Board. THE REVOLUTION ed with satisfaction by several agri­ lC. The bill signed by the governor BETRAYED business representatives. The powerful, ultraright California reportedly includes a proviso that By Leon Trotsky. :314 pp., cloth $10, When first established, the ALRB Farm Bureau announced June 27 it the state legislature establish a paper $:1.25 included two pro-UFW members, two was raising a $2.5 million war chest to "watchdog" committee to ensure that were progrower, and a "neutral" defeat the measure. that the ALRB functions "impartial­ chairperson. The budget, which includes funds for ly." THE THIRD One of the pro-UFW members, Joe the ALRB, requires a two-thirds vote Such a committee had been de­ INTERNATIONAL Ortega, a Chicano attorney, resigned for passage. Some progrower legisla­ manded by agribusiness interests, AFTER LENIN after being arrested on a morals tors now say that it would be better to which argued that the previous By Leon Trotsky. 346 pp., cloth $10, charge. The second, Leroy Chatfield, a have an ALRB under the control of the board had been biased toward the paper $3.45 former UFW staff member, quit to take legislature than to have the UFW United Farm Workers. Such an a position in Brown's presidential initiative enacted. oversight committee will make it Order today from Pathfinder Press, campaign committee. Then a former "A funded board is the only defense even more difficult for the UFW to 410 West Stre,et, New York, N.Y. Teamster attorney resigned, leaving against a Chavez initiative," is the get justice from the ALRB. 10014 the three open spots. way one put it.

THE MILITANT/JULY 16, 1976 27 In Review

~uNION MAIDS' Union Maids: A documentary yards. The workers used what today calling for the formation of a union. a parallel between the labor movement about women organ1z1ng in the would be called an "underground" She then circulated copies of the of today and the narrow-minded, craft­ 1930s by James Klein, Miles newspaper t.o help organize the union. paper at work. It caused quite a stir, oriented AFL unions of the thirties. Mogulesque and Julia Reichert. They would smuggle it into the yards but cost her her job. She also helped What is needed today, in her opinion, New Day Films, 16 mm., black and under their clothing. organize the unemployed and fought to is an ambitious campaign to organize white, 45 minutes. The union called a strike after one stop evictions. the unorganized and breathe new life worker lost part of her hand in a Scenes of strikes and rallies, soup into the unions. She is very much in There once were three union maids, machine that made hot dogs. They lines and shanties, and battles with favor of the women's movement, al­ and Julia Reichert and James Klein, demanded safety guards on all ma­ the cops :1re used to illustrate the though she criticizes some activists for who made Growing up Female, have chines. To publicize the strike, the interviews. not trying to relate to the problems of made a film about them. union held marches and rallies involv­ Labor songs help to convey the spirit working women. Sylvia Woods, Kate Hyndman, and ing hundreds of people. of the social movement that was the The film has a few minor technical Stella Nowicki recall their experiences Kate tried to organize a union in a rise of the CIO industrial unions. I saw flaws but on the whole it is well made. as young union activists in the 1930s textile mill, and used a newspaper to the film at a meeting of the Coalition If you like labor history and you are and show that they have not lost any help also. When the bosses announced of Labor Union Women and the inspired by stirring labor songs, mili­ of their rebel spirit. a general cutback in hours and pay, audience began to sing along with the tant strikes, and spirited marches and To young workers in the 1970s, their she wrote a letter to the Daily Worker Almanac Singers. rallies, you will enjoy Union Maids as experiences are quite relevant. describing the work conditions and Near the end of the film Stella draws much as I did. -Eileen Berlow They all had to find jobs during a time of great unemployment. They had no experience nor any special skills. They had to deal with unsafe work­ ing conditions, cutbacks in hours and pay, discrimination against women and minority workers, speedup, and harassment of union activists. All Film three were socialists, and Sylvia was also influenced by the Black national­ ist movement led by Marcus Garvey. Sylvia worked in a laundry that segregated workers by race and sex. The union advocated integration and defended the rights of a Black worker against the backward white workers . . When the more privileged workers objected to having a Black man in their department, the union told them that they could look elsewhere for jobs, but the Black man would stay. Until that point, Sylvia says, she only cared about the Black workers. But she came to respect the white workers who were defending the rights of Blacks. Stella came to Chicago from a small town, and found work in the stock-

MIGRANT WORKERS IN EUROPE A Seventh Man: Migrant Workers from one's place within it, and to means poverty and underemployment. the experience of the landless peasants in Europe. Text by John Berger, reassemble it as seen from his." This is The advanced countries suck out and who were proletarianized in the days photographs by Jean Mohr. Viking what he does with the sensitivity to exploit this idle labor power. of the Industrial Revolution, the time Press, New York, 1975. 