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Vol. 13, No. 29 ' 1975 by Intercontinental Press July 28, 1975

STALINISTS SPLIT RANKS OF WORKERS i IN PORTUGAL

Workers Press CARVALHO: General on a white horse? Angolans on Brink of Civil War

other Articles

Demands Mount for Ouster of Peron GiA: 20 Years of Spying on SWP

100,000 in Madras Protest Gandfil's Coup The Famine in Haiti Zionists Step Up Coionization of West Bank iranian CP Hails Shah's Betrayal of Kurds

What Happened to Cambodia's Cities? Free the Political Prisoners in Dominica! important, the United States and its NATO allies need to make it plain to Moscow that the Soviet Union will be held responsible if Portugal's Communists continue on their ,;* present path and that the West's democracies cannot accept imposition of Communism there by force or subversion." So, the Times recommended keeping a Portugal: The Imperialists Play a Waiting Game wary eye on the Portuguese CP and Moscow but did not raise an alarm or begin to prepare the American public for "drastic action." Throughout the third week in July, most more by the attempts of the Stalinists and Some columnists thought that even if the commentators in the international capitalist ultralefts to identify socialism with dictator worst happened, it would be no disaster. press were speculating that a "Communist ship, it would presumably be easier to offer Clayton Fritchey said in the July 17 New take-over" could be imminent in Portugal. aid "with strings of democracy." York Post: But they did not seem to get very excited If one of the most authoritative voices of "Portugal may or may not go Marxist, but about it. British capital—which has substantial in even if it does there is no reason to believe it The British Economist seemed to feel it vestments in Portugal—was not particularly will necessarily end up a satellite of Moscow. could afford to take a rather detached and upset about the prospect of a "red take-over," If the radical left wing takes over completely, self-satisfied attitude, considerably cooler the capitalist press in the main imperialist Portugal (like Yugoslavia, Romania, China than the blasts offire and brimstone inspired country, which generally has a shorter and Cuba) will probably turn into an inde by the "selfishness" of the British labor temper than its British counterpart, seemed pendent Communist country, with unions. hardly more unnerved. nationalism—more than ideology— The headhne in its July 19 issue struck a The New York Times did not comment dominating Portuguese foreign policy." philosophical note: "Soldiers don't let go." editorially for a week after the military's In its early days the Cuban revolution That is, once the military has power,they will announcement of its "grass-roots democra presented quite a different problem. Then, not relinquish it. This was followed by such cy" plan. When it finally did in its July 17 the rebel regime threatened to inspire revolu nostrums as: "The longer Portugal remains issue, it took a reserved tone. The editorial tion throughout the hemisphere. The liberal on its present course, the likelier it is that one presented a careful brief against the Portu columnist did not really look at the question form of authoritarianism or another will be guese CP: from a consistent capitalist point of view, but there to stay." "The resignation from the Government of he understood that Stalinism poses only a Although the situation in Portugal was Mario Soares' Socialists and ofthe center-left limited problem for imperialism. disagreeable, all was not necessarily lost, Popular Democrats—parties supported by and there was a salutary lesson to be learned: about two-thirds of the voters in April— The right-wing New York Times columnist ". . . for the Portuguese majority either a dramatize for the world the widening gap C.L. Sulzberger could be expected to have a Communist outcome or a Carvalhoist one is between the Portuguese people and the sharper nose for a "Communist threat." He likely to seem very much the same dictator Moscow-backed military-civilian minority was the one who first blew the whistle on the ship in the end. that has seized most of the levers of power." liberal Papandreou government in Greece in "For democratic Europe as a whole, that The attack on the democratic rights of the the mid-1960s and helped prepare the way for outcome in Portugal will be a signal defeat. It SP was cited: "The seizure of Republica the military take-over. may yet be that the early hopes for a clearly was the means chosen by the Commu However, in his column in the July 19 democratic Portugal will return—if Russia nist leader, Alvaro Cunhal, to force a show Times Sulzberger, not without a certain really has pulled the financial rug from under down and military repudiation of the April sympathy, painted a picture of a moderate the soldiers' feet; if popular support for the Constituent Assembly elections, which gave reform experiment sinking under the pres communists continues to plummet as it has the Communists and their fellow-traveling sure of economic crisis: done in recent weeks; if Angola weakens party together only 18 per cent of the vote." "Economically the country is hard hit. Portuguese military strength and nerve. But Although wages have been doubled,they still those are long shots. Many months ago the Also noted were statements by Alvaro Cu average little more than $40 weekly because European Economic Community had the nhal indicating a contempt for elections. For this is an underdeveloped land. Assorted chance to give financial aid to Portugal tied this, the Times drew on an interview Cunhal labor troubles have caused shutdowns; up with strings of democracy. The chance gave to the notorious Italian poison pen production has suffered; some foreign plants was missed and its floundering over the issue Oriana Fallaci, an interview it featured in its have closed; and the A.F.M.[Armed Forces in Brussels this week was too late to affect Sunday magazine of July 13. Cunhal claims Movement]decrees that workers shall not be anything that was happening in Portugal. this interview was doctored, and that is not discharged. The chance may just come again.Let us hope unlikely. However, similar statements were "As a result, factories produce goods they Europe meets it." recorded by more reputable journalists in Le cannot sell; inventories have climbed to an Of course, after the socialist-minded Monde. unhealthy degree; and firms threatened with masses in Portugal were demoralized a little Thus, the Times was able to portray the bankruptcy are bailed out by nationaliza Portuguese Stalinist leader as a cynical, tions. Workers are still on payrolls but the sinister subversive, confident of his ability to Government is acquiring ownership of unec impose a dictatorship over the masses. onomic properties as long-term disaster Summer Schedule But it was a horror movie with the promise shapes up." The last Issue of Intercontinental Press of a happy ending:". . .the struggle between Sulzberger even took a friendly attitude before our summer break will be the issue Portugal's democrats and totalitarians is not toward the junta's nationalizing Portugal's dated August 4. We will resume our over." reactionary financial institutions: ". . . the regular schedule with the Issue dated The Times recommended making it clear A.F.M. has taken some genuine revolution September 8. that economic aid would be "conditional on ary steps. It nationalized banks and insur continued freedom." However: "Even more ance companies which loomed large on the Intercontinental Press dictatorship's horizon because of Salazar's financial bias." In fact he portrayed the military as rather sluggish and conservative: "This move was well received; most people In This Issue Closing Date: July 21, 1975 correctly blamed giant private institutions for Portugal's over-all backwardness. The A.F.M. also began land reforms. "But few important other social or econom FEATURES 1090 Out Now.'—Chapter 7: SDS Default and the Birth of the National Coordinating ic moves have been made and freedom is Committee—by Fred Halstead vanishing. There are increased mutterings PORTUGAL Stalinists Split Ranks of Workers asking what the revolution is about." —by Gerry Foley Sulzberger's conclusion was that the mili What Stand to Take on "Republica" tary was going to the right and not to the left: Seizure?—by Dick Fidler New CIA Documents: 20 Years of Spying "Because of these factors the revolution the SWP—by Caroline Lund marks time as the A.F.M. seemingly consoli Watch Out When Eating Grain From U.S. dates military dictatorship while talking ANGOLA Nationalist Groups on Brink of Civil War about austerity, wage restraints and the —by Ernest Harsch ARGENTINA production battle." Demand Mounts for Ouster of Perdn —by Judy White One bourgeois editor, Dieter Wild of Der 100,000 in Madras Protest Dictatorial Spiegel, did paint a frightening picture of Rule—by Ernest Harsch developments in Portugal. He focused on the CAMBODIA What Happened to Cambodia's Urban Population?-by Peter Green ultraleft demonstration July 16 at the Pala- ISRAEL Lessons of the Ashkelon Dockers' cio Sao Bento: Strike—by M. Halevy "The tightly packed crowd . . . chanted "You Cannot Have a Humane Zionism" not only'Long live the working class!''Death Zionists Step Up Colonization of to fascism!' and 'Strengthen the AFM!' but West Bank CHILE Parties of the "Popular Unity" Continue also 'Dissolve the Constituent Assembly!' to Flounder—by Jean-Pierre Beauvais This slogan was also on some signs, and no DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Union Leaders Face Frame-up doubt was left that this was the real aim of —by Judy White the demonstration. Stalinists Hail Shah's Betrayal of Kurds —by Majid Namvar "The small, bizarre world of grass-roots HAITI Who Is Growing Fat From the Famine? organizations, workers and tenants commit BRITAIN How the "Prevention of Terrorism" Act tees, revolutionary soldiers, Maoists, Has Eroded Democratic Rights Trotskyists, and anarchists wanted to over Lotta Continua's Turn and Its Spontanb- ist Past—by F. Turlgliatto awe the massive Socialist party, which the NEWS ANALYSIS Portugal: Imperialists Play a Waiting day before yesterday mobilized 40,000 per Game sons to stand up against the military. AROUND THE WORLD "The crowd in front of Sao Bento was not BOOKS The Canadian Communist Party—Reviewed by Ian Angus frightening, but the military government DOCUMENTS The "Republica" Episode: Divisive was." Perhaps the German editor wanted to Politics remind his readers of the notorious Prussian Directive on the Reorganization of the plebiscite in the 1930s when the ultraleft Portuguese Army For Immediate, Unconditional Withdrawal Communist party joined with the Nazis From All Israeli-Occupied Territories against the Social Democrats, who were Free the Political Prisoners in Dominica! defending their parliamentary positions FROM OUR READERS under bourgeois democracy. □ EN ESPANOL: El Episodic de "Republica": Polfticas de Division

Those Clear Mountain Streams

Crater Lake National Park, high in Ore Intercontinental Press, P.O. Box 116, Village opinion, unsigned material expresses the stand gon's Cascade Mountains, was closed Station, New York, N Y. 10014. point of revolutionary Marxism. indefinitely July 11 after an estimated 500 Editor: Joseph Hansen. Paris Office: Pierre Frank, 10 impasse Guemenee, Contributing Editors: Pierre Frank, LIvIo Maltan, 75004, Paris, France. to 1,000 tourists and National Park Service Ernest Mandel, George Novack. To Subscribe: For one year send $24 to Intercon Editorial Staff: Michael Baumann, Gerry Foley, tinental Press, P.O. Box 116, Village Station, New employees became ill. According to a Park Ernest Harsch, Caroline Lund, Judy White. York, N.Y. 10014. Write for rates on first class and Service spokesman, "There have been many Business Manager: Reba Hansen. airmail. severe cases of cramps, vomiting and other Assistant Business Manager: Steven Warshell. For airmail subscriptions In Europe: Write to Copy Editor. Mary Roche. Pathfinder Press, 47 The Cut, London SE1 8LL. in internal ailments." Technical Staff: Robert Des Verney, Paul Deveze, Australia: Write to Pathfinder Press, P.O. Box 151, Larry Ingram, James M. Morgan, Earl Williams. Glebe 2037. in New Zealand: Write to Socialist Investigators called in from the Public Books, P.O. Box 1663, Wellington. Health Service quickly located the problem: Published In New York each Monday except last Special rates available for subscriptions to raw sewage in the mountain spring water In December and first In January; not published In colonial and semlcolonlal countries. August. Subscription correspondence should be ad that is used in the park's main lodge and Intercontinental Press specializes In political dressed to Intercontinental Press, P.O. Box 116, campground. analysis and Interpretation of events of particular Village Station, New York, N.Y. 10014. Interest to the labor, socialist, colonial Indepen Please allow five weeks for change of address. The 6,000 visitors who have entered the dence, Black, and women's liberation movements. Include your old address as well as your new park since it opened in mid-June were urged Signed articles represent the views of the authors, address, and. If possible, an address label from a which may not necessarily coincide with those of recent Issue. to seek medical attention. intercontinental Press. Insofar as It reflects editorial Copyright ® 1975 by Intercontinental Press. July 28, 1975 Help Pave Way for Bonapartist Dictator

Stalinists Split Ranks of Portuguese Workers

By Gerry Foley

Spearheading a fresh attack hy the Por Portugal, would mean that reaction was nhal, the Communist secretary general, tuguese military junta on popular sover already triumphant in the greater part of exhorted a party youth redly to use 'all eignty and the democratic rights of the the country and that the "progressives" means within their reach' to impede what masses, the Communist party and its were hemmed into a few enclaves. he and other Communists have called a ultraleft allies used force on Friday and Furthermore, this would mean that in the 'march on Lisbon.' Saturday, July 18 and 19, in trying to decisive working-class center, the Lisbon- "A few hours later the Communists began prevent Socialist party rallies from being Setubal complex at the mouth of the Tejo setting up roadblocks in the Lisbon area." held. River, the masses would be at least deeply The military security forces command In Oporto on Friday the gangs mobilized split if not completely dominated by the denounced the Stalinists' action as "unjusti by the Stalinist bureaucratic machine, "reactionaries." fied" and took over the checkpoints them along with ultraleftists, tried to barricade In the other red area, the center of the selves. In this way, the military leaders the city against an allegedly impending agricultural proletariat in Alentejo Province may have averted open warfare between the assault of reactionary putschists led by the to the east of Lisbon, there are no indica SP supporters on one side and the Stalinists SP. The relatively small force under the tions as yet of how the latest crisis has and their ultraleft allies on the other. command of the Stalinists was apparently affected the population. The fact that under However, the military security command, overwhelmed by a huge crowd. the present regime landless peasants have Copcon (Comando Operacional do Conti ". . . the barricades were quickly demol been able to carry out an extensive land nent®—Mainland Portugal Operations ished," New York Times correspondent reform may have convinced them that they Command), played its usual balancing Henry Giniger wrote in a July 19 dispatch have too great a stake in maintaining the game. Even though it conceded that vigi from Lisbon. "While the Socialists were present government to risk protesting lante action by the Stalinists and ultralefts assembling some 70,000 people in a soccer arbitrary measures. But in this region as a was not justified by any rightist threat, and stadium, the communists could rally only whole the SP got a somewhat higher vote thus indicated the true nature of this about 4,000 in the central square." than the CP. operation as a sectarian power play. Cop- The Stalinists and their allies got less In the Lisbon-Setdbal area, street clashes con still maintained the checkpoints and than 10 percent of the vote in the April 25 between the two workers parties could be apparently allowed the vigilantes to try to elections in this northern industrial area. expected to have the most disastrous intimidate the crowds going to the SP rally. However, they hold strong positions in the effects. The SP gained one of its highest "The extensive search of vehicles osten labor movement there. The CP minister of electoral scores in Lisbon, and it edged out sibly was to halt arms from coming into labor in the first provisional government the CP even in Setdbal, the main Stalinist Lisbon," Giniger wrote. "But communist was an official in the bank workers union stronghold. However, during the election and far-left groups that accompanied the in Oporto. The metalworkers union has campaign both parties succeeded in mobiliz soldiers also appeared anxious to discou been under firm CP control in the north, ing up to 100,000 persons in their rallies. rage an influx of Socialist supporters for the while in Lisbon the Stalinists have faced Despite the danger that clashes between rally." strong opposition from an anarcho-syn crowds of CP and SP supporters would have Despite the pressure from the junta and dicalist current. under these circumstances, the Stalinist attempts at intimidation by the Stalinist However, even with the support of the party leadership went all out on July 18 and and ultraleft vigilantes, more than 80,000 government on a local and national level 19 to try to physically prevent a Socialist persons reportedly concentrated at the SP and with the leverage of their strong rally firom being held in central Lisbon. rally. bureaucratic positions, the Stalinists proved "It is now evident that the SP leadership Speaking to the crowd, SP leader Mdrio unable to block a mobilization of the has transformed its party into an openly Soares called on the military to reveal how masses infuriated by what appeared to oppositionist party leading the struggle many weapons they had found at their them to be an attempt by the CP and the against the Portuguese revolutionary pro checkpoints. He ridiculed the claims of the ultralefts to impose dictatorial control. cess and openly fighting the Armed Forces Stalinists and ultraleftists that the rally It is possible that rightists joined the Movement and the Revolutionary Council, represented a reactionary march on Lisbon rally. The antidemocratic campaign of the openly fighting the tenants and workers to overthrow the government. Stalinists and the ultralefts had, after all, committees," the CP regional committee Reports in the international press indicat offered them a golden opportunity to rebuild said in a July 16 communique. ed that Soares's ridicule was likely to prove a mass base for reaction. Although anti- It continued: "The PCP [Partido Comu- quite effective. For exEimple, Giniger wrote: Communism was discredited after the fall nista Portugufis—Portuguese Communist "While soldiers searched cars and trucks, of the Caetano regime, the bureaucratic party] regional committee appeals to the youthful vigilantes wearing red armbands maneuvers of the Stalinists have been toilers of the city and the countryside, to the stood watching. But at one checkpoint they reviving it in a more virulent form. More small farmers, businessmen and industrial participated in the search. Motorists sub over, the attempts by the Stalinists and ists, to the sincere Catholics, and all mitted meekly. A soldier could report only ultralefts to smear the SP by claiming that authentic revolutionists, to all progressive two pistols found during a morning's work it is the rallying ground of the right can forces. unddr the hot sun." become a self-fulfilling prophecy. "Build a powerful barrier against the However, if these claims are accepted, the counterrevolution." During the rightist coup attempts on July 18 events in Oporto, the main indus On July 19 Giniger cabled from the Por September 28, 1974, and March 11, 1975, trial center in the northern two-thirds of tuguese capital: "Last night Alvaro Cu- similar vigilante groups played a decisive

Intercontinental Press role in defeating reaction. However, the There is no basis in fact, however, for "Democratic public opinion in Portugal attempt of the Stalinists and the ultralefts such apologetic "theories." How can the has hailed the plan accepted by the Assem to call a similar mobilization to prevent the Portuguese CP be an exception in the bly of the Armed Forces Movement to create largest workers party in the country from Stalinist camp when the Kremlin has a system of people's mass organizations in exercising its democratic rights threatens to backed it to the hilt in its sectarian course. the country based on the principle of unity discredit such action among broad masses of all progressive forces in the Portuguese of the population. revolution. This sectarian maneuver was the most "In a communique published here, the effective way possible to undermine mass Political Committee of the CC of the PCP response to a real rightist danger and to has stressed that the new programmatic make any appeals for resisting such a document of the AFM upholds the revolu threat appear nothing more than calls to tionary course this movement has chosen battle in a sectarian war among the left and promotes the further development of parties. By resorting to such methods to the revolutionary process in the country. defend its privileged relationship with the "At a time when the reactionary forces military junta, the CP made it absolutely are trying to hold back the Portuguese clear where the primary responsibility lies revolution, the statement says, the AFM's for the split in the Portuguese working reaffirmation of its alliance has exceptional class. importance. The same is true of its reaffir mation of the decisiveness of the 'battle for production,' the necessity for establishing Revival of the 'Third Period' effective workers control, and the need for In its attempt to maintain its position as strengthening and purging the state appar the mass organizer of the military regime, atus. Equally important was its reaffirma that is, to carry out a conservative, openly Portugal: L'An 1 tion of the role the progressive parties have to play. class-collaborationist policy, the Portu CP LEADER CUNHAL: Calls for "militant guese CP has returned to the methods of the solidarity" with bourgeois MFA. "The approval of this programmatic "Third Period," the ultraleft adventurist document, the statement notes further on, phase of Stalinism. plays an exceptionally important role in when the Soviet press and the most servile In this phase, from 1928 to 1934, the consolidating the revolutionary process and Stalinist parties such as the American CP Stalinist bureaucracy in the Soviet Union lays the foundations of the future democrat have echoed its campaign against the reacted to the failure of opportunist policies ic socialist Portuguese state. Socialist party? in the Soviet Union itself and in China by "The PCP proposes to establish, within For example, the U.S. Stalinist paper the going on an adventurist jag. Now the same the system of people's mass organizations, Daily World wrote in its July 18 issue: methods are being used in the context of a militant solidarity among all participants "Wednesday's [July 16] SP rally protest right-opportunist policy both in Portugal regardless of their political views. ing against what they called the 'Commu and internationally. This is a new confir "The PCP calls on the workers of the nist—AFM dictatorship' was a failure, with mation that arbitrary and sectarian meth country to take an active part in the only one-tenth of the turnout predicted by ods, and thus adventurism, are lodged in demonstration that is being organized in the SP organizers. This tended to reinforce the very nature of Stalinism. Lisbon to support the decisions of the AFM observations that the SP has some passive The antidemocratic concept of gaining Assembly." support but finds it difficult to mobilize its and holding influence and positions On the demonstration itself, Pravda had members for any kind of action." through bureaucratic maneuvering has the following comment, under the headline The sectarian frenzy that culminated in brought the pro-Moscow Stalinists in Portu "The People Support the Democratic Trans the adventures of July 18 and 19 was given gal into convergence with the adventurist formations": impetus by the July 8 decision of the ultraleft groups, which also have a funda "The participants expressed their firm Assembly of the Armed Forces Movement mentally antidemocratic notion of how to determination to oppose any plot against on building "people's grass-roots democra fight for socialism. The ultraleftists think the alliance of the toiling masses with the cy." (See text of plan in Intercontinental that by their daring and elan small groups AFM. Massive participation by workers in Press, July 21, p. 1050.) The ultraleftists can draw the broad masses behind them in the demonstration showed the failure of the interpreted this as a move toward proclai an assault on the capitalist system. attempt by the bourgeois parties and the SP ming the "dictatorship of the proletariat." Fundamentally, the two conceptions are to undermine this alliance. These parties The Stalinists saw it as a definitive rebuff similar both in their logic and in their class had tried vainly to persuade the Lisbon to the SP. This was to be the end of the SP's roots. Seldom, however, has this underlying workers not to attend. pretensions to a voice in governing the identity been demonstrated so clearly in country just because it won by far the action as it has in Portugal in the alliance "With the aim of increasing political largest vote in the April 25 elections. The that has developed between a power-hungry tensions in the country, the Portuguese SP Stalinists' greater reliability and effective Stalinist bureaucracy and a motley train of withdrew from the coalition government. ness as mass organizers had finally been ultraleft groups. As a pretext it offered its disagreement with given its just reward. Some of the ultraleft groups that claim to the AFM's naming a new editor and a be anti-Stalinist have been hard put to special committee to run the daily Republi- Moscow's Stamp of Approval explain this convergence. In order to get ca. around the difficulty, they have tried to The Stalinist-controlled union federation, "As is well known, the conflict at Republi- claim that the Portuguese CP is not a Intersindical, called a demonstration for ca, whose administration was under SP typical Stalinist party because of its tradi July 10 to "support the Armed Forces control, was engendered by the systematic tion in the resistance to Salazarism and the Movement" and its plan. A Tass dispatch publication in the paper's pages of provo swamping of its disciplined cadres by a in the July 11 issue of Pravda gave a full cative and anti-Communist material. To mass of still un-Stalinized recent recruits. report of the Portuguese CP's position. express their protest against this course, the

July 28, 1975 workers refused to print the paper. But incredibly, without any explanation, "Note: At this point the UDP deputy "However, the real reason for the SP's this was refused." leaves the hall. Furious demonstrations in move was its disagreement with the AFM's The transcript continued: "Note: at this the galleries." decisions about establishing a system of point the deputies of the MDP/CDE' left Arnault's "antifascist friend" was appar mass organizations in the country. The SP the hall. ently a member of the MRPP (Movimento has openly opposed this plan, which re "Arnault: I see my comrades of the Reorganizati vo do Partido do ceived wide approval from all of democratic MDP/CDE leaving the hall. That is their Proletariado—Movement to Reorganize the public opinion and from the trade unions." problem. But this antifascist comrade I Proletarian Party, a Maoist group). The July 16 Pravda reported the PCP's have been talking about used to be an denunciation of the SP protests under the activist in the MDP/CPE. The Purged RepCiblIca headline: "Stop the Plots of the Counterre "Note: Boos from the assembly and the This incident was referred to in an volutionaries." galleries. editorial in the July 16 issue of the new In the July 15 Izvestia, the editors "Chairman: I call for the attention of the Republica under the headline: "Soldier of referred to a report from their Lisbon assembly. I call for the attention of the the People, Put the Politicians to Work in correspondent: assembly. Let the speaker speak. Moncorvo." The "nonpartisanized" paper "Reports in Portugal in recent days have "Note: Shouts of 'Down with reaction!' said: "When a deputy of parliamentary testified to a step-up in subversive activity 'Down with reaction!''Down with reaction!' democracy wants to eliminate his most by the opponents of the revolutionary "Arnault: Calm, my friends, calm. capable adversary, he uses the most servile transformations in the country. The hall of "Note: At this point the PGP deputies left minority and makes deals with the most the Sao Bento palace, where the Constitu the hall. Various voices were heard shout renegade extremists. ent Assembly is meeting, has also become ing: 'Fascist!' 'Fascist!' Applause. Whistles. "When the same deputy tries to eliminate an arena of sharp political struggle between Demonstrations in the galleries. the most cohesive and dynamic minority in the democratic forces and the bourgeois "Chairman: I call for the attention of the the revolution, he does not hesitate to throw parties, which are trying to turn this forum assembly. himself at the feet of his most incompetent into a platform for counterrevolution. The "Arnault: On the Communist party adversary and ask him the 'favor' of friend leaders of the Portuguese Socialist party benches there is a comrade who has been a ship." have openly gone over to the camp of the guest in my home many times. The same issue of the "purged" Republica opponents of the revolution. In the Constit "Mr. Chairman, now that the Communist was, however, prepared to take an indul uent Assembly, SP deputy Carlos [sic] deputies, or to he more exact, the deputies of gent attitude toward the "patriotic" wing of Arnault made slanderous attacks on the the Communist party, have left the hall, the bourgeois Partido Popular Democrdtico Armed Forces Movement." those who are against freedom, I only want (PPD—Democratic People's party), which, to say before we continue that there are four days after the SP, was preparing to people sitting on the Communist benches leave the government: In the Constituent Assembly who have been guests in my home. In the harsh years they sought shelter in the "The Political Committee of the PPD In fact, the CP and its ultraleft allies reportedly has decided to leave the govern modest home of an antifascist comrade like opened a campaign immediately after the ment in a dramatic meeting in which the themselves, and now they are leaving this publication of the "people's grass-roots minority group led by Dr. Sa Borges, the assembly. They are showing that they have democracy" plan, pressing for the dissolu present minister of social affairs (consid no feeling or understanding of the word tion of the Constituent Assembly, the only ered the leader of the left wing of the party), 'freedom.' national body with any democratic legiti did not succeed in getting his view accepted, "Why are these deputies leaving the hall? macy. They seized on a protest against a view that would have given the national One day the Portuguese people will answer arbitrary arrests by the military to stage a interest primacy over the interests of the that question. walkout. parties." The July 12 issue of Portugal Socialista, "Note: Applause, foot-stamping. "Chairman: I inform the speaker that he The article was entitled: "Government of the weekly SP organ, printed a transcript of National Liberation." It went on to note: has two minutes to end his remarks. the session where this occurred. Antonio "The PCP is favorable to a nonparty "Arnault: I call the attention of the Arnault was ending his speech: "An old government of military officers and inde chairman respectfully to the fact that he comrade in the smtifascist struggle who pendent personalities. should not have included the time taken up spent bitter years in the dungeons of the "Everything indicates that the AFM will by the applause or the demonstrations of political police came out on the streets with emerge from the present reshuffling with a the MDP/CDE or the PCP. me to celebrate the victorious revolution. He stronger image as a movement of national "Chairman: You will get a short exten was jailed on May 28 ... at 7:00 in the liberation and a builder of socialism accord sion. morning and not at 5:00 in the afternoon ing to the lines of the recent Plan of "Americo Duarte, delegate of the Uniao like Lorca. Militarized forces surrounded his Political Action." Democrdtica do Povo:^ Long live the work house and dragged him out of bed. They The new Republica gave prominence to ing class! took him to the Coimbra penitentiary. furious protests by military officers against "Note: Cheers from the gedleries. According to the warrant signed by the Soares's temerity in questioning the repres "Chairman: The galleries are not permit military authorities he was accused of entativeness of the AFM bodies and the ted to demonstrate. belonging to an 'association of malefac "revolutionary legitimacy" of the military tors'. . . . government. 1. Movimento Democrdtico Portugufis-Comissao "Recently on a Sunday I tried to visit him Democrdtica Eleitoral—Portuguese Democratic as his lawyer, at his request and that of his MovementDemocratic Election Committee. This wife. The prison guards told me that he had was the old "antifascist front" that the CP A subscription to Intercontinen converted into a petty-bourgeois front organiza been turned over to the armed forces and tion. tal Press is still a BEST BUY. that only they could authorize a visit. A 2. People's Democratic Union, a Maoist organiza guard took it on himself to make a tele tion with a syndicalist line, the most opportunist Check rotes inside cover. phone cedl asking the necessary permission. of the ultraleft Maoist groups.

