Halstead-Boutelle H.Q. bombed in Los Angeles -see page 12
THE Eyewitness reports from Mexico
MILITANT -see page 6 Published in the interests of the Working People
Vol. 32- No. 43 Friday, October 25, 1968 Price l5c 500 Gls ioin 15,000 antiwar marchers San Francisco is the scene of historic action By George Johnson SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 12-More than 500 active-duty Gis from bases in the Bay Area joined a massive antiwar march and demonstration here today, in an his toric development in American politics. Donald Duncan, former Green Beret master sergeant described the. "GI and Vet March for Peace" as the beginning of a new stage for the movement. Duncan spoke at a rally following a march by 15,000 to San Francisco's Civic Center. The mood of the crowd was one of militancy and seriousness. Proud of the new links being forged between G Is and civilians in the antiwar movement, the crowd was able to prevent plainclothes military police from harassing Gis. At one point, three agents were chased into a San Francisco police station wagon, which they entered through the tailgate, and at another, two more agents were blocked when they tried to question a G I. The G I, protected by the crowd, es caped in a student's car. A shore-patrol vehicle that had picked up a uniformed sailor was chased for a block. The march had been organized with broad legal, clerical, labor and campus support as a means of protecting the Gis. That it worked was shown when all of the march's GI organizers were present Oct. 12. Not one had been shipped out by the brass, despite numerous attempts by the military to get them out of the Bay Area during the march. And, despite persistent morning rains, confinement to base, harassment and in timidation, the Gis showed up to march too. Two hundred active-duty Gis who started from Panhandle-Golden Gate Park were joined along the way by another 100, and then at the rally by200morewho had not marched. Many of those who joined the march en route were from the Presi dio's Special Processing Detachment, whose commander had ordered formations every two hours on Oct. 12 to prevent SPD men from marching. They came anyway. The brass had also attempted to restrict other units at the Presidio, such as Head quarters Special Troops, and men at Fort (Continued on page 3)
PHOTO. Front of massive antiwar march. Left is Airman First Class Michael Locks; next to him, Lieut. J. G. Sue Schnall and Gen. Hugh Hester, Ret. Behind them comes the G I contingent. Photo by Dave Warren. Page 2 THE MILITANT Friday, October 25, 1968 THE MILITANT Free speech struggle at U of C Editor: BARRY SHEPPARD Business Manager: BEVERLY SCOTT Fight for Cleaver story which would be front-page Published weekly by The Militant Publishing Ass 'n., 873 Broadway, New York, news throughout the world. N.Y. 10003. Phone 533-6414. Second-<:lass postage paid at New York, N.Y. - a common cause Do you intend to run another Letters Subscription: domestic, $4 a year; foreign, $5.50. By first class mail: domestic story, giving the Israeli position? and Canada $10.50; all other countries, $15.00. Air printed matter: domestic and Canada, $15.00; Latin America, $24.00; Europe, $28.00; Africa, Australia, Berkeley, Calif. I do not know if Mr. Sheppard Asia (including USSR), $33.00. Write for sealed air postage rates. Signed articles The Cleaver dispute on the Uni and Mr. Halstead visited Israel. from our by contributors do not necessarily represent The Militant's views. These are versity of California campus [See I should think that such a visit expressed in editorials. would be of great interest to social The Militant, Oct. 4] has special ists. In any case, I would hope Vol. 32- No. 43 Friday, October 25, 1968 political significance in the United you would be fair enough to al readers States today because the issue low Mr. Bassam's potential vic involves the black and white com tims to at least correct some ofthe This column is an open forum munities in a very clear, simple Humphrey-Nixon-Wallace factual errors which you printed. for all viewpoints on subjects of and real sense. Up to now, it has To allow such errors to stand general interest to our readers. been thought that issues which makes you look foolish, and a Please keep your letters brief. Where dodge the Vietnam issue affected the lives of the black com dupe, and detracts from the credi necessary they will be abridged. munity rarely affected the lives of bility of the rest of the statements. Writers' initials will be used, names Humphrey, Nixon and Wallace, the indigestible trio offered to the white community and vice For example, he speaks of Is being withheld unless authorization the American people by the two major capitalist parties and the versa. rael as "an island of three million is given for use. In the past, any time that both Dixiecrat split-off from the Democratic Party, are doing their best imported people." But the total the white and black communities to downplay the burning issue facing the country and the world population of Israel is about 2, 11 Militant which I think should were involved in a cause together, 500,000 and 300,000 of these are the Vietnam war. Aside from Humphrey's muted references to be brought to your readers' at the involvementrequiredempathy Arabs, and a substantial propor possibly taking a slightly different stand thanJohnsonhas, Nixon's tention. from one side toward the other. tion of the Jews were born there. vague assertion that he will somehow find a way to end the war, Frankenthaler stated, "[Colum It was felt that the lives of the Incidentally, the Arabs were bia University Acting President and Wallace's unfounded bluster that he could quickly "win" the people of both communities were themselves an import to Palestine, Andrew] Cordier's offer of am war, they are all trying to sweep the issue under the rug. The not in a real sense involved. weren't they? nesty is an attempt to divide the H. K. capitalist press has joined this conspiracy to dampen the debate In the Eldridge Cleaver dispute A. student body." While this certainly on Vietnam, downplaying news about the war and blotting out it is easier to see where the inter was the intent, Cordier's offer fell news about the antiwar movement. For example, the New York ests of both communities are simi As I pointed out in the interview far short of amnesty. Columbia Times didn't even report the recent demonstration of 25,000 in lar because, as a member of the with Abu Bassam, he works for has requested that legal charges the information center of Al Fatah, Chicago against the war and against Mayor Daley's use of Black Panther Party, Cleaver has be dropped for certain demonstra and what he told me should be cops during the Democratic convention, nor the significant Oct. 12 a real following in the black com tors with only minor charges considered the official position of against them, and has reduced demonstration led by Gls in San Francisco. munity, and the fact that he may that organization. But the war goes on, Gis and Vietnamese continue to die, and not be able to lecture on the UC university disciplinary action It is understandable, given the against certain others, but every antiwar sentiment continues to rise in the country. In sharp con campus is to the black commu distorted and inadequate image of nity a blatant case primarily of body involved still will receive trast to the capitalist candidates, Fred Halstead and Paul Boutelle, the Arab position generally that severe disciplinary action at a racism, and secondly of academic appears in the U. S. press, that the Socialist Workers Party presidential ticket, are raising the issue minimum, and a great number freedom and free speech. To the A. H. K. finds the Al Fatah posi of Vietnam on their speaking tours, on radio and TV, and are are still suspended or face major campus community (mostly tion so startling he considers it to reaching as many people as they can, given the SWP's modest legal penalties. white), the Cleaver dispute is pri be worthy offront-page treatment. campaign budget, with their antiwar met~sage. While every reduction of the vic marily one of academic freedom But these same views of Al Fatah timization that we win is an im The capitalist candidates understand that their prowar stand and free speech, and only secondly have been printed abroad. I hope portant victory, the reason we shared by all three-is becoming ever more unpopular. That's of racism. Note however, the over that my interview with Abu Bas have insisted on amnesty is that why they want to avoid the issue. The Socialist Workers Party sam has helped to present those lap of issues. only this is a recognition that platform demanding that the G Is be brought home now is much views to radical minded people in The battle will more strongly the power of the administration is closer to the real desires of the American people. unite the black and white radi the U.S. illegitimate, that our isS'tles were Barry Sheppard Your support is needed now in the final days of the campaign cals in the Bay Area and probably just, and that the tactics were to help Fred Halstead, Paul Boutelle and their campaign support make a lot more black and white forced upon the students by the ers throughout the country reach as many people as possible liberals aware of the fact that the Columbia's Cordier: administration's refusal to pay with the socialist, antiwar alternative to the Humphrey-Nixon fight for liberation is completely No amnesty offer any attention to petitions a.ct pro Wallace prow ar ticket. in the interest of both the black tests. Hence to term a minor re and white communities on all New York, N.Y. duction of penalties "amnesty" is levels. There was an error in Hugh very misleading. The fight for black liberation is Frankenthaler's letter in the Oct. Robert Gebert really a fight for the liberation of black and white, yellow and brown Americans alike. It is a fight primarily against the ex Meet Socialists in Your Area cesses of capitalism. The Cleaver dispute is one ofthese "tailor made" (II you are interested in the ideas of Woodward Ave., Detroit48201. (313) TEI- causes, simple in structure and socialism, you can meet socialists in your 6135. content, that should be taken ad city at the following addresses.) East Lansing: YSA, Mike Maniskalco, 614 vantage of by all radicals to poli Michigan, Apt. 2. 351·0970. ticize other Americans, particular CALIFORNIA: Atascadero: YSA, Bill Blau, Ypsilanti: Ed Mattos, 913 Washtenaw ly liberals. P.O. Box 1061, Atascadero. •16, Ypsilanti, Mich. 48197. Phone 482- Bob Cirese Berkeley-Oakland: Socialist Workers 7348. Party (SWP) and Young Socialist Alliance MINNESOTA: Minneapolis-St. Paul: SWP, His own Militant (YSA). 2519A Telegraph. Ave., Berkeley YSA and Labor Bookstore, 704 Hennepin 94704. (415) 849·1 032. Ave., Hall 240, Mpls. 55403. (612) Washington, D. C. Los Angeles: SWP and YSA, I 702 East FE 2-7781. There is no question but that Fourth St., L.A. 90033. (213) AN 9·4953. MISSOURI: St. Louis: Phone EV 9-2895, The Militant carries news that I Sacramento: Sacramento State College ask for Dick Clarke. can get nowhere else and is a re YSA, John Montgomery, West Bridge, •192. NEW JERSEY: Newark: YSA, c/o vvalt and freshing change from the banali 1025 University Ave., Sacramento, Calif. Andrea Brode, 425 Mt. Prospect Ave., ties of the bourgeois press. I 95825. Newark, N.J., 17104, tel. 483-8513. should, by rights, have subscribed San Diego: San Diego Labor Forum, NEW YORK: Albany: YSA, Carol French, long ago, but I have been reading P. 0. Box 2221, San Diego 92112. 194 Jay Street, Albany 11210. it at the local YSA headquarters San Francisco: Militant Labor Forum and New York City: Militant Labor Forum, and postponing the inevitable. Pioneer Books, 2338Market St., S. F. 94114. 873 ~roadway (near 18th St.), N.Y. I 0003. K.N. (41 5) 552-1266. (21 2) 982-6051. Santa Rosa: Young Socialist Alliance, OHIO: Cleveland: Eugene V. Debs Hall, AI Fatah's position Stefan Bosworth, BOB Spencer. 2nd floor west, 980 I Euclid Ave., Cleveland GEORGIA: YSA, P.O. Box 6262, Atlanta, 44106. (216) 791·1669. New York, N.Y. Go. 30308. (404) 873-1368. Kent: YSA, P. 0. Box 116, Kent. On page 7 of your issue of Sep ILLINOIS: Carbondale: YSA, Bill Moffet, Yellow Springs: Antioch YSA, Michael tember 20, you report that the 406 S. Washington. Schreiber, Antioch Union, Yellow Springs Socialist Scholars Conference Champaign-Urbana: YSA, P. 0. Box2099, 45387. 767-5511. passed, with only five dissenting Station A, Champaign, Ill. 61820. OREGON: Portland: c/o Tonie Porter, 5203 votes, a resolution stating that Chicago: SWP, YSA and bookstore, 302 S. W. Pomona, Portland, 97219. socialism cannot flourish without S. Canal St., Rm. 204, Chicago 60606. PENNSYLVANIA: Philadelphia: SWP and freedom of expression. On page (31 2) 939·5044. YSA, 686 N. Broad St., Philo. 19130. (215) 11 you print an article praising INDIANA: Bloomington: YSA, Russel Block, CE 6-6998. Cuba. Is it your impression that 207 East 2nd St., Bloomington 47401. 339· TEXAS: Austin: YSA, Charles Cairns, 1803 there is freedom of expression in 4640. Enfield Ave., Austin. Cuba? Evansville: YSA, Ronald Hicks, 1619 Houston: YSA, David Shroyer, 1116 In Barry Sheppard's interview Franklin St., Evansville. Columbus St., Houston 78703. (713) JA 9· with Abu Bassam, he generally Indianapolis: Holstead-Boutelle Cam· 2236. refers to AI Fatah's position on paign, P. 0. Box 654, Indianapolis, Indiana, UTAH: Salt Lake City: Shem Richards, 957 this or that. However, the state 46206. E. First Ave., Salt Lake 84103. (801) 355· ment of disagreement with the MARYLAND: Baltimore: YSA, Toby Rice, 3537. Arab aim of driving the Jews into c/o Bram, 1518 Park Ave., Baltimore. WASHINGTON, D. C.: YSA, 3 Thomas Cir the sea is credited to Mr. Bassam. MASSACHUSETTS: Boston: Militant Labor cle, N. W., 2nd floor, Washington, D. C., I think you owe it to your readers Forum, 295 Huntington Ave., Rm. 307. 20005. (202) 332-4635. FRED HALSTEAD. SWP presidential candidate and Paul to make clear to them whether (61 7) 876-5930. WASHINGTON: Seattle: SWP and YSA, Boutelle have made opposition to the war in Vietnam a central these are solely his views, or the MICHIGAN: Ann Arbor: Nan Byam, 921 5257 University Way N. E., Seattle 98105 aspect of their campaigtt from the beginning. Here, Fred views of hi1 organization. If they S. Forest, Ann Arbor, 48104. Phone 761· (206) 523·2555. Halstead joins antidraft demonstration held in New York are actually those of AI Fatah, I 0828. WISCONSIN: Madison: YSA, 202 Marion last December. believe you have uncovered a Detroit: Eugene V. Debs Hall, 3737 St. (608) 256-0857. Friday, October 25, 1968 THE MILITANT Page 3