238 pp., language of a poet and the insight into In Germany and in England one out whose inhumanities the apologists for $8.95. character of a novelist. of seven manual workers is an immi­ capitalism claim the system has out­ Text and photographs work together grant; in France, Switzerland, and grown. A Seventh Man is the joint product to transmit the experience of the male Belgium one-fourth of the industrial They differ, however, from the Irish of John Berger, a British novelist, art migrant worker: the impoverished labor force are immigrants. They do who came to England and the Europe­ critic, essayist, and poet, and Jean countryside of the country of his the dirtiest, hardest, poorest-paying, ans who came to the United States in Mohr, a Swiss photographer. Through origin; the confusion of the big city; the most dangerous work. the nineteenth century. Only a minori­ words and. pictures they convey what humiliation of being herded with ty are permitted to settle in the country the world looks like to the approxi­ others and made to stand naked before The rationale for this exploitation is in which they work, their contracts mately 11 million migrant workers in strangers in the medical examinations; that they acquire skills that they bring being usually for only one year. Up­ northwestern Europe. To achieve a the desolation of departing from fami­ back to their· native lands. But the rooted, they cannot strike roots in their lies; the bleakness of the barracks; the skills for their work can be learned in a "host" countries. When they return dehumanization of the assembly lines; few days, and the parasitic moneyed home, they find, as Berger phrases it, the return home to the village, where classes in underdeveloped countries do that they have "changed faster" than Books there is the same economic stagnation not build new factories or mechanize their countries. that first forced him to leave. agriculture. But we not only get a sharp impres­ On the other hand, for the capitalists The truth of this observation is more concentrated focus, they confine sion of the migrant worker's experi­ of the advanced countries the migrant illustrated by the fact that, according themselves to the male migrant work­ ence; we get a sense of the forces that workers constitute an industrial re­ to a New York Times reporter, almost ers from southern Europe, omitting the have shaped that experience. serve with no political rights and few all of the residents of southern Italy probably 2 million migrant female Berger, a Marxist, describes how protections, which can be "imported" who came home to vote in the June workers and the workers from the advanced capitalism blocks the prog­ when needed and "exported" during 1976 election voted Communist, while formerly colonial territories in Asia ress of the underdeveloped countries, recessions. many or most of those who stayed and Africa. foreign capital destroying precapitalist The migrant workers, says the Amer­ home voted Christian Democratic. "To try to understand the experience rural self-sufficiency and forming an ican magazine Fortune, "now appear Proletarianization has some effects of another," says Berger, "it is neces­ alliance with local merchants and indispensable to Europe's economy." on which capitalists do not count. sary to dismantle the world as seen large landowners. For the peasant this The migrant workers recapitulate -Paul Siegel

28 Endangers ballot rights of all minor ~arties · Communist party slanders SWP petition drive By Steve Clark to get on the ballot weakens the "An injury to one is an injury to all." chances of all others. In this sense, This longtime maxim of the working­ solidarity in the fight against unde­ class movement sustained a blow mocratic election laws is just "good recently in the pages of the Communist business." party newspaper the Daily World. Unfortunately, slanders similar to Two articles in the July 3 issue Berkelhammer's crop up elsewhere in slander the efforts to gain ballot status the same issue of the Daily World, in launched by the Socialist Workers an article by Victor Perlo, a veteran party and other minor parties. The member of the CP Central Committee. articles accuse these parties of illegal "Authorities are less rigorous in petitioning procedures and outright enforcing the exclusionary laws collusion with the government. against other parties than against the One article is the abridged text of a Communist Party," Perlo writes. recent speech by Matty Berkelhammer, "In that connection, special mention field coordinator of the CP presidential must be made of the Socialist Workers campaign of Gus Hall and Jarvis Party, the Trotskyites.... In some Tyner. cases, where many signatures are After pointing to the exorbitant required, they file without having signature requirements and other bar­ appeared to canvass to collect signa­ riers to ballot status erected by state tures on a major scale, and their filing governments across the country, Ber­ is accepted. They are notified of kelhammer charges that America's changes in rules kept secret from the Militant/Anne Teesdale rulers have also put up "all kinds of Communists." Getting names from phone books? SWP supporters collected 65,000 signatures in political parties and tickets to divert Perlo even levels the transparently Massachusetts last month. people from the only meaningful alter­ absurd charge that some states have native, the Communist alterna­ deliberately credited SWP candidates tive .... " with more votes than they actually He points to the nominally indepen­ received! ballot there to the Democrats and states to unconstitutionally rule the dent campaign of Democrat Eugene Republicans. Communist party and other smaller McCarthy, along with the electoral Lies and distortions What of the other charges? parties off the ballot... ," Camejo efforts of the Socialist Workers party, These charges parrot accusations • Perlo states that "every minority and Reid wrote. Socialist Labor party, Socialist party, that have been made against minor party except the Communist Party was "Access to the ballot is a fundamen­ Communist Labor party, and other parties by the small, right-wing U.S. notified" this year of an important tal right of the American people. That minor parties. "Labor" party (also called the Nation­ change in the Wisconsin ballot law. right is being abridged today ... in an "The ruling class is saying," Berkel­ al Caucus of Labor Committees). So far This is simply untrue. The SWP was effort to undemocratically restrict hammer contends, "'If you're dissatis­ this year, the USLP has challenged not "notified"; it simply persisted in voters to a choice confined to the fied and don't want to vote for Ford or petitions of other parties, including the demanding accurate ballot informa­ Republican and Democratic parties." Carter, you can at least vote for a CP and the SWP, in several states. tion from state officials. Perlo and Berkelhammer, however, McCarthy or a Trotskyite.'" In the USLP's unsuccessful chal­ • Perlo claims that after the CP filed claim that it is a "breeze" for other In other words, Berkelhammer is lenge to the Pennsylvania SWP's its petitions in Alabama, the state minor parties to achieve ballot status. saying that minor parties other than petitions, this right-wing outfit used legislature "reduced the necessary This is not true. the CP are nothing more than crea­ the same "telephone book" accusation number ·of signatures" and extended The SWP, for example, has fought tions of the government designed to stooped to by Berkelhammer in the the petitioning deadline "until the end challenges this year from the USLP in confuse radicalizing workers and stu­ Daily World. of August." Alabama legislators did Pennsylvania and New Jersey; is dents. What about Berkelhammer's asser­ so, Perlo explains, "to give some other fighting denial of its ballot status in tion that in Massachusetts only "the 'left' party a chance to get on the ballot Utah and Idaho; and faces further Communists and their supporters" in order to cover up continuing efforts hurdles in the months between now Telephone books? were "out on the streets, day in and to get the Communist Party off the and November. Not satisfied with these slanderous day out"? ballot." In fact, the SWP, CP, and other accusations, Berkelhammer charges Massachusetts SWP ballot coordina­ This too is simply wrong. The truth minor parties are currently cooperat­ that other parties failed to meet legal tor Susan LaMont labeled this accusa­ is that the Alabama law had been ing in Wisconsin and Michigan to petitioning requirements in Massachu­ tion "nothing short of scandalous." changed a full year before the CP's fight unfair ballot restrictions. In 1972 setts. ". . . do you think these phony "Anyone who was anywhere near a ballot drive. The CP apparently fell the SWP, CP, and three other parties groups have been out there on the major city here during the past six victim to the purposely vague and filed and won a lawsuit against the streets as we have?" Berkelhammer weeks knows that such charges are lies confusing ballot laws used in most undemocratic Pennsylvania ballot law. asks. pure and simple," LaMont said. "We states against minor parties. In addition, the SWP has worked "Here in Massachusetts we know had a team of twenty full-time petition­ Other charges and insinuations by with the Committee for Democratic that it has been the Communists and ers on the streets for three weeks, and Berkelhammer and Perlo are also lies, Election Laws (CoDEL) in more than their supporters who have been out on as many as 175 people on three half-truths, or conscious distortions. twenty ballot-related suits during the the streets, day in and day out. . . . consecutive weekends. In all we turned past four years. In Texas, Illinois, "We know where some groups have in 65,000 signatures to town clerks. Missouri, and Louisiana, for example, been! In some office copying names out "Of course, the petitions of the SWP Fight unfair ballot laws they have taken legal action against of telephone books! and all other parties will soon be a The Communist party has unques­ anticommunist loyalty-oath provi­ "We know they won't get challenged matter of public record," LaMont tionably faced serious harassment this swns. because the ruling class welcomes their continued. "Berkelhammer will have year in its ballot drive. In Alabama If the SWP and other parties are being on the ballot. Anything but the access to them; he can look for him­ one petitioner was threatened with two "put up" by the ruling rich to "divert Communist party." self." loaded guns, and another petitioner people from the only meaningful alter­ These irresponsible and unsubstan­ She pointed out that the SWP took was arrested on the outrageous charge native," why has the CP joined with tiated charges provide state officials on an even higher Massachusetts of threatening to assassinate Vice­ these parties in lawsuits and news with ammunition to use against all signature requirement four years ago, president Nelson Rockefeller. conferences? Why do these parties face minor parties, including the CP. Any becoming the first party in recent The CP also faces attacks on its so many barriers, if "the ruling class defeat for one minor party in the fight years to provide an alternative on the ballot rights in Maine, Michigan, and welcomes their being on the ballot"? Utah, among others. In several states undemocratic ballot laws single out the Why such charges? Communist party-a reactionary Another question also comes to hangover from the anti-Soviet hysteria mind: Why has the CP suddenly of the 1950;;. dredged up these gutter charges? Unfortunately, the CP has chosen to The answer is closely tied to still respond to its setbacks this spring in another question: Why has the Daily precisely the wrong way. These re­ World suppressed all news of the SWP verses should have spurred the CP to lawsuit against harassment and sur­ explore every avenue for joint activity veillance by the FBI, CIA, and other by all minor parties against the government agencies? The burglaries, undemocratic requirements. Instead, poison-pen letters, and other illegal the CP has lashed out against other government activities unearthed by parties that have been more successful the SWP's suit have been headline in collecting signatures in certain news around the country for more than states. a year. The Militant has condemned the The suit has been the subject of attacks on the CP, and last month articles and editorials in the New York SWP presidential and vice-presidential Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles candidates Peter Camejo and Willie Times, and many other newspapers. It Mae Reid sent a protest telegram to has been covered by all three major U.S. Attorney General Edward Levi. networks, by Associated Press and "We join the Communist party in United Press International, and by CP and SWP announce joint 1972 suit against Pennsylvania election law. From left, demanding that your office launch an left-wing political opponents of the Spencer Coxe (ACLU), Marilyn Markus (SWP), Anthony Monteiro (CP). investigation of efforts in various Continued on page 30