Intercontinental Press In fact, while it is difficult to determine (tenants and workers committees)," accord The leaders of such formations have how much of a role elections play in the ing to the July 17 issue of Didrio de associated them with an attempt to impose selection of these bodies, it is absolutely Nottcias, one of the CP-controlled morning a "dictatorship of the proletariat" against clear that any democratic aspects are papers. It was also supported by the the will of the majority of the working class strictly limited and secondary. As the ultraleft groups and the most radicalized and the toiling masses. They have con directive for "giving form" to the AFM in units in the armed forces such as RALis, signed the majority of the working class in the army published in the July 11 issue of the Lisbon Light Artillery Regiment (the the country to the outer darkness as the Armed Forces Movement bulletin target of the March 11 coup), and the "reactionaries." At the same time, they, and shows, the "sovietistic" military are deter Queluz and Pontinha regiments. others like them, have reduced the most mined to replace any representative com The Stalinist-dominated daily noted that advanced organizations of the workers, mittees in the services as quickly as it had been told by official sources that soldiers, and ssdlors to the status of pawns possible with the kind of totalitarian General Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho had in the hands of the rising Napoleon of the transmission belts they outlined in their authorized the presence of military person AFM, General de Carvalho. "people's grass-roots democracy" plan. nel at the demonstration but that some The purged Republica got a wider circula military representatives said this report General on a White Horse tion than usual, but not in Portugal. The could not be confirmed. This adroit balancer, who has co-opted first issue of the new paper was translated "The slogans 'AFM—People's Power,' the most radical regiments through his into Italian and run as a special supple and 'Soldiers Always, Always at the Side of Copcon supercommand, is the most likely ment in Lotta Continua, the paper of an the People,' coming simultaneously with the beneficiary of the midsummer madness of Italian ultraleft group of the same name. arrival of tanks, buses, and other military the ultralefts and the frenzied factionalism This group sent a special message to the vehicles from RALis, the Queluz and of the Stalinists. He alone has been able, at festival of support for the "Republica Pontinha regiments, the military police, least to some extent, to appeal to all sides. workers" on July 11. The statement said, and other units marked the high point of He even seized on the crisis of Julyl8-19 to among other things; the demonstration. . . . mend some fences by releasing the MRPP "The bourgeoisie, all the opportunists, the "After a few minutes of slogans, several members still held in prison. He defended reformists, and the revisionists raised a speakers fi:om the tenants and workers the SP against the CP and the ultraleft, but howl against us. They said that this committees took the microphone. Following still alowed the "vigilantes" to remain as initiative [putting out the translation of remarks about the 'rightists of the CDS auxiliaries at the checkpoints around Lis Republica] was provocative. The PCI [Itali [Centro Democrdtico Social—Social Demo bon. an Communist party] tops are at the peak cratic Center, the right-wing bourgeois The charismatic general, the leader of the of their shsimeful policy of compromise with party],' the 'scum of the PPD,' and 'the April 25 coup, has the ultraleft in his the bourgeoisie. Berlinguer, alongside counterrevolutionaries of the SP,' and after pocket. He was able to block with the CP in Soares, condemned the revolutionary posi saying that it was 'urgent to win national pushing through "grass-roots democracy" tions adopted by the last AFM assembly. independence and carry out an agrarian and still differentiate himself from the "The Portuguese revolutionary process reform throughout the country,' the speaker Stalinists. "Senhor Soares, if he had to has separated all the reformists from the ended by hailing 'working-class unity.' He make the choice, is thought to prefer revolutionists throughout Europe. All the also noted that it was 'urgent to get rid of General de Carvalho because he is not revolutionary forces, both military and the professional politicians who are vainly bound to the disciplined phalanx of the civilian, must not delude themselves. The wringing their hands about our dictator Communist party. . . ," the Economist confrontation with imperialism, European ship. They have to go into the garbage can noted in its July 19 issue. capitalism, and SocieJ Democracy will be of history.'" In the July 19 Lisbon rally Soares very violent and can only be won by the demanded the resignation of Premier Vasco largest possible mass mobilization. This must have been one of the most Gongalves, who has been identified with the "The only possibility for victory in the tragically aberrant demonstrations in the CP. At the SEune time, there were reports of revolution in Portugal as in Italy will come history of modem revolutions. It assembled new moves to oust Gon^alves in the from a policy of national independence the most radicalized elements in the Portu Revolutionary Council. through a common struggle against the guese upsurge. These vanguard elements Perhaps de Carvalho would be acceptable imperialist forces." did not, however, come to the Paldcio SSo to the SP as a substitute. Soares, like Bento to support any mass struggle or Cunhal, has said he would accept a purely demand any concrete gain for the masses. The July 16 Demonstration military government as long as he did not Coming to hail measures that denied the think it was hostile to the SP. A token The festival in Lisbon was organized by workers any independent decision-making rebuff to the CP would be immensely the Brigada de Apoio aos Trabalhadores power whatsoever, they ended up calling on popular with the great majority of the (Brigade to Support the Workers), which the military junta to turn power over "to the people but would not interfere with the gave special thanks to the Liga de Uniao e workers" in genered, in the abstract. Not consolidation of military rule. The ultralefts Accao Revoluciondria (League for Revolu even the most deluded ultrsdefts could have would be delighted, and the "comandante" tionary Unity and Action), the Partido thought that the forces represented at the himself could slowly let the air out of their Revoluciondrio do Proletariado-Brigadas demonstration could form a workers gov balloon. Revoluciondrias (Revolutionary party of the ernment for Portugal. Proletariat-Revolutionary Brigades), and The July 16 demonstration was a wild In any case, the Portuguese bourgeoisie the UDP. It described itself as made up of display of ultraleft fantasies. It further now has several options. The radicalized "nonparty individuals with revolutionary isolated the most radicalized elements and elements have isolated themselves. The commitment." helped discredit the embryonic forms of working class is profoundly and bitterly A few days later, on July 16, thousands of workers power that have been developing. split. The mid-July incidents made a mock demonstrators meirched to the Paldcio Sao After this, it will be hard for any workers or ery of the ultrsdeft fantasies about "prog Bento to call for the "dictatorship of the tenants committee to gain acceptance as a ressive military officers" setting up "So proletariat." The demonstration was called genuinely representative body that can viets" that would unite the workers above by the "unitary grass-roots organizations unite workers and poor masses in struggle. the heads of the parties. □

July 28, 1975 A Sampling of Opinion Among Some Left Groups sions in democracy and the army. Only a dictatorship of the proletariat, Laguiller said, could "disarm the army, expropriate the landlords and the trusts, and curtail the reaction." What Stand to Take on Seizure of 'Republica'? As for the period between now and the future dictatorship of the proletariat, Lutte By Dick Fidler Ouuriere either had nothing to.offer in the way of program or did not consider this to be of key importance in relation to the revealed a diversity of views among the The military regime's closure of Republi gagging of Republica. various international currents claiming ca, the Lisbon daily that reflected the views The next two issues of Lutte Ouuribre did adherence to revolutionary Marxism, if not of the Socialist party, gave rise to divergent not mention the battle over Republica. The Trotskyism. Here is a sampling of opinions: reactions in the international workers May 31 issue discussed the MFA's proposal movement. This was quite natural, for an to establish a civilian mass movement important issue was involved—the relation 'Obvious Error in Political Judgment' under its guidance. "Some will undoubtedly between democratic rights and the struggle interpret this as a move to the left," for socialism. Each current was compelled Lutte Ouuriere (Workers Struggle), a Laguiller said. "But what is being prepared to state where it stood on the question of formation that goes by the name of its is not a move to the left by the MFA hut the freedom of the press. weekly newspaper, originated in a split in militarization of the popular committees." The Social Democratic parties quickly the French Trotskyist movement at the sided with their Portuguese cothinkers. The beginning of World War 11. It differs with French Socialist party, for example, mount the Fourth International on a number of In its June 14 issue, Lutte Ouuribre ed a campaign in defense of Republica. The points. It characterizes the East European published a brief article by Colette Bernard immediate objective of the campaign was to states, for instance, as bourgeois, not entitled "The Republica Affair." According present the French Social Democrats as workers states, arguing that they were to Bernard, the regime had made "an sterling defenders of democracy in contrast established in a "cold" way, without mass obvious error in political judgment" in to the French Stalinists, who sought to revolutionary upsurges by the workers. In closing down Republica. The question had place the shutting down of the Lisbon daily contrast to the Fourth International, Lutte "quickly assumed political proportions out in the most favorable light possible.^ Ouuriere is strongly opposed to all varieties of all relation to the importance of the Like the French Stalinists, most of the of nationalism, including the nationalism incident. By evacuating both the workers Communist parties repeated the arguments of oppressed nations. In addition, it and the journalists, the MFA did not give of the Portuguese CP in support of the espouses "workerism"—the view that activi due weight to the parties involved. And the closure.^ However, some differences did ty in the industrial working class and Socialist party could justly consider the appear. The Italian and Spanish parties, for mobilization around economic demands sealing of its printshop as a blow to instance, were critical of the action taken should constitute the primary, if not exclu freedom of the press." by the Portuguese military junta. sive, orientation of a revolutionary organi But the issue had now been resolved. The For revolutionary Marxists, the Republica zation. MFA had retreated in face of the SP's affair brought into focus a number of key Lutte Ouuriere has loose ties outside of mobilization, as could have been predicted. issues besides the relation of democratic France with such organizations as the The whole incident had served to illustrate rights to the struggle for socialism. These International Socialists in Britain, the the nature of the real problem in Portugal, include the role of the Armed Forces Spartakusbund in West Germany, Lotta which is "not freedom of the press, but Movement(MFA) and of the mass reformist Communista in Italy, and the "Fourth rather the question of what form of regime parties—the SP and CP—in the Portuguese International Group" in Japan. there should be: a military government in revolution, and the nature of the Portuguese Readers of Lutte Ouuriire had to wait which the MFA plays a bonapartist role, or government. almost a month before learning its position a parliamentary democracy in which the These questions have been discussed in on the Republica affair. It is true that the Socialist party would be the dominant various articles in recent issues of Intercon May 24 issue (four days after the seizure) party." tinental Press. In addition. Intercontinental carried a headline "The Crisis in Portugal" Press provided the text of an article written on page 1, with a photo of a soldier Portugal Too Poor for Democracy by Leon Trotsky in 1938, explaining why standing guard outside the Republica of the Fourth International is so insistent on fices; but the editorial on Portugal, signed In the following issue of Lutte Ouuribre, defending freedom of the press as a broad by Arlette Laguiller, did not mention the Georges Kaldy analyzed the MFA's June 21 democratic right.® Trotsky's statement of gagging of the SP daily, and was limited to statement in support of "pluralism," which the basic principles involved in this ques a vague, indecisive analysis of the general was generally interpreted as support for tion applies with striking force to the case political situation. parliamentary democracy. "But the present of Republica. The military officers, Laguiller held, had crisis illustrates precisely that the famous The response to the Republica affair also decided that parliamentary democracy was 'pluralist concept,' that is, parliamentary impossible. However, they were not seeking democracy, is in an impasse. to replace it with a proletarian alternative. "By clinging to its democratic illusions. At any moment a military coup "fomented 1. See "French Left Debates Issues in 'Republica' by the section of the army that opposes the Affair," Intercontinental Press, June 23, p. 864. Intercontinental Press will MFA" could occur. As for the working class, it had never give you o week by weekanoly- 2. See "What They Said in Moscow, Peking, been so ill-prepared to counter such a Hanoi, and Havana," Intercontinental Press, sis of the most important world June 30, p. 904. threat. Mdrio Scares, the head of the events. Socialist party, represented the "moderate Subscribe now! bourgeoisie." The Communist party was 3. See "Freedom of the Press and the Working Class," Intercontinental Press, June 9, p. 799. disarming the masses by spreading illu Intercontinental Press trying to square the circle, that is, to combine parliamentarism with a military regime, the MFA condemns itself to impo tence." Kaldy concluded that Portugal is heading toward a dictatorship of a bonapartist type. "Whether it is 'progressive' or frankly reactionary, it will in any case be a military dictatorship," For all its ambiguity, Lutte Ouvriere's approach to the conflict over Republica was rooted in a definite political line, explained in some detail in a May 10 supplement devoted to the situation in Portugal. Lutte Ouvriere acknowledged that the workers had won some gains following the overthrow of the Caetano regime;"that is, a certain freedom to organize, a certain freedom of expression." But Lutte Ouvriere apparently saw little point to vigorously defending those free doms when they come under attack. ". .. there is no possible basis for bourgeois democracy in Portugal. The poverty of the country, the pressure of the surrounding r- imperialist powers, the crying social inequ ality, and the poverty of the masses will inevitably lead to the establishment of a dictatorship." I Thus, it would be incorrect to support the SP's defense of its democratic rights. ". . . opposing the MFA in the name of an impossible parliamentary democracy, the Socialist party will inevitably become the spokesman for the most reactionary circles" I that oppose the MFA from the right. On the other hand, if the MFA were to decide to rule in its own name without the collaboration of the existing political par ties, it would "inevitably suppress demo cratic rights. . . ." The workers "need an independent poli cy," Lutte Ouvriere said, although it failed to indicate what such a policy would involve. It did, however, emphasize that in "any confrontation" between the MFA and "reactionary political forces," as in "an attempt by the imperialist bourgeoisie or the national big bourgeoisie to strangle the economy," the workers should "support the MFA." It is not clear how Lutte Ouvriere recon Informations Ouvribres ciles this position with its characterization Closure of "Republica" raises key issue of democratic rigtits in struggle for socialism. of the policy of the MFA, as advanced in the same issue: "The aim of the MFA officers is only to detach a bit of the Combat Communiste, the leaders of the result in establishment of "a Castro-type Portuguese state apparatus from the influ group argued that while "a Portuguese regime in which the private bourgeoisie ence of imperialism and the direct hold of Pinochet" might emerge, it is also possible would be totally eliminated. The private particular sectors so that this apparatus that "a complete fusion between the CP and bosses—those at least who indicated their can more effectively defend the long-term, the MFA within the state apparatus" could willingness to cooperate—would become general interests of the bourgeoisie." salaried officials incorporated into the Another interpretation of the course of Stalinist and military bureaucracy. This the MFA has been offered by Combat The main difference in the internal dispute would not be an original phenomenon: it centered on how to characterize the Soviet state. Communiste, a group that recently split already occurred in Cuba, where the CP The group that now publishes Combat Commu fused with Castro's movement." from Lutte Ouvriere.'' In the May issue of niste held that the Soviet Union is "state capitalist," while Lutte Ouvrikre maintained that the Soviet Union remains a workers state—the But such a state would still be bourgeois. 4. The group may have been expelled. To an only one in the world, the East European Combat Communiste said. After all, the outside observer, the circumstances are unclear. countries, China, etc., being "state capitalist." bourgeoisie is not "limited to private bour- Juiy 28, 1975 geois proprietors." The key factor in the radicalization of the Portuguese revolution. himself could be in power, and I would still evolution of the situation, it said, could well Once again, the revolutionary wing of the give him critical support. . . .'" be the position of the CP, which—like all MFA has taken the initiative, and has now It is possible that Raptis and his cothink- Communist parties—is seeking to establish succeeded in guaranteeing its hegemony in ers are applying to imperialist Portugal the a state-capitalist society. This is also the the Movement." conclusions they have already drawn with goal of a section of the Portuguese military; Najman described the MFA as follows: respect to the military regime in semicoloni- hence its collaboration with the CP. ". . . a military team, of petty-bourgeois al Peru. origin, pragmatic hut subject to the influ In the December 1974 issue of Sous le Pablo: MFA Playing 'Vanguard Role' ences of the world revolutionary process— Drapeau du Socialisme, Najman described the Chilean experience, the liberation The position taken by Michel Raptis on the Velasco Alvarado regime as "bonapart- struggle in the colonies, the new class the situation in Portugal is worth noting. ist 'sui generis,' of the type Nasser inaugu struggles in Europe for workers control and Under the pen name of M. Pablo, Raptis rated in Egypt. . . ." self-management—is radicalizing in tune was one of the central leaders of the Fourth He said that such regimes, "replacing the with the objective dynamic of the process, International in the post-World War II old oligarchical and 'comprador' bourgeoi-. and is playing an undeniable vanguard period and headed one of the factions sie, are led to transcend the limits of this role. In its search for a 'model' in the during the ten-year split in the internation class, thereby creating an opening that transition to socialism that rejects the al. He participated in the 1963 reunification, helps to activate revolutionary social for Social Democratic and Stalinist options— but he had already developed differences ces." both of them defended in Portugal by that were to lead him to split in 1965 and The creation of mass organizations by the leaderships that are particularly launch the Allidnce Marxiste Revolution- Peruvian military junta to support its caricatural—this conjunctural political van naire. policies bore a "formal resemblance" to guard is seeking an organic linkup with the The AMR soon gave up calling itself Soviets, Najman said. But the "class nature clearest expressions of the social vanguard: "Trotskyist," saying that the term no of the regime was not always clearly the working class and the workers in longer had any precise meaning. The main defined." general." slogan of the AMR is "self-management," Revolutionary Marxists, Najman held, an organizational device to safeguard the should adopt a policy of "conjunctural Najman was of the opinion that the mass workers under socialism from delegating alliance with the national-revolutionary committees envisaged by the MFA leaders undue powers to bodies representing their sectors of the army and the pauperized could develop into "a real 'soviet-type' dual interests. petty bourgeoisie, through an orientation of power that will pose many questions in Raptis likewise developed a negative critical support to the regime," while of relation to the present 'occupation' of the position on the task of building a Leninist course developing a "transitional program bourgeois state by (often) the same officers party. For example, an editorial in the of self-management." who are now holding out this option." December 1974 issue of the AMR's occasion It is to he hoped that in coming articles, He expressed some doubts about the al publication Sous le Drapeau du Social- Raptis and his collaborators will explain MFA's proposal to "go beyond the party isme analyzing the documents of the world how it happened that a bourgeois military system" by establishing its own "liberation congress of the Fourth International held in officer caste in imperialist Portugal came to movement." After all, he said, if the new 1974 criticized both the International Ma he transformed into the key instrument for power structures were to be effective organs jority Tendency and the Leninist-Trotskyist bringing about the transition from capital of people's power, "their function cannot be Faction for holding the "outdated" and ism to a system of workers self- that of a 'civilian MFA' or a 'Movement'; "sectarian" view that future mass revolu management. that would be to underrate them as organs tionary parties must be based on the of power." Trotskyist program and be part of the Such organs were still in an "embryonic" Healy: No Duty to Defend Free Press Fourth International. stage of development, Najman said. "In In February 1975, the AMR entered the The Rep&blica affair also caught the these conditions—unless the MFA is consid centrist Parti Socialiste Unifi6 (PSU— attention of the commentators of the ered to he a party, which is another United Socialist party), where some of its Workers Revolutionary party (WRP), a debatable question—there is a danger that members now hold important positions. British organization best known for the the alliance of the people with the MFA The PSU's position on the Republica case talents and qualifications of its general beyond the existing parties will sow confu was expressed in the May 31-June 7 issue of secretary, Gerry Healy. Healy, at one time a sion in the ranks of the working class and its weekly Tribune Socialiste. The effort of figure of some promise in the Fourth the people. . . ." the Portuguese Socialist party to mobilize International, refused to participate in the Najman suggested that the military support against the seizure of Republica 1963 reunification of the two main tenden officers should perhaps revive their previ was dangerous, the PSU paper held, since it cies of the world Trotskyist movement. ous plans to establish "a mass revolution could become the center of forces opposed to Among the political differences that led him ary socialist formation." the revolution. That meant opposition to the to separate were his rejection of the impor MFA, which, according to the previous tance of the colonial revolution and his Like Peru? issue of the PSU paper, is heading toward a novel concept of the nature of the state in "definitive break with capitalism." That Najman reflects Raptis's views quite Cuba, which he maintains is capitalist. As The thinking behind this position was faithfully can be judged from the following he views it, no revolution occurred in Cuba outlined in the May 23-31 issue of Tribune anecdote told by the Swiss journalist Joelle and the country is headed by a bourgeois Socialiste by Maurice Najman, one of Kuntz in her book Les Fusils et les Urnes: honapartist regime, Castro being just Raptis's collaborators in the AMR. "In Lisbon, toward the end of July, I met another Batista. The military junta had issued a statement Michel Raptis, alias Pablo. The WRP is the main component of the May 27 announcing its intention to bypass "'What do you think of this new situa rump "International Committee," which the political parties and establish direct tion?' I asked. includes small groups of cothinkers in a few relations with the people through grass "'Thrilling.' countries besides Britain. roots structures. Najman hailed the deci "'Then you support the MFA?' With regard to the seizure of Republica, sion as representing "a new stage in the "'Critical support! You know, Marx Cliff Slaughter voiced the Healyite view in