• • • Gls in antiwar march (Continued from page 1) Ord and other bases, but some of them were able to come too. The brass had shown their concern about the impact of the march from the beginning. In a telegram intercepted by Gis friendly to the march, one general told another the march had to be quashed because ofits "highly undesirable impact on discipline." (See The Militant, Sept. 20.) The military harassed civilian leafleters on and offbases. Gis were threatened with severe punish ment if they attended the march. The mood of the march was reflected in its composition and placards. First came the Gis, then 200 reservists, and then more than 1,000 Vietnam and other vets, followed by other civilians. Each group marched behind its own banner. There was not one placard concerning negotiations, nor were they mentioned during the rally. The rally opened with Airman First Class Michael Locks, one of the G I organizers, reading telegrams and letters of support from Gis around the country and in Viet nam. One asked for information on GI antiwar actions after Nov. 15, when he is to return from Vietnam. Another said, "Hundreds of G Is I've talked to here [in Vietnam] agree with me .... Let me know how I can help." Lieut. J. G. Sue Schnall, who on March Photo by Dave Warren 1 0 had helped drop march leaflets from LIEUT. J. G. SUE SCHNALL. Navy nurse addresses rally of 15,000 following Oct. 12 GI antiwar march. an airplane on the U.S. S. Ranger, Yerba Buena, Treasure Island, and Oak Knoll in Vietnam as a combat correspondent "And the fact that this has taken place of U.S. troops. "There's only one aggres Naval Hospital, where she works as a for the 25th Division. I speak for hundreds during a political campaign is extremely sor in Vietnam, and that's the Johnson nurse, told the rally the Vietnam war "means of Vietnam vets who are here and for important. ... This is the first time Gis administration," he said. The crowd cheered getting to know them, learning to love thousands more who would be here if and civilians have gotten together. We're Hester when he described the U. S. mili these guys, then losing them in a dirty, they could. One of the guys who marched really rattling their cages. Gis are giving tary as a ''world gendarmerie," and said filthy war. For these reasons I plead: here today has a silver star with valor, the lie to the contention that the antiwar American imperialism had taken over the End the war now. Bring our boys home. a bronze star with valor and four purple movement hates Gis .... This demonstra French role in Vietnam. Bring our boys home alive!" hearts. He had 4 7 bullets or pieces of tion, as has been demonstrated by the But the crowd showed its disappoint Marine Corps reservist Steve Pizzo, whose shrapnel in his body. He's 40 percent military themselves, in preventing their ment through jeers when Hester tried to unit turned out in large numbers, said, disabled. And this is exactly the point own soldiers from coming here, has shown offer up Nixon as what he admitted was "This turnout is encouraging. We don't I want to stress to the American people. just how far up the wall this demonstra a poor choice as a lesser evil than Hum feel so alone . . . The day of the silent They can't say we don't know what it's tion is putting them. I'd like to see all phrey or Wallace. sacrifice is over." about, that we're cowards. We went there. of us keep giving them a boost up that Lieut. Hugh Smith then drew one of Mike Paresi, a sailor from an ammuni We saw what it is. And we say it is wrong." wall." the biggest hands of the day when he tion ship berthed at Port Chicago, said, Kleinberg, who was heavily applauded Duncan got a rousing cheer from the said that telling about his own political "Now's the time for us to stand up and by the crowd, went on to describe an NLF crowd when he called for an end to con choice "would probably start a revolution tell Washington we will no longer condone mortar attack on Cu Chi, in which two scription and expulsion of ROTC from in this country." Smith ended with, "For its policies. I urge you to support our of his buddies were killed. He said. 'When the campus. the first time in wartime, Gis have come Gis in this democratic society that we Burns stumbled out of that bunker into Gen. Hugh Hester, Ret., called the Viet out against national policy. Gis have en are supposed to have." the arms of Larry Craig, he didn't mumble, nam war illegal, immoral and genocidal, tered into the fabric of American politics. Jacques Micheud, an airman from Ha 'those bastard Vietcong'; he didn't mumble, and demanded the immediate withdrawal Welcome, every single one of you." milton Air Force Base, told the crowd, 'those bastard communists'; he didn't "If we could get millions, I think we could mumble, 'those slope-eyed bastards.' He stop the war in Vietnam or war anyplace mumbled only one thing over and over: else where they're going to kill innocent 'that bastard Johnson, that bastard John people. And I think Gis more and more son.'" are seeing this- they don't want to keep Wide activities slated Lieut. Hugh Smith, another of the GI on killing people." organizers, said, 'We do not intend to David Kleinberg said, "I spent 14 months slander our supreme commander. We're just going to tell it like it is." John O'Donnell, with the Coast Guard for SMC 'GI Week' at Government Island, said the late Martin A series of national actions will be held e The Atlanta Alliance for Peace is or 3,000 in Madison Luther King "said revolutionary change would be impossible in this country unless during the Oct. 21-27 Week oflnternational ganizing a GI Day rally for Oct. 27. De the military were split. Well I want to say Solidarity Against the Vietnam War. Or spite harassment by the brass, a number we're well on the way towards splitting it." ganized by the Student Mobilization Com of servicemen are helping to organize G I solidarity march Duncan then spoke. He called Oct. 12 mittee to End the War in Vietnam, the ac participation. "something of an anniversary for me. It tions will be largely oriented toward regis e In Cleveland, the SMC and various tering support for the right of servicemen campus committees have organized activi By Marl Murati was three years ago that I first publicly to free speech, including the right to ac ties at Case Western Reserve, Cleveland MADISON, Wis., Oct. 12- Three thou spoke out against the war in Defermery tively oppose the war. State College, Cleveland Heights High sand people marched here today in soli Park in Oakland. The mass media kept The SMC is organizing the week of anti School and Shaker Heights High School. darity with the GI demonstration in San asking, why just you? Here's your war activity in response to calls from anti Francisco. answer .... Gis are protesting.... This e The Minnesota Mobilization Commit war forces in Japan, England, Canada tee has slated a noon rally in Minneapolis The demonstration followed a week of demonstration is unique, but I guarantee and other countries, where major actions and an evening rally in St. Paul Oct. 26. harassment by police and city authorities, you that by next month this unique dem are also slated. In Seattle, extensive leafleting and dis who tried to prevent the march from taking onstration will only be called the first of e The following are some of the highlights cussions with servicemen at Ft. Lewis are place. After the Madison antiwar move its kind. directed toward building an Oct. 26 anti ment made it clear that they would ex "And although it is unique, it's not iso of activities planned here: ercise their rights with or without a parade lated. And the numbers [of protesting Gis] e In New York, campus activities, in war conference. permit, city officials granted permission are increasing, here and in Vietnam.... cluding rallies and teach-ins led by Gis, e Detroit has a march scheduled for for the march. This is not just another student mobili will be held at Columbia University, City Oct. 26. The central slogan of the demonstration zation .... This was started by, led by College, Brooklyn College, Brooklyn Poly e In Albany, the week's activity includes was "Support our men in Vietnam-bring and organized by active-duty Gis, reserv technic and others. There will be bus con a GI rally, class discussions and/or boy them home now," and the theme that domi ists, Vietnam vets, veterans of World War tingents to Fort Dix Oct. 26, where Gis cotts, guerrilla theater and a "county fair" nated the rally in front of the Army-Air II and Korea. Important as the other will be invited to a meeting outside the featuring a "greased pig" contest. Force recruiting office was solidarity with marches have been, I think this one is base. the Gis. The speakers included an ex really going to be a hallmark, it's going e A GI rally will be held at Chicago's Marine and an ex-GI. There were no to be a turning point. Midland Hotel Oct. 26, organized by the active-duty Gis speaking, since Gis in GI Week Committee, whose sponsors in Release set for the area had been given specific orders clude the SMC, Chicago Peace Council, not to attend any demonstration. Few listeners like war Veterans for Peace and the National Mo After the rally, the demonstration march bilization Committee. ~Ft. Hood Three' ed to the University of Wisconsin campus MADISON, Wis.- Robin David, Wiscon e The Phildalephia SMC is organizing where an open-air, rock-band party was sin Socialist Workers Party campaign di an antiwar march Oct. 26 with participa NEW YORK, Oct. 16-Pvt. Dennis Mora, thrown. rector, spoke for an hour to an estimated tion of Gis. one of the "Fort Hood Three" Gis who The action was sponsored by a number half-million people on WOKY Talky, a e In Washington, D. C., the SMC, with were imprisoned for refusing to go to of organizations, including the Committee Milwaukee call-in radio program, Oct. 8. support from key campus groups, includ Vietnam in 1966, was released from Ft. to End the War in Vietnam, Students for Most of the call-in discussion from listeners ing the American University SDS, is orga Leavenworth military prison today. The a Democratic Society, Wisconsin Draft Re concerned the Vietnam war. About half nizing a two-pronged march Oct. 26 to other two Gis, Pfc. James Johnson and sistance Union, Committee for Direct the callers were against the war, and about Lafayette Park for a rally followed by a Pvt. David Samas, will be released on Oct. Action, Vets for Peace, Young Socialists half were confused about the war and the street dance. 23 and Oct. 27 respectively. for Halstead and Boutelle, Young Socialist antiwar movement, some expressing fear e The Los Angeles SMC and Peace Ac At the time of their court-martial in Alliance, High School Students for Social that demonstrations aid Wallace. Only one tion Council will also have a two-pronged September, 1966, the "Fort Hood Three" Justice, Engineers Say End the War, and or two supported the U. S. aggression in march culminating with a rally at McArthur opposed the Vietnam war as "illegal, a grade-school group. Vietnam. Park. immoral, and unjust." Page 4 THE MILITANT Friday, October 25, 1968 SWP on ballot in 19 states