·THE MILITANT/JULY 16, 1976 29 the Struggle against revisionism. Mon., July 12, 7:30 p.m. Univ. of Cincinnati, Old Chemistry Bldg., Room 532. Donation: whole series-$5. Single Puerto Rican Stalinists session-75¢. Ausp: YSA and SWP. For more Calendar information call (513) 321-7445. BOSTON DETROIT refuse to back PSP SOCIALIST WORKERS CAMPAIGN RALLY. BLACK REBELLION IN SOUTH AFRICA. Thurs Speakers: Fred Halstead. 1968 SWP presidential July 15, 7:30 p.m. St. Brigid's Church, Activitie~ By Jose Perez backed the Popular Democratic party, candidate, author of Out Now!; Carol Henderson The Puerto Rican Communist party which has been the main capitalist Bldg.. downstairs. 8911 Schoolcraft. (Between Evans, SWP candidate for U.S. Senate; Mac Warren, Kentucky and Wyoming). Donation: $1. Ausp: and two other small radical groups party in Puerto Rico for close to four SWP candidate for U.S. Congress, Ninth C.D.; Militant Labor Forum. For more information call have joined together in a "Revolution­ decades. others. Fri., July 16. Refreshments, 6:30 p.m.; rally, (313) 341-6436. ary Anti-electoral Front" to call for an The Puerto Rican Nationalist party 8:00 p.m. Arlington Street Church, Arlington and Boylston Streets (Arlington stop on MBTA Green active boycott of next November's has urged abstention from elections as Line). Donation: $1.50. Ausp: Socialist Workers elections in Puerto Rico. a principle for decades, and Claridad Campaign Committee. For more information call NEW YORK: LOWER EAST SIDE A report on the formation of this bloc reported that spokespeople for the (617) 262-4621. SOCIALIST SUMMER SCHOOL. Internationalism was published in the June 18 Claridad, "Revolutionary Anti-electoral Front" and the party-The SWP in World War 1/. Thurs., daily newspaper of the Puerto Rican said the Nationalists might join that CINCINNATI July 15, 7:30 p.m. Libreria Militante, 221 E. 2nd St. SOCIALIST SUMMER SCHOOL. Building the (between Ave. B and Ave. C). Ausp: SWP. For more Socialist party (PSP). It quoted spokes­ bloc. revolutionary party. Speaker: Melissa Singler, on information call (212) 260-6400. people for the front as explaining The two largest pro-independence that "voting feeds false illusions groups, the PIP and the PSP, are among the people." participating in the elections and In addition to the pro-Moscow Stalin­ running their own slate of candidates. ists, the other two groups in the bloc Both have ballot status for the coming are the People's Socialist Movement elections-the PIP because it polled 5 and the Puerto Rican Socialist League. percent of the vote in the last elections ... 1199 ... CP The People's Socialist Movement and the PSP because it filed 65,000 Continued from page 23 Continued from page 29 arose from a split from the Puerto signatures on petitions. workers is a prerequisite for winning SWP, such as the Guardian newspa­ Rican Independence party (PIP) in The Internationalist Workers the strike, but it is only a first step in per. 1973. It has adopted a guerrillaist League, the Trotskyist organization in beating back the employers' offensive. Yet the Daily World and CP have not stance. Puerto Rico, has also decided to partici­ District 1199 is up against a power­ said a word. Why? pate in the elections. They say elec­ ful combination that includes the For decades the CP has told its The Puerto Rican Socialist League is tions offer an excellent opportunity to politicians of both major parties, the members and other political activists a vaguely pro-Peking ultraleft group. It present socialist solutions to the prob­ hospitals, the banks, and the corpora­ that the SWP is a ruling-class creation is best known for its central leader, lems working people face. tions. All of them are united in a to disrupt and divide the radical move­ Juan Antonio Corretjer, once a top However, because of the small size of campaign to drive down working ment. aide to Nationalist party leader Pedro the organization, the Trotskyists have people's standard of living, and 1199 This slander has taken different Albizu Campos and a widely respected decided they are unable to present members have become their immediate forms over the years. During the 1930s poet. their own slate of candidates. The target. and 1940s, for instance, the CP The Puerto Rican Communist party group is urging a vote for the candi­ This was made clear the day before claimed that Trotskyists were in is a small group, largely bypassed by dates of the PSP. In the opinion of the the strike. City officials announced league with Hitler and the emperor of the growth of pro-independence senti­ Trotskyists, despite weaknesses in its they had assigned more than 100 Japan (except during the Stalin-Hitler ment and organizations in the last program, the PSP slate "represents the inspectors to see if a health emergency Pact, when Trotskyists were briefly decade. However, it was a substantial only independent class alternative" existed at a hospital or city-wide. This depicted as payvns of Washington and force in Puerto Rico during the 1930s for working people in the November would allow city officials to force London). and 1940s. For much of that time it elections. delivery of supplies in violation of More recently the charge has been picket lines. somewhat milder-at least in public. For their part, the police depart­ The articles by Perlo and Berkelham­ ment sent a message to all commands mer state the slander in its baldest to put enough cops