Intercontinental Press the June 7 issue of Workers Press: "It is not nothing in common with socialism and are for example, "gives the workers as well as" the duty of Marxists to uphold the bour designed to distract workers from a real some landless peasants an impetus to go geois principle of the 'free Press', but it is struggle for workers' power and a planned much further than the law permitted. And essential for any revolutionary movement economy." the government has done nothing to discou to struggle with workers within the camp of Apart from its call to defend the demo rage it or has been unable to do so." social democracy to win them to the revolu cratic rights of workers, the statement had Marcy also stressed the presence of tion." little to suggest on what should be done "radical elements in the AFM, some of "In Portugal today," Slaughter said, concretely in Portugal. As the Healyites see whom are to the left of the CP and really do "what is necessary is a clear tactic of united it, the Constituent Assembly has "no espouse the dictatorship of the proletariat." front in defence of democratic rights power," since it "was castrated by the AFM Since Soares and the Socialist party reject against the repressive measures of the before it was even elected." the dictatorship of the proletariat, "he, as bourgeois state." Nevertheless, despite the unfortunate leader of his party, and the paper which While Slaughter is correct on the need to operation performed on the Portuguese espouses his line, are counterrevolutionary. ,defend democratic rights against repressive parliamentary body, the Healyites urged Rejecting the concept of the dictatorship of measures, it is obscure why he denies that "Trotskyists in Portugal" to call on the CP the proletariat at the very time when the this amounts to a defense of the "bourgeois and SP leaders "to use their majority in the Portuguese proletariat is emerging in principle" of freedom of the press, one of the Constituent Assembly to legislate a pro struggle to exercise and elevate itself to be historic conquests of the bourgeois revolu gramme for socialism, the freeing of politi the ruling class is treacherous." tion against feudalism. Slaughter clearly cal prisoners (except for the fascists and Thus "those who are sincerely concerned differs from the position set forth by counter-revolutionaries) and the parasites with the fate of the Portuguese proletariat Trotsky in "Freedom of the Press and the [sic] of democratic rights for all workers' should not shed tears over the seizure of Working Class." organizations." Republica by the workers, even if it was In a statement in the June 17 issue of The statement specified, however, that done under the leadership of the Portuguese Workers Press, the Healyites took a com this demand was intended simply "to Communist Party." mendable position in denouncing the ar complete the exposure of the leaders of the The issue is simple—in Marcy's opinion rests of members of the Maoist MRPP^ and Stalinist and Social Democratic workers' "freedom of the press" stands in the way of "the Stalinists' attempts to prevent Social parties." "the progress of the Portuguese Revolu ist Party views being expressed in the tion." newspaper 'Republica'." The statement added: "Only by uniting "By encouraging the military Bonapart- the existing tenants' committees, factory Robertson: Sees Hope in Maoists ists in Portugal to smash the MRPP, the and farm committees, and other genuine Stalinists are opening the door to counter working class bodies, into workers and In contrast to the pro-Maoist Marcyites, revolution as blatantly as in any of the peasants' Soviets, can the workers in the Spartacist League sought to come closer historic betrayals of the working class Portugal advance to the taking of power to a Trotskyist position in the Republica perpetrated by Stalinism." and the smashing of the capitalist state affair. The Healyites pictured Portugal as cur once and for all." The Spartacist League is an American rently undergoing massive repression: "Op sect headed by James Robertson, who was ponents are being herded into prisons and Marcy: Revolution Precludes once a member of the Socialist Workers driven towards physical liquidation in the Freedom of the Press party. The Spartacists, who call for "re name of an open military dictatorship." building the Fourth International," have a Another sectarian grouping that felt few supporters in several countries. The statement added: obliged to comment on the Republica case "The military officers remain the same The June 20 issue of the Spartacist was the Workers World party, headed by fortnightly newspaper Workers Vanguard bourgeois caste they were before the April Sam Marcy. This pro-Maoist current split 25 seizure of power. Under the 50-year rule came out against the Portuguese military's from the Socialist Workers party in 1959. closure of Republica. "Marxists must op of Salazar and Caetano, right up until April The Marcyites supported the Kremlin's 1974, they propped up the fascist state and pose such arbitrary restrictions of freedom suppression of the workers uprising in of the press by the bourgeois state, even if fought a long colonial war in three coun Hungary in 1956 and the 1968 invasion of tries in Africa. . . . the newspaper in question is a capitalist Czechoslovakia. "The AFM is conducting a demagogic paper. The same laws used to repress In the June 27 issue of the weekly bourgeois opposition (even when it is more Bonapartist policy in Portugal, pouring out Workers World, Sam Marcy discussed the endless propaganda in favour of the corpor rightist than a left-leaning regime), will be seizure of Republica and the question of used against socialists and the workers ate state in nationwide campaigns which go freedom of the press. under the phoney title of 'cultural dynami- movement with infinitely greater ferocity." "Without question," he conceded, "the zation'." struggle for democratic rights in a bour Lest anyone draw the wrong conclusions The Healyites seem to think that the geois society includes above all the right of fi-om the reference to "a left-leaning re gains made by the workers since the working class organizations to publish their gime," the article emphasized that "far overthrow of the Salazarist dictatorship are own newspapers, magazines, etc., without from representing in any way a body simply part of the new regime's maneuvers interference from the capitalist govern similar to the soldiers' committees in the as it heads toward "corporatism." ment." Russian Revolution, the Armed Forces "The Bonapartist gestures of a national But "Portugal is now in the throes of a Movement represents the officer corps of a minimum wage, upper limits to salaries, revolutionary situation." And "the seizure bourgeois army. No amount of 'leftist' or 'workers' participation' in the management of Republica by the printers and other 'socialist' rhetoric will change its character of taken-over firms and factories, have employees is merely part and parcel of the as a bourgeois formation." general trend of seizures and occupations On the particular point of defense of by the workers." freedom of the press, the Workers Vanguard 5. Movimento Reorganizativo do Partido do Moreover, the military regime is contri based its position on Trotsky's article Proletariado—Movement to Reorganize the Prolet buting to the advances of the masses. The "Freedom of the Press and the Working arian Party. nationalization legislation it has enacted. Class." The July 18 issue quoted rather July 28, 1975 extensively from Trotsky's article, naturally Rockefeller Report Exposed as Another Cover-up without revealing where the editors, who are research specialists, found it. (They would not want their readers to know a good thing like Intercontinental Press.) New CIA Documents: 20 Years of Spying on SWP Having made the record on Republica, the June 20 Workers Vanguard got down to the nitty gritty. The favorite weapon in Robert By Caroline Lund son's arsenal, it should be explained, is argumentation directed at another sect. The The new documents were obtained as part hope is to win a favorable ear or two. of a $27 million suit filed two years ago by In this case, the target was the MRPP, the SWP and YSA. The suit demands an described by Workers Vanguard as "quite end to all government surveillance and left within the Maoist spectrum." harassment of the American Trotskyists The MRPP had been singled out for and others victimized for their views. repression by the regime, the paper said, The papers were released at a news because it is "one of the few groups whose conference July 16 by the Political Rights militants have not been educated in coward Defense Fund, the organization that is ly grovelling before the MFA's threats." publicizing and raising funds for the suit. There is a grain of truth in this. While the The PRDF is supported by a broad spec MRPP militants have been educated to trum of individuals, political organizations, grovel before Mao and Stalin, they stood civil-rights leaders, and trade-union locals firm against the April 25 elections to the and officials. Constituent Assembly, denouncing them as Attorneys for the suit are Leonard Boudin an "electoral farce." Workers Vanguard and Herbert Jordan. Boudin successfully might also consider it to be a mark in favor defended Daniel Ellsberg in the Pentagon of the Maoists that they do not grovel Papers case. before any demand to seek clarity. One of The CIA documents are only the latest the favorite slogans of the group, for installment of secret-police records that instance, is "Neither fascism nor social have been forced into the open through the fascism—a people's government." suit. In March, the PRDF released 3,138 "To be sure," Workers Vanguard admit "Let me get this straight you fellows pages of secret Federal Bureau of Investiga ted, "the MRPP is indeed sectarian," and are supposed to be the Good Guys " tion files obtained through the suit. "It is even "aggressively pro-Stalin." It is looking one of the largest disclosures of internal "for an alternative alliance with bourgeois Herblock/Wastilngton Post F.B.I, workings in the history of the forces for the first stage of the two-stage bureau," the New York Times commented. revolution. . . ." These initial files centered on the FBI's "This is the road to abject defeat, com Secret documents recording the Central "SWP Disruption Program." The program rades," the Spartacist editor chided his Intelligence Agency's drive against the was part of a broader campaign aimed at "aggressively pro-Stalin" hopefuls. Those Socialist Workers party and Young Social disrupting and "neutralizing" Black organi among them who aspire to be revolutionists ist Alliance show that the Rockefeller zations and radical groups. "must directly confront the Trotskyist Commission's report on domestic CIA In June, the FBI turned over 256 more bogey they fear so much." operations was just another White House pages on its operations against the SWP The advice is excellent. No doubt Workers cover-up. and YSA from the agency's category Vanguard will keep its readers informed on The 396 pages of documents, released "Cointelpro-New Left." the progress the Maoists make as the best under court order July 7 by the CIA's Office The documents released July 7 concern hope in the Portuguese revolution. □ of Security, show that CIA spying on the only the activities of the CIA's Office of SWP dates back at least to 1950, barely Security. Still to come from the agency are three years after the agency was founded. documents on the SWP and YSA from Still Available The new disclosures expose as a lie the Operation CHAOS, a disruption program Complete Bock Files (Unbound) Rockefeller Commission's claim that CIA carried out against Black, antiwar, and domestic operations were limited to a radical organizations. Intercontinental Press program called Operation CHAOS that All the papers released so far have been began in 1967. heavily censored. In addition, the CIA ssues (1 ,072 pages) The new documents also flatly contradict refused to release a number of items ssues (1 ,1 76 pages) Rockefeller's report on another point. The requested by the SWP, a cover-up that will ssues (1 ,152 pages) vice-president claimed that the CIA Office be challenged in a future legal action. ssues (1 ,120 pages) of Security "used no infiltrators, penetra- The documents released so far show that ssues (1 ,1 28 pages) tors, or monitors" against domestic dissi the CIA was highly concerned about the dent groups after 1968. The newly released SWP's election campaigns. Some of the ssues (1 ,448 pages) papers reveal, however, that CIA under material consists simply of SWP election ssues (1 ,520 pages) cover agents were operating inside the SWP platforms and clippings from newspapers ssues (1 ,888 pages) and YSA as recently as 1970. reporting the vote totals received by SWP In fact, the Rockefeller report did not candidates. For example, one of the items P.O. Box 116 mention a word about the CIA's campaign cites a New York Times report on presiden Village Station against the SWP. This raises the obvious tial election totals, saying: "Farrell Dobbs New York, NY 10014 question of what other crimes were "over [the SWP presidential candidate] polled looked." 10,306 votes in seven states as against

intercontinental Press Dobbs' 1948 total of 13,613 in twel [sic] states." Other items reveal spying on the activi 'A Crime Against All Our Liberties' ties of the Young Socialist Alliance. In March 1961 the CIA's Boston office submit The following is a sampling of editori Investigation indicate that the agency ted a report on a demonstration organized al comment on FBI and CIA harassment not only violated the law but stooped to by the YSA to protest the murder of of the Socialist Workers party and police state methods in opposing individ Congolese premier and liberation fighter Young Socialist Alliance. uals and organizations whose views Patrice Lumumba. were not acceptable. . . ." St. Louis Post- The report included two newspaper photo "Since its budgets are buried in the Dispatch, March 25. graphs of the demonstrators, and a copy of budgets of others, nobody will ever know a YSA leaflet for the demonstration. The exactly how many millions of dollars "The Bill of Rights must apply to all, leaflet was headed: "We protest the murder have been expended over the decades to including the Socialist Workers Party. of Lumumba; We accuse the Belgian and keep the CIA afloat and prospering. . . ." Kansas City Times, March 21. U.S. Imperialists; We accuse the United Millions upon billions is a rough esti Nations." mate. "It is not necessary that one adhere to Peter Camejo, the SWP's candidate for "For this outgo Americans were led to the programs of the Socialist Workers president in 1976 and formerly a leader of helieve they could always sleep well at Party to realize that such tactics could the YSA, said in response to the newly night, knowing that the Agency was be used against any political organiza released documents: always keeping its best weather eye on tion." Detroit Free Press, March 21. ". . . it's true, as the CIA says in its files, the likes of Castro, Trujillo, Stalin, that we participated in demonstrations in Allende, Mossadegh, Ho Chi Minh. "From those papers emerges a portrait 1961 to protest the murder of Patrice "And, it must be added, Farrell Dobbs. of the FBI officials involved—including Lumumba. But the criminals are not the "Yes, Farrell Dobbs, sometime presi the late J. Edgar Hoover—that looks people who protested the murder of Lumum dential candidate of the Socialist Work ominously like a self-assigned political ba, but the people who murdered him—and ers Party, an intense if miniscule arm of police force flouting the U.S. Constitu the CIA is the prime suspect." the body politic that has had a curious tion." Philadelphia Inquirer, March 23. fascination both for the FBI and the Another object of the CIA's attention was CIA. In the latter case the SWP has now the YSA's participation in the Student gone to court and obtained material of "It is a crime against all our liberties. Mobilization Committee to End the War in proof. . . ." New York Post, July 17. For, as the American Civil Liberties Vietnam, a key force in the largest antiwar Union constantly reminds us, what may demonstrations. A memo to the CIA's "Disclosures in the last few days about be done to one may be done to all. You deputy director of security in December the tactics of the so-called counterintelli- could be next." Binghamton, New York, 1969 stated: gence program of the federal Bureau of Sun-Bulletin, March 22. "Since the splintering of SDS [Students for a Democratic Society] last summer at Chicago, the YSA (mostly via the Student Mobe) is coming on strong and presently heen targets of FBI pressure on their the June 26 issue of the Huntington, West represents the 'best guess' for leadership in employers. Virginia, Advertiser. the radical left youth movement for the Such operations, Kelley claimed, were not Citing the various methods of harass early 1970s. designed to "damage the reputation" of ment carried out under the FBI's Cointelpro "SWP/YSA/SMC targets are clear," the their victims, but rather "to do something operations, the editors state: "Of these memo states. that would ultimately . . . benefit the actions, the attempts to have the teachers Other documents contain reports on nation." He did not explain how the fired are much more significant than many public meetings held by the YSA in defense dismissal of Sell—whom even the FBI noted of the other recently disclosed illegal and of the Cuban revolution and the Palestine had a reputation as "an intelligent, excel quasi-legal activities of the CIA, FBI and liberation struggle. lent teacher who was well qualified in her Internal Revenue Service. One week after the release of the new CIA field"—would aid the nation. "The sole basis for the campaign against documents, FBI Director Clarence Kelley the teachers was their affiliation with a held a news conference—a rare The initiative taken by the SWP and YSA perfectly legal political organization, the occurrence—to admit for the first time that in their suit has brought unusual puhlicity Young Socialist Alliance or the Socialist the FBI carried out burglaries to secure for the party and youth organization. Each Workers Party. "information relative to the security of the installment of secret documents forced out ". . . Because the political views of the nation." Burglary of party headquarters of the government's files has received major teachers did not match the FBI's interpreta and members' homes is one of the crimes coverage in the daily press as well as on tion of acceptability in political beliefs, the charged against the FBI and CIA in the national network television news programs. FBI deliberately mounted a secret smear SWP and YSA suit. Local SWP and YSA news conferences campaign. . . . At the same news conference, Kelley exposing FBI or CIA crimes in specific "Such obnoxious and outrageous acts are defended the FBI Cointelpro operations cities have often received front-page treat much more dangerous to the fabric of our that got an SWP member, Evelyn Sell, ment. Articles on the revelations have nation than are any set of political beliefs." dismissed from her teaching position in appeared in the Black press and campus Texas because she had once run for office press, and the documents have been the as an SWP candidate. The truth about why topic of commentaries by syndicated co A subscription to Intercontinental Press Sell lost her job was revealed in the lumnists. "Cointelpro-New Left" documents obtained is still 0 BEST BUY. Check rotes inside cover. by the SWP and YSA in June. Several other Numerous dailies have carried editorials SWP members who are teachers have also on the suit. An example is the editorial in

July 28, 1975 Lisbon Sends in More Troops exception of several hundred troops garri soned in the Sao Pedro da Barra Fort overlooking Luanda harbor. As of July 19, the fort was under an MPLA siege. Nationalist Groups on Brink of Civil War in Angola In a July 16 dispatch from Luanda, New York Times reporter Charles Mohr said the By Ernest Harsch MPLA appeared to have gained control of the muceques, the African slum areas surrounding Luanda."One indication of its The Portuguese military junta's Revolu [the MPLA's] new dominance," Mohr said, tionary Council held an emergency session ANGOLA "was last evening's national radio broad July 14 as the fighting flared again between cast, which carried only its political state rival nationalist groups in Angola. The ments." council later announced that it had dis It was estimated that 300 persons, most of cussed reinforcing its army of 24,000 troops Congo them civilians, have been killed since the still stationed in the colony. fighting resumed on July 9. About 1,500 "Some 2,000 men consisting of an infan Cabinda Zaire were thought to have been wounded. try battalion, an armored battalion and an "Life in Luanda was reported to have artillery battalion, plus some paratroop and come to a halt," Manchester Guardian marine units, were reported to have been correspondent Antonio de Figueiredo said earmarked for Angola," New York Times in a July 14 dispatch from Lisbon, "with correspondent Henry Giniger said in a July Atlantic many buildings on fire and only one 15 dispatch from Lisbon. hospital still in operation. Food supplies Ocean i Lobito "Lmso According to a United Press Internation ir* • were completely disrupted and many hotels, If Nova Lisboa Gaco• al dispatch, a Portuguese military represen I Couttnho j restaurants, and other services had had to tative in Luanda, Angola's capital, said Porto I close." July 15 that two planeloads of Portuguese * Alexandre Thousands of refugees, both African and reinforcements had already arrived in An Portuguese, fled the muceques for the gola. downtown area. In addition, many of the A Portuguese air force major in Lisbon, Bakongo living in Luanda were reported to Jos6 Costa Martins, claimed the reinforce be fleeing the city for northern Angola.(The ments would be used only to maintain Manchester Guardian FNLA gets much of its support from the Lisbon's "neutrality" in Angola until the Bakongo.) colony is granted independence next No The FNLA charged July 11 that the vember 11. "Active neutrality" is the phrase United Nations to intervene. The dispatch MPLA had provoked the fighting. It put its used by the Movimento das For?as Arma of such a UN "peace keeping" force would military units throughout the country on a das (MFA—Armed Forces Movement) to be a major setback for the Angolan inde "permanent state of alert" and ordered its cover continued intervention in Angola. pendence struggle. troops to "resist the military coup launched The aim of the MFA is to safeguard The resumption of armed clashes in by Lisbon and its agents in Angola." Lisbon's imperialist interests there and to Luanda between the Movimento Popular de The National Defense Council, on which ensure that an independent Angola remains Lihertagao de Angola (MPLA—People's the three nationalist groups and the Portu tied to the capitalist market. Movement for the Liberation of Angola) guese are represented, condemned the Before leaving Lisbon for Angola July 13, and the Frente Nacional de Lihertagao de MPLA for the recent clashes. However, the Portuguese Foreign Minister Maj. Ernesto Angola (FNLA—Angolan National Libera Portuguese high commissioner in Angola, Melo Antunes said that the Portuguese tion Front) began July 9, marking a Gen. Silva Cardoso, also accused the FNLA troops in Angola might have to intervene in complete breakdown of the cease-fire ac of attacking civilians. the fighting to prevent "massacres." cords reached June 19. They soon escalated Although the bulk of the FNLA's forces The MFA's forces had already taken part into major battles in which automatic were driven from Luanda for the time in the clashes, according to a Reuters weapons, bazookas, and heavy mortars being. Interior Minister N'gola Kabangu dispatch filed the day before. "Portuguese were used. Some reports described the and other FNLA leaders in the coalition troops and a joint force of the three situation in the city as one of "open war." regime remained in the city, participating nationalist movements sought to quell the It appears that the MPLA launched a in talks with the MPLA, UNITA, and Por fighting," the British news agency reported. concerted drive to force its main rival from tuguese officials. "Some of the troops were ordered to shoot Luanda, where many of the clashes be Charles Mohr reported from Luanda July on sight any armed civilians." On July 14, tween the feuding nationalists have taken 17, "Well-informed sources said they be it was reported that ten Portuguese soldiers place since the MPLA, FNLA, and UNITA lieved that only a face-saving formula that had been wounded in the fighting. (Uniao Nacional para Independencia Total would permit the political leaders of the Unrest in Portugal itself makes it difficult de Angola—National Union for the Total locally defeated National Front [FNLA] to for the MFA to intervene massively in Independence of Angola)entered a coalition remain in the city could prevent a breakup Angola. "The dispatch of more troops," regime with the Portuguese in January. of the transitional coalition government, Giniger noted, "was considered an almost The FNLA offices in Luanda were report which was formed to prepare for full desperate measure because of its unpopular ed to have been destroyed after five days of independence from Portugal on Nov. 11." ity both with the troops themselves and the fighting. In addition, the July 15 Washing civilian population." ton Post reported, FNLA "bases were set on Whatever temporary agreements the rival If the MFA is unable to control the fire as mortar and artillery bombardments nationalist groups may sign, the expulsion situation in Angola, the junta may turn to continued in the city." By July 14, most of of the FNLA units from Luanda has thrown its imperialist allies. On July 13 Major the FNLA's military forces were reported to the fragile coalition regime into a crisis that Antunes said the MFA might ask the have been driven out of the capital, with the may be the prelude to full-scale civil war. □

Intercontinental Press L6pez Rega Catches Plane for Safer Parts On July 16 virtually the entire economics ministry staff resigned, followed by the resignation of the economics minister himself two days later. Students and the 300,000-member teach Demands Mount for Ouster of Peron ers union, the Confederaci6n de Trabajado res de la Educacion de la Repuhlica Argen By Judy White tina, called for the resignation of Education Minister Oscar Ivanissevich. Leaders of several political parties interviewed by the The concessions made by President Isabel spontaneous strikes occurred." Buenos Aires daily Clartn denounced Iva- Martinez de Peron at the beginning of July Auto workers at General Motors and Ford nissevich's regime as one "based on the have not restored tranquillity to Argentina. struck because they opposed the wage repression of students; the firing of thou Struggles over wages and demands for a settlements made by the bureaucrats of sands of teachers; the stultification of reorganization of the government continue SMATA (Sindicato de Mecdnicos y Afines teaching . . . the lack of attention to to mount, involving new sectors of the del Transporte Automotor—Union of Auto teacher demands; and the prohibition of population. motive Machinists and Allied Trades). The student unions, restricting a constructive Economics Minister Celestino Rodrigo settlement—for an 84% raise—was reached dialogue between students and authorities." was forced to resign July 18, and right-wing without agreement from the ranks, who Jesus E. Porta, chairman of the Chamber strongman Jose Lopez Rega felt forced to demanded a raise of 100%. of Deputies committee on penal legislation, leave the country the following day. Moreover, the GM workers were striking called July 10 for political trials for Rodri There are reports that the president to protest terrorist attacks made on the go and L6pez Rega for "transgressions in herself will request an "indefinite leave of homes of local union leaders who had the exercise of their functions." Such trials absence" if indeed she remains in control challenged the SMATA bureaucrats' unila are tantamount to impeachment. long enough to do so. teral action. Sectors of the bourgeoisie protested the The overwhelming concern of all sectors The charges against Lopez Rega were Rodrigo austerity program, claiming they of the union movement is the rampant made more explicit four days later when faced bankruptcy and threatening to close inflation that threatens to erase the wage attorney Miguel Radrizzani Goni filed a suit down if the plan was not scrapped. gains of up to 130% just won. against the former minister in federal court. Strikes began again July 10, two days The Institute Nacional de Estadistica y He quoted an unpublished army report on after the president announced she would Censos (INDEC—National Institute of the right-wing murder gang, the Argentine ratify newly negotiated collective- Statistics and Censuses) reported a 21.1% Anticommunist Alliance (AAA), as saying, bargaining agreements that far exceeded inflation rate for June as compared with "Lopez Rega belongs to the general com the government's proposed 50% wage- May 1975. mand of the Argentine Anti-Peronist Alli increase ceiling. However, Horacio Chaves Paz, analyzing ance [sic] as political supervisor." the INDEC report in the July 11 issue of La Radrizzani named the chief bodyguards "Although the central leaderships of the Opinion, said: of the president and Lopez Rega as the 'leading' trade unions abstained from "These figures do not appear to be military heads of the AAA. confirming or denying the job actions in the confirmed in daily experience. The reality The charges pointed out that the openly province of Buenos Aires, a survey carried in retail shops would seem to reveal much fascist magazines El Caudillo, now closed, out by reporters for La Opinion made it higher percentages than those reported and its replacement. El Puntal, "provided possible to verify that there was a massive officially." with a great amount of advertising of the work stoppage in the big plants in Avella- An examination of prices of a series of Ministry of Social Welfare, dedicated them neda, Quilmes, Lanus, La Matanza, Tres de common consumer goods (e.g., detergent, selves in a permanent and uninterrupted Febrero, San Martin, and Zona Norte," the shoes, blue jeans, cooking oil, wooden form to a campaign of promotion, support, July 11 issue of the Buenos Aires daily matches, aspirin) showed price rises rang and apology for the AAA," according to a reported. ing from 100% to 277% for the period since report in the July 15 Washington Post. "In addition to demanding publication of the Rodrigo Plan was instituted June 5. the executive decree formalizing recognition Chaves quoted a well-known economist The fact that the source of this informa of the various negotiated contracts, several who said that for the first time he had "no tion is the army is very significant. The internal factory commissions came out choice but to criticize them [official price armed forces have maintained a low profile against donating a day's pay each month to indexes] without qualification. . . . Today throughout the recent crisis, attempting to the state, as promised by the executive everyone is talking about 150 percent," put forward a semblance of neutrality. But committee of the CGT, and demanded although "it is possible that it may not be the fact is that it was the army that put the payment of back wages." as bad as all that." finger on Lopez Rega. And when he made it In their announcement ending the forty- If inflation has not gotten as had as all clear he had plans to maintain his control eight-hour general strike of the previous that yet, it promises to soon. Telephone, over the regime even without an official week, CGT (Confederacion General del Tra- telegraph, and mail rates rose as much as post, it was the armed forces that sent in bajo—General Confederation of Labor) 200% in early July, and as of July 1 rents in the elite Granaderos regiment to replace his bureaucrats committed federation workers the capital rose 91.1% or more. On July 15 personal troops in guarding the presidential in private industry to make a monthly the peso was devalued by 18%, the second residence. donation of a day's pay "to contribute to the devaluation in forty-one da s. strengthening of the national economy." In case Isabel still did not get the La Opinion quoted the labor ministry as Within the Peronist administration the message, the armed forces sent a delegation saying that the situation was "identical to crisis continued to deepen. The cabinet of cabinet members to tell her in person that of last week, when, during the days appointed by Isabel Peron July 11 consisted July 18 that Lopez Rega had to go. prior to the forty-eight-hour strike called by of cronies of Lopez Rega, although the The following day Lopez Rega, along with the labor federation, in most factories astrologer himself was forced to step down. various thugs, was on a plane to Brazil. □ July 28, 1975 Gandhi Said to Have Arrested 20,000 Poiiticai Opponents leader of the party, and A.K. Gopalan, the head of the CPl(M)'s parliamentary caucus. The chief minister of Kerala is Achuta Menon, a leader of the pro-Moscow Commu 100,000 in Madras Protest Dictatorial Rule nist party of India (CPl), which supports Gandhi's coup. In defiance of the censorship, under By Ernest Harsch ground newspapers have appeared in such cities as New Delhi, Bombay, and Ahmeda- Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's June 26 bad. According to the July 7 London Times, dictatorial coup met with a huge protest "The brief news sheets [in New Delhi] demonstration in early July in Madras, claimed that there have been widespread India's fourth largest city and the capital of demonstrations in many states including the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The Bihar, Maharashtra and Kerala. They also state's ruling party, the Dravida Munnetra ikJ claimed that the Socialist International had Kazhagam (DMK—Dravidian Advance sent a cable to Mrs Gandhi protesting ment Association), organized a rally of against the Government's 'undemocratic 100,000 persons, according to a July 12 steps.'" dispatch from Madras by New York Times In Gujarat state, 100 lawyers issued a correspondent Eric Pace. denunciation of the state of emergency. "One hy one," a report in the July 21 "Any government which promulgates Dra issue of Newsweek magazine said, "leaders conian orders to gag the mouth of the press of the state's ruling party denounced Prime forfeits its claim to be democratic," the Minister Indira Gandhi's two-week-old lawyers declared. crackdown on civil rights and political Employees of the Times of India met in dissent. At the end, the mass of men in Bombay and passed a resolution stating, loose cotton clothes and women in brilliant "We will not cooperate in the publication of saris rose from the hot Madras sands and Government propaganda, untruthful items repeated a solemn pledge: 'We will not and malicious attacks on the leaders of the hesitate to take prompt steps to prevent the Democratic opposition as well as in the downfall of democracy in India . . . Long dissemination of tendentious editorials." live democracy, the people's rule!'" In face of the protests, Gandhi has The DMK, which came to power in Tamil continued to tighten her control. On July 12 Nadu in 1971, has in the past advocated the she said that the number of persons arrested since June 26 was "very meager"— secession of Tamil Nadu and other Dravidi Mauldin/Chicago Sun-Times an areas (Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and compared with India's total population of Kamataka states) from the Indian federa about 600 million. tion. Based on the Dravidian nationalist have been arrested as of July 12 for being The censored press has admitted that movement, it has opposed the domination members of organizations outlawed by more than 5,000 persons have been arrested of the southern areas by the northern Gandhi. In addition, seven persons were so far in the crackdown. Hans Janitschek, Aryans and is traditionally hostile to arrested July 11 for planning a demonstra the general secretary of the Socialist Inter political interference in the state hy the tion in favor of Tamil Nadu independence. national, said in London that according to central government in New Delhi. DMK supporters have attacked the state reliable Indian sources about 10,000 persons On June 29, the DMK passed a resolution Congress party, as well as a rival Dravidi were arrested in the first week of the state denouncing the state of emergency. "The an nationalist party, the Anna Dravida of emergency. An underground newspaper recent approach adopted by the ruling Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK—Dravidian in New Delhi cited by the London Times Congress and the methods practiced by the Advancement Association [Anna]), for gave a figure of 20,000 arrests. Prime Minister have tended to put out the being "stooges helping Mrs Gandhi to Police carried out a predawn raid on light of democracy and lead the country suppress Indian liberties." several student dormitories at Jawaharlal into the gloom of dictatorship," the resolu The Congress party executive in Tamil Nehru University in New Delhi July 8. tion said. Nadu passed a resolution July 6 calling on "The police roused students, checked their "Misery continues to torment the lives of Gandhi to intervene in the state to bring the identification papers and took about 50 to a the downtrodden, poor, helpless and work state government "into line with the disci police station for interrogation," the July 9 ing people. No benefit has accrued to them pline of the emergency." But as of July 18, Washington Post reported. "P.S. Bhinder, despite the center [New Delhi] having there have been no reports that Gandhi has deputy inspector general of police, said 15 announced long lists of assurances. Mrs. sent troops, police, or paramilitary units to were jailed and the rest released." Gandhi has inaugurated the advent of Tamil Nadu. Those arrested were reportedly supporters dictatorship, casting an everlasting slur on Despite the rigid censorship, reports of of the imprisoned anticorruption movement the Indian people." other protests against the state of emergen leader Jaya Prakash Narayan or of the Although the DMK appointed an official cy have continued to appear. CPI(M). D.P. Tripathi, a member of the censor, he has reportedly interfered very On July 9, opposition parties, led by the CPl(M) and the president of the student little with the Tamil-language newspapers, Communist party of India (Marxist) union at the university, was reported to which continue to criticize the repression. (CP1[M]), marched through cities in the have escaped the police cordon around the The DMK's opposition to Gandhi's end southern state of Kerala in defiance of the campus. ing of democracy has been cautious and it decree banning public demonstrations. An amendment to the Maintenance of has complied with some of the emergency About 100 members of the CPl(M) were Internal Security Act was announced July decrees. Parades have been banned and at arrested, including E.M.S. Namboodiripad, 16, instituting surveillance of university least twenty-two persons were reported to a former chief minister of Kerala and a top students and giving the police powers to