By Jon Britton nesota. In the latter state an important The 1968 ballot campaign in behalf of legal victory for civil liberties was chalked the Socialist Workers Party presidential up when a federal court overrode state ticket has been successfully concluded. Fred officials who attempted to keep the CP off Halstead and Paul Boutelle will be on the the ballot on the basis of the McCarran ballot in at least 19 and possibly 21 Act. states. The badly fragmented Peace and Free New Mexico, with a filing deadline of dom Party movement has fielded two rival Sept. 26, was the last state in which ballot presidential candidates, Dick Gregory and requirements were fulfilled. Eldridge Cleaver, and at least a half The Halstead-Boutelle ticket is also on dozen vice-presidential candidates. the ballot in New Hampshire, Rhode Is Gregory will be on the ballot in six land, Vermont, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, states if a court case is won in Indiana. Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Wisconsin, Cleaver will be on four state ballots: Mi New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, chigan, Minnesota, Arizona and Iowa. Washington, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Pro-Cleaver presidential electors will be and North Dakota. In New York, the on the ballot in California, according to state supreme court twice overruled the the New York PFP office, though Clea secretary of state's crude attempt to throw ver's name has been deleted by state offi the SWP off the ballot. cials, on the spurious grounds that Clea Official write-in campaigns are being ver's age is under the 35-year minimum conducted in states such as Ohio, Massa specified by the U. S. Constitution. A court chusetts, Georgia and Illinois where case is being fought to win ballot status highly discriminatory election laws made for Cleaver in New York. it impossible to obtain ballot status this The Halstead-Boutelle ticket will be on year. the ballot in a Southern border state, In Connecticut and Tennessee ballot re quirements were met but the state officials Kentucky, for the first time ever, which arbitrarily denied ballot status to Halstead is another indication of the expanding influence of the SWP campaign this year. and Boutelle. The Socialist Workers Cam The CP, SLP and PFP supporters failed paign Committee is reviewing possible legal to get their candidates on the ballot in measures to override these actions. Meeting the ballot requirements in 21 Kentucky. states was no small task. An estimated The impressive scope of the SWP cam 117,400 signatures were collected on nomi paign, including the number of states where nating petitions. Nominating conventions its candidates will be on the ballot, has had to be organized in four states, in resulted in far more radio, TV and press cluding Washington, where at least 100 coverage than in previous years. The registered voters not voting in the primary ballot effort also resulted in many people had to attend. in new areas being reached by and in Five to ten thousand man-days of work volved in the campaign. MICHIGAN BALLOT. Portion of official ballot were involved, the bulk of it in the months of July and August. Hundreds of Young Socialists for Halstead and Boutelle spent a major part of their summer vacations on the ballot campaign, along with the Gov't., scabs fight farm workers other campaign activities. Experienced veterans of past ballot efforts contributed invaluable time, money and advice. to add. Whether he was displaying his own The ballot accomplishments ofHalstead By Dan Martinez Threats on the life of Cesar Chavez, well ignorance of the law, or playing with the Boutelle supporters in 1968 is a clear DELANO, Calif.- Recently one of the known passive-resistance leader of the ignorance of his supporters, remains an indication of the new impetus the revolu better known television shows featured an United Farm Workers Organizing Commit tionary socialist movement is experiencing embattled, misunderstood (and tho tee, have been made many times. Picket open question. now and the changing relationship of forces roughly fictional) policeman facing a panel captains have been beaten, with no arrests Not to be left out, the federal govern within the radical movement. of smug, semideaf demonstrator types ... made of the scabs responsible for the vio ment is lending a hand with legal privi The Socialist Workers Party has fielded from priest to hippie, on the question of lence and lawlessness. leges to California growers. "Grape ex a national ticket in every presidential elec police brutality. "OurfriendJoe" all but cried The UFWOC has launched a national ports to South Vietnam rose from $32,000 tion since 1948. That year the Farrell with an appeal to the poor communist campaign to boycott California table in value in 1965 to $214,000 in 1967, Dobbs-Grace Carlson ticket was on the duped panel and audience to realize that grapes. "Tricky Dick" Nixon lined up on and an estimated $500,000 in 1968," ballot in i 1 states. In 1952 and 1956, the same legal processes protected all. the side of ''law and order" with the growers according to statistics compiled by a the cold war and witch-hunt limited the Meanwhile in Delano, a Labor-Day by stating that the "UFWOC boycott on UFWOC researcher in Washington, D. C. number of states to only seven and four parade permit was refused to farm workers grapes was unnecessary today because we Almost all of these grapes were purchased respectively. attempting to gain recognition from Ca have laws on the books to protect workers by the federal government, or its agencies, The beginnings of a reversal of this lifornia's big-business farmers. The who wish to organize, a National Labor for Americans living or stationed in South trend, produced by the Cuban Revolution reason? According to Police Chief James Relations Board to impartially supervise Vietnam. Vietnam is the third largest im and developing black revolt, made it pos Ailes, "The city could not provide pro the election of collective bargaining agents, porter of California grapes. sible for the SWP to make the ballot in tection against possible grower-scab vio and to safeguard the rights of organizers." El Macriado (the voice of the farm work 12 states in 1960. The 19-21 state total lence." That farm workers have since the incep er published by farm workers) comments, this year was made possible by young This statement was made in a deepening tion of the law been excluded from the "The statistics raise the fear that once again reinforcements won to the Socialist Workers atmosphere of grower-inspired violence. National Labor Relations Act, Nixon failed the federal government may act to break Party and the young socialist movement the strike and crush the farm workers as a result of the mass struggles against movement. In opening the border to un the Vietnam war and for black control limited 'immigration' from Mexico during of the black community. Appeal made for Chinese scholar the Texas and Coachella Valley strikes, This year for the first time the SWP nation the Justice Department dealt a death blow al ticket will be on the ballot in more states to the efforts to force growers to the bargain than the Socialist Labor Party, a hide deported by U.S., ia i Ie d by C hi an g ing table through traditional striking and bound sect which totally ignores mass picket-line activity. Now, through govern movements in favor of pure-and-simple ment purchasing, the government may be electoralism. According to their national The Student-Faculty Union of the Univer Chen studied and taught at the Univer deliberately seeking to break the consumer office, the SLP, which was on the ballot sity of Hawaii is appealing for international sity of Hawaii between 1964 and 1967. boycott, whicn is proving increasingly in 22 states in 1948 and 20 states in 1952, support to Chen Yu-hsi, a former student He was awarded a research fellowship at effective throughout the country." will be on only 13 state ballots in 1968 at the U of H who was recently sentenced Brown University in Rhode Island to begin (or 14 if a c~urt case is won in Indiana). to seven years imprisonment on a sedition work on his PhD in economics this year, The big change which has taken place charge by a court-martial on Taiwan. but the Taiwan regime ordered him to return to the island, and the U. S. govern over the years in the relative strengths of Chen was brought to trial on Aug. 1 ment obligingly cancelled his student visa. the SWP, the Socialist Party of Nor man after having been held by Chiang Kai Instead of going to Taiwan, Chen went Thomas and the Communist Party is also shek's political police for almost six apparent from the ballot figures. Allowance to Japan, where he was admitted on a months without charges. He was charged must, of course, be made for the fact that tourist visa. But on Feb. 9, 1968, after specifically with ''having read and been since the mid-1930s, whether or not they he had been in Japan for six months influenced" by Communist literature while ran their own candidates, most of the or and while he was at the Japanese immi a student at the U of H; with having ganizational strength of the SP and CP gration office trying to arrange for an written articles under a pen name for Ta has been mobilized behind capitalist can extension of his visa, the police seized didates. Ti Pao, an allegedly Communist, Chinese him and threw him on a plane bound for language paper published in Japan; and In 1948 the Socialist Party succeeded Taipei. There he was arrested by Chiang's with having "arranged" to defect to the in getting Norman Thomas on the ballot police. For more than a month after Chen's People's Republic of China. in 19 states. In 1952 and 1956 the SP deportation from Japan, even his father candidate, Darlington Hoopes, appeared At the trial Chen retracted a confession could learn nothing of his whereabouts. on the ballot in 15 states and 5 states he had made while in the hands of the The Student-Faculty Union of the Uni respectively. The SP hasn't run a presi political police and stated that he had versity of Hawaii requests that as many dential candidate since 1956. written it only after his Ufe had been threat letters as po-ssible expressing interest in The last year prior to 1968 that the ened. The prosecution presented no evi Chen's fate be sent to the Foreign Ministry, Communist Party ran a presidential cam dence except the forced confession and the Republic of China, Taipei, Taiwan. In paign was 1940, when Earl Browder ap testimony of an anonymous ''handwriting addition, funds are urgently needed to peared on the ballot in 22 states. This expert," who claimed that the calligraphy finance a legal appeal. Contributions year the CP is running a campaign of of the signature on several articles pub should be sent to the Chen Yu-hsi Defense sorts. Their presidential slate, Charlene lished under the name of Ai-hua in Ta Ti Fund, cfo Student-Faculty Union, Box Mitchell and Mike Z agarell, will be on the Pao was identical with Chen's calligraphy. 12B40 Campus Mail, University of ballot in two states, Washington and Min- Chen denied that he had written the articles. Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96822. Nixon Friday, October 25, 1968 THE MILITANT Page 5
Response to Boutelle at Arizona State rMan, he's really with itl'
The Oct. 3 Arizona Republic ran a large after the elections. As a result of the con picture of Paul Boutelle, Socialist Workers ference 13 young people decided to join the Party vice-presidential candidate, speaking Young Socialist Alliance. at Arizona State University in Phoenix This was only one of a series of regional with the headline "Throng Gathers on AS U young-socialist conferences to be held be Mall to Hear Socialist Paul Boutelle." fore the elections in all the major cities. According to Pamela Starsky, who orga On Oct. 7 Fred Halstead was in Madison, l'ENRAGE coming nized Boutelle's tour in Phoenix, "Rough Wise., where he appeared on several radio d • estimates place the crowd at 800 with at and television spots in addition to address . Red Fre IS Fred took off BI FinallY' thi~ su~:;:ras a gesture t~: least 200 enthusiastic supporters. Litera ing a meeting of 600 students at the Uni g & Michael Schreiber. on a "':orldf:,:l~~e interna~io~:; ;~ve· ture tables of the Young Socialist Alliance versity of Wisconsin. by Alan M. Wald 'dentiat candt- solidantY volutionarY socla Arnerican sold a great deal and response was very The Cleveland Plain Dealer carried a (Fred Hatstea~·,?'t·e~orkers party, war andA~~ he spoke tolt~~ing that he lt socta
e Mexico e Oct. 2