near strikers' picket terms in many years. ... Brown and UFW lines to "preserve the peace and Despite these variations, the charge Continued from page 27 the union, is telling the farm workers prevent violations of the law." has remained a constant stigma used had two members concerned with their to settle instead for a bone-a labor To counter this massive, united by the CP to steel its members and interests, the union wasn't able to get law without teeth and a board that's attack by the ruling class, the union others against the ideas of revolution­ justice. With straight Democratic stacked against them. should initiate a united counteroffen­ ary socialism-ideas held by Marx, hacks on it, the board can only change Meanwhile, the talks between the sive. The Black and Puerto Rican Lenin, and Trotsky, but betrayed by for the worse. UFW and Teamsters initiated by communities, students, and members Stalin and his heirs. The UFW initiative would write into Governor Brown are apparently con­ of other unions are all affected by Now the SWP lawsuit has unearthed the law a guarantee that in a period tinuing. deteriorating health care. tens of thousands of documents prov­ prior to elections, union organizers The union should link its demands ing that the government for decades would have access to the workers in At one point, Mark Grossman, an for a decent contract with the demand stopped at nothing to harass and the fields. Without such an access aide to Cesar Chavez, announced that that there be no cutbacks, layoffs, or destroy the SWP. These revelations ruling, the UFW can reach farm the UFW had walked out of the talks other moves that downgrade the quali­ have provided a service to every social workers only partially and with ex­ because of the double-dealing of the ty of health care. movement and radical group, spot­ treme difficulty. Teamsters. However, Chavez later In this way, a massive, united lighting burglaries and other illegal Another section would provide mone­ announced the talks were continuing. movement against the ruling-class activities against them as well. tary penalties for growers guilty of He suggested they were focusing on offensive could begin to take shape. The much-publicized lawsuit gives unfair labor practices. specific legal and jurisdictional mat­ Alone, it will be very difficult for the lie to the CP's claim that the SWP Instead of helping to mobilize sup­ ters, not on the key issue of the 1199 to win. But we can win by is a creature of the government. The port for the UFW petition effort, Teamster raiding operation against mobilizing the potential support that response of American Stalinists-well Governor Brown, that "good friend" of the UFW. exists. trained by their Kremlim mentors in rewriting history-has been to sup­ press all news of the case, and now to revive their old slanders. If a lie is repeated often enough, the CP hopes, ... Quebec someone is bound to believe it. Continued from page 25 ... ~Free Puerto Rico!' Perlo asserts that the government Continued from back page After describing the U.S. colonial the RMS is calling for the designation wants the SWP to be "built up as 'the Noticeably absent, however, was the oppression of Puerto Rico, he wel­ of labor candidates, on the basis of a leading left party.'" Communist party. comed, "in the name of the people of labor program, in the next provincial The truth is that American working The sidewalks along the march route elections. Puerto Rico struggling for indepen­ people-not Washington-will make were filled with hundreds of Black dence, the solidarity expressed by Mr. "We have discovered this is an that decision on their own. They will community residents. They were obvi­ Dellums in filing such a resolution in extremely strong point," Gill said. "We judge how well these parties fight for ously very sympathetic to the demon­ Congress." ask, what prevents us from taking this and defend their interests. stration, and would smile and wave as He concluded his speech by urging very concrete and simple step of Deciding which party to vote for is different contingents went by. designating candidates backed by North Americans to continue support­ part of that process. The American The rally after the march lasted ing the independence struggle. "You unions-perhaps not in all the dis­ people have a right to the broadest about three hours. Speakers alternated know very well," he said, "that inde­ tricts; but in some. possible choice when they step into the with entertainment. The high point pendence for Puerto Rico is a blow "But if one union met and designat­ voting booth. But they will not have came when Elaine Brown read a against imperialism and will be a ed their candidate on the basis of their that right until all undemocratic ballot message from U.S. Rep. Ronald Del­ victory for your people as well as us." own demands, it would lead other laws have been wiped off the books. lums (D-Calif.). workers to ask, 'Why don't we do that Perlo also says that "the Communist In the message Dellums said he had in our own area? Why don't we do it on Party stands for the ballot rights of all, just introduced a pro-independence WASHINGTON-More than 6,000 the provincial level? except for racists and fascists." This resolution into the U.S. Congress. The people gathered near the Capitol July 4 "This we find is one of the touchy statement is deliberately ambiguous, crowd rose to its feet, wildly cheering for a "Rally for Economic Democracy." points, one of those on which we since the CP has frequently tarred its and applauding. The national counter-celebration was confront the most 'progressive' labor political opponents with such labels. As the rally progressed, the sky sponsored by the People's Bicentennial leaders-the question of doing it, not But Perlo and the CP have an slowly darkened. Then a torrential Commission. just talking about it." opportunity to clear up this ambiguity. downpour turned the grassy field into Among the many speakers were Will they persist in their slanders of a marsh. Many covered themselves Dolores Huerta of the United Farm * * * other small parties? Or will they wage with newspapers or whatever was Workers, Jane Fonda, and Ed Sadlow­ Our next article will take up the fight a common fight against the restrictive available. Others just got wet as they ski of the United Steelworkers. in English Canada against the wage election laws used by the big-business waited for the rest of the speakers. Supporters of the Socialist Workers controls, focusing on the role of the parties to deprive working people of a The speech that seemed to capture party presidential campaign distribut­ New Democratic party. real political alternative? the main· theme of the rally best was ed 6,000 copies of the "Bill of Rights that of Juan Mari Bras, general for Working People" and sold 575 secretary of the PSP. Militants.