Intercontinental Press arrest foreigners and hold them without books. A reporter for the London Financial refusal to list the names of those arrested trial for up to two years. Times was barred from the country as an are designed to spread confusion and fear Special detention camps have reportedly "undesirable," and foreign journalists seek among the Indian populace. been set up throughout India to hold the ing to receive new visas or extend old ones "Fear is palpable in India today," Wash thousands of political prisoners. ington Post reporter Lewis Simons said in Government authorities in Bihar state the July 14 issue. "One could almost feel it admitted that several persons were killed in within hours after the first pre-dawn arrests clashes with police on June 29 and July 1. began. By the time I was forced to leave the Another account reported that four civilians country [he was expelled July 1], it had and two police were killed near Arrah, sixty intensified, with the certain knowledge that miles west of Patna, the state capital. one could be arrested at home or on the The authorities labeled those killed as streets, thrown into jail and never have the "Naxalites," a popular term for members of right to appeal to the courts." the Maoist Communist party of India Some of the regime's actions seem specifi (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI[ML]), which is one cally aimed at heightening this atmosphere of the groups banned by Gandhi. Although of insecurity. In Patna, some passersby it is not known whether the victims were were arrested for stopping to read slogans actually members of the CPI(ML), a report painted on a wall. Passengers on trains by Martin Woollacott in the July 12 who have been overheard making antigov- Manchester Guardian Weekly noted that ernment remarks have reportedly been "poor peasant movements in Bihar are taken to police stations for warnings. automatically classified 'Naxalite' and the There are a number of indications that State and the central police have been Gandhi intends to rule by dictatorial means waging war on them ever since they began for some time to come. to grow in the mid-60s." A government official announced that Arvind Narayan Das described similar Parliament would hold a week-long session clashes in Bihar in the June 14 Bombay beginning July 21, reportedly to approve Economic and Political Weekly, the last the state of emergency. Under the Indian issue of the magazine published before the constitution, the president (at the prime imposition of censorship. minister's orders) can declare a state of He reported that in the past two years the emergency for only two months. An exten Central Reserve Police and the Border sion has to be voted on by Parliament, Security Force—in alliance with the which has the power to extend it for six landlords—have carried out a virtual reign months at a time. Since the Congress party of terror against movements of poor peas and its allies control both houses of Parlia ants and agricultural workers in the Patna Jaq/Reprinted from Informations Ouvrieres ment, such an extension is virtually as and Bhojpur districts of the state. Dozens sured. Moreover, about twenty opposition were killed, including the leader of an INDIRA GANDHI members of Parliament are under arrest. agricultural workers' strike. The dead In an interview published in the July 13 peasants, many of whom were Harijans are now required to sign pledges that they London Sunday Times, Gandhi was asked (untouchables), were then branded "Naxal will abide by the censorship regulations. whether the elections scheduled for Febru ites." The most recent incident in Das's The Ford administration is collaborating ary 1976 would be held. "I cannot say," she account, in which eighteen villagers were with Gandhi in enforcing the censorship. replied. When asked how long the state of killed, took place only three weeks before Chicago Daily News correspondent Bob emergency would be in effect, she said, the imposition of the state of emergency. Tamarkin reported in a July 9 dispatch "How can I say now? It would be lifted "'Naxalism' has become a very conve from New Delhi: "The U.S. embassy is whenever conditions are normal and the nient bogey to be raised by the propertied beginning to put pressure on American emergency is not required." □ classes and the State to suppress any kind correspondents covering India's state of of dissent," Das noted. emergency by quietly suggesting that they abide by the strict censorship rules that For Meritorious Service Gandhi has also imposed new censorship have been imposed on both foreign and rules to patch up the loopholes in the local press." The Roman Emperor Caligula is said to original regulations issued June 26. In the Gandhi's Stalinist allies apparently think have appointed his horse a consul. Not to be first few days of the state of emergency, that her crackdown on freedom of the press outdone, the rulers of the Kremlin have some newspapers, as a form of protest, has not been hard enough. Denzil Peiris awarded one of the Soviet Union's highest published quotes on democracy by such reported in the July 18 Hong Kong weekly honors to their official news agency, Tass. leaders of the Indian independence struggle Far Eastern Economic Review that the CPI Tass modestly reported the event in a as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, released a statement demanding that news brief dispatch July 11: and the poet Rabindranath Tagore. Now papers be "cleaned of Jan Sangh elements." "By the decree of the Presidium of the quotations firom their writings are also If Gandhi did initiate such a purge of news Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R., the tele censored. personnel, it would not be limited to graph agency of the Soviet Union [Tass] "Even Mrs Gandhi's speeches delivered supporters of the rightist Jan Sangh, but today was awarded the Order of the October before the emergency are subject to censor would probably include anyone, whether of Revolution for merits in propaganda of ship," the July 5 London Times reported. the right or the left, who did not submit to home and foreign policy of the Soviet state, A movie that parodied Gandhi has been Gandhi's dictates. for the wide informing of the Soviet people banned, and some bookstore managers In addition to blocking news of protest and the world public on the economic, have removed controversied titles from their actions against Gandhi's dictatorial rule, political and spiritual life of socialist socie shelves in anticipation of the banning of the strict censorship and the regime's ty." July 28, 1975 Everything Normal, Pnompenh Radio Reports which appeared in the May 30 issue of the Paris Catholic daily. La Croix: "These evacuations were not the result of chance or improvisation," said one of them. What Happened to Cambodia's Urban Population? Father Destombes. "Since the beginning of the war the Khmer Rouge deported the population when they took control of a By Peter Green region. . . . Not just the towns, but the villages and the isolated houses in the Three months after the victorious libera established a mammoth sorting center, countryside have been systematically emp tion forces marched into Pnompenh, Cam assigning some of the refugees to continue tied and burned. . . ." bodia remains cut off from the rest of the north toward Pursat and others to go east A quite detailed account of the evacuation world. No foreign journalists were allowed to Kompong Cham. For the first leg of the of Pnompenh was given by Bernard Haze- to stay in the country. The only sources of march to Prek Kdam, "there was consider brouck, a young French teacher married to' news are the broadcasts of the official able evidence of Communist soldiers, all a Cambodian woman. He told his story to government radio station or the reports of heavily armed, prodding the marchers the Paris weekly Le Nouvel Observateur. refugees who have made their way across along, keeping them from turning back," When the liberation forces entered Pnom the border into Thailand or Vietnam. said Andelman. But after this the strict penh, he at first refused to seek refuge in Apparently even Peking is cut off. The control began to melt away. the French embassy and set out on the trek only reports on Cambodia appearing in the The refugees who were interviewed said to the countryside with his family, pushing Chinese news agency bulletin, Hsinhua, they had been well treated and had never before him his Peugeot 404 laden with have been based on Cambodian radio seen evidence of brutality on the part of the supphes. All his neighborhood was being broadcasts. Communist officers. Neither did they go herded south. Progress was slow, and after American ruling circles and their propa without basic food, particularly rice, which five days they reached Takhmau, about ten gandists have had a field day. Henry had been stored at various points along the miles from Pnompenh, where the liberation Kissinger piously stated June 24 that "there line of march. forces had established a sorting center and has been a rather terrible toll of civilians However,in the areas where the marchers thousands of refugees were getting their inflicted." A column by Jack Anderson and were to be resettled, it was a different instructions on where to go. Here he was Les Whitten in the June 23 Washington matter. Several refugees reported seeing told that he had to return to the capital, Post talked about a Cambodian "death children with the swollen bellies that which he agreed to do as long as he could march." In a June 26 editorial, the Chris indicate malnutrition. There was also a take his family with him. Still pushing his tian Science Monitor appealed to the severe shortage of drinking water. And in car, he arrived back in Pnompenh after "conscience of the world" and compared the several of the heavily resettled areas, another five days. situation in Cambodia to that under the epidemics of cholera had broken out, they His experiences along the route backed up Nazis. said. some of the reports from journalists who In view of the ban on foreign reporters, it had remained in Pnompenh for a short is difficult to puncture these assessments. A further problem was lack of farm tools period following the take-over. The evacua However, some additional information has and of dikes and irrigation networks in the tion was carried out indiscriminately, he trickled out since the first accounts of the previously uncultivated areas, where some 'said, with a good deal of suffering resulting. evacuation of the cities appeared in the of the refugees were assigned. According to He saw hospital patients who had been world press. Some of the new bits of Andelman, "with the rainy season started, dragged out of their beds, old people, and information have been made public by most of the rice to be harvested in Novem pregnant women. He gave a lift to one various intelligence agencies on the basis of ber and December must already be plant woman who couldn't go any further, and interviews with refugees. In general these ed." fed her. After two days, however, she did accounts substantiate previous reports but "If it is not in yet, they are in big, big not want to continue because she wanted to must be considered with reservations until trouble," said one Thai agricultural expert. be reunited with her husband, who had left they can be verified from independent "They may have stocked away enough to in the other direction. She remained by the sources. last them until the first harvest. Even that, side of the road. A case in point is the account given by I doubt. They will probably need help to get Many families were separated, Haze- David Andelman in the June 13 New York them through September and October. But brouck said, because persons who were Times. if they don't have the crop in now, next year working in another suburb on the day the It is based on the stories of refugees who could be very bad." city was taken over were unable to return to headed north along Route 5 out of Pnom It is on the basis of such accounts that their homes. penh. At the first checkpoint, those with some Western relief officials estimate that When he arrived back in Pnompenh, his motorized vehicles were forced to abandon Cambodia is suffering from famine condi Cambodian family was not allowed into the them, Andelman said. "Tires were slashed tions and that more than one million French embassy, so they all camped in the and cars disabled. Some refugees saw the Cambodians may die of starvation or car in the street for a few days until the soldiers making sandals from the tires. hunger-related diseases in the next eighteen liberation forces allowed them to occupy a "Those forced to abandon their cars and months. deserted villa in the area. take to the roads on foot were told that the Several things indicate that the evacua The villa soon became a gathering place Government wanted to eliminate private tion of the cities had been planned by the for the liberation forces soldiers, he said. At motorized transport to cut down on the liberation forces well before the final first they came to ask the women of the consumption of petroleum and the reliance capture of Pnompenh. Andelman reported family if they could sew trousers. "The on foreign assistance that such consump that at the Prek Kdam checkpoint, each young Khmers stayed there," he said, tion produced." refugee was given an identity card, clearly "talking about their lives in the country, Twenty miles north of Pnompenh at the prepared in advance. discussing the price of pigs and how they Prek Kdam ferry crossing where Route 6 Another account is that of two French all worked in the fields." joins the road, the liberation forces had priests who were evacuated fi:om Cambodia, At the villa he met one of his former

Intercontinental Press pupils, who had been one of the leaders of The leadership of the liberation forces life, and Khmer folk music and crafts such the revolutionary movement in Pnompenh evacuated the cities not merely to carry out as weaving were to be promoted. and who had disappeared some months an economic plan or to ensure the rapid The revolutionary government has been before the fall of the city. restoration of agricultural production. They stressing the need to he self-sufficient in "I reproached him strongly for the con portrayed it as a "purification" process, a everything. The radio reported that the duct of the revolutionaries, particularly the cultural revolution of an extreme variety. Pnompenh units of the armed forces had brutal evacuation of the cities," Hazebrouck "The Cambodians have all left for the launched a campaign to achieve self- said. "He explained that he also was sad, forests to clear away and rebuild a new sufficiency in grain and vegetables by the because his parents had to take to the road Cambodia," said the priest quoted by La end of the rainy season. and he had no news of them. But, according Croix. "It is necessary to wipe out all traces Border fighting with both Thailand and to him, it was indispensable for the success of the capitalism that built these towns and South Vietnam has been reported. Accord of the revolution: 'Afterwards, everything organized these villages. The new man ing to the June 29 issue of Le Monde, will he much better.' must tear himself loose from his whole past Vietnamese troops have occupied the Wai "What would the city of Pnompenh he to he born again through working on the Islands, claimed by both Cambodia and converted into? He explained that it would land: 'Man must relearn that he is born Vietnam. These incidents might have be an administrative and military center, from a grain of rice,' a Khmer Rouge told prompted the following broadcast from whose population would work in light us. 'Cambodians had forgotten that fact Radio Pnompenh June 27, also reported in industry. Little by little it would he repopu- under the former regime.' the June 29 Le Monde: lated with technicians to get the main "It is also necessary to forget the old "In all circumstances, our people will services functioning again and to do spe culture completely. For example, after defend their honor, their sovereignty, their cialized work. All those living in the city taking the capital, the Khmer Rouge carried territorial integrity against imperialists and who were 'unproductive' from now on would out hook burnings. The ten thousand others. The Cambodian people have a sense work in the fields, in the countryside. In volumes on Cambodia in the magnificent of honor when it comes to defending their fact in the days that followed we saw the French library of the Far East were independence. They don't beg for aid, either return of small groups of technicians, burned." from the American imperialists, or from electricians, sanitation employees, railway Reeducation centers for officers and other imperialists. . . . We want to have workers, all with the obvious intention of officials of the Lon Nol regime have friendly relations with neighboring coun putting the main services of the city back in reportedly been set up. Travel has been tries. . . . We want to resolve our problems order." severely restricted; to travel outside even with them in a spirit of solidarity and Reconstruction is certainly getting under the smallest administrative district a per mutual understanding." way, but there have been no reports of how mit is needed. much progress has been made, even fi-om Foreigners were ordered out of the coun Le Monde commented that tension ap Pnompenh Radio itself. The radio has try shortly after the liberation of Pnompenh pears high between Pnompenh and Hanoi. broadcast frequent reports of a population on April 17. A large number of ethnic "The radio editorial clearly indicates that working hard to produce more rice, catch Vietnamese and Chinese residents—most of the difference is not only territorial hut more fish, breed more livestock and poultry, whom held Cambodian citizenship—still ideological. The Khmer 'model' hardly increase production of rubber and salt, and remain, hut many have reportedly fled to seems to he to the taste of the PRC produce more food of every kind. The South Vietnam. According to Allan Dawson [Provisional Revolutionary Government of emphasis is on exhortations and statements of United Press International in Saigon, South Vietnam] or Hanoi, and Pnompenh of intent, however, and the radio does not only one other known foreigner is still in condemned rather explicitly the appeal by say what results have been obtained. Cambodia—the French wife of a Cambodi the Vietnamese for Western assistance. A June 18 broadcast reported by Hsinhua an man. "The unity of the Indochinese peoples, said: ". . . the Cambodian people and their Pnompenh Radio announced June 8 that pledged at the Canton conference in 1970, revolutionary army will adopt the slogan: the use of all foreign languages was experienced some difficulties during the 'Holding the gun in one hand Euid the hoe banned. It said Cambodia had to struggle to war," Le Monde continued. "It has not in the other.' To restore economy and build preserve its customs and traditional way of withstood the outbreak of peace." □ their country, they are making full use of the time to do the following things: grow crops in the rainy season, and promote the campaign for irrigation works to tackle Intercontinental Press completely the water problem; reopen all P.O. Box 116 Village Station transportation lines to rehabilitate econo MEMO to: New York, N.Y. 10014 my; reorganize life in the cities and turn them into productive cities, especially for industrial production; reorganize life in the rural areas, promote the unity-to-increase- fm: production campaign, change the outlook of the countryside and raise the people's living standard." The broadcast said that the people and the army are giving priority to the restora tion of industry and transportation. "They are sure to bring about a leap forward in Country agricultural production and are determined to turn Cambodia, which is backward in □ $24 enclosed for one-year subscription. agriculture, into a country with a modem □ $12 enclosed for a six-month subscription. agriculture and then a country with modern □ Send information about first-class and airmail rates. industry and agriculture."

July 28, 1975 A Portent of the Coming Confrontations in Israel No more attempts were made to arrest the' strikers on the high sea, but the tanker port of Ashkelon remained under a "state of siege" and the manhunt against the sixty- six longshoremen continued. By the end of Lessons of the Ashkelon Dockers' Strike the strike about twenty of them were already behind bars. Most of them had been By M. Halevy arrested during crew changes on the boats or when meeting their comrades at a rendezvous along the coast to replenish JERUSALEM—The strike by workers at which it clearly was since it had not their supplies. the main fuel depot in the port of Ashkelon received the approval of Histadrut. How As the days passed it became increasing has ended. They were unable to hold out ever, after going into hiding to avoid being ly clear that the strikers remained isolated, alone against the state apparatus and all served with a summons, the delegates that the government had made a firm its institutions—Histadrut, the entire spec decided to return to the method of struggle decision to break them, and that the strike trum of Zionist parties—and a significant they had tried in the previous strike. They would end in a defeat. On June 9 the section of the working class. seized the convoy boats and set out for sea. strikers gave in. Those who had not already This plunged them further into illegality. Despite the fact that it ended in a defeat, been arrested were indicted not only for On two occasions they forcibly prevented the strike has set an example. Both the having taken over the company's boats in strikebreakers hired by the private contrac methods of struggle used in it and the limits the current strike but also retroactively for tor from docking oil tankers. At the same imposed on it give an indication of what having done so during the strike in March. time they issued statements—of which only strikes called by the Israeli working class in Furthermore, the company demanded garbled excerpts were published by the the near future will be like. that the four strike delegates pay about press—stressing their determination to $100,000 in damages and interest. Negotia The coming strikes will be called in continue the struggle until they received tions between the company and representa response to the considerable drop in work guarantees that there would be no layoffs. tives of Histadrut continued, but the strik ers' buying power and to the massive Lined up against the Ashkelon strikers ers were defeated and will have to accept unemployment whose first signs are al were all the forces of reaction that could be the layoffs of their comrades. ready being felt. And if Israeli workers mustered. The government declared war on Despite its defeat, the Ashkelon dock want to prevent the social crisis of the the Ashkelon "saboteurs." Histadrut ex workers' strike has a significance that goes Zionist state from being resolved at their cluded them from its "trade union" organi far beyond this specific conflict. Although it expense, they will have to draw the lessons zations. The press was unanimous in was a "small" strike, it is one of the half- of the Ashkelon strike. denouncing them and demanding the use of dozen social conflicts in the twenty-eight- The strike began in mid-March when the force to obtain respect for "trade-union year history of the Zionist state that have bosses of the Oleoduc Eilat-Ashkelon Com order." A special session of the Knesset was left their mark in the class struggle. pany announced that more than half the devoted to the strike, and apart from the workers would be laid off. They immediate Communist party and the "left Zionists" of First of all, it was a militant strike. A new ly went out on strike but agreed to return to Moked, the members called for the use of generation of worker militants that work after the courts, the police, and Hista the most forceful means possible against emerged during the boom period following drut stepped in. these enemies of the people and the state. the 1967 war is beginning to enter the An agreement was signed between the While the debate was under way, a virtual arena. This new generation is diffe'rent bosses and the members of the Dock naval battle took place in Ashkelon harbor from the one that preceded it. It is made up Workers Committee. Among other things it as police in patrol boats tried to arrest the of workers who were either born in or grew called for the establishment of a commis strikers. The police launches were put out of up in Israel. They have much looser ties sion that would decide whether there was commission, one of them cut almost in half with Histadrut and were brought up to good cause for the layoffs and what part of by the strikers, and a number of policemen believe that the state "belongs to them," the work would go to a private contractor took a plunge into the sea. The police began that they are in no way obligated to the company wanted to hire to do the job. to fire into the air. In parliament, the use of shoulder the cost of the capitalists' econom Heading the commission was one of the the police was approved. The pathetic cries ic crisis. leaders of Histadrut. of [Itshak] Ben-Aharon, former secretary of At the same time, they do not have the The commission's findings clearly fa Histadrut, against the use of armed force class consciousness (overlaid with a musty vored the company. But the company's were lost in the reactionary hysteria of his veneer of populism) that marked the first chief executive. Reserve Gen. A. Botser, associates in the Labor party. generation of worker militants, educated in refused to accept its recommendations, The use of the police and the firing of the Western and Eastern Europe. This latter mainly those concerning the private con shots had a contradictory effect on the characteristic—populism—was, however, tractor. working class. Some organized sectors, present throughout the Ashkelon strike. The dock workers knew that their right to including the dockers, the miners at Temna, The high degree of militancy was reflected work was at stake and that General Botser and the merchant marine, reacted in a more in courageous and exemplary actions had long ago decided to increase profits at positive way, some going so far as to than in efforts to bring about a favorable their expense. They decided to go back out threaten to walk off the job if it happened relationship of forces, the precondition for on strike to fight the layoffs. This again. But the bulk of the workers held the any victory. The Ashkelon dockers have decision—lining up sixty-six dock workers Ashkelon strikers responsible for the police serious doubts about Histadrut, but this has against the Zionist state—led to a test of being called in, and criticized them for not yet led to a consciousness of the need to strength unparalleled since the maritime having dared to defend themselves and establish independent forms of working- strike of 1952. confront the police. As for the Histadrut class organization. According to the law, delegates represent leadership, it was unable to avoid lodging a The most significant factor in the Ashke ing the dock workers were supposed to verbal complaint against the use for force lon strike was the isolation of the strikers. appear before the labor court to receive in a labor conflict, but continued to attack This itself can be traced to two factors. formal notice that their strike was illegal. the strikers. First, the lack of preparation in this regard

Intercontinental Press by the strikers themselves. Second, the situation and their demands on the one Unity of the workers—outside of and in extremely low level of working-class solidar hand, and the Zionist state on the other. To opposition to Histadrut—would certainly ity, owing to the lack of working-class point up the contradiction between the assure their ability to defend their living organs on one hand and the effectiveness of interests of the workers and the interests of standard and jobs. But this unity requires government propaganda on the other. the state, the RCL raised the slogan: "A development of consciousness of their That explains why the government had people that oppresses another people cannot interests as a class, that is, the demystifica- no great difficulty in breaking the strike. be free." tion of Zionist propaganda and its slogans This despite the fact that the strike raised The political and openly anti-Zionist of "national unity" and "national interest." issues of national significance—the ques content of the RCL's statement clearly At present only the anti-Zionist revolution tion of layoffs, which affects the entire demarcated the group from the economism ists are prepared to mount an active working class; and the use of the police— and reformism of the other left groups. This propaganda campaign around this theme. and should have led to the mobilization of was noticed by the strikers, who, in their This makes their intervention into the the entire Israeli work force. contacts with RCL members, for the first present crisis of Zionist society ten times Atomization of the working class and time caught a glimpse of an overall solution more important." □ integrating it into the "National Union" to the problems that concern them. remain the chief goal of the Zionist state. In confronting for the first time the full And although sectors of the working class weight of the Zionist state, the Ashkelon continue to step outside the framework of workers—like the Ashdod workers before this "National Union" to defend their them—were accused of being traitors to the Smith Regime Announces New Drive inimediate interests, they do not have an national cause, and thus found themselves Against Zimbabwe Freedom Fighters overall understanding of the need to assert compelled to view their problems in a themselves as a class that stands in political framework. And, as happened with The white racist Smith regime in Zim opposition to the "national interest." the Ashdod dockers, the Ashkelon long babwe (Rhodesia) announced July 11 that it This atomization and the lack of even the shoremen will from now on see political would step up its counterinsurgency opera most elementary working-class solidarity questions in a different light. tions against the African rebels. A govern give the left groups a responsibility that is "It is going to be a hot summer," the ment official urged all whites to volunteer out of proportion to their actual strength. secretary-general of the Histadrut said. In for service in the drive against the freedom This was demonstrated during the Ashke- point of fact, beginning in July the tax fighters. lon strike, just as it was during the Ashdod reform, the renewal of contracts, and the Some of the African nationalist leaders strike in 1969. cost-of-living bonus will bring the workers were released fi:om prison in December to There was a difference, however. In 1969, into contact with the government and the participate in negotiations with the racist in the midst of a war of attrition mounted bosses. But as Ygal Sh'hori, a longshore regime. But according to one white official by the government, only the anti-Zionists of men's delegate, told us: "It will be a hot quoted by an American journalist, "I would Matzpen supported the strikers, who were summer if the workers draw the lessons of not be surprised to see the re-arrest of the under attack from all the political parties our defeat and unite to respond to the black nationalist leaders and imposition of and the population as a whole. This time, a bosses' attack." martial law." common front was established, the Commit tee for the Defense of the Ashkelon Strikers. It included not only the anti-Zionist groups but also the "socialist Zionists" of the Sia'h and student supporters of Moked. The committee was the only organization—apart from the CP, which spoke out in the Knesset and the Histadrut Central Committee—to defend the strikers 5^ oUh^ unconditionally and to organize protests and solidarity on their behalf. Despite the To help ceiebrorte the tenth onni- 7,000 leaflets that were distributed at , versory of Infercontinental Press, factory gates and in the universities, the reproductions of sketches by Co- solidarity demonstration drew no more pain, artist for Intercontinental than about 200 persons, including the wives Press, were published by the New of the strikers. But this demonstration was y York Local of the Socialist Workers the only concrete expression qf solidarity , ® ^ I j , party and bound in on 8.5" y 11" with the Ashkelon workers. W 1 book. The aim was to use the money In addition to their participation in the support committee, the revolutionary Marx ^ ^ ^ fW ffi' gainedpublishing from articles soles into Spanish.help us begin ists of the Revolutionary Communist /* The drawings, of various sizes, in- League (Matzpen) put forward their own i r/ * elude portraits of Hugo Blanco, Mal- position in a leaflet that was distributed in \ ' colm X, James P. Cannon, Che large quantities. It focused on two points. ■.V I ^ Guevara, Cesar Chavez, Leon • Working-class solidarity and indepen ^ X, 'jf V* Trotsky, and many more, some of dent organization of the workers, based on ^ ^ which ore suitable for framing. delegated committees independent of Hista ' 7 ' A limited number of copies of this drut. • A sliding scale of hours and wages to collection of drawings are now eliminate massive unemployment. Larissa Daniel, anti-Stalinist dissident. available for only $5. In its statement, the RCL also sought to Intercontinental Press P.O. Box 116, Village Station New York, NY 10014 show the link between the workers' social