By Ricardo Ochoa Sept. 25 against the occupation of the the coordinated system of signaling used MEXICO CITY -After building up for university and the subsequent provoca in directing the troops, and the cold-blood 7 0 days, the political confrontation between tions. The troops were called out and they ed way in which men, women and chil the students of Mexico City, supported by blocked the demonstration, but without dren were shot down. a large number of universities in the rest using force. The arrests were massive. The papers of the country, and the government, reached On Sept. 26 a protest meeting was held talked about 1,500 persons taken into a bloody culmination Oct. 2. at the Plaza de las Tres Culturas. There custody. But they admitted that the mili The full toll of the Tlatelolco massacre was no violence whatsoever because the tary authorities at Military Camp No. 1, will not become known until the archives police did not intervene and no troops where the largest number are being held, of the military intelligence are opened to showed up. This was a good illustration refused to give an exact figure. A con the public. The Mexican press estimates of the point that a peaceful demonstration servative estimate would run to about the dead at 20 to 60 and the wounded is one in which the forces of "law and 3,000. at 150 to 300. The president's press sec order" do not interfere. Mexico City is tense and gloomy. The retary told the many foreign journalists, The counteroffensive of the students con day when the student conflict was a simple who are here for the Olympics, that there tinued during the week beginning Sept. "commotion" without much significance is were 20 dead and 75 wounded, a ridi 30. Their course of not giving in to the gone. July 26 marked the end of Mexico's culously low figure. . repression seemed to be succeeding. long period of relative stability. The his The irrefutable truth is that the Diaz On Sept. 30 the army evacuated the tory of Mexico is now divided into before Ordaz government staged a deliberate mas university, and the students staged a dem and after July 26. Now the meaning of sacre at the Oct. 2 meeting in the Plaza onstration in the center of the city fea Oct. 2 must be assessed. de las Tres Culturas in Tlatelolco. Nothing turing some of the mothers of the poli The bourgeoisie committed a grave error like this has been seen in Mexico City tical prisoners crowding the jails and pris on that day, an error that will cost it since the "Tragic Tenth" of February in ons. About 5,000 persons participated in dear. It unmasked itself It showed how 1913, when Victoriano Huerta staged a this. Again there was no violence. ferociously repressive it can be. There is military coup d'etat and murdered Presi On Oct. 1 two more rallies were held no doubt that it has frightend broad sec dent Francisco I. Madero. on the university campus with some 10,000 tors of the Mexican people. But this marks In order to understand what was in students participating. At these rallies a political defeat. Confidence in the regime the minds of the students the day they as everyone was invited to attend the meeting has now been seriously, perhaps irretriev sembled at the plaza, it is necessary to planned for the next day at the Plaza ably, undermined. go back a bit. de las Tres Culturas and to participate in This comes on top of the great shift During the week in which the University a projected march to the Casco de Santo in the Mexican political situation preci of Mexico was invaded and occupied by Tomas to demand the withdrawal of the pitated by the student movement that be federal troops (Sept. 18 ), "unknown" per military forces there. gan July 26. sons machine-gunned Vocational School In this context, it can be seen that the The perceptive critic Carlos Monsivais No. 7, Vocational School No.5, Prepara students visualized the Oct. 2 meeting as summed up the change following July 26 tory School No. 4, and the Colegio de only one in a series of actions protesting in the following words: "The phrase, 'No Mexico. the repression. thing happens here,' is now excluded. The police proved utterly incapable of Why did Diaz Ordaz decide to convert Since July 26 Mexico has been changed either arresting or identifying the assail this peaceful meeting into a blood bath? utterly, fundamentally. And this change ants. This was not too strange. It was By a thoroughly planned attack, the became clear the moment the movement an open secret that the police themselves government wanted to make up for the changed from a student movement to organized the attacks. mistakes committed in the Sept. 18 occu a popular movement, from a movement In face of such provocations, the stu pation of the university. The National in the capital to a national movement. ... dents who felt most directly threatened Strike Committee escaped that raid almost ''Many of the nation's nerve centers were naturally sought to defend themselves in intact. Only a few leaders were caught. hit, and it has changed at its heart. An an organized way, and they set up an The Oct. 2 operation was intended to irreversible process has occurred which embryonic defense guard. rectify things by catching the leaders and touches all of us without exception, and On Sept. 21 a clash occurred in the No cadres in a single scoop of the net. the best of all is this: a generation has de noalco-Tlatelolco district between the stu And the government hoped that a mur cided not to follow the dreary conformism dents of Vocational School No. 7 and the derous blow would strike such terror in of its predecessors." granaderos (military security police) re the population as to assure calm during It can be taken for certain that Diaz inforced by mounted police. the weeks of the Olympic Games. Ordaz's demonstration of the belief of his The skirmishing, which began in the This explains the thoroughness with circles that power comes out of the barrel afternoon, lasted until the next morning. which the government disposed its forces, of a gun will not cause the new generation The people in this heavily populated dis the way it placed its detectives both in to collapse into the dreary conformism of THE AFTERMATH. Three of the many victims o trict participated actively. The battle came the crowd and the Chihuahua building, its predecessors. City. to an end when the army moved in and took over the positions lost by the police. Following another police provocation t Sept. 23, the students of the National Polytechnic Institute gathered in the Casco de Santo Tomas area determined. to do battle. After defeating the granaderos, they ~He was riddled WI put up a heroic resistance to the police, and the military which were sent in as By Maria Elena There was whistling and hisses when the The whine of missiles cut through the other reinforcements. The following was written by a young deputies were named. But the students were sounds, and showers of chips flew from the At this point the struggle within the woman who was present at the Oct. 2 paying more attention to what was hap stones of the ruins under the impact of v government between the hard-line and mod massacre in the Plaza de las Tres Cul pening around them. the bullets. erate factions seemed to have ended in turas in Mexico. The translation is by I still had firm hold of my brother's h an impasse. The ''hards"-the president For example, when some contingents of Intercontinental Press. hand, although people had got between v and the military (plus the "civilian" sec workers arrived, all of us moved back, us, and I tried to pull him closer. Students retaries allied to the military, that is, the applauding, to makeroom. MEXICO CITY- It was my 15-year caught between us had fallen, some killed, 1\ secretary of the interior and the head of When the military aggression began, we old brother, studying at Vocational School some wounded. At my side was a girl who v the Federal District department) appeared were close to the south end of the plaza, No. 1 near the Nonoalco Tlatelolco dis had been hit in the face with an expanding at a loss as to what to do next. where it borders the pre-Spanish ruins and trict, who invited me that day to come to bullet. What horror! The whole left side of t Far from "pacifying" the students, mea leads to the church of Santiago Tlatelolco. the movement's meeting. It was his second her face had been blown off. You could r sures such as the occupation of the uni There was a dramatic ripple of uneasiness time to attend a political meeting. The first see her teeth and palate, although she, versity had only stirred them up all the when those in the rear of the crowd noted time was when I took him to the Great certainly, was not yet aware of what had l: more. The moderate faction could thus the sudden presence of the soldiers. "Hey, Silent Demonstration [Sept. 13]. Although happened. claim some verification for their arguments here come the soldiers!" he was a very young boy and hardly po s against such flagrant use of force. We were immediately caught in the flow The yelling, the screams of pain, the litical at all, he identified with the move of people running toward the center of the sobbing, the pleading, and the continual An effort to convert the rector, Javier ment from the beginning, since everybody v Barros Sierra, into a scapegoat ended crowd. Then we clearly heard the voice of deafening sound of the guns made the supports it in his school. dismally. He resigned Sept. 22, the day the speaker: "Don't move. Don't yield to Plaza de las Tres Culturas a Dante's In ferno. before the battle of Santo Tomas. The We left the house at exactly four in the the provocation!" c university community, especially the teach afternoon. We reached the plaza a half I turned toward the balcony where the I dragged at my brother's arm. "Julio, l: ers and heads of departments, rallied to hour later. Most of the people were assem speaker was and at the same time I saw what's the matter?" I pulled at him again. s his support; and on Sept. 26 the governing bling near the flagpoles on the side closest two things, heard two things, felt two His eyes were very sad and half closed board of the University of Mexico rejected to Vocational No. 7, as the soldiers later things. These all occurred within seconds. and I caught the words, "... it's that ..." r the resignation. testified. Some green fireworks floated down through I couldn't think of anything. The tremen This evident victory for the moderates At about half past five a companero of the air overhead, and on the balcony dous packing together of people made it was due in part to the indirect support the CNH [ Consejo N acional de Huelga where the speaker stood a tremendous difficult to hear. Later I thought that if I which the rector received from a power National Strike Committee] came to the commotion broke out. The speaker was had realized that Julio was already dying, ful sector of the Mexican bourgeoisie microphone and started the meeting. All fighting with an individual who suddenly I would have done something crazy right those directly involved in the tourist trade, of us applauded. The first thing he said fired at him. Secret agents in the apart then and there. who were in agony over the possibility was that the scheduled march to Casco ments above were repressing the leaders of Presently some of the soldiers who had that the student "disturbances" would lead de Santo Tomas would not be undertaken, the CNH. And behind us began the rattling been shooting at the buildings around the t to cancellation of the Olympics. These since military forces were in the streets and crackling of machine guns. plaza reached us. The smell of gunpowder l patriots filled the daily papers with "mani near that district. We lost our friends and I heard my was insupportable. festos" to the youth, raising such slogans The speeches of the orators were not brother's shout: "Don't let go of me." We Little by little people made room for us as "Don't Forget Our Traditions," "Don't very good. They repeated commonplaces gripped each other's hands. I went toward so that I could get closer to my brother. Serve Foreign Interests," "Be Good Mexi already well known by the students. Never the right, pushing toward the garden where "Julio, answer me." cans." theless the denunciations of the repressive the ruins are. Many people were already "He must be wounded," a woman told The National Strike Committee an nature of the measures taken by the army there trying to hide from the terrible spray me. "Loosen his belt." nounced a big protest demonstration for and the police were warmly applauded. ing of bullets coming from all directions. Gradually, and then all at once, I began 8 Friday, October 25, 1968 THE MILITANT Page 7 AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT In the Chihuahua building By Ricardo Ochoa white handkerchief wrapped around his We went back to our hiding place. About The following is an account of the Oct. 2 left hand (it was the mark they used to 10 p.m. the machine-gun fire finally became massacre in Mexico City as seen from with identify each other) and a pistol in his sporadic, and by 11 p.m. calm returned. in the central building that was attacked by right hand cut me off. We had now spent four hours in the main the troops and police of President Diaz "Go back up," he said. "Nobody's mov tenance room, and I became anxious to let Ordaz. The translation is by Intercontinen ing." my friends know where I was. I decided tal Press. I had to go back up, my eyes on his to go back up to the apartment on the 13th revolver. floor. MEXICO CITY- The meeting in the Back at the 12th floor, the cop ordered What a picture of destruction! The walls Plaza de las Tres Culturas Oct. 2 began me and a hundred others there to lie down were punctured by bullet holes everywhere. at five thirty in the afternoon, a half-hour on the floor. Many were already there The furniture was smashed. The fire had late. seeking cover from the bullets coming from destroyed part of the kitchen. The water The first speaker immediately pointed out all directions below and ricocheting from was off because the pipes were broken. that military forces were in the streets bor the walls. Everything was in chaos. dering the district and that therefore the It was a curtain of sound, deafening and However, despite their