30 Lower East Side Socialist Swmner School

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL WEEKEND 3 Classes on Marx's Theory of Crisis How to Defeat Friday, July 23 & Saturday, July 24 Racist and Teacher: Tim Wohlforth Libreria Militante Donation 221 East Second St. $1.50 for all 3 classes Right-wing Attacks (Between Avenues B & C) Lunch available FROM MJSSISSIPPI TO BOSTON 260-6400 at noon for $1.00 The Demand for Troops to Enforce Civil Rights Compilation. Should fighters for equal rights demand that the federal government enforce its own civil rights and desegregation laws in Boston? How has this demand aided the Black liberation movement in the past? How can this demand help build a mass movement that can defeat the racists? These are among the questions discussed. 32 pages. $.75 Intercontinental Press COUNTER-MOBILIZATION Africa Asia Europe Oceania the Americas A Strategy to Fight Racist and Fascist Attacks Do you read French, Spanish, He­ write for a free sample copy of Intercon­ A discussion with Farrell Dobbs, long-time leader of the Socialist Workers brew, Turkish, Russian, German, and tinental Press, a weekly newsmagazine Party and author of Teamster Rebellion, Teamster Power, and Teamster some forty other languages? of international politics. Politics. A review of the tactics of building a mass movement against racist Do you have time to follow the world A unique source of news, analysis, and reactionary offensives. 24 pages $.75 left press and the major dailies from and hard-to-find documents of interest Paris, London, New York, and other · to the socialist movement. world capitals? THE FIGHT AGAINST FASCISM IN THE U.S.A. If not-but you wish to follow inter­ Write to Intercontinental Press, P.O. Forty Years of Struggle Described by Participants national political developments on a Box 116, Village Station, New York, week-by-week basis-we suggest you New York 10014. By James P. Cannon, Farrell Dobbs, Vincent R. Dunne. Joseph Hansen, Malik Miah, and others. How should workers and oppressed nationalities defend their rights against rac1st and terrorist attacks? Why is a mass movement necessary for defense and how can such a movement be organized? Can workers rely on the government to protect their democratic rights? Should the opponents of racism and fascism call for denying free speech and other democratic rights to fascists or racists? 56 pages, $1.35 Edited with an introduction by George Novack These publications are part of the Education for Socialists series published This is a portrait of capitalist America from its colonial infancy to its in 8 1/"xll format by the National Education Department of the Socialist emergence as an imperialist power in the twentieth century. America's Workers Party. Revolutionary Heritage includes the story of the crushing of the Indians, Available at the bookstores listed in the Socialist Directory below. Send all the revolt against the British crown, and the overthrow of the slave mail orders to Pathfinder Press, 410 West Street, New York, N.Y. 10014. system in the South. 384 pp., cloth $15, paper $4.45 Complete, free catalog available upon request. Special offer: paperback price only $3.45 on all orders received by August 1. Order now and save $1. Socialist Directory ARIZONA: Tempe: YSA. c/o Jessica Sampson. Box Un1on. Urbana. Ill. 61801 MI. Pleasant: YSA, Box 51 Warriner Hall, Central Pittsburgh: SWP. YSA. Militant Bookstore, 3400 2235, Scottsdale, Ariz. 85252. Tel: (602) 277-9453. Chicago, South: SWP. 9139 S. Commercial Ave. Mich. Univ .. Mt. Pleasant, Mich. 48859. Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa. 15213. Tel: (412) 682- Tucson: YSA, SUPO 20965. Tucson. Anz. 85720 Room 205, Chicago Ill. 60617. MINNESOTA: Minneapolis: SWP, YSA, Pathfinder 5019. Tel (602) 624-9176. Chicago, South Side: SWP YSA. Pathfinder Books, Bookstore, 15 4th St. SE, Mpls .. Minn. 55414. Tel: State College: YSA, c/o William Donovan, 260 CALIFORNIA: Berkeley: SWP, YSA, Granma Book­ 1754 E 55th St Ch1cago, Ill 60615. Tel: (312) (612) 332-7781. Toftrees Ave. #320, State College. Pa. 16801 Tel: store, 1849 University Ave., Berkeley, Calif. 94703. 643-5520 St. Paul: SWP, Labor Bookstore. 176 Western Ave. (814) 234-6655. Tel (415) 548-0354. Chicago: City-w1de SWP. YSA, 428 S. Wabash. Fifth St Paul, Minn. 55102. Tel: (612) 222-8929. TENNESSEE: Knoxville: YSA, P.O. Box 8344 Univ. East Los Angeles: SWP. YSA. Pathfinder Bookstore, Floor, Chicago. Ill. 60605. Tel: SWP-(312) 939- MISSOURI: Kansas City: YSA, c/o UMKC Student Stat1on, Krmxville, Tenn. 37916. Tel: (615) 525- 1237 S Atlantic Blvd .. East Los Angeles, Calif. 0737. YSA-(312) 427-0280. Activities Office, 5100 Rockhill Rd., Kansas City, 0820. 90022. Tel (213) 265-1347. INDIANA: Bloomington: YSA, c/o Student Activities Mo. 64110. TEXAS: Austin: YSA, c/o Student Activities. Texas Long Beach. SWP. YSA, Pathfinder Bookstore, 3322 Desk. Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind. St. Louis: SWP. YSA. Militant Bookstore, 4660 Union South, Austin. Tex. 78712. Anahe1m St. Long Beach. Calif 90804. Tel: (213) 47401 Maryland, Suite 12, St Louis, Mo. 63108. Tel: Dallas: SWP. YSA. P.O. Box 50212, Dallas, T•3x. 597-0965. Indianapolis: YSA, c/o Student Activity Office. (314) 367-2520. 