July 28, 1975 Chile Under the Junta—An Eyewitness Report

The Parties of the 'Popular Unity' Continue to Flounder

By Jean-Pierre Beauvais

[The following article, the third in a series of the UP and from a comprehensive of four, appeared in the May 23 issue of the balance sheet of the defeat that resulted. 'Our immediate concern is eliminating, uh, French Trotskyist weekly. Rouge. The But the remnants of the SP continue to tear social problems' translation is by Intercontinental Press.] themselves apart in confused debates that often degenerate into personal conflicts or squabbles over authority. The representatives of the "coordination" Economic crisis; the impoverishment of inside the country claim to be in the "left" an entire people; a working class that more of the SP. They are reportedly critical of than ever must pay the cost of the Septem General Secretary Altamirano, judging his ber 11, 1973, coup; repression; big and small activity in exile to be opportunist. But that maneuvers by a bourgeois opposition look does not go very far. They view concessions ing toward the Christian Democracy—the and tactical regroupments as necessary to left seems to have little place in the tableau maintain the unity of a party whose overall of the Chilean situation we have drawn so strategy of the past years—within the far. framework and bosom of the UP—they In reality, in spite of the numerous accepted unquestioningly. According to declarations made abroad by the "leaders" these comrades, they should have gone or "representatives" of the parties that further in 1973 and made fewer concessions. made up the Popular Unity, it is an As for the independent organization of the unfortunate fact that these parties, with the workers and arming them on a massive exception of the Communist party, are too scale, they say they are in agreement, but it weak—sometimes so weak as to be is clear they are not. "The problem was nonexistent—and too divided to play any elsewhere," they say. "It was in the CP's role whatsoever in the present circum Christian Science Monitor reformist orientation and the weight this stances. party had in the working class." The situation is almost identical for the leaderships, a coordination lacking any For its part the CP carries out its line Christian Left, the Radical party, or the two political homogeneity. with a wonderful perseverance, almost as MAPUs [Movimiento de Accion Popular For the Communist party, it is quite a though nothing had happened. Its orienta Unitaria—Movement for United People's different matter. Greatly weakened, and tion is to regroup all the antifascists, Action, and Movimiento de Accion Popular encompassing a small number of forces whatever the price. From which flows its Unitaria-Obrero y Campesino—Workers compared with what it had two years ago, it barely disguised support to the activities of and Peasants Movement for United Peo has been able to rebuild a genuine national the Christian Democrats, and the instruc ple's Action]. Here and there isolated structure in spite of the death or dispersion tions given to militants here and there to militants who belonged to one or another of of a large number of its secondary cadres. back concretely the Christian Democrats' these groups continue to participate in Evidence of this is its monthly publication, efforts to reorganize among working-class individual discussions or small meetings. which, although mimeographed and poorly circles. By means of fleeting contacts that are often distributed, is the best source of information For the CP leadership, the defeat of the broken off by the repression, plans for on the concrete situation of the working UP was due primarily to the action of reorganizing are sketched out without class in a number of plants throughout the ultralefts, both outside the UP (certainly the anything very concrete coming of them. country. In spite of its weaknesses, its MIR [Movimiento de Izquierda As for the Socialist party, without being influence and its audience remain large Revolucionaria—Movement of the Revolu qualitatively different, it is in a situation of thanks to the daily broadcasts from Radio tionary Left]) and inside (a large part of the another sort. First, those who to any degree Moscow, the most listened-to station in SP). claim to be SP supporters are clearly more Chile, in which its exiled leaders are In tossing the ball up to each other like numerous than the adherents of the Chris regularly heard. this again, the CP and the so-called left tian Left, MAPU, or the Radical party. To What lessons do these organizations draw sectors of the SP continue to play an old be sure, that merely reflects the previous from the historical events in which they game, useful to both. In the framework of situation in the Unidad Popular, where the were the protagonists and the victims? the UP, to say that one was too reformist SP was a mass party with forces that were Basically, none. and the other was too "impatient" is to infinitely superior to those of these organi Apart from their respective organization avoid posing the fundamental question— zations. And in fact the SP's incredible al difficulties, that is where their essential the strategy of the UP, that is, the peaceful political heterogeneity before the coup is weakness lies. and gradual road to socialism. now accentuated, sharpened, and made The immediate tasks for the Chilean Hearing representatives of these parties more sectarian among the survivors. The workers movement can be none other than speak—or rather in the case of the SP the most elaborate form of centralization that a the realignment and reorganization of the representatives of the remnants, the ghosts, part of these SP militants are equipped with workers movement, starting from the expe of the party—one cannot help experiencing is a "coordination" of several regional rience accumulated during the three years a feeling of unreality. The defeat, the tears

Intercontinental Press and blood shed by the Chilean workers CGT Urges International Support for Defense Campaign since September 11, 1973, the repression they have to face each day, has done little or nothing to open their eyes. They continue down the same road, down the same dead end, more concerned with Union Leaders Face Frame-up in Santo Domingo justifying themselves in the eyes of their followers and preserving a clear conscience By Judy White than in beginning to draw the lessons of a reality that they helped create and of which The July 17 court hearing for the central organizations would raise protests and they are the victims. leaders of the Dominican Central General demands. The current government does not In this situation the responsibilities and de Trabajadores (CGT—General Workers permit this, although in order to stop it they tasks of revolutionary militants are more Federation) revealed the out-and-out frame- have to trample on their own laws. immense than ever. Not because they can up the Balaguer government is trying to "This is the reason why our companeros pose an alternative to the junta's regime in manufacture against the federation. have been jailed, why other leaders are the short or medium term, but because the Arrested June 5 and accused of plotting to persecuted, why our central offices are possibility of successful struggles by the overthrow the government were CGT Gen under strict surveillance by the secret Chilean workers will depend—in the long eral Secretary Francisco Antonio Santos, service of the national police." term, unfortunately—on their role and the Education Secretary Julio de Peiia Valdez, One focus of CGT organizing has been part they will play in the process of and Grievance Secretary Eugenio P6rez among workers in the sugar industry, the rebuilding the workers movement. Cepeda. Also charged were three other CGT most important industry in the Dominican The junta has understood that well. The leaders and MPD (Movimiento Popular economy. In the course of this drive, the political police, the spearhead of the repres Dominicano—Dominican People's Move federation has clashed with the state, which sion, concentrates its attack against the ment) leader David Onelio Espaillat. owns twelve of the sixteen sugar refineries revolutionists, and above all against the During the hearing, however, secret-police on the island, and with Gulf and Western. MIR, its bete noire. This has had serious member Lt. Luis Antonio Mafion, who had The CGT has charged refinery adminis consequences. The loss of militants and signed the complaint against them, could trators with not paying the legally esta political cadres, including some of the best, not produce so much as a clue as to where blished minimum wage; withholding pro has been considerable. To a large extent the the CGT leaders had held "subversive" mised bonuses; and organizing a campaign organization is mobilized to preserve its meetings or what methods they allegedly to harass union supporters through threats own continued existence, its own Survival, were planning to use to overthrow Bala of death and imprisonment. which reduces its capacity for intervention guer. In addition, in recent months the Bala accordingly. All these factors have created What Manon did assert was that the guer regime has suspended the legal status a situation that makes it particularly accused belonged to the "far left," although of more than 300 CGT unions, including the difficult to work out precise orientations, according to a report in the July 18 issue of sugar workers local at the Gulf and which is a necessary condition for an the Santo Domingo daily Listin Diario, he Western-owned refinery in La Romana. effective political intervention to reorganize could not explain the meaning of the A letter from Santos and Cepeda, pub the workers movement. phrase. lished in the June 14 issue of the Dominican [Next: Pinochet's Campaign to Crush the Aside from the defendants, Manon was daily La Noticia, described the conditions MIR] the only one to testify at the hearing. None the unionists now face. theless, the judge refused to rule that the "Tell the public that the authorities have defendants were being unjustly held and us locked up in a cell that is filthy, full of ordered them returned to jail. bedbugs, spiders, and other insects that are The CGT has requested international immune to our intensive cleaning efforts. support for their campaign to free the union "They have put us in with gangsters, leaders. In a July 1 appeal to American thugs, common criminals, and even with organizations concerned with defending men who appear to be getting ready to Moving? democratic rights, the CGT executive board listen to supposed conversations that they said; can present to the courts. .. ." Let tts know... "It is obvious that the persecution against The CGT has made an appeal for united us flows from our status as a trade-union actions to prevent their leaders from spend organization with a clear action program ing years in jail. The federation has asked before you go. and our daily activity of uncompromising the U.S. Committee for Justice to Latin To be sure you don't miss any copies, defense of the workers' interests. This is American Political Prisoners* to coordinate particularly true because we are directly these efforts in the United States. please notify us of your new address five □ weeks before you move. confronting multinationals that are drain ing our country's wealth with the approval * USLA, 156 Fifth Avenue, Suite 600, New York, Name of the government of Dr. Joaqufn Balaguer. New York 10010. At the head of the anti-working-class, Address antinational offensive of these multination als is Gulf and Western. Others, like British infiation Hits Record 26.1% Falconbridge, Codal, Compania Dominica- Britain's inflation rate rose to still anoth na de Telefonos, follow in its footsteps. er record level in June, according to figures released by the government July 18. June "Faced with the starvation, hunger, and consumer prices were 26.1% higher than the iNTERCONTINENTAL PRESS lack of democratic freedoms our workers levels a year ago and were 1.9% above the P.O. Box 116, Village Station and people suffer, with the chronic unem May record. Some economists in London New York, NY 10014 ployment and uncontrolled rise in the cost predict that the inflation rate could climb to of living, it is logical that progressive union as high as 30% in the next few months. July 28. 1975 Slander Kurdish Freedom Fighters

Iranian Stalinists Hail Shah's Betrayal of Kurds

By Majid Namvar

According to an announcement by Iran's solve the national question have existed foreign minister, Abbas Khalatbari, June between the Iraqi Kurds and the central 14, "all differences between Iran and Iraq government. Since the establishment of the are settled." Among the main points of the present Iraqi regime, these age-old differences, which have often led to bloody fighting, have eighty-page treaty signed in Baghdad June entered the stage of principled and rational 13, he said, was an agreement to prevent solution. "infiltration from either state to the other, . . . Giving the right of self-determination through cooperative security actions." to Iraqi Kurdistan, as recently announced by Since the signing of the initial accord the government, has resulted from the repu blic's correct policy and is a positive and pro between the two regimes March 5, the gressive act. Iranian government-controlled press has But the American and British imperialists dealt with various aspects of the agreement and local reactionaries, including the shah of with much fanfare. The emphasis has Iran, are determined enemies of any peaceful tended to be on Baghdad's willingness to solution of the Arab-Kurdish conflict. curb activities in Iraq directed against the By manipulating the right wing of the Kurd shah. ish Democratic party, these reactionary forces issue of the Tehran daily Kayhan). When are trying to divert the party from its correct Jumping on the shah's bandwagon, the asked about his views on the Kurdish path and compel it to reject the peaceful road pro-Moscow Tudeh (Communist) party of struggle for autonomy, the shah said: "The and the autonomy proposal, and instead move Iran has also greeted the March 5 accord, toward bloodshed and killing. talk has always been about Kurdish autono hailing the resulting setback to the Kurdish my inside Iraq, not outside of that coun national minority in Iraq as "a victory for This is a theme frequently played in the try. . . . in any case, we don't support the peace and progress." In an article headlined Tudeh press. In it, the Iranian Stalinists idea of a separatist Kurdistan." "Defeat of Imperialist Plot Is a Victory for follow their usual practice of distorting the In April, in a display of good faith toward Peace and Progress," Mardom (no. 133), the facts, both in terms of their description of the Iraqi dictatorship, the shah made clear fortnightly organ of the Tudeh party, the policy of the Iraqi regime and in terms his attitude toward the Kurdish rebels when published in exile, gave the following of their "explanation" of the motor force he ordered the execution of two Kurds who assessment of the Baghdad-Tehran accord: behind the Kurdish struggle. had hijacked an Iraqi plane and flown it to "Normalization of the relationship be In regard to the "autonomy" plan Bagh Tehran. tween Iran and Iraq; ending the armed dad proposed in March 1974, readers of Following the line of Moscow's support to resistance by the Kurdish reaction in Mardom are not' likely to learn about a the Iraqi regime's effort to crush the Kurd northern Iraq; and the establishment of number of clauses that were not part of the ish struggle, both the Tudeh party and the peace in the border area of the two countries original agreement between the government will all help reduce the existing tension in Iraqi Communist party have praised the and the Kurdish nationalists. In fact, it was policies of what they claim is a "progress this region." the inclusion of these clauses and the ive" regime in Baghdad. In the case of the government's refusal to abide by the auton Before signing the March 5 accord in Iraqi CP, which has held two posts in the omy agreement it signed with the Kurds in Algiers, the shah had provided military cabinet since May 1972, the local Stalinists 1970 that led to the breakdown of the four- assistance to the Kurdish rebels fighting for have in fact assumed direct responsibility year truce. autonomy in Iraq. This was intended for the campaign to destroy the Kurdish primarily to weaken his neighboring rival liberation struggle. Included in what Tudeh calls the "right of power. It had the added benefit of putting The Iranian Stalinists, on the other hand, self-determination to Iraqi Kurdistan" were pressure on the Baghdad regime for a have been able to display their support to such strings as granting the Iraqi govern settlement, favorable to the shah, of a long the Iraqi regime only by waging a slander ment power to arbitrarily select the head of standing dispute over navigation rights in campaign in their press against the Kurd the Kurdish executive council; power to the Shatt-al-Arab waterway, which forms ish freedom fighters. dissolve the Kurdish legislative council; and part of the border between the two coun Following the resumption of open warfare acceptance of its refusal to recognize the tries. between the Iraqi army and the Kurdish Kurds' demand for establishing definite The shah's aid to the Kurds was immedi guerrilla forces in March 1974, the Tudeh regional borders. ately halted with the signing of the Algiers party tried to explain how the Kurds, in Baghdad's violation of these basic points accord. From his point of view, such fighting against their national oppression, prepared the ground for further assault on assistance had always been a double-edged were being used as a "tool of imperialism." the Kurdish national movement. The Iraqi blade. While useful against Baghdad, it The Tudeh party even claimed that Kurd regime's final offensive, begun after the also helped pave the way for the Kurdish ish discontent was a direct result of imperi signing of the initial agreement with the national movement to spread beyond the alist agitation. shah, was hailed by the Iranian Stalinists Iraqi borders and encourage a similar The April 1974 issue of Mardom (no. 108) in Mardom, no. 133: rebellion in Iranian Kurdistan. carried a statement by the Tudeh Central "Before fleeing they [the Kurdish leaders] The shah expressed this fear early this Committee, outlining the Stalinists' argu made a useless attempt to stop the advance year in an interview in the Kuwaiti newspa ment: of the Iraqi army. But it was late, too late! per al-Siasseh (reprinted in the January 11 We all know that some differences on how to In a telegram signed by the 'Political

Intercontinental Press Bureau' of the Iraqi party of Kurdistan, this 600,000 Face Starvation reactionary group asked [Iraqi President] Hassan al-Bakr to agree to a settlement of differences through negotiations. In reply, the Iraqi government reaffirmed the 1974 Who Is Growing Fat From Haiti's Famine? autonomy terms and asked them to take advantage of the general amnesty and poverty and degradation of the mass of surrender themselves to the Iraqi officials." Haitians. Baghdad's rulers predictably rejected Newman described the setup as "one of proposals for negotiations, and on March 7 the most colossal examples of institutional six divisions of the Iraqi army began the ized graft anywhere." The Haitian govern attack that eventually defeated the Kurd ment has failed, "year after year, to include ish guerrilla forces. in its budgets $10 million to $20 million of In explaining the social basis for the the revenues it takes in, by the estimate of Kurdish rebellion, the Tudeh party has U.S. government sources. As far as any resorted to further distortion of the facts. It body can tell, the money is deposited in the argues that imperialist "manipulation" private accounts of the Duvalier family. It ignited the flames of Kurdish nationalist amounts to between 20% and 40% of the sentiment; and it ascribes the widespread government's total expenditures." support of the freedom struggle to "dema Meanwhile, the regime uses budgeted gogic slogans" used by the "Kurdish funds for such things as a $3 million reactionary group." mausoleum for "Papa Doc" Duvalier and a Even the Stalinists should know that Revolution Soclaliste $5 million outlay to host preliminary World something more powerful than "demagogic Cup soccer matches. slogans" is needed to arouse the masses of The regime is squeezing money directly an oppressed nationality. The fact is that As many as 600,000 persons out of a out of the famine as well. After complaints the Kurds, whose homeland is divided population of more than five million are from international aid officials about exten between Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Syria, and the threatened with starvation in Haiti, which sive theft of food sent from abroad as Soviet Armenian Republic, are an op has been stricken by drought for the past famine relief, Duvalier arrested twenty of pressed population. They speak a language year. People are already dying from the the country's leading businessmen and the that is different from the "official" lan famine; some livestock has also starved to chief of the customs bureau. guages used in those countries and have death. The hardest-hit area is the north According to a report by Greg Chamber their own distinct history and culture. The west, but famine conditions are spreading lain in the June 28 Manchester Guardian, basis of their discontent is that they have across the north. their detention "is regarded as more of a been denied their right to self-deter Although the prospect of disaster was scapegoat to appease the aid bodies rather mination. obvious for many months, Haiti's President than a display of honesty by the Duvalier For example, the oppression of the Kurd for Life Jean-Claude ("Baby Doc") Duvalier regime, which has itself long been involved ish people in Iran takes a very concrete did not formally declare a food emergency in food profiteering through a semi- form. Although they number between three until the end of May. The regime admitted autonomous State body, the Regie du Tabac and four million, the Iranian Kurds are at that time that more than 300,000 persons which is personally controlled by the late deprived of the elementary rights of teach were in a desperate situation. It attributed Papa Doc's widow." ing their language in schools or publishing the famine to a "natural catastrophe." For Haitians, the Duvalier dictatorship books in it. But the drought was merely the last has meant poverty, brutal repression, and In concluding their declaration of support straw. For decades the Haitian people, ruled starvation. For international companies in to the shah's deal with the Iraqi regime, the by a corrupt, dictatorial regime, have search of cheap labor it has meant an easy Tudeh party seized the opportunity to draw suffered a series of catastrophes: an aver buck. Wages of $1.30 a day for manual a lesson for the Kurdish masses of Iran: age annual income of $70; urban unemploy laborers have attracted 150 companies to "... the defeat of the Kurdish reaction ment standing at 60 percent; an illiteracy the country in the last four years, most of on the one hand, and the government's rate of 90 percent; a life expectancy of them from the United States. application of the autonomy terms on the thirty-three years. One profit-making scheme was reportedly other, is a warning to the Kurdish people in Roads are almost nonexistent, and no discontinued following international public Iran. It shows that in multinational coun effort has been made to improve agricultu ity that was even too embarrassing for the tries the only way for nationalities to ral methods. Nearly all the good farmland Baby Doc dictatorship: An American com achieve their national rights . . . is to is owned by American sugar growers or the pany that bought blood from destitute collaborate with the progressive and demo Duvalier family and their friends. Eighty Haitians at $3 a liter and resold it in cratic forces." percent of the people have to try to eke out Chicago at $25 a liter was forced to close up The Tudeh party's betrayal of the Kurd an existence on tiny plots, mostly in hilly shop. n ish struggle in favor of support to such regions. "progressive forces" as the Iraqi Baathist Not all Haitians are suffering from the dictatorship coincides with what we have country's "natural catastrophe," however. been accustomed to expect from them. If the In fact, some are growing fat from it. When You Move... Jean-Claude Duvalier himself is manag narrow diplomatic interests of the Kremlin Don't count on the post office for ing quite well. (Barry Newman reported in bureaucracy call for abandoning the most warding your Intercontinental Press! elementary principles of proletarian inter the March 25 Wall Street Journal that he nationalism and stabbing the Kurdish "still cuts the figure of an overstuffed It's against their rules. movement in the back, the Iranian Stalin artillery shell dressed in a shiny sharkskin Send us your new address. And in ists are prepared to help give the blade a suit.") The Duvalier dynasty is the most plenty of time, please. twist. □ obvious and direct beneficiary of the abject

July 28, 1975 An Interview With Catherine Scorer The sheriff said that the offence was basical ly incitement of others to kill their fellow men because of their different religious beliefs! Fegan's sentence was the maximum pro vided by the act. Two of Fegan's friends were How the 'Prevention of Terrorism' Act similarly charged, but the charges were dropped and both freed, so obviously there Has Eroded Democratic Rights in Britain was not enough evidence against them.

Q. The second section of the act allows the [Catherine Scorer is Northern Ireland Q. And Sinn Fein^ also ? government to serve "exclusion orders." Officer of the National Council for Civil What does this mean and how has it been Liberties (NCCL). She gave the following A. Sinn Fein is not banned but you still applied? interview to Tony Hodges and Brian Lyons have the problem of what exactly constitutes in London.! support for the IRA. For example, organiza A. This section of the act gives the home tions like Green Cross, which is a registered secretary the power to exclude from Great charity organization, give money to relatives Britain or from the United Kingdom as a of internees. Many of these are members of whole'' any person he thinks is involved in the Provisionals, so the problem exists as to Question. Under the Prevention of Terror terrorism. He can also prevent people from whether itis legal or not to supportfamilies of ism Act, the government was given powers to entering Britain on the same basis. He can proscribe organizations. Could you explain IRA members. "exclude" a U.K. citizen who has been in this how this clause of the act has been applied? country for less than twenty years and a nop- Q. Is it legal to sell the "United Irishman" U.K. citizen no matter how long that person and other republican newspapers? Answer. Section 1 of the act gave the home has been living in Britain. So if an Irish secretary[Roy Jenkins]the power to ban any person from the South of Ireland has been A. It is still legal to support the idea of a organization. You may not belong to a living in Britain for fifty years, he or she united Ireland and the withdrawal of British proscribed organization, raise or receive could still be "excluded." troops from Ireland. It could be dangerous money or goods on behalfof it, or support it in The right to appeal against an exclusion though to sell papers like An Phoblacht and any other way. It is illegal to meet with more order is very limited. Within forty-eight hours Republican News^ which have military than two people from a proscribed organiza of an exclusion order being served the victim coverage. There might be a very strong case tion even if you did not know that the can make representations to the home for prosecuting sellers of these newspapers organization was banned or that the meeting secretary. He has an adviser who considers even though they are not proven members of was held by a banned organization. The the appeal, and based on an oral interview the IRA. maximum penalties for this offence are an with the defendant, makes a recommenda unlimited fine or five years imprisonment. tion to the home secretary for a final decision. It is also an offence to display, carry, or Q. One case has actually been brought The penalty in the magistrates court for wear in public anything which might show under this section of the act? breaking an exclusion order is a £400 fine that you are a member or supporter of a and/or six months imprisonment. In the banned organization, even if you are not. A. Yes. James Fegan was found guilty at Crown Court it is an unlimited fine and/or This act is in fact far more specific than the Glasgow Sheriff Court on February 10 for five years imprisonment. Public Order Act.' It actually says that you soliciting support for the IRA. He was There have been a number of exclusion- offering posters which said: "Join the Peo cannot wear any emblem or uniform or any order cases. I think that about fifty orders other garment which would identify you as a ple's Army, the Provisionals." This is what have been issued. A number of orders have member of a proscribed organization. It is he was trjdng to sell when he was actually been issued against people already out of the only under Section 1 of the act that a person picked up by the police. U.K. on a visit. For example,many Sinn F6in can he charged and brought to court. The Then he was found with a number of other supporters in Britain who traveled to Ireland posters which read,"Brit Thugs Out,Victory attorney general must give his consent before for the McDade funeraP were unable to a trial occurs, hut once a person is actually to the IRA, Freedom '74" and "This Soldier return because exclusion orders had been tried, it is in open court. You have the right to Could Be Standing Beside You, Watch What issued against them while they were at the legal representation and can defend yourself. You Say." funeral. There have also been thirty-six There has been only one case brought to court Fegan, who admitted that he was a Sinn people who have actually been served with F^in member, was originally given a sen under this section, and it is obvious that the exclusion orders and removed from the coun tence of six months and fined £200 government is having difficulty in proving try. [£1=US$2.20]. This was withdrawn when the guilt. sheriff heard that it was his first offence.The sentence was then deferred for a week Q. So that is thirty-six who were in Britain Q. Was it just the Provisional Irish Repu without hail. After his background report who were deported and about nine who were blican Army that was banned? was considered,Fegan was still given the six already out of the country and had orders months jail sentence hut was also fined £400. issued against them? A. No, both the "Official" IRA and the Provisional IRA.

2. The "Official" Sinn F6in is the political wing of 4. Great Britain does not include Northern Ireland. 1. The Public Order Act was passed by the British the "Official" republican movement. The Provi The "United Kingdom of Great Britain and government in 1936, ostensibly to curtail the sional Sinn F6in is the poUtical wing of the Northern Ireland" does. activities of the British fascist movement beaded at Provisional republican movement. that time by Oswald Mosley. In the past year Irish 5. James McDade was a republican accidentally republicans wearing black berets have been 3. The United Irishman is the newspaper of the killed in Coventry last October while carrying a charged under the act for wearing illegal political "Official" Sinn F6in. An Phoblacht and Republican bomb. His brother bad previously been shot dead by uniforms. News are organs of the Provisional Sinn F6in. the British army.