misfortune, the march to Santo Tomas had been called steady, a rain of bullets sweeping the family was not downcast. They said that off. He asked the 20,000to25,000students enormous Chihuahua building from the although this was the worst that had hap and others who had assembled to return first to the 20th floor. pened in the past month, after what had home after the meeting as peacefully as But the pistol in the cop's hand worried been going on in the district recently, they they had arrived. me more than the bullets from the soldiers had become used to such battles. The wom At the invitation of a friend, after the below. The deafening volley came from an said they intended to leave the apart first speaker finished at 5:45 I went up to nowhere; I only heard it. The cop himself ment. the 12th floor of the Chihuahua building had to take cover. Some moments before, two youths had to view the meeting from a balcony. To keep us all in sight, he moved down joined the family-the girl's boyfriend, The microphone had been set up for the to the first step of the stairs. There were who showed his faithfulness at a time like speakers on a balcony far below, on the times when he even pulled his head down. this, and a Polytechnic student, a friend fourth floor of a different wing of the same A mother with two little boys became of the two boys. building. The speeches came up indistinct hysterical and ran with them toward the Since the two visitors had their identifi ly but the view was perfect. I saw two con stairs, bumping into the cop who stood cation cards, they made an exploratory tingents of railway workers join the as up to stop her. trip, leaving at 11:30 to see what would sembly, to the furious applause of the stu I didn't wait to see what happened. I happen at the bottom of the stairs, where dents. Aside from the police agents assigned don't know whether the cop shot her or police and soldiers were registering those to the crowd no one had any idea of what not. I was on my way upstairs. I made going out. was impending. it and went up to the roof. Within a few minutes they were back. A At about 6: 15 or 6:30, a girl at my side From there, for the first time, I saw that new furious barrage had opened up. The said: "There's some soldiers coming up the shooting was coming not only from eight of us huddled in the bathroom for from the avenue." below but from the two helicopters which an hour until the shooting again let up. In fact, from the a venue that runs through had been observing the meeting from the At 1 a.m. I went back to my refuge with the district to the plaza, at the point where beginning. the two little boys and a borrowed blanket. it crosses the grounds of the pre-Columbian I also saw that in some apartments peo Exhausted, we settled down as best we pyramids, groups of soldiers were advanc ple were shooting back, answeringthemili could for the night. Only occasional bursts ing, bayonets fixed. In a moment we real tary and police provocation. But almost of machine-gun fire and sporadic shots ized that they were attacking us. all of the fire was coming from below, broke the ensuing silence. The battle of Suddenly I saw a green rocket rise into from the Plaza de las Tres Culturas, which Tlatelolco had ended. the sky and burst, showering thousands of by now had been completely occupied by At 7:30 we woke up. There was a lot of little lights down upon the multitude: the army. Indistinctly, I could see the sol bustling and coming and going outside Immediately the clatter of machine guns, diers shooting away. I could see the bodies our room. Presumably the soldiers were rifles, and pistols began. The green flare, of people who had fallen- students, wom carrying out the dead and wounded on launched from the Foreign Relations Build en, soldiers. The inferno was at its height. stretchers. The sound of hobnailed boots ing or from the church at the south side I decided to go down. Not for any reason was unmistakable. No doubt the building of the plaza, had been the signal to attack. in particular but simply because I couldn't was being searched and occupied by the What followed in the next half hour is find any good hiding place. military. It was impossible to return to etched in my mind in precise detail. With I knew that the cops were blocking the our friends' apartment. the infernal rain of steel and bullets that stairs on the 12th floor. I rang the door The next three hours were the most an fell upon us, our immediate reaction was bells of apartments hoping to get in. No xious. If I were caught in the maintenance to run to the stairs. one answered. room, the soldiers would certainly take me many victims of the Oct 2 army attack in Mexico I had hardly gone down one floor when I found an empty apartment, abandoned for a sniper and I would be executed on a plainclothesman in shirt sleeves, with a by its tenants, as had soon happened with the spot. This happened, I heard later, to many others, and I had a chance for the all the young men they found in hiding. first time to see what the shooting had What to do? done. At nine I made the little boys leave. I The walls were perforated. Bullets rico was sure nothing would happen to them cheting from the ceiling to the floor had because of their age. I told them to say destroyed everything. Mirrors, glass, fur that they lived in the building. with bullets' niture, curtains, everything had been hit. The footsteps oftenants abandoning their To stay in any of these rooms was impos apartments grew more numerous. At a to grasp the possible reality. When I surprised. 'Who are you?" A sign from sible. The only safe place was the bath moment when the soldiers now stationed loosened his belt, my hand sank into a the pseudo student convinced him. "Oh, room. Located in the center of the apart on the balcony were out of sight I ran up wound. you're one of them!" ment, it could not be hit directly. the stairs. It was 10:45. Now close together, I was able to lift my He was a student agent. I handed him Thinking that the police would soon get The family was getting things together head and look around. Myfirstimpression my purse. He checked it and returned it around to searching the apartments, I de to leave the apartment. The two young was the number of people lying in the plaza. to me. I still don't know why he asked for cided to leave. On the way down, I ran men had already gone. I asked them to The living and the dead were intermingled. it. into two boys, one eight, the other 12. The let me stay in their apartment instead of My second impression was that my brother In the hospital they took him inside and three of us continued together. On the 13th my hiding place. They refused, saying that was riddled with bullets. Later I learned I waited hours for the outcome of the oper floor, a family responded to our appeal it was likely the soldiers would search the in the hospital that he had been hlt three ation. On one of his appearances, a male for help. place as they had the apartments below. times: once in the stomach, once in the f nurse asked the women, who, like me, were A woman and her sister, two boys, and "I haven't got my identification card," neck and once in the leg. He was dying. 1 waiting, "A boy in a blue suit?" a girl between the ages of 18 and 21 were I told them. "And I'm listed by the police. Perhaps it was an hour since the firing "Yes, yes. Here, here." He took me in to in the apartment. I can't let them pick me up." began. identify Julio's body and to sign the neces "I'm from the philosophy department at A bold idea occurred to me. Why not "Soldier, a stretcher for a wounded per sary papers. the UNAM," I said, introducing myself. leave with them? "All right," I told them, son!" I shouted. When we held the wake for Julio, the e 'We're from Voca No. 7," the two boys "I'll be Nancy's boyfriend." "Shut up and lie down flat if you don't solidarity of his companeros touched me I replied. The elevator wasn't running, so we want two," answered the "heroic boy," as still more deeply. All the boys of Voca "I can't stay here because they're going started down the 12 flights of stairs, pro the president calls his soldiers. tional No. 1 came to our home as soon to search the place," I said. ceeding in three couples- a son and his I insisted and insisted. Suddenly a medi as they heard of the tragedy. They had We discussed possible hiding places. mother leading the way, Nancy and her cal student came up. "This boy needs to collected 500 pesos [12.5 pesos =US$1]. The mother said right off, "The garbage "boyfriend" in the middle, and the old be taken to the hospital fast," he told a My sister said that we did not need the room." soldier. money, that it was better to use it for the aunt with her niece bringing up the rear. :l "Shut up, you son of a bitch!" came the movement. "No," they all said, "your broth Perfect. They gave us the key and we We met no one until we reached the second floor. There we met another procession reply. er is the movement. Take the 500 pesos." went down to the 12th floor near the eleva All the others around now joined me in On the following day when we went to tor where the room was. No one was on going up. This was headed by a corporal .t insisting, "A stretcher!" Finally they gave the Panteon Jardin to bury him, a forma the balcony now. The cops must have in baleful green sunglasses, which, together I in. tion of his companeros walked behind the taken the students they had trapped there with his green uniform, made him look A stretcher was improvised with some hearse, their hands held high, making the out of the building. But the bullets were completely green. Twenty-five or more sol diers, bayonets fixed, filed past us. They guns and a topcoat. sign of the 'V" for victory. People who still coming in from all directions. "Let me go with him. I'm his sister." I saw the cortege could not help being moved. At 8:30 heavy smoke began coming were making a final check ofthe Chihuahua was permitted to follow the stretcher, but Some made the sign of the 'V" themselves, through the cracks around the door. Since building. e the medical student who had helped us was including some of the traffic police we the balcony was no longer being guarded, A single soldier was on guard at the held. passed. we went out to see what was happening. bottom. There was not a plainclothesman Before letting me get into the military My mother is overcome. My father died The apartment in front of us and the within 10 meters. ambulance, a "student" sidled up whom I eight months ago, and as a result of the one on the floor above, the one belonging The groups of soldiers in the gardens had seen at the UNAM [Universidad Na shock she had a heart attack. Now the to the family that had helped us, were on let us pass in complete indifference. cional Autonoma de Mexico]. "Your purse, death of her youngest child and only son fire. The shooting seemed as intense as When we reached the Paseo de la Reform a, :l please?" has devastated her. "But, why my son? ever; machine-gun bullets continually swept which is about 150 meters from the Chi 'What for?" I asked. Wouldn't it have been better to shoot Diaz the walls, and the screaming of women huahua building, we said goodby. I was 1 The soldier accompanying me was also Ordaz?" was as piercing as the shooting. safe. Page 8 THE MILITANT Friday, October 25, 1968 THE CUBA STORY AND THE MILITANT As we celebrate the fortieth anniversary of The Militant, which was founded in 1928, one of the proudest chapters in the history of the paper that we con poin't to Is its coverage of the Cuban Revolution. Through out on entire period of press falsifica tion about the revolution, The Militant established an international reputation as a source of ac curate information about major Cuban develop ments. We have published more texts of speeches by Fidel and Che than any other English-lan guage publication. Along with the Socialist Workers Party, The Militant has played a key role in rallying opposi tion to the anti-Cuba drive. These efforts mobi lized significant support of Cuba and were Im portant in developing the initial stage of the present radicalization in this country. The pictures on this page provide a pictorial representation of some of our coverage of the Cuba story.
Children in public nursery which revolution brought to Santiago de Cuba
1959 Havana labor demonstration in support of revolutionary government
DISARMI rH ERJAUS
PROTEST ACTION. Sylvia Weinstein and Richard a t pro-Cuba demonstration during 1962 missile crisis.
A tribute from Bohemia
At the time of the U.S.-orgonized April 1961 invasion of Cuba, our financial situation limited The Militant to only four pages. But we poured every resource into defense of Cuba. Rounding up U.S. press reaction to the invasion, the Ha vana weekly, Bohemia, said this: "What the U. S. News & World Report was pro Fidel mans tank at Playa Giron during 1961 ill-fated invasion claiming as on heroic deed, The Militant was indicting as a crime. This is a modest socialist tabloid edited in New York. Since it doesn't re present the interests of the monopolies, it locks advertising and its circulation is limited .. . . Its truth remains compressed in four pages."