75250. Tel: (214) 941-2308. Los Angeles, Crenshaw District: SWP. YSA, Pathfin­ IUPUI. 925 W. Mich1gan St.. Indianapolis. Ind. NEW JERSEY: Newark: SWP, YSA, 11-A Central Houston, Northeast: SWP. YSA, Pathfinder Books. der Books. 4040 W. Washington Blvd . Los 46202. Tel. (317) 631-3441 Ave. (Central and Broad Streets), Second Floor. 2835 Laura Koppe, Houston. Tex. 77093. Tel: Angeles.Calif. 90018. Tel: (213) 732-8196 Muncie: YSA. Box 387 Student Center, Ball State Newark. N.J. 07102. Tel: (201) 624-7434. (713) 697-5543. Los Angeles: C1ty-w1de SWP. YSA. 4040 W Wash­ University. Muncie Ind. 47306. NEW YORK: Albany: YSA, c/o Michael Kozak, 395 Houston, North Side: SWP, YSA. Pathfinder ington Blvd .. Suite 11. Los Angeles. Calif 90018. KANSAS: Lawrence: YSA. c/o Chnstopher Starr. Ontario SL Albany. N.Y. 12208. Tel: (518) 482- Bookstore-Libreria Militants, 2816 N. Main. Hous­ Tel (213) 732-8197 Sunflower Apts. #23. Lawrence. Kans. 66044. 7348. ton, Tex. 77009. Tel: (713) 224-0985. Oakland: SWP, YSA. 1467 Fruitvale Ave., Oakland, KENTUCKY: Lexington: YSA. P.O. Box 952 Univer­ Binghamton: YSA, c/o Debbie Porder, 184 Corltss Houston, South-Central: SWP, 4987 South Park Calif. 94601. Tel: (415) 261-1210. sity Station, Lexington. Ky 40506. Tel: (606) 266- Ave .. Johnson City. N.Y. 13790. Tel: (607) 729- Blvd. (South Park Plaza), Houston, Tex. 77021. Pasadena: SWP. YSA, Pathfinder Bookstore. 226 N 0536. 3812. Tel: (713) 643-0005. El Molino, Pasadena, Calif. 91106. Tel (2131 793- LouisvUie: YSA. Box 3593, louisville, Ky. 40201. Ithaca: YSA,c/o Sara Bloxsom. 110 Morris Heights, Houston: City-wide SWP, YSA, 3311 Montmse. 3468 LOUISIANA: New Orleans: SWP. YSA, Pathfinder Ithaca, N.Y 14850. Tel: (607) 272-7098. Houston. Tex. 77006. Tel: (713) 526-1082 .. San Diego: SWP, YSA, Militant Bookstore 1053 Bookstore. 3812 Magazine St. New Orleans. La. New York, Bronx: SWP, P.O. Box 688. Bronx, N.Y San Antonio: SWP, P.O. Box 1376, San Antonio, 15th St, San Diego. Calif. 92101 Tel· (714) 234- 70115 Tel !504\ 891-5324. 10469. Tex. 78295. Tel: (512) 732-5957. YSA, P.O. Box 0685. MARYLAND: Baltimore: SWP. YSA, 2117 N. Charles New York, Brooklyn: SWP, YSA, Militant Bookstore, 12110, laurel Heights Station, San Antonio, Tex. San Fernando Valley: SWP P 0 Box 4456. Panora­ St. Baltimore, Md 21218. Tel (301) 547-0668. 136 Lawrence St. (at Willoughby), Brooklyn. N.Y. 78212. ma City, Cali!. 91412. Tel (213) 894-2081. College Park: YSA, c/o Student Union. University of 11201. Tel: (212) 596-2849. UTAH: Logan: YSA, P.O. Box 1233. Utah State San Francisco: SWP, YSA, Militant Labor Forum. Maryland. College Dark. Md. 20742 Tel: (301) New York, Chelsea: SWP, Pathfinder Bookstore, University, Logan, Utah 84322. 1519 Miss1on St. San Franc1sco. Calif. 94103. Tel: 454-4758. 200 1/, W. 24th St. (off 7th Ave.), New York. N.Y. Salt Lake City: YSA, P.O. Box 461, Salt Lake City, S\/YP-(415) 431-8918: YSA-(415) 863-2285 Prince Georges County: SWP. P 0 Box 1807 10011. Tel: (212) 989-2731. Utah 84110. San Francisco, Mission District: SWP. Soc1alist Prince Georges Plaza, Hyattsville. Md. 20788. Tel New York, Lower East Side: SWP, YSA, 221 E. 2nd VIRGINIA: Richmond: SWP. P.O. Box 25394, Bookstore. Ubreria Soc1al1sta. 3284 23rd St San (202) 333-0265 or (202) 797-7706. St. (between Ave. B and Ave. C). New York, N.Y. Richmond. Va. 23260. Tel: (804) 232-3769. Franc1sco. Calif. 94110 MASSACHUSETTS: Amherst: YSA, c/o Mark Cera­ 10009. Tel: (212) 260-6400. WASHINGTON, D.C.: Northwest: SWP, 2416 18th San Jose: SWP. YSA. 123 S. 3rd St. Su1te 220. San soulo. 13 Hollister Apts Amherst. Mass. 01002. New York, Queens: SWP, YSA, Militant Bookstore. St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20009 Tel: (202) 797- Jose, Calif. 95113. Tel· !408) 295-8342 Boston: SWP YSA. 510 Commonwealth Ave .. 90-43 149 St (corr.er Jamaica Ave.), Jamaica. 7706. East San Jose: SWP. 1192 E. Santa Clara, San Jose, Boston Mass. 02215. Tel: (617) 262-4620. N.Y 11435. Tel: (212) 658-7718. Washington, D.C.: Southeast: SWP. 727 8th St. SE, Calif. 95116. Tel: (408! 295-2618 Boston: c,ty-w1de SWP. YSA. 510 Commonwealth New York, Upper West Side: SWP, YSA. Militant Washington. D.C. 20003. Tel: (202) 546-2162. Santa Barbara: YSA. P 0 Box 14606, UCSB, Santa Ave .. Boston. Mass. 02215. Tel: (617) 262-4621. Bookstore, 786 Amsterdam, New . York, N.Y. Washington, D.C.: City-wide SWP, YSA, 2416 18th Barbara. Calif. 93107. Cambridge: SWP, 2 Central Square. Cambridge. 10025. Tel: (212) 663-3000. St. NW. Washington, D.C 20009. Tel: (202) 797- Santa Cruz: YSA. c/o Student Activities Office. Mass. 02139. Tel: (617) 547-4395. New York: City-wide SWP, YSA, 853 Broadway. 7699 Redwood Bldg., UCSC, Santa Cruz, Calif. 95064 Roxbury: SWP, 1865 Columbus Ave., Roxbury, Room 412, New York, N.Y 10003. Tel: (212) 982- COLORADO: Boulder: YSA. Room 175. University Mass. 02119. Tel: (617) 445-7799. 8214. WASHINGTON: Seattle, Central Area: SWP, YSA. Memorial Center, Univers1ty of Colorado. Bould­ Worcester: YSA, Box 229. Greendale Stat1on. OHIO: Cincinnati: SWP, YSA. P.O. Box 8986. Hyde Militant Bookstore. 2200 E. Union. Seattle, Wash. er. Colo. 80302. Tel (303) 492-7679. Worcester. Mass. 01606. Park Station, Cincinnati. Ohio 45208. Tel: (513) 98122. Tel: (206) 329-7404. Denver: SWP. YSA. Militant Bookstore, 1379-ill MICHIGAN: Ann Arbor: YSA. Room 4103. Mich. 321-7445. Seattle, North End: SWP, YSA, Pathfinder Boo'k­ Kalamath. Denver. Colo. 80204. Tel (3031 623- Un1on. Univers1ty of Michigan, Ann Arbor, M1ch. Cleveland: SWP, YSA, 2300 Payne. Cleveland, Ohio store, 5623 University Way NE, Seattle. Wash. 2825. 48104. Tel (313) 663-8766. 44114. Tel: (216) 861-4166. 98105. Tel: (206) 522-7800. Fort Collins: YSA, Student Center Cave. Colorado Detroit, East Side: SWP. 12920 Mack Ave .. Detroit Columbus: YSA. Box 3343 Univ. Station (mailing Seattle: City-wide: SWP, YSA: 5623 University Way State Un,vers1ty. Ft Collins. Colo. 80521. M1ch 48215. Tel (313) 824-1160. address): 325 Ohio Union, Columbus, Ohio NE, Seattle, Wash. 98105. Tel: (206) 522-7800. FLORIDA: MIAMI: YSA. P.O. Box 390487. Miam' Detroit, Southwest: SWP. 19 Clifford, Room 805, 43210. Tel: (614) 422-6287. WISCONSIN: Eau Claire: YSA. c/o Chip Johnson, Beach, Fla 33139 Detroit, Mich. 48226. Tel: (313) 961-5675. OREGON: Portland: SWP. YSA, Militant Bookstore. 