Intercontinental Press A. Yes. There is the case of George Lynch from Birmingham Sinn Fein, who made a trip to Dublin. He wrote to the Northern What Is the 'Prevention of Terrorism' Act? Ireland Office asking if he would be harassed on his return. He thought that if he would be The Prevention of Terrorism (Tempor • The new law gives the police powers raided immediately after he came home, he ary Provisions Act) was passed by the of search, arrest, and detention without would rather stay in Ireland. The Home British Labour government last Novem warrant, charge, or trial. These powers Office replied saying: "We are hereby send ber. It was rammed through Parliament could well be extended to other cases. ing you a notice of exclusion and you have in a matter of days after bombs exploded Violations of civil liberties such as these forty-eight hours to make your representa in Birmingham, killing twenty persons form part of a growing international tion." So it obviously wasn't worth his while and injuring many others. pattern of repressive legislation intro coming back. But as sectors of the capitalist press and duced under the guise of "preventing There are really two groups of people being the National Council for Civil Liberties terrorism." In the same month the new held under the act—those whom the police pointed out, the "antiterrorist" laws were law was passed in Britain, the West already know as members of Sinn Fein or being prepared by the British government German government introduced similar Clann na h-Eireann, the political wing of the long before the Birmingham bombings legislation, using the assassination of "Officials" in Britain, and Irish people not occurred. Judge Giinter von Drenkmann as the involved in political activity whom the police The law was introduced at a time of main pretext. have picked up in general swoops, held for deepening conflict in Northern Ireland To this can be added the "antiterrorist" seven days, and eventually served with an and growing sentiment in Britain for law used by the Canadian government in exclusion order. withdrawal of British troops from North 1970 and the repressive legislation used to Of the first group, nearly all the people ern Ireland. It was accompanied by a well- imprison, torture, and murder freedom involved in the republican movement have orchestrated campaign of anti-Irish chau fighters in Iran, South Africa, Sri Lanka, decided to make representations. Quite a vinism, signaling an attempt by the and Chile, to name only a few countries. high proportion of those who have fought it imperialist rulers at Westminster to escal Experience has shown that unless a have been successful. Tbe last count was 5 ate their drive against the Catholic vigorous campaign is launched against out of 11, which is pretty good. minority in Northern Ireland while redu such laws, precedents are set making it There is a much higher number in the other cing the threat of large-scale opposition easier for violations of democratic rights group—about 70 percent—who have not from the British population. to be extended and broadened. As the made representation because they do not The "antiterrorist" legislation is thus a National Council for Civil Liberties has know what is happening. These could be blatant warning to all Irish people living noted, the Prevention of Terrorism Act people from republican areas of Belfast who in Britain that opposition to imperialist was itself largely based on repressive have just come over to find a job. For no oppression of Ireland is punishable by legislation passed by Westminster for use reason at all they get held for seven days and deportation, lengthy imprisonment, fi in Northern Ireland. The lack of opposi told that they will be sent back. Tbey are not nancial hardship, or a week's grilling by tion to this legislation from the British politically committed and don't think it is the cops. It also represents a major assault labour movement helped pave the way for really worthwhile fighting it. on civil liberties in general. the extension of the measures to Britain Take the case of Albert O'Rawe, who came • The law effectively curtails the right itself, although in a different form. over from Belfast. He had a family of seven to speak, sell newspapers, or demonstrate and was working as a porter in London for peacefully if such activity can be constru The case studies referred to in the seven years. Fifteen policemen came to his ed as support to terrorism. accompanying interview are only part of house at 5:30 a.m. on the morning of • The act's definition of terrorism as the research work carried out by the November 30 just after the act had been the "use of violence for political ends" NCCL since the introduction of the passed. After arresting a young Irishman narrows the distinction between "emerg "antiterrorist" act. A more complete they originally came for,they started search ency powers" and established legal proce account is available from the National ing the rest of the house. When they found dure. The definition is a vague generaliza Council for Civil Liberties, 186 Kings £200 in cash and a picture of Michael tion that extends far beyond individual Cross Road, London WCl, England. Gaughan, the Irishman who died on hunger bombings. —Tony Hodges and Brian Lyons strike in an English jail, O'Rawe was also taken away for questioning. The police assured his wife that he would not be held long. O'Rawe was detained for seven days failed and he was sent back to Northern interviewing the victim. So really there is and served with an exclusion order. Ireland. absolutely no check at all. Apart from supporting the Green Cross, Our objection to the exclusion-order pro the only known evidence against O'Rawe Q. The main point is that he was served cess is that in many ways it is as bad as was a conviction when he was in the IRA— with an exclusion order with no evidence internment. With internment at least you are thirty-three years ago in Ireland! For that he whatever of any offence? given some vague notion of why you are held, was sentenced at the time to ten years even if it is just that you are a member of the imprisonment and since then he has had no IRA and held meetings in your house. You connection with the republican movement. A. You never know what the police evi have got some sort ofidea. But with exclusion O'Rawe was questioned by the police for dence is. When the NCCL saw Jenkins and orders, no evidence has to be given at all. three days about his family connections and Tony Lester, Jenkins's political assistant, it Although the criterion is that you must have fidendships in Belfast, and was left in was suggested to us that the victims of been involved in "the preparation, commis solitary confinement for the remaining four exclusion orders would find out the evidence sion or instigation" of terrorist offences, it days without further questioning. Although against them in the interview with the has become clear that you can be excluded he fought the exclusion order, O'Rawe never "adviser" during representation. But it also on the basis of past involvement before knew what the evidence against him was or subsequently became clear that the adviser the act was passed. what he was being charged with. His appeal himself never looks at the evidence before Take the case of Gerry Doherty, a member July 28, 1975 person who shot the policeman had an Irish accent and this also helped them to make the arrests. I think that even ifthey found a piece of wire they would say that they found a bomb factory. Under this section the police can also take any "reasonable" steps to obtain identifica tion. This includes photographing you, measuring you, and taking your fingerprints without your consent and without a court order. This gives a license to the police to use force to get your fingerprints, for example. Under this clause anyone can be stopped and searched by a police officer without a warrant, allegedly to find out whether you are carrying any documents or article which could provide evidence that you are liable to arrest under the act. A police officer is empowered also without < a warrant to search premises and every person found on the premises. All they need is permission from a police superintendent. Andrew Wiard/Report Any officer who sees anything which gives Three hundred persons marched through Kilburn July 5, for repeal of "Terrorism" act. "reasonable" grounds for suspicion of an offence under the act can take that away with of Clann na h-Eireann, who was once police could hold someone for forty-eight' him. convicted for possessing a firearm and hours before this act was passed. Now the served a jail sentence. It was obvious that police can apply to the home secretary for a this was taken into account when he was further five days'extension. No such applica Q. How has this section of the act been excluded. When a journalist I know contacted tions have been turned down as yet, although applied? Lord Harris at the Home Office, Lord it is highly unlikely that Jenkins examines Harris's reply was that all these people are any evidence at all. The police just say that A. About 541 people have been held under criminals—"not the sort we want in this they want the extension and they get it. the act. The arrests have been carried out in country." Greater powers are also given to immigra waves. There were large numbers of arrests tion officers to detain persons at ports of after the Guildford bombing, the shooting in Q. What proportion of the people excluded entry. You can be held by any examining Southampton, and the Hammersmith shoot under the act are "Officials'"? officer at a port of entry for seven days and a ing.® There have also been arrests of people further five days with the permission of the selling papers and making collections. A. The "Officials" began a cease-fire three home secretary, making a total of twelve Immediately after the act came into force, years ago and yet they are bearing quite a days' detention without trial or charge. the police first arrested about ten people in large part of this. Gerry Doherty, Danny connection with the Guildford bombing. The Ryan, Jim Flynn,and Brendan Phelan have number was small at first, but those detained Q. Detention is without any charge at all? been excluded out of a total of fifty. That is were forced to give the names of their Irish less than 10 percent, but all the deported friends. Many of those subsequently de A. Yes, that is right. The police must only Clann members were major leaders in their tained were from North London, where there "reasonably suspect that you are concerned is a large Irish community. The police were movement. in the commission, preparation and instiga mainly looking for information and did not tion of acts of terrorism." For example, when Q. So that is an attempt to strike a blow at actually suspect that those they picked up a policeman was shot in Hammersmith, Clann, to undermine what should be perfect were involved with the IRA. London,they immediately rounded up a lot of ly legal political activity? We have been told by a number of people people for questioning. They claimed they who were held that they were mainly asked had found a bomb factory. The rumour is that A. Yes, but at Sinn Fein as well, though who their drinking companions were, why the bomb factory was a myth created by the they had come over here, what jobs they had, particularly at Clann, who are bitterly police to allow them to make sweeping opposed to the bombing campaign in this and who their friends were. The police went arrests. country.They can see that it has antagonized through their address books and took all the names of friends mentioned in the interroga the British working class. Clann was one of Q. How many were arrested? the first organizations to condemn the tion. On this basis further swoops were made and roughly fifty people were picked up in all. Birmingham bombings. I think they are A. About fifty in all, of whom thirty-five almost more bitter against the Provisionals Only nineteen of these were eventually were held for the full seven days. than against the British government. charged, and of these, charges were dropped against four and a murder charge was Q. What about the powers of arrest and Q. Were these people charged with in detention ? volvement with the bomb factory? 6. The Guildford bombings occurred on October 5, before the act was introduced. Five people were A. Section 3 of the act gives the police A. No, they were just held for questioning. killed and sixty-five were injured. The shooting in powers to arrest, search, and detain. The act The police announced the bomb factory just Southampton was the killing of a policeman in extends police powers to allow them to hold to create a good climate for arrest and December 1974. The Hammersmith shooting is anyone for seven days for questioning. The detention. They had already said that the explained earlier in the interview.

Intercontinental Press dropped against a fifth—after they had been and working class, then you are a potential was renewed annually until 1933,It was then held in custody for almost two and a half "terrorist" and can be held for seven days. I renewed until 1973, when the Emergency months. think the police are careful not to extend it to Provisions Act came into force and super One boy was questioned for three days, English people. seded it. One of the things we are anxious only very briefly on the bombing itself. He about is that this does not happen to this was actually serving in a bar at the time of Q. Could you say something about how the emergency legislation. Emergency provi the bombing and had several witnesses to law in the North of Ireland set precedents for sions have a habit of becoming very perma prove it. Nevertheless he was held for a this law in Britain? nent. The problem is that if the present further four days, and an hour before the full attitude of the British government continues, seven days were up he was told:"You can go A. Well, they have had emergency legisla the question of Northern Ireland will not tion in Northern Ireland since 1922. First of disappear. I can just see this act becoming all they had the Special Powers Act, which permanent. □ Q. Why was that, just to intimidate peo ple?

A. I think so. Once they have applied for Fumigate It First the five-day extension they keep them for the full five days. Maybe they think someone will suddenly produce a lot of information for them. This boy who was held the full seven days had obviously missed a week's work. He Watch Out When Eating Grain From the U.S. returned to his work the following Monday and at 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday he was picked up Recent investigations into the American grain aboard, and then complete the load again by two different policemen who were grain-shipping industry have unearthed ing with poor grain, or anything else that allegedly inquiring into the murder of Ken some unsavory practices by companies happened to be on hand, to make their 10 neth Lennon.'' trying to squeeze even greater profits from percent "quota." He was taken to Epsom police station and their grain deals with customers abroad. Other complaints included charges that interrogated about the name P. Lennon, To save on ship-cleaning costs and reduce food sent as drought and famine relief to which was in the address book inspected by port charges to a minimum, grain-shipping the African Sahelian region and Ethiopia the Guildford police. The police then asked companies operating out of New Orleans in 1974 contained misgraded or even him a series of questions he had already and other ports have been bribing inspec diseased material, and that in 1973 the answered at Guildford. He was eventually tors to falsely certify that ships are clean American companies sent India 72,000 tons released at the end of the morning. and grain is uncontaminated. Some of the of corn that was so worm-eaten it had to be This person was not involved with the ships used to transport grain had just been fumigated on arrival. republican movement and was initially quite taken out of service as oil tankers. In addition to shipping adulterated grain, prepared to cooperate with the police. All the In spite of reports of such practices going the companies make enormous extra profits same he was held for seven days,and all the back many years and complaints from by bribing inspectors to issue certificates people he mentioned were then picked up. His overseas buyers, Washington has turned a for short-weighted cargoes or to classify a girl friend was picked up, his girl friend's blind eye. According to an Agriculture grain shipment at a higher grade than it sister, and other people in his house. Department report prepared in 1973, "It has actually is. □ not been the practice of the Grain Division Q. Have these arrests and interrogations to inform the Food and Drug Administra 150,000 Greek Cypriots Demonstrate been directed against people in other move tion of grain found to contain deleterious ments like the Troops Out Movement?'^ substances such as mercury-treated kernels, An estimated 150,000 demonstrators crotalaria seeds, aflatoxin or adulterants gathered in Nicosia July 15 to mark the A. As far as I know the act has been such as rodent excreta and insect-damaged anniversary of the coup inspired by the directed entirely against Irish people. I don't kernels." Greek junta that overthrew the Makarios know of a single English person who has Mercury, crotalaria seeds, and aflatoxin government and resulted in Turkey's inva been held. Irish people, whether or not they are poisonous. sion of Cyprus. are involved in political activity, have been A group of European grain company President Makarios, who fled during the affected rather than English political activ executives complained that soybean meal coup but returned in December, told the ists. There was a case in Swansea ofa woman shipped from the U.S. often showed low cheering crowd that his government will who had been involved in "Official" Sinn protein content and high percentage of not give up its struggle to reunite Cyprus in Fein and the Gaelic Athletics Association in fibres when analyzed, indicating that hulls "full independence and territorial integri the South of Ireland. She was picked up and had been ground in with the beans. One of ty." eventually lost her job. She was generally them said that American soybean meal harassed by the police just because she was often contained as much as 2 percent lime. Kremlin Grants Visa to Elena Bonner Irish. There are many other examples where "That's a good profit for them when they the general rule has been that if you are Irish can buy lime for four dollars a ton," he said. Dissident Soviet physicist Andrei Sakhar- Soybean meal now sells for more than $120 ov reported July 18 that the Kremlin had a ton and at times has sold for nearly $300. granted a visa to his wife, Elena Bonner, to 7. Kenneth Lennon was hired by British Intelli Foreign buyers report that U.S. grading go to Italy for treatment of an eye condition gence as an agent provocateur. After giving a regulations allow a ship to carry as much that threatens to destroy her vision. detailed statement to the NCCL in April 1974 that as 10 percent of off-grade grain, or even Sakharov told Western reporters in Mos revealed his role, he was murdered. sour grain and trash, without having its cow that the about-face was "completely 8. The Troops Out Movementis a British campaign official grading certificate lowered. Thus unexpected." The visa was granted one day for the immediate withdrawal of all British troops companies would load a ship to about 90 after her application had been rejected for a from Ireland. percent capacity, check the grading of the second time.

July 28, 1975 a.a\/7/^^\-e.. /ooaagF^qok^ □□□nOb. uno nnon/tE dDmuj&n/\jh.a.M poo/ ^wj ^wiy^ \m@/y \5^—-■y

Peruvian Military Junta Sets chief targets. In recent years the FBI broke Ivan Klima and Ludvig Vaculik. New Restrictions on Press into an average of one foreign embassy a Following the police raid, Kosik wrote to Seven daily newspapers taken over by the month. Sartre and described the situation of him Peruvian government one year ago are In one Arab mission, Newsweek said, the self and others who had come under scheduled to he turned over to workers and FBI burglars met Israeli agents already government attack. peasants organizations July 27. That was there, saluted, and left. He felt, he wrote, as if he were "buried the promise made hy the Velasco Alvarado alive." He was reduced to nothing, unable regime at the time the papers were seized. Foreign Creditors Drain to attend scholarly meetings or accept Now Velasco has added two qualifica $1 Billion a Year From Egypt invitations to lecture at European universi tions. First, the regime will name the editor Egypt's balance-of-payments deficit for ties. in chief of each paper for the coming year. this year will be about $3 billion. To stay "I do not exist. . . . All my publications Second, the editor in chief is to name the solvent the Sadat government is depending are banned from bookshops and public news editor. on cash gifts from other Arab countries libraries in Czechoslovakia, and my pro ' According to a July 3 Associated Press such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, as well tests are not answered. Yet, for the police I dispatch from Lima, Velasco said the as a program of long-term, low-interest do exist. . . . I have committed no crime, so measures were necessary because the pa loans firom Western Europe, Japan, and the why am I suspect, of what am I guilty?" pers had been "infiltrated" in the past year United States. Egypt at present pays about The Italian Communist party, with its hy persons hostile to "the revolution." $1 billion a year to service and pay back heart set on a "historic compromise" with short-term and high-interest loans obtained the Christian Democrats, felt compelled to from private banks. register a protest. An editorial article in the Libyan Press Agency Denies Report In an effort to stave off social unrest, the July 15 issue of the party's paper, L'Unitd, of Attempt to Assassinate Qaddafi regime is importing twice as much this year said the confiscation was not only "an open The reported attempt to kill Col. Muam- as it did in 1974. In turn the 1974 imports violation of the freedom of cultural activity mar el-Qaddafi in June was simply the were twice as large as those in 1973. More which should be one of the foundations of accidental explosion of an old bomb, the than $1.5 billion is being spent on import socialist democracy," but also "an interven official Libyan news agency ARNA ing basic foods like sugar, tea, and wheat, tion which hits at the work of an intellectu reported July 15. which are then resold at an average of one- al at the very moment that it is being The London Daily Mail reported earlier in tenth the purchase value. created." July that a rocket fired from a plane L'Unitd said that Kosik's case was not an narrowly missed the platform from which Italian CP Protests Prague's Attack isolated one, but represented "the condition Qaddafi and members of the Revolutionary on Philosopher Karel Kosik of dozens of intellectuals deprived of their Command Council were reviewing a mili A police raid on the home of Czechoslo teaching posts, banned fiom institutes of tary parade June 11. vak philosopher Karel Kosik by the Stalin research, rendered unable to work and also ARNA said a report prepared by two ist regime in Prague has prompted protests placed in great material difficulties." German experts, commissioned by the firom French writer and philosopher Jean- government, proved that the explosion was caused by the accidental explosion of a 220- Paul Sartre and the Italian Communist party. Hanoi Seeks Trade With U.S. pound leftover World War II bomb, buried Police entered Kosik's home on April 28 Officials in Hanoi told a visiting Ameri beneath the platform. and after a six-hour search confiscated can banker that they want to develop trade more than a thousand pages of an unpub relations with the United States. Louis FBI Admits 'a Few' Burglaries lished philosophical manuscript. They ac Saubolle, a vice-president and Asia repre Clarence Kelley, the director of the cused him of concealing writings that sentative of the Bank of America, Ameri Federal Bureau of Investigation, admitted would show he was engaged in criminal ca's biggest bank, visited Hanoi, Haiphong, July 14 that the FBI had conducted "a few" action of "subversion against the Repub and the Red River delta at the invitation of burglaries of foreign embassies in the past lic," a charge that carries a one- to five-year the North Vietnamese Chamber of Com decade. He said the break-ins by "black-bag prison sentence. merce. teams" dated from the Second World War, Kosik was a longtime member of the Saubolle said that the North Vietnamese although he refused to name the embassies Czechoslovak Communist party—until his stressed several times that "they are willing or domestic groups that were the targets of expulsion in 1969—and one of its acknow to develop mutually beneficial trade with the break-ins. He claimed that all burgla ledged leading theoreticians until his remo American corporations." He said they also ries, except those in the interests of "nation val firom the faculty of philosophy at told him they hoped "similar friendly and al security," were halted in 1966. Prague's Charles University in 1970. He useful" visits could be held "in the near The July 28 issue of Newsweek mag£izine was one among some fifty intellectuals future." revealed some of the details of the break- subjected to new police harassment earlier In a statement issued in Hong Kong July ins. It said the FBI conducted 1,500 burgla this year. He reported that the police also 18 on his return, Saubolle said that in ries, foreign embassies being among the confiscated the manuscripts of the writers addition to the North Vietnamese Chamber

Intercontinental Press of Commerce, he met with the national Although the government of Col. Juan import-export corporations and the Bank of Alberto Melger Castro promised speedy Foreign Trade of Vietnam. He said "there is land reform when he came to power April a very definite market in Vietnam for goods 31, peasant federations have accused the and materials which she can only obtain regime of being more sympathetic to the from foreign sources and which she needs interests of the landowners than to agrari to further her industrialization." an reform. Most land in Honduras is in the hands of about 100 cattle-raising families and the British MPs Up Their Pay U.S. banana companies United Brands and An 'Austere' $53 a Week Standard Fruit. Eighty-seven percent of the The British Labour government proposed country's three million people are peasants July 16 that the pay for members of the living at a subsistence level. House of Commons be raised $53 a week to $12,650 a year. The proposal came five days after Prime Minister Harold Wilson called for limiting pay increases for British Chilean SP and Christian Democrats workers to $13.20 a week. Sign Call for 'Antifascist Front' Arthur Scargill, leader of the Yorkshire At a meeting in Caracas July 11 the miners, said he would recommend that Chilean Socialist party and several other trade unionists follow the legislators' exam parties that backed the Popular Unity ple. government of former President Salvador "I am certain that the £1,250 a year Allende joined with the Christian Demo increase which the M.P.'s have just been cratic party to sign a joint declaration. Pierotti/New York Post awarded—or awarded to themselves—will The document stated that its signers be perfectly acceptable to every other would work together for the restoration of a member of the trade union movement," he "just and socialist democracy in Chile." It industrial production is still 12.6% below said. "I shall be heartily recommending calls for an "antifascist front" against the June 1974, and the economy is running at that they follow the glowing examples set Pinochet dictatorship that would exclude about 65% of its capacity. According to by the M.P.'s." only "collaborators with the junta." official statistics, about eight million work Among the fifteen signers of the "Declar ers remain unemployed. This figure, how ation of Caracas" were two former presi ever, does not include the millions who have Advice From the Great Helmsman dents of the Christian Democratic party, given up hope of finding work. A series of illustrated manuals dealing Bernardo Leighton and Kenan Fuentealha. with contraception, sterilization, and the Signing for the Socialist party were two sexual problems of teen-agers have become former presidents, Anicieto Rodriguez and Writers Demand Peron Regime Release hot items in Peking's bookstores. The Clodomiro Almeyda. Sergio Bitar of the Brazilian Poet Paulo Paranagua prefaces to the booklets include inspiration Christian Leftist party and Anselmo Sale of More than fifty well-known artists, al quotations from the writings of Mao the Radical party also signed the declara writers, and scholars have issued an appeal Tsetung. tion. in behalf of Paulo Paranagua, a young Bra A July 19 Agence France-Presse dispatch The Chilean Communist party was not zilian surrealist film critic and poet whose from Peking described the contents of one invited to the meeting, which was arranged arrest was announced by the Argentine of the manuals: "A manual for teen-agers by a West German-funded Social Democrat police May 22. says masturbation by men and women ic foundation. Paranagua is at present imprisoned along results in overstimulation of the brain, with eleven other persons* arrested at the dizziness, insomnia, general weakness and same time. All are charged with complicity 'the erosion of revolutionary will.' CIA Makes Leisurely Study in an "international subversive plot." "As a deterrent, young people are urged to of Mail from Soviet Union Among those who have demanded the devote full attention to 'hard study of the The Central Intelligence Agency inter release of Paranagua and the others are Si- works of Marx, Lenin and Mao Tse-tung.'" cepted and held for three years more than mone de Beauvoir, Henri Carrier Bresson, 100 pieces of mail sent from the Soviet Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Jean-Paul Sartre, Union to the United States in 1972. CIA and Julio Cortazar. 7 Activists in Peasant Struggle Director William Colby said in a letter to They request that protests be sent to Found Murdered in Honduras Postmaster General Benjamin Bailar that Maria Isabel de Peron, President of the The bodies of seven persons involved in the mail had been "found" on a shelf in a Argentine Republic, Casa Rosada, Buenos the Honduran land-reform movement were CIA office and asked that the letters and Aires, Argentina. Copies of all protests found in a well in the eastern part of the postcards be delivered to the intended should be sent to Gerard Tourtrol, 119 rue country, according to a July 18 government recipients. de Rome, 75017 Paris, France. announcement. One of those killed. Rev. Colby said the CIA accidentally shipped Michael Jerome Cypher, was named barely the parcel of mail to one of its Latin two weeks before as the most wanted man American offices. *In the press release accompanying the appeal, in Honduras. He was accused of inciting a their names are given as Maria Regina Pilla, Fla- peasant rebellion. vio Koutzii, Manuel Rallis, Carlos Alvarez, Susa- Cypher and the others disappeared at the Wfiife House Economists Say na Lohosco, Norma Espindola, Julia Venaglio, Maria Mendez, Julio Ramos, Raul Rodriguez, and time of a June 25 clash between Honduran Everytfiing Looks Rosy Ingrid Rorrf. A slightly different list was given in troops and a peasant demonstration of The economic slump is over, according to the summary of the police communique printed in 12,000. The peasants were marching on the White House economists. To justify this the May 23 issue of the Buenos Aires daily La capital demanding implementation of land- optimism they cite a 0.4% increase in Opinion. (See Intercontinental Press, June 9, p. reform promises. industrial production in June. However, 772.)