VIETNAM SOLIDARITY. Cubans mass in front of South Vietnamese National MEMORABLE NIGHT. Cuban-Americans poured into Harlem to greet Fidel Liberation Front Mission in Havana during last January's Tet offensive. Mili a t H otel Theresa when he moved there during 1960 UN visit. His presence tant reporter Harry Ring was able to cover demonstration during three-month ma de a deep, favorable impact on people of Harlem. stay in Cuba. Friday, October 25, 1968 THE MILITANT Page 9 Our anniversary fund Black liberation Notes and the generation gap Panthers in Chicago Protests in high schools A Black Panther Party has been set up Black high-school students in Chicago in Chicago made up of groups from both have closed down a number of schools in By George Novack, Chairman the South and West sides. One of the first mass protests for courses in Afro-American The Militant 40th Anniversary Committee activities of the Chicago Panthers has been history and for more black teachers, coun I recently had a discussion with the parents of an active member of the to organize a "Free Huey" benefit which selors and school administrators. received the support of a broad spectrum At Harrison High a group of black Young Socialist Alliance. They are liberal-minded, well-to-do professional of black organizations. teachers sided with the student rebels after people who own a large luxurious home in a New York suburb, Steven the cops attacked and beat students in the son Democrats, critical of Johnson-Humphrey and against the Vietnam Rafferty vs. Cleaver school lunchroom. -'>-- war- and somewhat over 40 years old. Tactics used by the students have in A letter has been sent out to every city, cluded mass walk-outs, rallies and sit-ins, "We've always let our boy go his own way and make his own deci county and district school superintendent as well as demonstrations at the board of sions," they told me. "We've encouraged him to do what he thinks is in California threatening Joss of state aid education in downtown Chicago. One of right. We can understand why he's so angry about what's wrong with for any public school which allows Black the marches on the board of education was this world and joined an organization that he thinks can help bring Panther Party Minister of Information made by 500 black students from Austin Eldridge Cleaver to speak to students. about a radical change. High who were protesting the fact that there The letter was sent out by Max Rafferty, are only two Afro-American teachers atthe "But," they went on to explain, "we're worried about his total com the right-wing state superintendent of pub school out of a total faculty of 135. mitment to the ideas of a socialist revolution. Suppose, as happened lic instruction, who has spearheaded the -Elizabeth Barnes with so many people in the 1930s, he finds out later on that his hopes attempts to prohibit Cleaver from giving were illusory. Then his present activities and associations will be used a lecture series at the University of Cal ifornia. against him and harm his career. That's why, as parents, we feel obliged Rafferty's letter points to an issue which L.A. Chicano to warn him about this possibility. is coming more and more to the fore as "After all," the mother concluded, "this system has its faults but it's part of the struggle for black control of • going to last out our lifetime." the schools- the right of black revolution commun1ty aries and militant nationalists to teach and The gulf between the generations was laid bare in that last sentence. speak in the schools. • • The young and the old draw diametrically different conclusions from In the present fight for community con WinS VICtory the same observation. Despite their complaints, the middle-aged are trol of the schools in New York, a strug By Della Rossa gle is developing over an effort by the inclined to let capitalism drag its slow length along until they quit LOS ANGELES- The Mexican-Ameri Black Panther Party, the African-American the scene. can community here won an important Teachers Association and a number of victory Oct. 3, when Sal Castro, a militant This prospect is intolerable and unacceptable to the idealistic rebel other groups to sponsor a community eve Chicano high-school teacher, won his job they have raised. He will settle for nothing less than a fundamental ning school in the Ocean Hill-Brownsville back. Castro was fired, and indicted along school district, which includes courses on social change in his own lifetime through, in part, his own efforts. Thus with 13 other Chicanos for "conspiracy to "The History and Examination of the Rev the very argument that reconciles the parents to the status quo converts commit a misdemeanor," following a mass olutionary Struggle," "African-American their son into a revolutionary. History," and "Black Political Education." ive school strike by Chicano high-school Although The Militant will reach 40 years this November, it stub students here last March. (See The Militant, bornly refuses to take an accommodating attitude toward capitalism. Fail m attempt Sept. 20.) The new, militant Mexican-American Our socialist newspaper remains, now as ever, in uncompromising to fire Panther movement here demanded Castro's rein opposition to all its injustices and sides with the forces that are working statement and fought for it, despite the mass Black Panther Minister of Education to eliminate them here and abroad. arrest of 35 Chicano demonstrators Oct. George Murray will be able to keep his 2. On Sept. 26, the board of education For this reason The Militant is read each week by increasing numbers position as part-time English instructor at walked out on hundreds of Chicano dem of young rebels, black and white, who are ready to lay their bodies San Francisco State College despite a de onstrators, Jed by the Educational Issues mand by the board of trustees that he be on the line for the noble cause ofliberating humanity through the struggle Committee, who had filled the board cham for socialism. They feel that our 40-year-old paper speaks their views, fired because of his political views. bers. It was probably the fear of a student shares their feelings, truthfully explains the complex issues of national The Chicanos then elected their own protest similar to the one in support of and world politics to them. "Free and Liberated Board of Chicano Cleaver at Berkeley which caused the col Education," and slept in that night. For If you are young in spirit, no matter what your age, and if you lege's president, Robert Smith, to announce eight days and nights thereafter, they sat at a campus press conference thathewould don't want capitalism to last through your lifetime, you should be in and slept in. On the eighth day, the not take any action against Murray. among the donors to our 40th Anniversary Fund. board of education capitulated and sent Murray was one of the leaders of the Sal Castro back to his teaching job at * * * Black Panther Party who recently visited With this issue we are publishing our first scoreboard, showing the Lincoln High School. Cuba. One of those who fought for Castro as results at the end of our third week of the 11-week drive, which ends a symbol of Chicano dignity is a 4(}.year Dec. 15. Our supporters around the country have sent in $9,296 of the Students close old woman who graduated from Lincoln $28,000 which they have pledged to raise for the $40,000 Fund. This store in seattle High and whose daughter just graduated amounts to 33 percent of the total. from the same school. She now supports We are also pleased to report that a second member has joined the Students at largely black Garfield High another daughter, four years old. She in Seattle have taken action against makes about $2.75 an hour as a beauti Lifetime Militants Club, for which the initiation fee is a special donation Bluma's Delicatessen, a store near the cian and lost her job because she spent of $1,000. Unlike James Kutcher, the '1egless veteran," who is accus school operated by two racists. The stu most of the eight days sitting-in and sleep tomed to publicity, his clubmate prefers to remain anonymous. dents accused the proprietors of brandish ing-in at the board chambers. Thus, through this second entry into our Lifetime Militant~,-we now ing a shotgun and a .45-caliber automatic When it was suggested that this would have $4,000 toward the $40,000 goal since each such $1,000 contribu at at least two blacks in the store. They be rough on her financially, she replied, further charged them with peddling dope "Things have always been rough on us tion is matched by an equivalent gift from a generous "match-maker." and liquor to students. financially. It's time for us to fight back." The overall total, then, as can be seen on the scoreboard, is $12,296 They called a demonstration on Sept. 13, At the beginning of the sit-in, the Brown or 33 percent of the total. and the Seattle Panthers, as well as a Berets, a Chicano defense organization of * * * number of other leaders of the black com mostly teen-age youths, issued a leaflet A final reminder: have you tried YOUR penmanship on the coupon munity, turned out for the action. Panther saying: "Carnales! [Brothers!] Can you dig candidate Curtis Harris led a group of it-this is Chicano Power!" below? about 75 into the store to talk with the One Chicano demonstrator said, 'We've owners. He was met with a shotgun and won a real victory through direct action. automatic. "Get out of here, nigger, or I'll We're jubilant. But the power structure blow your brains out,"oneofthemshouted. could take this away in the courts. Our Fund Scoreboard In the face of this threatened violence, the next task is to build a wide and solid demonstrators left the store. The store was support for the entire Chicano Thirteen. Area Quota Paid Percent then closed, however, encased in heavy It's got to be 'La Raza Unida (The People wire mesh, and remains closed to date. United)."' Los Angeles $4,400 $2,600 60 Twin Cities 2,200 1,115 50 Chicago 1,950 825 42 George 1\# $28,000 $9,296 33 Lifetime Militants $12,000 $4,000 33 $40,000 $13,296 33 Page 10 THE MILITANT Friday, October 25, 1968 Cops kill Butch Armstead, White workers Seattle Black Panther and Wallace By Debbie Leonard SEATTLE-Welton Butch Armstead, a By Doug Jenness fight against racial discrimination and 17-year-old member of the Black Panther On Sept. 10, the Gallup Poll reported better conditions for black workers is going Party, was shot and killed by a cop here that 15 percent of the unionized workers to have a positive effect on white workers Oct. 5. News reports claim Armstead was throughout the country favored a victory who are beginning to demand more mili pointing a rifle at the cop, Erling J. Butt for George Wallace in the presidential elec tant action against the bosses. edahl, when Buttedahl shot him, thus lay tions. This amount of support among The formation of an independent black ing the groundwork for the familiar ruling white workers for the racist Alabama dem party will also have an impact on white of 'justifiable homicide." agogue has stirred up considerable dis workers who are becoming frustrated with However, evidence from eyewitnesses and cussion in the radical and liberal press. both the Democratic and Republican the bullet wound itself indicates that Butt This phenomenon poses several impor parties. A mass independent black party edahl, a Georgia storm trooper newly tant questions. cannot help but raise the practicality of a arrived in Seattle, shot Armstead in the 1) Why does a section ofthe white working labor party in the minds of many white back as he was backing and turning away class endorse George Wallace? workers. from the cop. The shooting followed the Wallace's principal appeal is racism. He As the class struggle between the work arrest of one of Armstead's companions, is also demagogically posing as an alter ing class and the capitalists inevitably Panther Jomo LuJack, on suspicion of native to the Tweedledum major parties, sharpens in this country, as it did in burglary. LuJack was subsequently re but his primary appeal is racism. Many France last spring, the white workers are leased and declared innocent of the crime. white workers, brainwashed by a racist going to learn that they will not be able Armstead's mother, Mrs. Gladys Mapps, society and enjoying a privileged posi to win even simple union battles without tried to prevent the cop from shooting her tion compared to blacks, feel their privi black allies. son and was arrested for attempted assault leges threatened by the black struggle. The revolutionary struggle for black on an officer. His 16-year-old sister was For example, they object to black work liberation in the long run is going to be beaten and arrested by another cop as ers being upgraded into jobs formally an important factor in turning white work she begged Buttedahl not to shoot her reserved for whites. A young apprentice ers away from Wallaceism and racism. brother. A neighbor, who also pleaded in the steamfitter's trade in Milwaukee All the milk-toast proposals for watering for the youth's life, was arrested for in told the Wall Street Journal, for example, down the black struggle are really a capi terfering with police officers. Welton Butch Armstead Wallace "is the workingman's friend. The tulation to racism and thus strengthen Mrs. Mapps, who was booked in the minority groups in my union are being Wallace and his kind. city jail, was refused any information on pushed ahead. They're getting the same which reads: "Because of the recent atrocity 3) How do we convince white workers her son's condition. When she was re amount of money for sweeping floors not to support Wallace? leased on $350 bail, she rushed to King committed by the Seattle police depart they don't have the intelligence to do more One wrong way to approach white work County Hospital and was merely told ment and the continuous, never ending that I'm getting as a second-year man. to "go to the morgue." attacks on the lives and dignity of black That's wrong. I think Wallace is the only ers on the question of Wallace is the method of the AFL-CIO bureaucrats who write A young white man, James Lacy, was people, we the undersigned demand imme man who will stop it." pamphlets and leaflets exposing Wallace's a witness to the murder. He described diate decentralization of the Seattle police 2) Don't the "extremist" demands and antilabor record. They also cite numerous the shooting to Aaron Dixon and other department. actions of the black liberation movement statistics showing how much crime there Black Panthers and stated to reporters: 'We want the man from Bellevue, Renton, alienate white workers, turning many of is in Alabama. This is all true, but when 'When I looked out I saw a cop pointing Ballard and Seattle who cannot relate to them into Wallace supporters? it comes to attacking Wallace's racist rec a pistol at this guy in a black jacket. black people to withdraw from our commu This argument is often raised by liberals ord there is scarcely a word. Then he was lying face down on the ground nity. Wewantpeoplefrom the black commu and some radicals in order to try to mader As one union strategist said, "If we talk and moving around." nity who understand its wants and needs a te the demands and actions of the black to police it. The black community because struggle. a bout his civil-rights record, half our mem Welton Armstead was married and the bers would shout 'hurray!'" ( Wall Street father of a son. His wife stated simply, of the number and beauty of its people In an editorial on the reactionary New cannot lose another Reese, Eddie Lincoln, York teachers' strike against the right of Journal, Sept. 10, 1968 ). The union bu "He died for what he believed in and so reaucrats are adapting to the racism of that his son could grow up in a better or Welton Armstead to justifiable homicide." the black community to control its own The Negro Voters League began orga schools in the Ocean Hill-Brownsville dis the most backward workers in order to world." "fight" Wallace - whose support is pri The black community reacted swiftly nizing a recall movement against King trict, the New York Times (Sept. 27) com marily due to racism! This is no fight to the murder. The Black Panther Party County Prosecutor Charles 0. Carroll, in ments that "people on both sides of the at all! And then to top it off-they urge called a protest rally and announced they office 20 years, "because of an abusive ideological barricades are providing new the workers to support ''law and order" would collect signatures on a petition record" against the black community. campaign ammunition for the only presi The Panthers circulated leaflets calling dential candidate they rightly despise candidate Hubert Humphrey! on the black community to attend Arm George Wallace." Another example of this false approach Young Socialists hold stead's funeral on Oct. 12 and a memorial Herman Ferguson, a black nationalist is expounded by Clark Kissinger and Denny Ankrum of the National Commu meeting to be held that night. Over 150 spokesman and Freedom and Peace Party nity Union in Chicago. They correctly people from the black community attended candidate for U. S. senator from New York, recognize that Wallace cannot be fought conference in Detroit was especially attacked by the Times' ed the funeral. Panthers formed an honor by supporting Humphrey or Nixon or itors for perpetrating a "Hitlerian Myth" guard and ended the service with a Panther by toning down the struggle in order DETROIT - More than 200 people when he calledfor"a separate black nation." attended the Michigan Young Socialist Con salute to the fallen fighter. "to act more responsibly." The Times, which has no real concern ference here over the Oct. 12 weekend. That evening, over 300 people attended However, in a leaflet written by them for either the rightsofteachers or the black Paul Boutelle, Socialist Workers Party vice a Panther memorial meeting for Welton and printed in New Left Notes (Sept. community, is making a vicious attempt presidential candidate, keynoted the con Armstead. The honor guard, defense units 20, 1968), they take a numberofWallace's to put partial blame on the black com ference. Other participants in the confer at doors and stairs, and the discipline of statements and put a "radical" twist on munity and militant black nationalists for ence's sessions and panel discussions in the Panther sisters, testified to the growing them in order to attempt to turn workers the polarization between white workers and cluded Tom Dennis, Michigan state chair strength of the Black Panther Party in away from Wallace. For example, they black workers. It's true that the black libera man of the Communist Party; Larry Hoch Seattle. take Wallace's support of police and turn tion struggle, like the struggle of every man, New Politics Party vice-presidential it into the following statement: 'We need oppressed people the world has ever seen, candidate; Ron March of the Dodge Revo real support for policemen and firemen. meets strong resistance from sectors of lutionary Union Movement; Fredy Perl They can't feed their kids on the praise man, a participant in the French general Halstead offers the population that feel they have vested interests or privileges in the status quo. and hot air of politicians. Policemen and strike last spring; and Barry Sheppard, firemen need strong unions that are not editor of The Militant. But what alternative does black America LeMay to debate have? Accept the horrible injustice of the afraid to strike for honest wages." status quo? Hold out beggars' hands for They, also, do not include a single state a few crumbs? Absolutely not! ment attacking Wallace's racism. They before Viet Gls To be turned off the road of struggle have adapted to the prejudices of the work for fear of alienating sectors of the popu ers on the key question of racism in order lation who feel threatened by the disruption to try to explain to them why they shouldn't By Jean Simon of the status quo would be tantamount support the racist Wallace! BOSTON CLEVELAND, Oct. 14-"I would love to giving up. It has been proven time and Furthermore, Kissinger and Ankrum ANnWAR SYMPOSIUM. Speakers: Hillery Putnam, to debate LeMay on the issue of the war time again both in the labor movement offer no alternative to Wallace in the 1968 professor, Harvard University; a representative of the in Vietnam before the U. S. troops in Sai and in the black liberation movement that elections. "Stand up for yourself in '68 Socialist Workers Party; a spokesman for the Student gon!" Fred Halstead, Socialist Workers it is only by militant mass action that and stand up proud. It's the best way you Mobilization Committee. Fri., Oct. 25, 8:15 p.m. 295 Party candidate for President, told a news even the most modest concessions arewon. can stand up for America," they implore Huntington Ave., Rm. 307 (one block from Mass. Ave.) conference here Friday. The few meager civil-rights laws which the workers in their closing sentences. Not Ausp. Militant Labor Forum. Halstead, the only presidentialcandidate Congress has passed, although seldom a word about a labor party based on • so far to go to Saigon to discuss his enforced, were won only after hundreds the trade unions! Not a word about sup LOS ANGELES campaign against the war and for imme of actions involving tens of thousands porting the Socialist Workers Party ticket lHE MEXICAN STUDENT REVOLT. What is behind the diate withdrawal of U.S. troops with Gis, of people took place. or even any other radical campaign! slaughter in Mexico City. Speakers: Fernando Gaxiola, was responding to the report that retired One of the major achievements of mili The way to fight Wallaceism in the unions former student at the University of Mexico, former mem· Gen. Curtis E. LeMay, George Wallace's tant actions and propaganda by the black is to expose Wallace's racist record, ex ber of MIRE (Student Leftist Revolutionary Movement); running mate, is planning to vist Saigon. struggle has been the raising of the poli pose the racist record of the union bu Theodore Edwards, Socialist commentator, KPFK. Fri., The Wallace phenomenon and the answer tical and national consciousness of the reaucrats, and explain that the enemy of Od. 2S, 8:30 p.m., Militant Labor Hall, 1702 East Fourth to it were the subject of considerable dis black community. It has helped expose white workers is not black workers but St. Ausp. Militant labor Forum. cussion at both formal and informal meet the real nature of this racist system. It the capitalist system that oppresses them ings here. In his three-day campaign visit, has been a powerful stimulus in radicali both, and how racism harms all workers. MARXIST RADIO COMMENTARY, now weekly, by Halstead spoke at a campaign dinner zing white students. Arguments must be presented in support Theodore Edwards, Socialist Workers Party. Mondays, attended by 70 persons, at an Ohio Young As the black struggle becomes stronger of the progressive character and justice 6:45 p.m.; repeated Tuesdays, 10:15 a.m. KPFK (90.6- Socialist Conference at Case Western Re and more organized, it is going to have of the black liberation movement. These FM). serve University, and at a Forum Board a progressive impact on white•workers explanations must be linked to the need • sponsored meeting at Oberlin College. as well, including the more racist. The for a labor party based on the trade NEW YORK The Socialist Workers Party candidate real enemy of the white workers is not unions, as a real alternative to the capi SNCC. Speaker: Phil Hutchings, national program was also heard on local radio and tele black workers but the capitalist bosses talist parties. director, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. vision news broadcasts, advocating black and the capitalist government. The forma Workers can vote for this perspective Fri., Oct. 25, 8:30 p.m. 873 Broadway (near 18th St.) control of the black communities and imme tion of radical black caucuses in the trade in 1968 by voting for theSocialistWorkers Contrib. $1. Ausp. Militant labor Forum. diate withdrawal of troops from Vietnam. unions which employ militant tactics to Party ticket. Friday, October 25, 1968 THE MiliTANT Page 11 Minn. Indians demand control of rice harvest MINNEAPOLIS-As the season for har At one point, for example, Lord asked if vesting wild rice approaches, Minnesota the refuge manager's denial of a ricing Ojibways of the Rice Lake Band of In permit to a member of the Band was not dians are demanding Indian control of the in the best interests of the other Indians harvest. As a step in the direction of achiev since it would reduce the number of ricers ing this objective, the Rice Lake Band Rice (apparently, Lord was unaware of the fact Committee has brought a suit against the that the Indians share the harvest). The U: S. government. The case is now being witness replied that the Indian in question heard before U. S. District Judge Miles had a right to help in the harvest because Lord in Minneapolis. "he's one of our people." The Ojibways are fed up with increasing A document sent by George Aubid, Sr., government encroachment upon their ric to all Minnesota reservation chairmen, the ing rights. They maintain that when the Indian agent at Bemidji, the regional di government set up the Rice Lake Wildlife rector of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Refuge in northern Minnesota in 1935, the others, comments on the oppressed situa POLICE ATTACK. New York cops charged into demonstrators Oct 9. Peaceful Indians did not relinquish their right to tion of Indian Americans and the rice picket line broken up by cops was called to protest Hubert Humphrey's war harvest rice on what they rightfully consider issue in particular: stand, as Democratic candidate spoke to meeting of Liberal Party. to be their own territory. "Any organization in the name of Indian Yet, since that time, they have met with welfare, which has a white-man overseer, constant harassment from refuge game such as Indian agencies or others, has wardens and managers, a unilaterally re failed. It has only led to disenfranchise stricted length to the harvest season on the ment of the sovereign rights of the Ojibway part of the government, and repeated gov Penna. Peace & Freedom Indian Nation. Freedom is essential when ernment refusal to issue ricing permits to handling the business of the Nation ( Ojib members of the Band recommended by way Indian Nation). Now, we Indians exist the Indian rice committee. as captive nations of the white man. The One of the things the Ojibways object to white man's government is known as the is wracked by dissension most is that according to the government United States Government. We have been imposed regulations, 8 percent of the wild victims of conquest, been colonized, and By George Kaplan rice harvest must be paid to the govern subjected to genocide. Every known crime PHILADELPHIA-Two recentmeetings ment. George Aubid, Sr., secretary of the designated by international law was heaped of the Pennsylvania Peace and Freedom Rice Lake Band Rice Committee, explained on the Indians. First we have got to have Party reflect the deep splits which have to me that one of the results of this regu freedom, as a first requisite, before we can affected PFPs across the country. The lation is that the Indians "have ended up and we do need-to control our own Pennsylvania PFP is running Dick Gregory paying for all the fancy signs and fence destinies ... for President and Mark Lane for Vice posts around the refuge." In the govern ''What the Indians need to do is to start President. Other PFPs are running Eldridge ment's list of priorities, he said, "ducks in a new direction, new me.tns, new ideals, Cleaver for President, and various people come first, the Indian comes second." and new leadership if necessary. Let's start in different states for Vice President. He went on to point out that the Rice a rallying cry of 'Make wild-rice handling A statewide conference of the PFP was Lake Ojibways are making the following strictly an Indian industry' ... held in Harrisburg on Sept. 22, purported four demands: "The white man also created this condi ly to launch the Gregory campaign. The 1 ) The 1 0-day imposed limit to the tion where we are snarling at one another conference, attended by only 60 people, ricing season be extended to 30 days. in anger, various accusations made. Let's was unable to agree on a single platform 2) That the 8 percent tax ~n the rice face our real enemy, the white man, and despite efforts by the Communist and So harvest be eliminated. let's restore the right to the wild-rice grain cialist party members present to gain una 3) That the government agree that, in back to the rightful owner-the Ojibway nimous acceptance for the platform written accordance with tribal custom, any Indian Indian, of the Ojibway Indian Nation. by Dick Gregory. born into the Rice Lake Band, no matter Let's begin to take the white pigs off, on Indicating the close attachment the PFP where he lives, be considered a member of what is the exclusive right of our Indian here still has for the Democratic Party, the Band, and that he enjoy ricing rights, people ... After we get back our rightful Carl Dahlgren, Philadelphia chairman of Dick Gregory in line with recommendations of the In heritage, then we can walk this land of ours PFP, said many PFP groups in the state dian rice committee. again with dignity.... " plan to support incumbent Senator Joseph out its own program and activities. The 4) That the government recognize the When asked whether he would accept any S. Clark, a prominent Democratic "dove," opinion was frequently expressed that elec right of the Indians to control the wild-rice compromise the court might try to impose in his bid for re-election. It was announced toral politics is "irrelevant" in 1968 and harvest. on the Ojibways in this case, Aubid an that the New Jersey Peace and Freedom that PFP should concentrate on "local or Throughout the hearings, the conflict swered: "After the first compromise, the Party had nominated David Frost, a reform ganizing." between the capitalist morality of personal white man took our land and left us with Democratic politician, for Vice President. The "democratization" proposal easily greed and the traditional Indian concern just our food-fish, waterfowl, and rice. The PFP is also seeking, Dahlgren carried the meeting, to the displeasure for the general welfare of the community If we compromise this time, we'll be left reported, close ties with the Coalition of of the Communist Party members. Despite as a whole has bee~e very much in evidence. with only half of our food." Independent and Democratic Voters, which murmurings of discontent with the Gregory was formed to support liberal Democrats campaign, the leader of the dissidents, in local campaigns. The Pennsylvania PFP Ken Moberg, got the meeting to agree has nominated no candidates for offices that they accepted Gregory's platform; he other than President and Vice President felt compelled to make this proposal since in order to free its supporters to vote for they had already voted to support Gregory. liberals in the Democratic Party. The planks of the Gregory platform TOO SOFTONPROTESTERS?