221 1/, Ninth Ave, Eau Claire, Wis. 54701. Tel: Tallahassee: YSA. c/o Suzanne Welch. 765 Ei Detroit, West Side: SWP, Militant Bookstore, 18415 208 S.W Stark, Fifth Floor, Portland, Ore. 97204. (715) 835-1474. Rancho St. Tallahassee, Fla. 32304. Tel: (904) Wyoming, Detroit. Mich. 48221. Tel: (313) 341- Tel: (503) 226-2715. La Crosse: YSA, c/o UW La Crosse, Cartwright 224-9632. 6436. PENNSYLVANIA: Edinboro: YSA, Edinboro State Center, 1725 State St. La Crosse, Wis. 54601. GEORGIA: Atlanta: Militant Bookstore. 68 Peach­ Detroit: C1ty-wide: SWP. YSA, 19 Clifford. Room College, Edinboro. Pa. 16412. Madison: YSA, P.O. Box 1442, Madison, Wis. 53701. tree St NE, Third floor. Atlanta. Ga. 30303. SWP 805. Detroit. Mich. 48226. Tel: (313) 961-5675. Philadelphia, West Philadelphia: SWP. 218 S. 45th Tel: (608) 238-6224. and YSA. P 0 Box 846, Atlanta. Ga. 30301. Tel: East Lansing: YSA, First Floor Student Offices, St., Philadelphia. Pa. 19104. Tel: (215) EVi'-2451. Milwaukee: SWP. YSA, 207 E. Michigan Ave., Rm. (404) 523-0610. Union Bldg.. Mich1gan State University, East Philadelphia: City-wide SWP, YSA. 218 S. 45th St., 25. Milwaukee, Wis. 53202. Tel: SWP-(414) 289- ILLINOIS: Champaign-Urbana: YSA. 284 \ll1ni Lans111g, Mich. 48823. Tel (517) 353-0660. Philadelphia, Pa. 19104. Tel. (215) EV7-2451. 9340: YSA-(414) 289-9380.

THE MILITANT/JULY 16, 1976 31 THE. MILITANT July 4 march • ousan s eman • ' ree uerto ico!' By Jose Perez were waved by marchers of all ages, PHILADELPHIA-Thousands upon from toddlers to grandmothers. thousands of people marched through Many people also carried the PSP the streets of predominantly Black flag, which has a white star in a red North Philadelphia July 4, chanting field. About thirty banners from differ­ "For a bicentennial without colonies!" ent PSP community chapters were and "Independence for Puerto Rico­ interspersed throughout the contin­ right now!" gent. It was clearly the biggest demonstra­ I interviewed a few dozen people in tion in support of Puerto Rican inde­ this contingent. A broad cross section pendence ever held in the United of the community was there. Many States. whole families came. They were mostly Estimates of the exact size varied. working people. About a third said this During the rally, a chairperson an­ was their first pro-independence dem­ nounced that more than 50,000 were onstration. present. Other estimates were roughly Several said they were members or half that. The New York Times report­ sympathizers of the PSP, the group ed that about 30,000 people were pres­ that was the main force organizing the ent. contingent. But most didn't belong to The turnout is particularly impres­ any political group. sive in view of the campaign by the Other contingents represented Philadelphia city government and Blacks, women, gays, radical groups, news media in the weeks leading up to and cities-from Madison, Wisconsin, the march. An attempt was made to to Portland, Maine, to Atlanta, Geor­ discourage participation in the protest gia. by charging that it would be violent. They carried banners dealing with The action, however, was totally many issues-from racist attacks peaceful, legal, and orderly, as organiz­ against Blacks in Boston, to jobs for ers had promised. all, to equal rights for gays. But the The two-and-a-half-hour march was theme consistently repeated from one followed by a rally in Fairmount Park. group of marchers to another was Speakers there included Juan Mari independence for Puerto Rico. Bras, general secretary of the Puerto Many in these contingents told me Rican Socialist party (PSP), the group they were active in various groups or that initiated the march; Karen De­ struggles. A good number were mem­ Crow, president of the National Orga­ bers of radical or socialist organiza­ nization for Women; Rev. Bernard Lee, tions. national executive vice-president of the Peter Camejo, presidential candidate Southern Christian Leadership Confer­ of the Socialist Workers party, ence; Dr. Helen Rodriguez, of the marched with a banner supporting Committee to End Sterilization Abuse; Puerto Rican independence. Elaine Brown, of the Black Panther Supporters of his campaign distri­ party; Dave Dellinger, a leader of the buted 5,000 copies of the SWP cam­ anti-Vietnam War movement; and oth­ paign platform, "A Bill of Rights for ers. Working People," and sold 670 copies The march started about noon. A of the Militant. contingent of Native Americans was in Members of many groups distributed .. the lead. A young Indian man from literature and carried their banners . South Dakota carrying a sacred peace Continued on page 30 pipe walked solemnly ahead of the rest, followed by 100 other activists organized by the American Indian Movement. The biggest and broadest contingent by far was the Puerto Rican. It was close to 10,000 people-so big that it was broken down into many sub­ contingents. Each had a sound truck or big banner at the head. They represented cities and states through­ out the East and Midwest. The demand for independence came through loud and clear. "Free Puerto Rico," read one banner. "No mas colonias-Viva Puerto Rico libre." "No U.S. intervention in Puerto Rico." Several banners called for the re­ lease of five Puerto Rican nationalists who have been in U.S. prisons since the early 1950s. There were also banners and chants demanding the release of Lureida Torres. Torres, a member of the PSP, has been impri­ soned for refusing to cooperate with a grand jury witch-hunt against inde­ pendence supporters. There were three or four huge Puerto Militant/Lou Howort Rican flags that required a couple PSP's MARl BRAS: 'Independence for dozen people each to carry them. Puerto Rico will be a victory for you as Militant/Lou Howort Scores of small Puerto Rican flags well as for us.'