July 28, 1975 The Communist Party of Canada

Reviewed by Ian Angus

[The following review appeared in the to ask for Buck's resignation. No honest in 1929 and died a month later; Moriarty June 16 issue of the Canadian biographer would omit that—but Ryan was expelled in 1929; and MacDonald was revolutionary-socialist fortnightly Labor does. One must turn to Avakumovic's book expelled in 1930. Challenge. It has been abridged slightly for to leam the story. Similarly, Ryan's book These were only the most prominent reasons of space.] says nothing about the CP's campaign, victims of the purge. The entire leadership under Buck's leadership, in support of of the Finnish Organization, the largest Social Credit in Alberta in 1938. Such ethnic organization supporting the CP, was events find no place in a work of abject expelled. Since its founding in 1921, the Commu hero-worship such as Ryan has written. His F.J. Peel, the editor of Canada's first nist party of Canada has played an book is dishonest from beginning to end. Communist newspaper, was expelled, as important role in the Canadian left and But although these books are very differ were other founders of the party, including labor movements. Yet there has never been ent, both make the same fundamental error R. Shoesmith and J. Margolese. an adequate history of the party. Two in examining the Communist party of Between 1929 and 1931 party membership Canada. Both assume that the party which fell from 2,876 to 1,385, cut in half. bears the name Communist today is the If only Canada is considered, this crisis is Tim Buck: A Conscience for Canada, by same one that was founded by a small incomprehensible. But it did not originate Oscar Ryan. Toronto; Progress Books, group of revolutionary socialists in Guelph in Canada—it began in the Soviet Union. It 1975. 302 pp. Cloth $9.95. Paper $4.95. in 1921. was caused by the victory of Stalinism in That assumption is wrong. the USSR. The Communist Party in Canada: A The total transformation of the CP is The leaders of the 1917 Russian revolu History, by Ivan Avakumovic. Toron simple to demonstrate. In 1921 the Workers tion never believed that workers power to: McClelland and Stewart, 1975. 302 party of Canada (later renamed Communist would remain isolated in one country for pp. Paper $5.95. party) declared: many years. They knew that one country, "Class against class is the order of the particularly a backward and impoverished day and we who are the subjected class country like Russia, could not advance far recently published books attempt to fill this must learn to fight just as viciously as our on the long road to socialism alone. Contin gap. oppressors." ued isolation, they feared, could lead to the Ivan Avakumovic's The Communist At the CP's 1974 convention, party leader, destruction of workers democracy in Russia. Party in Canada: A History tries to present William Kashtan, declared: "Some com They looked to the international revolution an objective account of the party over the rades want to skip over the struggle for to prevent this. past fifty-four years. His book, written from democratic aims, for an alliance with other But a series of revolutionary opportuni a liberal academic point of view, includes a classes, for an anti-monopoly government, ties in Europe were missed or mishandled great deal of factual material drawn pri and struggle directly for socialism. Essen and the Russian workers state remained marily from CP newspapers and maga tially they want a class versus class isolated. This isolation, and the country's zines. position, a point of view the international extreme poverty, became the basis for the Oscar Ryan, on the other hand, appears communist movement moved away from growth of a layer of privileged as the official party biographer of Tim many years ago." bureaucrats—administrators and Buck, the man who headed the CP for This reversal can be dated with precision. specialists—whose lifestyle was far re thirty-two years, longer than any other It took place between 1928 and 1930, when moved from that of the immense majority of Western CP leader, longer even than Stalin. the CP went through the greatest crisis in workers and peasants. Ryan's primary source is Buck himself—his its history. This privileged layer took over the Soviet hook consists largely of quotations from Prior to the fall of 1928, the best-known state and the Communist party, and began Buck's works, strung together with stock leaders of the Communist party of Canada remaking it in their own, conservative phrases about Buck's political brilliance. were: Maurice Specter, party chairman and image. All who opposed them were driven One might think that Ryan, a member of member of the Executive Committee of the out of the party as "Trotskyists"—in the the CP for fifty years, would provide more Communist International; Jack MacDo- 1930s hundreds of thousands were impri facts and information than Avakumovic, nald, national secretary and one of Cana soned and murdered for the crime of an outsider. But the opposite is the case. da's best-known radical unionists; Florence opposing or criticizing Joseph Stalin, politi Throughout Ryan's book, major events Custance, leader of the Women's Labor cal spokesman for the bureaucrats. are distorted and misrepresented. Particu Leagues and of the Canadian Labor De (Leon Trotsky's The Revolution Betrayed larly embarrassing events are simply omit fense League; and WilliEim Moriarty, the provides the most complete explanation of ted. party's national organizer. the nature and role of the bureaucratic caste In 1956, for example, the majority of the Spector was expelled in 1928; Custance in the USSR.) CP's National Executive Committee voted was removed from the National Executive The bureaucrats wanted no more revolu-

Intercontinental Press tionary upheavals—narrowly nationalistic representatives of reaction and stranglers wants to change the social order in the and conservative, they sought to defend of revolutions are secretly plotting revolu interest of all, and considers it beneath his their privileges by defending the status quo tion on a world-wide scale. . . . dignity to seek personal advantage. The around the world. To do this they had to "The proletarian revolutionist is one bureaucrat, in all organizations, and under remake the Communist International. thing and the Stalinist functionary is all conditions, is profoundly conservative Every party faced a crisis such as the another. They are not only different in their and merely selfish; he strives to preserve Canadian CP experienced, as those who aims and purposes. There is a profound the status quo in the interest of his privi would not accept dictation from Stalin were difference in their mentalities and in their leges. eliminated. methods of expressing them. The revolu In every party there was resistance to tionist is a democrat, organizing opposition "The revolutionist trusts the masses Stalinization, but the Communist parties to the power of the present day, and because they are the makers of revolutions. were inexperienced and few understood the striving to create a new power of the people. The bureaucrat fears them for the same real stakes involved. There were always The functionary is merely a bureaucrat, reason. The bureaucrat gives orders like a men like Tim Buck, prepared to sacrifice always and everywhere serving an existing policeman. The revolutionist tries to explain political principle for their own political power. things like a teacher. The bureaucrat lies to careers. "The revolutionist is a thorough-going the people. The revolutionist believes the Buck and Stewart Smith formed a pro- radical and is personally disinterested; he truth will make them free, and tells it." □ Stalin faction behind the backs of the party leadership, with the Kremlin's full support. It was only after the expulsion or demorali zation of the party's leaders that Buck became national secretary in July 1929. Shahak Interviewed in 'Journal of Palestine Studies' With Smith's assistance. Buck carried out the conversion of the CP from a revolution ary party to a servile instrument of Stalin's foreign policy. The depths to which a party bearing the 'You Cannot Have a Humane Zionism' once-proud name of Communist could sink were revealed during World War II, when "You Cannot Have a Humane Zionism" usually unknown people, and use the worst Buck's party broke strikes and campaigned is the title of an interview with Dr. Israel possible terms, let's say: "'Are you Pro for a no-strike pledge, campaigned in favor Shahak featured in the spring 1975 issue of fessor Shahak?' of conscription, and called for the election the Journal of Palestine Studies* "'Yes, lam.' of Liberal party candidates—all to suit the Dr. Shahak, the chairman of the Israel "'When will you hang yourself?' Or, needs of Stalin's foreign policy. League for Human and Civil Rights, has "'Do you know that there are very good (The Communist party today is still come under intense pressure in Israel for Jews who are prepared to help you finish proud of the vile and reactionary role it his outspoken denunciation of Zionism and your life?'" played during the war. Ryan quotes with defense of its Palestinian victims. That kind of treatment has become pride Buck's explanation of how the Cana "Since they began this real witch-hunt frequent, Shahak said. "But the most dian CP provided recruits for the U.S. against me," Shahak said in the interview, unusual thing was a leader and a choir. Office of Strategic Services, a spy organiza "the situation has been quite bad. For "The leader asked, 'Why is the face of tion that was later renamed the Central instance, there was a debate on the radio Shahak so ugly? 'You know, they mean Intelligence Agency!) about me which I heard in which it was these marks. (Shahak pointed to marks on For anyone interested in the history of proposed to execute me. That was on his face, which is badly scarred. He was in the Canadian labor movement, these books December 2. The man who said that was a Nazi concentration camp during World are worth reading. Rony Nikolinski, the former chairman of War II.) And the choir answered, 'Because it But neither book is the history of the CP the Israeli Student Association and the is Arab work, Arab work, Arab work.' You which needs to be written. The history we present chairman of the young Herut Party, know that in Israel 'Arab work' is the need will explain the nature of Canadian the party of Mr. [Menachem] Begin. On the synonjnn for the most ugly things. If you Stalinism—and its origins in the degenera SEune programme I was 'defended'—if that order a table from a carpenter and it is not tion of the Russian revolution. It will is the right word—by Mr. Uri Avnery who good, you say to him, 'What did you do, a understand the party's conversion from said that it is not in the interest of Israel to piece of Arab work?' If the street is dirty, revolution to procapitalist reformism. execute Shahak, because he is too well- you say, 'Arab work.'" And it will show how the program of known." The same issue of the Journal of Pales revolution survived in the organization Shahak teaches organic chemistry at tine Studies contains an article, "Human founded by expelled CP leaders Jack Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He said Rights in Israel," that Shahak submitted to MacDonald and Maurice Spector, the orga that he has few problems with the students Haaretz, a leading Israeli daily. The article, nization which survives today as the or other faculty members. although originally accepted for publication League for Socialist Action/Ligue Socialiste "But outside university, on the other as an answer to the many slanders about Ouvriere, the Canadian section of the hand, people come to me in the street, Shahak printed in the Israeli press, was Fourth International. never printed. The history we need will be inspired by *Smgle copies cost $3.75 (£1.50). A subscription Other features of interest in the current the words of American revolutionist James (four issues a year) costs $15 (£6). A reduced rate issue of the journal include an interview Cannon, words which were written twenty- of $9 (£3.60) is available for students. with Maxime Rodinson, "Zionism and the one years ago, but which could have been Orders should be sent to Journal of Palestine Palestine Problem Today"; a review of the written in direct response to Ryan's book: Studies, P.O.B. 11-7164, Beirut, Lebanon. Resi dents of the United States and Canada may send racist way Arabs are portrayed in Ameri "Stalinism is the most misunderstood orders to P.O.B. 329, R.D. 1, Oxford, Pennsylvania can high-school textbooks; and an article phenomenon of our time. Most ludicrous of 19363. In Briteiin, write to ASP Distributors, 7 analyzing Noam Chomsky's views on the all is the widespread impression that these Bishopsthorpe Road, London SE26 4NZ, England. Middle East. □ July 28, 1975 WT iiWS

Chapter 7

The SDS Default and the Birth of the National Coordinating Committee to End the War in Vietnam

By Fred Halstead

The new antiwar movement was barely born when it faced a helped give birth to the new antiwar movement with its call for crisis of leadership on a national level. At first this emerged as a the March on Washington, and this more than any other activity crisis within SDS. The practical significance of the SDS call for a built SDS nationally, nevertheless after the April 17 event SDS March on Washington against the war in Vietnam was precisely never again took a major national antiwar initiative, nor did it that it came from an organization viewed at the time as an ever again play an important national role in the new antiwar accepted part of the old peace movement. This made possible a movement. This was its default in spite of the fact that most SDS broad unity in action none of the small radical and pacifist groups chapters were involved in local antiwar activity and responded could inspire on their own.' positively to national initiatives from elsewhere, initiatives either The success of the March on Washington placed SDS on center downplayed or actually opposed by the SDS national office. stage nationally. Not only were all the radical groups that wanted In part this was due to a general crisis in which the SDS to be part of the new movement willing to follow its lead, national office found itself in the summer of 1965. It didn't initiate much of anything else either. Signs of this were present in the SDS National Council meeting which took place in Washington April 18, the day following the With this chapter we continue the serialization of Out Now!—A march. Clark Kissinger reported this meeting as "one of the most Participant's Account of the American Antiwar Movement by pleasant and productive in recent SDS history."^ Indeed, follow Fred Halstead. Copyright © 1976 by the Anchor Foundation, Inc. ing the march, the atmosphere was euphoric and there were ideas All rights reserved. Printed by permission. To be published by aplenty proposed on what to do next. But almost nothing specific Monad Press. was done, except to decide to move the national office to Chicago. Carl Oglesby, who had been in SDS only a few months but who had spoken well at the Ann Arbor teach-in, was hired to head up a reluctantly or not, but so were tens of thousands of unaffiliated Research, Information and Publications project to provide youth, disaffected liberals, and most of the older peace groups. For literature on Vietnam and other questions. It was also agreed to the moment SANE had lost hegemony even within the moderate cooperate with the professors then organizing the national teach- wing of the movement—first because of its failure to take the in. But there was no decision for any plan for a new national initiative on the Vietnam issue and then for its failure to support initiative or focus for Vietnam activity. the March on Washington. Kissinger proposed a campaign of leafleting military bases and SDS had the authority, but it needed to use it. Unfortunately, induction centers, urging young men not to register for the draft, both for SDS and for the new antiwar movement, the moment not to report if already registered, or to refuse to continue to serve was lost. It is one of the ironies of the 1960s that though SDS if already drafted. The object was to court arrest and then have the SDSers defend themselves on the grounds of the Nuremberg Doctrine flowing from the trials of Nazi war criminals at the end 1. In the San Francisco Bay Area the local SDS was too small and weak of World War II. to take the lead on the April 17 march held in solidarity with the one in The suggestion was promptly labeled "Kissinger's Kamakazi Washington. The ad hoc committee which organized it proved unable to plan" and was referred to a committee for further study with the maintain the unity characteristic of the Washington affair. The committee admonition that before any such thing could be implemented the split shortly before the demonstration after a Du Bois Club motion was passed excluding certain radical slogans and speakers. Interestingly the membership would have to be polled. The general idea of an SDS "immediate withdrawal" slogan was not among those excluded. draft-resistance campaign was kicked around for the next six Les Evans, then YSA chairman in San Francisco, recalls;"A big meeting months, greatly modified in various statements put out by SDS was held at a house in Berkeley. . . . Agreement had been reached on spokesmen, but never implemented. It received widespread some points and others were still under debate when one of the Du Bois publicity in the media and as a result of attacks on SDS by leaders announced that it was impossible to come to any agreement with congressmen and government officials. But when the referendum PL and the YSA and that the minority at the meeting should get out of the house, which was private property (it belonged to someone supporting the was finally held in the fall the proposal was defeated by a vote of Du Bois side in the debate)." (Letter to the author. May 16, 1975.) 279 to 234 with 35 abstentions, approximately one-fourth of the PL, the YSA, and the Afro-American Committee for African and Asian paid-up membership having voted, according to Paul Booth.^ The Solidarity held a separate and smaller march. Shortly thereafter the local defeat of the proposal received very little media coverage, YSA concluded that the split had been a mistake. According to Syd Staple- ton, then a YSA leader in Berkeley, "We didn't understand what they understood back East, that this could be the beginning of a big, ongoing movement against the war, that the important thing was to remain inside 2. Kirkpatrick Sale, SDS (New York: Vintage Books, 1974), pp. 193-94. it, building a left wing inside it. The Du Bois Clubs one-upped us at a meeting, so we organized a competing march. It was a piece of sectarian 3. National Secretary's Report (SDS) by Paul Booth, November 1965. idiocy."-(Letter to the author. May 19, 1975.) (Copy in author's files.)

Intercontinental Press however, and the general impression was left that SDS was in the campaign of nonviolent civil disobedience against the war, leadership of a draft-resistance movement. But that just wasn't so. invoking the fresh experience of the campaign of Southern Blacks At the April 18 meeting Hayden suggested a call for a new against de jure segregation. Lynd's talk received probably the Continental Congress to meet in the summer. This wasn't even greatest applause at the entire Berkeley event. In it he argued referred to a committee but simply dropped. against the strategy of seeking social change through "coalition The SDS convention that summer, held June 9-13 in Kewadin, politics," that is, through the Democratic Party, and in favor of Michigan, decided that SDS would not take a leading role in the the development of an extraparliamentary opposition. new antiwar movement. In part this was due to the influence of Referring to an article by Michael Harrington in which the the "new guard" of SDSers for whom resistance to any kind of Social Democratic leader had said that an escalation of the war in centralized structure or initiative was becoming a matter of Vietnam would tend to bury the social reforms of Johnson's so- principle. (An example of this was the fact that the post of called Great Society and antipoverty programs, Lynd said: national secretary, which when occupied by Kissinger played a "We need to say to Mr. Harrington, and Mr. Rustin, that crucial role in launching the March on Washington, was not filled escalation has now occurred and that coalition politics in this at this convention.) situation means coalition with the Marines. Is there an alterna But the "old guard" also opposed an antiwar focus on the tive? I think the alternative is nonviolent revolution. And for the grounds that the demonstrations and similar activity could not benefit of the FBI men present, I would like to make it clear that stop the war, that they were a diversion from the more important what I mean is not the violent overthrow of the United States community work such as the ERAP projects, and that the key government, but the non-violent retirement from office of the strategy was to build a grass-roots radical base over an extended present administration. And further, that the way to bring this period of time which could eventually "stop the seventh war from about is the creation of civil disobedience so massive and so now," as the phrase current in SDS circles put it. persistent that the Tuesday Lunch Club that is running this Years later, many SDSers of 1965 would look back on this country—Johnson, McNamara, Bundy and Rusk—will forthwith decision as perhaps SDS's biggest mistake. Kissinger recalls that resign."' at the time the leading figures in SDS were preoccupied with the Lynd also raised a variation of the Continental Congress idea. experience of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in He suggested "that there might convene in Washington ... a new its community projects in the South, and had the idea that SDS Continental Congress drawn from the community unions, could reproduce something like that in the North and among freedom parties, and campus protests . . . which would say to one white as well as Black poor."" another . . .: 'This is a moment of crisis, our government does not Sale quotes Todd Gitlin on the SDS default as follows: represent us. Let us come together and consider what needs to be "Our failure of leadership—which was undeniable—was a done.'" reflection of the fact that our hearts were not on the cam A month after Lynd's speech, on June 20, a meeting was held in puses. . . . We were just plain stupid. . . . The leadership was Washington, D.C., which initiated a call for an Assembly of Un already a closed elite, we didn't understand what an antiwar represented People to be held in the capital August 6 to 9, the movement would be, we didn't have any feel for it. My own feeling twentieth anniversary of the dropping of the atom bombs on then was that it was a big abstraction . . . because that kind of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The June 20 meeting was organized by movement is so big, because I couldn't see what it would be, day the Washington Action Project (WAP), a summer-long program of to day. What we surrendered then was the chance for an anti- opposition to the Vietnam war being coordinated by Bob Parris imperialist peace movement."^ and Eric Weinberger. Weinberger was a member of CNVA and a In this vacuum, SANE itself, now under great pressure from its veteran of many arrests in civil rights protests in Tennessee. own ranks to do something on Vietnam,® would attempt to rees By the time the gall to the Assembly of Unrepresented People tablish hegemony in the antiwar movement by at last mounting a was distributed in July the proposal had been greatly modified campaign on the issue, though within the confines of the old from the Continental Congress idea. At most this affair would be exclusionary policy and of a political line that specifically avoided a preliminary to such a larger undertaking. The August event was outright opposition to U.S. involvement in Vietnam. designed not to be massive, but as a gathering of activists who Willy-nilly, forces to the left of SANE moved to provide a would hold workshops on various issues in the overall movement national focus for the new movement on a more radical and for social change, and support or participate in some symbolic nonexclusive basis. But so great was the expectation that SDS civil disobedience actions. would itself do this sooner or later that those who eventually filled On August 6, representatives of the CNVA, the War Resisters this vacuum were not aware at first that this is what they were League, the Catholic Worker, and the Student Peace Union were heading into. to attempt to present to the president a "Declaration of The process can be traced to the Berkeley Vietnam Day at Conscience" committing some 6,000 signers to "conscientious which several prominent militant pacifists including Dave Dellin- refusal to cooperate with the United States Government in the ger, Staughton Lynd, and Bob Pairis spoke. Each advocated a prosecution of the war in Vietnam." ® On August 7-8 workshops were scheduled on the grass around the Washington Monument, and on August 9 a march to the capitol to read a Declaration of Peace in the halls of Congress, or 4. Author's interview with Clark Kissinger, October 16, 1973. Taped. as close as they could get, sitting down in nonviolent civil disobedience at the point where they were stopped. 5. Sale, SDS, p. 214, emphasis in original. The Assembly went off more or less as planned, with some 2,000 6. For example, an April 18 letter to the national SANE office from Abe Bloom, vice-chairman of Washington SANE, said: "This is being written persons participating at one point or another during the four the day after the great demonstration in Washington. Twenty thousand students and others demonstrated for peace in Vietnam. It was very sad to those of us in SANE, that every publicity release mentioning names of organizations sponsoring and supporting the demonstration had a big 7. We Accuse (Berkeley: Diablo Press, 1965), p. 156. blank where SANE should have been. It was the most significant peace 8. The same document had been presented at the White House April 28, action that ever took place in Washington, and National SANE was not 1965, when only 4,500 had signed. Signers included A. Philip Randolph, part of it. Whatever reasons or policies led to our abstention must be wrong SNCC Chairman John Lewis, W.H. Ferry of the Center for the Study of and need reevaluation." (Copy in the Library of Social History, New York, Democratic Institutions, Rev. Philip Berrigan, Bayard Rustin, and A.J. Bloom file.) Muste. July 28, 1975 days. It culminated in a march August 9 of some 750 persons Rubin's emphasis on the importance of international opposition to toward the capital, with 350 being arrested when they sat down the U.S. role in Vietnam, the VDC developed the idea of after police stopped them. The sit-down served as the final session International Days of Protest to be held October 15 and 16 in as of the Assembly. It was conducted surrounded by police and their many countries and in as many U.S. cities as possible. vans which took seven hours to haul everyone to jail. This was the In late June the VDC set up an International Committee "to largest mass arrest in Washington history up to that time. establish contacts with organizations and individuals abroad to The event received considerable publicity, and angry denuncia publicize among them the forthcoming international protest.""' tion in Congress, much of it misdirected at SDS. The cover of the At this time the VDC activists still looked to SDS for national next week's issue of Life magazine carried a photograph of Del- coordination within the United States. A VDC mailing of this linger, Parris, and Lynd doused with red paint thrown by a period declares: "The Vietnam Day Committee in Berkeley, heckler. A member of the American Nazi Party who had thrown California, has called October 15 and 16 to be International Days the paint was released on $10 bail, while Bellinger drew forty-five of Protest against American Military Intervention. We plan a days in jail for his part in the sit-down. community protest meeting in Berkeley on October 15 to be followed by massive civil disobedience on October 16. "SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) has been invited by us to organize simultaneous regional meetings and to establish The most significant result of the Assembly, however, grew out October 15 and 16 as days of national'focus of Vietnam protest of the fact that it gathered together a number of leading antiwar activity. The SDS Vietnam Committee [presumably damage and activists from around the country and marked the point at which McDonald] has warmly accepted this idea and is recommending it SDS was bypassed on the antiwar issue. to the National Council of SDS, which meets in midsummer. Their The call to the Assembly was signed by some thirty movement approval is expected to be a formality."" activists including Bellinger, Lynd, Parris, Weinberger, and But no such approval was forthcoming. By the beginning of Donna Allen, who was prominent in the Washington area Women August the VDC was still on its own in building the October 15-16 Strike for Peace. Also listed as signers of the call were several protests within the United States. In spite of the fact that the SDSers including Carl Oglesby, Dena damage, and Mel McDon VDC was then in the midst of a series of demonstrations ald. Oglesby had taken off on a tour of Asia shortly after being attempting to stop troop trains passing through the East Bay elected SDS president in June and wasn't around the SDS area—a project close to Rubin's heart—Rubin took off for national office during the six weeks prior to the Assembly, Washington to attend the Assembly of Unrepresented People with damage and McDonald were volunteers in the SDS national the specific purpose of appealing to the movement activists who office who more or less on their own and in spite of the Kewadin would be gathered there for support to the idea of spreading the convention tried to provide some coordination of Vietnam activity October 15-16 actions across the United States. from the Chicago SDS headquarters. But apparently they had The agenda for the Assembly called for two sets of workshops: minimal influence on this matter with those in charge of the one dealt with different issues such as civil liberties, civil rights, national office. The SDS Worklist mailing of July 28,1965, carried poverty, free universities, etc.; another set dealt with Vietnam and a statement dissociating SDS from the Washington Assembly and was to be divided according to constituency—students, profession discouraging attendance at it. al people, trade unionists, etc. There was no provision for a work The SDS national office once again missed a chance to play a shop on national coordination or national focus of antiwar central role in the new antiwar movement, because, as it turned activity. out, the Assembly of Unrepresented People gave birth to the first In part this was due to the multi-issue approach of the initiators of the national coordinating bodies of the anti-Vietnam-war and organizers of the Assembly. They viewed it as concerned with movement, the National Coordinating Committee to End the War the whole gamut of social problems facing America, not simply in Vietnam (NCC). the war. It would indeed have been presumptuous of them to In this regard there is an interesting error in Sale's generally attempt to set up a form for the national direction of the entire accurate account of the SDS role. Says Sale: Movement in the broad sense of that term, especially since many "After the failure of the Kewadin convention to push SDS into of them at that time looked to SDS itself as the best channel for becoming the coordinating antiwar organization in the Move such a development. ment, a group of independent antiwar activists (among them At the opening general meeting of the Assembly, before the Staughton Lynd, David Bellinger, Robert Parris Moses, and workshops began, Parris cautioned: "This is only the beginning. Stanley Aronowitz) got together to establish a National Coordi It's entirely open. . . . Let's concentrate on what it is you want to nating Committee to End the War in Vietnam—the organization do, and begin to learn about what others are doing. If this that, in many guises over the years, became the coordinator of coordination happens, we'll feel justified." most of the major marches of the decade—and its first action was But the lack of provision for a discussion of a national antiwar the August march."® focus was also due to the still widespread assumption that SDS Aside from being so compressed as to conceal more than it would sooner or later take the initiative on this issue. The decision reveals about the history of the antiwar movement, this statement of the Kewadin convention to avoid this was not well understood implies that the National Coordinating Committee to End the at the time even among local SDS chapters, let alone outside the War in Vietnam was formed and then it called the August event. organization. The opposite is true. The call to the August Assembly came first. Rubin shared the general "new left" aversion to a single-issue, The NCC was formed at a workshop at the Assembly, a workshop ad-hoc approach to the Vietnam activity. At one point in the which had not even been scheduled prior to the event. This work shop resulted from a separate line of development which also had its origin in the Berkeley Vietnam Day. 10. VDC report on International Days of Protest, "The International The success of that great teach-in inspired its organizers to set Protest Movement Against American Intervention in Vietnam," p. 1.(Copy up the Vietnam Day Committee (VDC) cochaired by Jerry Rubin in author's files.) and Stephen Smale, which for the next year was the major antiwar group in the San Francisco Bay Area. In line with 11. "News from VDC on October 15-16," undated.(Bancroft Library, Uni versity of California at Berkeley.)