-Draft tive speaks to his followers from a desk Deiipite the fact that no differences in make it apparent why even the most con head Hershey denies he endorsed George with a microphone." program were stated at Harrisburg, on servative Peace and Freedom formation Wallace for President. Sept. 25 dissidents called a meeting of the in the country had originally balked at IT DOES GET A BIT EASIER-Pope Philadelphia PFP to "democratize" its adopting it. Gregory's program avoids IN TRIBUTE- The people of Tanzania Paul exhorted older married couples to set structure and make it a "participatory" calling for U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam will surely be gratified to learn that Tif an example for younger ones in following organization. Fifty-five people attended.The and recommends giving"tranquilizer guns" fany's in New York has named a rare, his ban on the pill and in leading a good dissidents appeared to resent the leading to the cops along with their revolvers as new gem after them. Discovered last year Christian life. role played by the Communist Party in a solution to police brutality; police would in Tanzania, it will be called tanzanite, the Pennsylvania PFP. They wanted Penn be advised to use their tranquilizer guns the company announced. Pieces will be on KNOTTY PROBLEMS- Barbers assert sylvania PFP to become a permanent body except when absolutely necessary to fire sale at Tiffany's at prices ranging from the long hippie-style hairdo is driving them of local PFP committees, each working their regular guns! $3,000 to $50,000. Nobody mentioned to a new price increase. They claim the ·------·clip and mail ------what they pay the Tanzanians for it. longhairs come in less often and when they do it takes longer to trim them. 1984-A newspaper advertisement says: ''When the first astronaut lands on the moon JOBLESS EQUESTRIAN-We're al he'll probably stay at a Hilton." ways pleased to see someone make a suc New cessful marriage, so we were cheered by Special to Readers DOWN TO NITTY GRITTY- Fur rugs the New York Times society page head are doing nicely this year, with executives line: "Hollister Douglas Houghton Is a Bride- Married to William David Hag putting them down in planes, ski lodges If you would like to get better acquainted with THE MILITANT, you and cars. Some are reportedly surprising gard 3rd, An Equestrian." Being an eques the wife with wall-41:>-wall, mink bedroom trian struck us as a good job. But on may obtain a Sf)ecial, introductory four-month subscription for $]. (If carpeting. Fur king Jacques Kaplan ex reading the article we found Mr. Haggard you're already sold on the paper, you can help out by sending a reg plains this reflects "a subconscious need to 3rd is apparently now jobless, being de ular one-year subscription for $4.) go back to primitive times." scribed merely as "past vice-president and former member of the U.S. Equestrian XMAS SUGGESTION- For that devout team." aunt in Punkin Center, order the forth 0 Enclosed is $1 for a 4 month introductory subscription. coming Oxford edition of the Old Testa POWER OFA WORKING WOMAN-A 0 Enclosed is $4 for a 1 year regular subscription. ment. The publishers wanted to get away Liverpool radio station, England's largest, from the traditional, sentimental illustra was off the air for 15 minutes due to un NAME tions. The As~ciated Press reports the edi explained "technical difficulties." It later de tion will feature 700 drawings ranging from veloped that a newly employed cleaning realistic to pop. "Job's daughters," it re woman, looking around for a plug for the STREET ports, "are front-view nudes. Susannah vacuum cleaner, disconnected the studio's tempts the elders by removing the top half 3,250 watt power circuit. Finished, she CITY .. . STATE ZIP of her bikini and a couple in close em plugged it in, and the station was back on brace illustrate the Song of Solomon. the air. Moses, resembling an advertising execu- -Harry Ring Send to: The Militant, 873 Broadway, New York, N. V. 10003 Page 12 THE MILITANT Friday, October 25, 1968 L.A. socialist H.Q. bombed By Carol Seidman ment. "The war of aggression which the LOS ANGELES-The SocialistWorkers U.S. is carrying on against Vietnam and Party campaign headquarters here at 1702 its anti-Cuba campaign give the inspira East Fourth St. was bombed by right tion to individuals and rightist groups wing terrorists, most likely Cuban counter to carry on their own 'anticommunist' Protests of terrorist act revolutionaries, at 9 p.m. on Oct. 16. crusade," he said. Police say the explosive was dynamite Britton went on to say that the SWP or a similar substance. would continue with its activities. The Following•. or•·· several·· of themes ocid(ll f)ractices in Vietnam and police The bomb went off in the stairway lead forum with Phil Hutchings would go on sages· of sqlidodty received by the Los attacks on the ·poor, .the minorities and ing to the second story offices shared as scheduled, he said, and the SWP and Ang.,les Socialist· Worl!:en .. Party• and those who dissent in the streets Jn this by the SWP and the Young Socialist YSA were taking precautions to protect YoungSoc,olist Alliancein·.th~t first f$w country. Alliance. There was extensive damage to the right of free speech and assembly at hours {QIIowing · the .. bombing •of their It is the double standard toward vio· the stairway, a hole was blown in the the forum. heqcfqu(Jrters and · oHiCes the nighf of lence th(lt encourages the individuals wall between the stairway and a store, John Gray and Phil Passen, SWP con 0d.l6. who c:arry on acts such as this, Every a window and door were knocked out in gressional candidates in the 29th and 17th struggle for freedom has shown again the SWP headquarters, and an office in the districts, respectively, issued a statement The bombing of the los Angeles So and again that intimidation or witch hunt or violence will not silence them. headquarters was damaged. Although pledging to intensify their campaign to cialist Workers f>orty campaign head there were 10 people in the building at build the antiwar movement, to support quarters is one more demonstrotlonof While I do not support all the ideas of the time, fortunately no one was injured. the black and brown freedom movements the need to intensify our fight against the SWP, I certainly join in the support The terrorists left a red, white and blue and to defend the Cuban Revolution. the forces of reaction in this country oftheir right to existwithout harass sticker with the inscription, "United Cuban At the press conference, Phil Passen that ore nurtured by the political forces ment and condemn this malicious act. -Irving Sarnoff, Power." The bombing is the latest in a recalled that the central issue in the 1960 ref>resented by Humphrey, Nixon and l. series of bomb attacks in L.A. by anti Socialist Workers presidential campaign Wallace. Be ossured·that the. national Chairman, A. Peace Action Council Castro Cubans. was defense of Cuba, and said that this mem~rship of the Socialist Workers The bombing of the Militant Labor Last May 10, a bomb was found at the continues to be an important plank in Party stands .ready to give you every headquarters during a public meeting of the presidential campaign of Halstead and n•cessary aid in the continuing fight, Forum is .an ad against free speech. the Militant Labor Forum, but was defused Boutelle, and of local SWP candidates. ,...,.. Farrell Dobbs Since the Militant labor Forum is in the before it did any damage. The forum is Passen urged a massive turnout at the National Secretory Eo.st Los Angeles area, this is also an located in the same hall with the SWP Oct. 26 demonstration against the war Socialist Workers Party attock against the Chicano community. and YSA. to be held in L. A. as did Terry Hillman, I feel it is necessary to join in a defense The attack coincided with the arrival representing the Los Angeles Regional agoinstthis act of terrorism. in Los Angeles of a national spokesman of Student Mobilization Committee. Miss The United States Government's rec• -Raul Ruiz, the YSA, and editor of the Young Socialist Hillman read a statement condemning the o rd of harassment and attack on Cuba Editor, Chicano Student magazine, Carol Lipman, who is presently bombing and urging people who are has served as an example to the indi on a national speaking tour, and occurred opposed to this type of violence to join viduals who set this ter.ror bomb attack. I deplore the violence that has taken the night before Phil Hutchings, national the Oct. 26 action. "It's only by ending this The indisc:rirninate bombing and maim place against the SocialistWorkers Par program director of SNCC, was to speak war and anticommunist propaganda that ing of Vietnamese people onder the ty tonight. It dearly shows that violence at the forum hall. terrorist acts of this nature will be stopped," banner of anticommunism has perme• is set upon the left by the right wing. At a press conference the following morn she said. oted the lives of the American people Contrary to what the establishment ing, which was attended by most of the Carol Lipman, national field secretary for the last eight years. propagates, the Left does not commit radio and TV stations here, Joel Britton, of the YSA, said that the youth group The· Bertrand Russell Peace Founda violence; it is the victim of it. SWP organizer in Los Angeles, said that would not be intimidated by the bombing, tioll has consistently sought to expose -Robert Freemon the bomb exploded while a discussion but would redouble its efforts. the war crimescarried on by the United Executive Board Member, l. A. was taking place in the headquarters on All of the speakers who had been present States in Vietnam and points to the Committee for the Defense of solidarity actions with the Mexican stu at the time of the bombing protested the bombing of the Soc:iolist WorkersParfy the Bill of Rights. dents. police handling of the incident. Joel Britton headquarters in Los. Angeles as a warn Britton said that the responsibility for quoted one cop as having said, "Too bad ing sign to the Arllerkcm people that These acts of terrorism, no matter the bombing lies with the U. S. govern- the bomb wasn't twice as big." the atmosphere of hate and violence what groups use them, ore not revolu iscontinuingto internalize toonalarm tionary tactics. These acts are by coun ing degree: Only when the cause and terrevolutionary Cubans; they should example have been removed, coo the be stopped by the U.S. government. right to. self-determination and free But since the U.S. government wants 20,000 in N.Y. march for association be carried out without in Castro out, the government will not timidation and physical threat. seE$ out these terrorists and prosecute - Michael McCabe, them, just as they did not in the bomb black control of black schools Bertrand· Russell Peace Foundation ings of the churches in the South. These te:rrorists are in fact approved of by NEW YORK, Oct. 17- The press com As the demonstrators reached the rise The bombing ohhe Socialist Work•rs the racist, reactionary, imperialist U.S. pletely covered up a march of 20,000 in the bridge, people let out shouts of Party headquarters today issymptomatic government. The bombers are not held here Oct. 14 for community control joy as they saw the thousands coming of the violence that pervades America going to be caught by the police because of the schools. This march, coming after before and after them. today. The public .expects .the prosecu the government in fact wants to over tion ofthose who tenor bomb, but at throw the Castro government. weeks of community organization among The New York Times later described parents, teachers and students, was one the same tlme, ... it is bombarded with -Oscar Acosca, the demonstration on an inside page as news. stories of the United States' gen" Attorney for the Chicano 13 of the largest demonstrations of strength "5,000 marchers, predominantly white." in the history of the black struggle in Anyone standing on that bridge could New York City, and it reflects the rapidly see it was at least 20,000- the majority growing grass roots movement for black black. All ages were represented, with many and Puerto Rican control of their schools children and high-school students, as well which has developed during the teachers' Statement by Halstead and Boutelle as thousands of parents. strike. Close to half the schools in New York After a mass rally at City Hall, the but they won't succeed. We are confident are now open as a result of action on the NEW YORK, Oct. 17- Fred Halstead thousands of demonstrators marched over that all of our supporters across the coun part of parent groups, many of whom and Paul Boutelle, Socialist Workers Party the Brooklyn Bridge to the Board of Edu candidates for President and Vice Pres try will react to this bombing by redoubling have had to fight against school prin cation Building in Brooklyn. Few cops ident, issued a statement here today on their efforts to build the antiwar and black were in evidence as the marchers surged cipals and cops to gain entrance into their schools. the bombing of their campaign head liberation movements, and the movement over the traffic area of the bridge, waving quarters in Los Angeles. to abolish tilt capitalist system that causes signs at the cars, blocking traffic, and A new development this week was the 'We condemn the terrorist bombing of such violence. shouting slogans including "The Schools organization of the high-school students our headquarters in Los Angeles. It was "The terrorists also hope to discourage Belong to the People,""Down With Shanker, who opened a number of schools. In some a deed nurtured by the violence-breeding our defense of the Cuban Revolution, but Up With McCoy," and "Hey, Hey, Black areas this has been led by the High School policies of the government and the Dem here too they have failed. We will intensify Power, We Want School, Say It Louder." Coalition, a black, citywide group. ocratic and Republican parties. The war our campaign in support of Cuba," the of aggression Washington is waging in statement said. Vietnam and the bipartisan campaign against Cuba create a climate where right wing groups and individuals are en Reveal plot couraged to carry on their own 'anti communist' campaigns," the statement said. "These terrorist goons were imitating to kill 'leftists' the terrible violence unleashed by Washing ton against Vietnam, and such things as NEW YORK- Two men were indicted the abortive Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba. here Oct. 11 on charges of plotting to "The anti-Castro hoodlums responsible murder 158 people they considered "ac for the bombing know they are given tive leftists." These "active leftists," accord covert support from the CIA and Wash ing to press reports, included leaders, ington, and feel they can get away with members and sympathizers of the Socialist such terrorist acts. It's just such types Workers Party, The Resistance, Congress who are most enthusiastic about the 'law of Racial Equality, Progressive Labor and order' pitch of Humphrey, Nixon Party and Students for a Democratic So and Wallace. This bombing is a good ciety. example of just what these gentlemen mean The two men, William Hoff, 33, and by 'law and order' -the suppression of Paul Dommer, 29, were arrested Aug. 26, all who dissent with their policies. a day after they had allegedly given a "The terrorists hope to intimidate the TNT bomb to a police undercover agent ON BROOKLYN BRIDGE. Approximately 20,000 people supporting commu antiwar, black power and revolutionary with instructions to set it off at the home nity control of schools participated in demonstration. socialist movements by such nefarious acts, of a member of The Resistance.