9. Sale, SDS, p. 220.. 12. The Militant, August 23, 1965.

Intercontinental Press discussions he declared: "But the students are not 'single issue' such committees rarely had much money), and that East Coast oriented. They oppose the system." What was needed, he said, "is YSAers who could make it inexpensively should concentrate on a permanent radical organization . . . hased on the principle of selling literature with only token attendance at workshops. nonexclusion."'^ But Rubin was not willing to wait for SDS, or The night of August 6, however, before the workshops scheduled anyone else, to take the initiative nationally on the burning issue to begin the next day, one YSAer did meet with Rubin. He was of the war. He wasn't about to leave the field to the establish Dick Roberts, then a reporter for the socialist weekly the Militant ment-oriented liberals of SANE either. The VDC had already and a former activist at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. taken the first step, as far as he was concerned, and everyone Roberts recalls: ought to get behind broadening the effort nationally. "I was tremendously enthusiastic about the idea of building a The Socialist Workers Party and the Young Socialist Alliance coordinating committee to nationally organize the antiwar were unique among the organized radical tendencies in their movement. I had no trouble persuading Jerry Rubin of the value it approach to this question. They were, of course, a multi-issue would have."" political tendency, but in their view the best way to build a Rubin then succeeded in arranging a previously unscheduled massive movement against U.S. involvement in the Vietnam war workshop on national Vietnam action where he could raise the was to focus on that issue and attempt to involve everyone October 15-16 proposal. This workshop was attended by between opposed to the war, regardless of their views on other matters. 75 and 200 people, depending on the time of day, most of whom You couldn't do that if people willing to oppose the war were also were student antiwar activists. Some SDSers were present, but, required to take positions they didn't necessarily agree with on aside from McDonald, played no role. Lynd, Parris, and Dellin- other questions in order to participate in the antiwar formations. ger, the main initiators of the Assembly, likewise played no So they favored the development of a united front of all tendencies active role in this workshop. Stanley Aronowitz, one of the editors against the war, of single-issue antiwar committees locally, and of of Studies on the Left and a somewhat critical adult supporter of a single-issue national coordination of antiwar activity. SDS, did take an active part, as did Irving Beinin, the business In spite of this difference with the initiators of August 6-9 the manager of the National Guardian and an activist in Manhat YSA caught the logic of the dynamic that had been set in motion tan's Lower East Side Mobilization for Peace Action. The Du Bois by the calling of the Assembly in the context of rapid development Club had a sizable presence. A handful of YSAers were there, only of antiwar sentiment. In a July 5 communication from the YSA three of whom were delegates from antiwar committees. national office to the membership, Doug Jenness, director of the Two central disputes took place in the workshop. Rubin's YSA's antiwar activity at the time, declared: proposal to organize nationally the October 15-16 International "No matter how SDS, SNCC, Lynd and others characterize the Days of Protest was counterposed to a proposal by the Du Bois [Assembly] workshop sessions and no matter what they expect Clubs to simply support an action being planned for Washington, them to accomplish or not to accomplish, these workshops will D.C., on October 15 by SANE and the Americans for Democratic likely take the form of a national conference of the leading people Action (ADA). This was entirely consistent with the general in the antiwar committees throughout the country. The coming approach of the CP tendency which favored "coalition politics" in together of the activists, organizers and leaders of the current the Democratic Party and followed the lead of the liberals in antiwar movement in Washington to discuss, and hopefully general, and SANE in particular, in the peace movement. The CP decide where the antiwar movement should go, is an important tendency was, of course, opposed to its own exclusion, but aside event. A call for the next major mass action will most likely be from this it agreed essentially with SANE's strategy—to attempt issued from this gathering."" to convince the liberal establishment to negotiate rather than But the YSAers also shared the illusion that SDS still had the escalate. The Rubin proposal won handily. initiative, could still be expected to move on the Vietnam issue, The second dispute was over where the office of the new and should not or could not be bypassed. This contributed to a coordinating committee was to he located. Both Chicago and costly tactical error by the YSA. Shortly after sending off the July Madison, Wisconsin, were proposed. This involved which political 5 letter, Doug Jenness recalls: "I attended a planning meeting of tendencies would have most influence in the national office, the Assembly at 5 Beekman St. [the Manhattan address which though the arguments were not put that bluntly. The Du Bois housed the national offices of several radical pacifist groups as Clubs supported Madison, where they had strong influence in the well as Liberation magqzine] that gave me the impression that it local University of Wisconsin antiwar committee headed hy was totally disorganized and wouldn't really come off. After Frank Emspak. Emspak's name was widely known because of his giving an impressionistic report [to the YSA leadership] it was late father, Julius Emspak, a top official of the United Electrical agreed that I should write a letter scaling down the participation Workers and one of the most prominent Stalinist trade union we had projected on July 5."'^ leaders of the 1940s. The letter, dated July 15, 1965, declared: "The preparation for Most of the others present, including Rubin, McDonald, and the this event has been very poorly organized. No arrangements for YSAers, supported Chicago, in part for the obvious reason that it transportation have been made, very little publicity has gone out, was a much more important and central city but also because the and many other organizational details have not been carried out. SDS national office was located there. At first the Chicago SDS, which supports the action and is planning to participate, is proposal carried when McDonald said he thought office space not willing to carry organizational burdens. Therefore it is likely could be assured in the Illinois metropolis. But later, presumably that the Assembly will not be very large."'® It recommended that after checking with the SDS national office, McDonald reported YSAers from the West Coast not attend because of the cost, those that he was unable to promise an office. from the Midwest should go only if their antiwar committees "At this point," Jenness recalls,"Emspak immediately piped up could pay the fare (which insured almost no attendance, since and said that there were facilities available in Madison. . . . We had no alternative to present, and we had no comrade from 13. Ibid. Chicago present to pipe up and say 'yes, there are facilities available in Chicago.' 14. Letter from YSA national office to membership by Doug Jenness, July 5, 1965. (Copy in author's files.) Thus the National Coordinating Committee to End the War in 15. Letter to the author hy Doug Jenness, October 4, 1973. 17. Letter to the author by Dick Roberts, October 2, 1973. 16. Letter from YSA national office by Doug Jenness, July 15, 1965. (Copy in author's files.) 18. Jenness October 4, 1973, letter to author. July 28, 1975 Vietnam (NCC) was set up with its headquarters in Madison and Communist Party and the Socialist Workers Party—and the youth Frank Emspak as national coordinator. A steering committee of groups allied with them—were beginning to play a more central thirty-four persons was designated, most of them simply the role in the new movement. And for want of someone to volunteer delegates from local committees who happened to be present at office space in Chicago, the CP tendency now had dominant the workshop. Some nationally known figures like Bellinger were influence in the national office of the NCC. co-opted to the steering committee by acclamation. It was The report on the Assembly by Jenness to the YSA National understood that at this point the committee was a more or less Executive Committee declared: accidental body so it was agreed that its tasks would not be to set "This first step toward organizing the antiwar movement on a policy, but merely to put out a national call for October 15-16 and national basis points to the necessity for the YSA to become as coordinate activities, that newly formed antiwar groups or those involved as possible in the antiwar movement. The norm should not present at the founding workshop could add representatives, be that every member of the YSA should belong to an antiwar and that a national convention would be held in November on committee and the main thrust of local work should be antiwar Thanksgiving weekend. A meeting of the steering committee, work." The report ended with this wistful comment: "As long as open to observers from all groups opposed to the war, was the antiwar movement is ascending, it is better to err on the side scheduled for September 18 in Ann Arbor to prepare for the of over involvement if we must err at all."'^ convention. [Next chapter: The First International Days of Protest\ As far as the Vietnam issue was concerned, SDS had been bypassed, though it took some time for this fact to sink in. What is more, the older ideological tendencies, particularly the 19. Report from Jenness to YSA NEC, August 15, 1965.

Systematic Expulsion of Palestinians Under Way

Zionists Step Up Coionization of West Bank

Palestinians living in the occupied territo Israeli authorities asserting that once a set ries. tlement is established in the occupied Israel has deported more than 1,500 territories, it cannot be abandoned. He persons from the West Bank since 1967 and named several new settlements in the West has jailed hundreds more "administrative Bank, Gaza Strip, Sinai, and Golan detainees" without charge or trial, some for Heights, several years. The Gaza Strip has already been divided According to Nasir, most of those deport by two new zones of Israeli settlement, he ed are "well-educated and hold responsible said, and near Jerusalem the new villages jobs in their communities, many of them are linked by roads and even railroads. He professionals." Thus these methods "have said the government offers substantial really deprived the area of its own indige loans to encourage Israeli families to settle nous leadership." in the new colonies near Hebron on the "Now Israel says that political leadership West Bank. □ should be developed in the West Bank," he said, "but the moment they hear a dissident Arab voice, that person is immediately U.S. Colonel Freed In Beirut deported." Nasir is demanding that the Zionists Black U.S. Army Col. Ernest Morgan, allow him to return and answer any kidnapped in Lebanon June 29 by a group charges against him in court. Many of the calling itself the Revolutionary Socialist other deportees would join him in demand Action Organization, was released un Jerusalem Times ing a trial, he said. His protest has been harmed on July 12. The kidnappers, who transmitted to the Israeli government had threatened to kill Morgan unless the through the Red Cross and the World DR. HANNA NASIR U.S. embassy distributed a large quantity Council of Churches. of food and clothing to an impoverished The summary deportation of Palestin district of Beirut, said they released him ians is "an important humanitarian issue," The Israeli regime is making a systematic because he had confessed to being a spy he said. "1 would rather be in jail in my attempt to destroy all trace of local political and because the United States had paid the country among my people than a free man leadership in the occupied West Bank, Dr. ransom. outside its borders." Hanna Nasir charged June 19. Nasir, the Morgan denied he was a spy and the former president of Bir Zeit College in the embassy denied it had paid any ransom. West Bank, was deported last November The Israeli occupation was also de Some food was distributed in Beirut. without warning or trial. nounced at a news conference in Paris June Many Black organizations in the United Israeli authorities alleged that Nasir 24 by Dr. Israel Shahak, the chairman of States made direct appeals for his safety. encouraged students at the college to take the Israel League for Human and Civil After his release, Morgan expressed his part in demonstrations protesting Israeli Rights. Shahak accused the Zionist regime "sincere thanks" to these groups. occupation of their homeland. He is current of adopting a policy of colonization for the "1 might add that these [appeals] had a ly on a speaking tour of the United States occupied territories. profound effect on the people who were and Canada to expose Israeli treatment of Shahak cited repeated declarations by the controlling me," he said.

Intercontinental Press With Some Examples From Chile and Portugal There is very little clarity on the concep tion of the revolutionary crisis and its resolution in any of the writings of the LC. This comes from the fact that the LC does not have a Leninist understanding of the Lotta Continua's Turn and Its Spontanelst Past revolutionary crisis, of the precipitation of a political situation, limited in time, in which By. F. Turigliatto the bourgeoisie can no longer use its instruments of exploitation and domina tion, in which the workers no longer accept [The following article appeared in the ists, on the other hand, succeeded in the yoke of the bosses and develop organs June 12 issue of Bandiera Rossa, the reorganizing themselves and stepped into of an alternative power. In such periods, the fortnightly newspaper of the Gruppi Comu- the place of Chilean capitalism, picking up question of seizing power is posed, for a nisti Rivoluzionari (GCR—Revolutionary its chips and managing to deal a defeat to relatively brief interval, after which either Communist Groups, the Italian section of the workers movement. the bourgeois state apparatus is effectively the Fourth International). The translation In Portugal, the LC maintains, the social destroyed, or the organs of incipient work is by Intercontinental Press.] process that is going on now is not ers power fade and the consciousness of the dissimilar. However, the working-class class ebbs. movement is making its weight felt more It seems that on the basis of the Italian In the recent period, Lotta Continua strongly, so that the reformists and the situation—that is, a situation of instability [LC—the Struggle Continues]' has had armed forces themselves have been put and continuous struggles that has lasted for under constraint. Thus, at least a part of some notable organizational successes. It is six years, a situation made possible by the the MFA [Movimento das Forgas Ar the strongest group in the Italian far left international context of a general rise of the and the one that most fully expresses both madas—Armed Forces Movement]has been world revolution—the LC has developed the the limitations and positive features of the transforming itself into a locomotive of the notion of a prolonged, permanent crisis. radicalization that has occurred during revolutionary process. This notion, however, fails to take into In Italy, therefore, we are on the brink of these last combative years. Its involvement account that within this general context, the collapse of the Christian Democrats' old in struggles and its search for a revolution there was only one specifically prerevolu- ary political perspective has impelled the way of managing capitalism. The workers tionary period in Italy, which lasted from LC in its latest phase to try to make a have achieved sufficient self-guidance as a the end of 1969 into early 1970. Likewise, it rounded interpretation of its history and to class not only to lead to the overturn of the fails to take into account that the process in Christian Democratic "system" but also to systematize its political and theoretical Italy never reached the level of a full- framework in the light of the turn it has force the Communist party, which will be fledged revolutionary phase, as existed in catapulted into the government, to carry been carrying out these last three years. France in 1968. forward the "working class program" The LC has made an effort to place the The conception of a prolonged crisis, as expressed by the struggles. experience it has gained in the Italian understood hy the LC, could lead those who The crisis of capitalism will continue to situation in a broader and more internation hold it to lose sight of the fact that only if deepen. Capitalism will enter into a period al context, utilizing the most significant the present critical situation escalates into of prolonged crisis in which the revolution experiences of the international workers a full-fledged revolutionary crisis will it ary party, the LC, will be able, unlike the movement since 1968. I won't go hack over lead to a qualitative leap in the conscious MIR,2 to perfect a correct tactic toward the their basic theoretical analyses here, or ness of the masses of workers—to a dual- bourgeoisie and especially the reformists, these international experiences, or their power situation in which the seizure of the necessary strategy already being the errors and failings. What I want to do in power would be put concretely on the common property of the working class this article is to point up how the LC has agenda. itself. utilized those experiences—i.e., Chile and The LC's distorted conception of the I don't want to examine here the implica Portugal—that have presented the most revolutionary crisis leaves the door open, tions in an international context of this similarities with the Italian situation, moreover, to new, if more sophisticated, reductive and simplistic analysis. I will just enabling them to put to use the political forms of gradualism (as have already been categories they have been developing on the point out that it is an incorrect notion to put forward by the LC, for example, in the equate the Chilean bourgeoisie with the basis of Italian experience alone. case of the "Take the Cities" campaign). Italian, which, however well or badly, The general political framework of the This interpretation of ours is corroborated LC's perspectives is well known, but I think represents a highly developed capitalist by the LC's conception of the way the country and which is therefore tied to it is better to summarize it so as to be workers' consciousness develops. As they imperialism in a way different from that of absolutely clear. see it, this consciousness does not develop the bourgeoisies of underdeveloped and Like the Chilean bourgeoisie and Chris in sudden leaps but through a steady tian Democrats in 1970, the Italian bour semideveloped countries. This is a concep maturing. Or still worse, they think that the tion that in the future could lead the LC geoisie and Christian Democrats are on the workers achieved consciousness once and into dangerous deviations regarding the brink of economic and political bankruptcy. for all in 1969. In Chile, according to the LC, the Allen- questions of national independence and neutralism. (In fact, such deviations were de government formed a necessary bridge It was certainly no accident that the LC in the political situation, representing a already present in its congress documents.) Behind this notion lies a series of grave has failed, within this conception of a kind of trusteeship of bankrupt capitalism. prolonged crisis (even though its analysis is In this prolonged crisis, the proletariat political and theoretical errors. Let us consider the principal ones. that big confrontations are on the agenda failed to develop an adequate tactic for and it claims its objective is revolution), to organizing itself effectively. The imperial advance slogans pointing up the fact that

2. Movimiento deue Izquierdaizquieraa itevoiucionaria—Revolucionaria— the workers need united democratic struc 1. The group publishes the daily newspaper with Movement of the Revolutionary Left, a Chilean tures from the bottom up that would form a the same riomaname.- —TTt loft-centrist formation.—IP coherent system, that is, workers power, the July 28, 1975 highest crystallization of anticapitalist tion, even if this hegemony is no longer as liano—Italian Communist party]. In fact, consciousness. The emergence of organs of firm as it once was. We have no doubt that the LC has come to see as demonstrations this type is essential to lead to a leap in on many occasions in these last years the of working-class self-guidance events that consciousness of the need to overthrow the vanguard has been able to take initiatives were exactly the opposite, that in reality bourgeois state (a consciousness that we that have led broad masses to throw off the reflected the PCI and the unions regaining would remind the LC comrades does not yet control of the reformists. But these develop or maintaining their control. You need only exist among the broad masses), or to lead to ments, which are very important and think of the episodes in the antifascist the formation of adequate structures to should be extended, have so far been only mobilization in Milan on March 7 that was counterpose to the bourgeois state and to episodic. sparked by commando-squad attacks in administer the new workers power. There is also another question—that is, Rome during the Lollo trial, and the trade- In Portugal, the strength of the workers whether the levels of consciousness union demonstration in Milan on April 22. movement has undoubtedly been very great achieved to date can be considered as Obviously, if every development is seen in but it has not yet found the capacity to attained once and for all, whether the the light of working-class self-guidance, develop independent councils based on the bourgeoisie and the reformists still have the initiatives by the reformists come to be masses in the factories, the only instru means for making a comeback, whether, for mistaken for actions brought about by the ments that could enable the class to free lack of an adequate response, the crisis and strength of the movement. The rapproche itself from the paralyzing tutelage of the the rise of unemployment may not provoke ment with the PCI gets its theoretical and reformists, and still more of the MFA. dangerous symptoms of a retreat and a political justification from the presumed (Although unless the workers can do this, general ebh in class consciousness. working-class power that the PCI is suppos sooner or later the bourgeoisie will regain Proclaiming the existence of a develop edly bringing to bear behind the LC's own its strength and inflict a defeat on them.) ment that is still limited and partial is no strategic schemes. If we consider that the The LC thinks that working-class indepen help whatever. What does advance the LC has come to think that once in the dence has taken its highest form in Portu process is striving to assure that this government the PCI will be forced to gal, although no force on the far left is able anticapitalist and antibureaucratic con advance the objectives of the working class, to provide the "tactic" (as the LC would be sciousness, widespread today, finds a politi we can see what opportunistic backsliding doing in Italy). Thus it is not by chance cal and strategic framework that can give it the LC's present political conceptions can that the LC has come in the last analysis to form, finds the way to a new leap forward. lead to. believe that a positive development of the This new leap must take the form of It is no coincidence, therefore, that the LC revolutionary process can be assured by the organizational structures for the vanguard has been duplicating a series of attitudes MFA! and the masses that can impel a qualitative and slogans projected by the PCI in the These considerations bring us to the other advance in struggles and pose the question past. The resolution of the LC national aspect of the LC's fundamental theoretical of power. Otherwise, there will inevitably be congress says explicitly that it is necessary weakness, which at bottom reveals the a retreat from the levels already attained. to pick up everything the revisionists have organization's spontaneist origins—the con In order to promote and stimulate a dropped by the wayside. This would he ception of working-class self-guidance. In process of this type, to close ranks political quite correct if it referred to the past of a an election rally not long ago in Turin, the ly and organizationally with the advanced party that had not already succumbed to birthplace of many spontaneist theories, workers and the whole of the class, the Stalinist and reformist degeneration. But SoM [an LC leader] spoke very clearly on tasks of the revolutionary vanguard today the slogans picked up are those of the 1950s, this question. According to him, working- are to carry forward these objectives, to give when the PCI was advancing a line not class self-guidance in both strategy and impetus to the struggles, and to develop the fundamentally different from the present politics has been an accomplished and necessary organizational means. one; a different national and international constant fact since 1969. As for the possibil However, the LC's basic contradiction context simply led it to give a tougher tone ity that such self-guidance could be re consists in the fact that, on the one hand,it to some of its positions. versed, no attention was given to it. In fact, thinks that working-class self-guidance has Now, let's take up a third question. Sofri explained that the working class has a been achieved and the workers already The LC maintains that the development complete proletarian program that is al have a strategy and program, and on the of the social crisis and the working-class ready being carried forward in today's other hand, it has made the obvious movement must necessarily go through a struggles. observation that the bureaucracies still phase with the Communist party in the No one denies that in these last years, exist and are substantial enough to force it government. As the resolution referred to through an almost uninterrupted series of to deal with them and develop a tactic above puts it; "A change in the system of struggles, the consciousness of the working toward them. The fact is that although the government in our country before the class as a whole has grown and reached a movement has come into conflict with the conditions are ripe for a struggle for level unparalleled in Italy in the last thirty established bourgeois framework and workers power is inevitably destined to years at least. No one denies either that a thrown the reformists off balance on a involve the ouster of the Christian Demo substantial vanguard has developed that number of occasions, it has not been able to crats by a left government whose axis can has a strong anticapitalist and antirefor- develop an overall strategic view or a only be the PCI." mist consciousness, that is trying to syste political solution. And so it has finally come This formulation leaves room for some matize the experience it has gained into a to follow the path laid out by the bureaucra equivocations in defining the governmental strategy so as to achieve a rounded view of cies. formula, because the LC has suddenly the class confrontation. These are essential The cause of all this lies precisely in the found itself facing a rather pressing facts that enable us to characterize this fact that the break with the reformists took question—the problem of the PCI entering situation as highly favorable for a positive place in empirical and episodic forms and the government through the "historic com outcome to the crisis of capitalism, for the did not lead to the formation of an alterna promise." Doubtless it might not be very formation of a revolutionary party. tive strategic leadership. clear for activists and vanguard workers However, these developments cannot be The contradiction in which it is caught how the alliance between the PCI and the mistaken for a general collapse of the has led the LC to distort reality and to main bourgeois party could promote the reformists' hegemony over the proletariat in commit a series of opportunist errors with dynamic of the working-class movement. the fields of strategy, politics, and organiza respect to the PCI [Partito Comunista Ita- This question was resolved in too hasty

Intercontinental Press and incomplete a way by the LC. It has over the most critical moment and to when it could not see beyond the factory, ruled out the possibility and practicality of develop new instruments, while the workers has now led this group to another oversim the historic compromise, based on the belief movement on the other hand would go into plification. Starting from the correct obser that the bourgeoisie and the Christian a phase of disillusionment and decline. We vation that today the Christian Democrats Democrats have taken the contrary option cannot forget the repressive role the refor are the main party of the bourgeoisie, it and on the view that because of the crisis mists themselves can play, even though, in ends up by confusing this party with the the capitalists today are unable to offer any view of the present relationship of forces bourgeoisie as such and by interpreting the substantial reforms. between the masses and the bureaucracies, political struggle against the bourgeoisie While all of this is true, it suffers from they can hardly become the hangmen of the exclusively in terms of a struggle against incompleteness (in fact, in the Turin rally revolution that they were in Spain in 1936 the Christian Democrats. Sofri ended up by formulating three govern or in Germany in 1918. There is no doubt that weakening the mental possibilities, government by the PCI The LC comrades cannot forget that this, Christian Democrats today means sharpen alone, by the PCI with the left, by the PCI in general, was the role played by the PCI ing the contradictions of the bourgeoisie. with the Christian Democrats). in the postwar government, and that this But reducing the political struggle simply to It is a fact that' for an entire phase, was the role of the reformists in Chile. fighting the Christian Democrats suggests because of the absence of the political and There is no doubt that the reformists' an underlying theoretical and analytical economic prerequisites, the bourgeoisie presence in the government, in the last weakness regarding the relationship be cannot implement an extensive policy of analysis, sharpened the contradictions, and tween the means of production, social reform in alliance with the PCI that could that they proved unable to confine the classes, and their specific political expres assure control of the masses. But this does working class within the limits imposed by sions. It suggests a lack of understanding not mean that in the medium term we the political and economic agreement with that the crisis capitalism has been experien should exclude the possibility of another the bourgeoisie that preceded Allende's cing in these last years is a general crisis of version of the historic compromise. By this, election. social relations striking bourgeois society at I mean the possibility that the crisis may But the reformists and their associates all its levels. □ throw the bourgeoisie into an untenable ended up suspended in midair between the position, to the breaking point, where the bourgeoisie, which no longer was willing to only way it could try to gain time and make deals with them, and the masses of All the Comforts of Home survive, to prevent a direct confrontation at workers, who had broken through the dikes a time when its apparatus was disintegrat and were on the march for their own Officers in the navy and marine corps are ing, would be by allying itself with the PCI, objectives, without any leadership, political provided with government-paid servants to which would seek by every means to ly and militarily disarmed by their own fix their meals, do their laundry, make their confine the movement within legalistic parties. Finally, the lack of an alternative beds, and shine their shoes. According to bounds. strategy, the result of the lack of a revolu the General Accounting Office, 8,416 enlist This version is also a possibility. The tionary leadership within the class, precipi ed men are assigned to pick up after the conditions for it do not exist today and the tated the confrontation in the worst possi officers. A ship's commander sometimes bourgeoisie is doing everything possible to ble conditions and led to a catastrophic assigns himself as many as six personal avoid such an eventuality. But it would be defeat. servants. The GAO report notes that the absurd to maintain that a sharpening of the And today in Portugal, isn't the manner servants cost taxpayers $84 million a year. contradictions and the class confrontation of the reformists' participation in the could not impose a variant of this type. government an element of severe weakness We firmly believe that a governmental and confusion for the workers movement? alliance between the Christian Democrats Couldn't this give the bourgeoisie time to and the PCI would by no means be a reorganize itself? favorable development for the working- However, the LC's analysis is all the class movement or one that could facilitate more undialectical, lacking in perspectives, the workers' struggle. Nor do we think that and thus dangerous, insofar as it gives no DOCUMENTS a reformist government of the left forces indication of the need for the workers to would necessarily promote this struggle, develop their own organs of power in the and it is still less likely that such a factories and in society. It is such organs World Congress shamelessly class-collaborationist govern that would make it possible to deepen the ment would do so. We have no doubt that crisis in the relationship between the such a situation would be unstable and masses and the state apparatus, between of the would create other maladjustments. We the masses and the reformists, to reinforce have no doubt that the mobilization of the an anticapitalist consciousness. Such bod masses would tend continually to upset the ies would be the indispensable support of FOURTH framework in which the PCI operates and any workers government; they could take bring strong pressures to bear on the party. the initiatives suited to breaking all the However, if the PCI were in the govern bourgeoisie's strong points. INTERNATIONAL ment in such conditions, this would be a Finally, I want to call attention to a strong source of confusion; it would create further bit of schematism in the LC's great illusions among the masses. The analysis. The analysis of the economic and power that the reformists could then exer political crisis in progress today in the Documents discussed at 1974 Tenth cise over the working-class movement could country is often linked simply to the crisis World Congress of Fourth International. entrap it in an entangling alliance. This of the Christian Democracy. At times the 128 pages, BYj x 11, $2.50 power could hold back the struggles and crisis of the state is seen only as a result of Intercontinental Press contain them, if only for a brief period. But the Christian Democrats' problems. The P.O. Box 116, Village Station this would be a period in which the emergence from the political primitivism New York, NY 10014 bourgeoisie could muster its strength to get that characterized the LC for many years.

July 28, 1975 El Episodio de 'Repubiica': Politicas de Division todos los frentes populares. El beneficiario es siempre la burguesia: [El siguiente articulo aparecio en el los redactores porque, segun el, pretendian • El MFA ve favorecidos sus deseos de elevarse por encima de unos partidos ntimero del 12 de junio de Combate, organo dejar oir, entre otras muchas voces, la del central de la Liga Comunista (organizacion PCE,' el partido mayoritario en el movi obreros a los que hoy no puede suprimir, simpatizante de la Cuarta Internacional en miento obrero, perseguido por el franquis- utilizandolos como correas de transmision para imponer a los trabajadores las agresio- Espana). Lleva la! fecha del 9 de junio y la mo. Y no es un caso aislado: los escandalos firma de E.A.] de represion contra periodistas se vienen nes capitalistas. repitiendo en la prensa de la "oposicion • Los partidos burgueses pescan en rio revuelto y capitalizan la desmoralizacion de democratica" espanola. Publicaciones en sectores de la pequena burguesia desenga- que el PSOE' consigue cierta influencia no El atentado contra un periodico obrero— nados de los partidos de la clase obrera. se distinguen por una excesiva tolerancia. como contra cualquier organizacion o de- • Y, en definitiva, se abre paso al En Portugal, como las masas han forzado recho de los trabajadores—es un atentado a los capitalistas a retirar un tanto sus fascismo, que asi puede denunciar el "caos contra todo el movimiento obrero, que ha de los partidos"(Cunhal le da la razon) y la zarpas de la prensa, la "libertad" de esta forjado con su esfuerzo esos instrumentos consiste en que esta controlada por el MFA "amenaza de una dictadura de Moscu" de lucha. como representante de la burguesia. Y el PS (Soares le da la razon). Precisamente Sin embargo, la direccion del PC portu- junto con el PC, firmo un acuerdo en que mientras el PC y el PS andaban en la grena gues es responsable del intento de arreba- con el caso Repubiica, se ha producido el reconocia al MFA esta y otros muchos tarle al Partido Socialista el diario Repubii "derechos" a pisotear la libertad de los inicio de actos terroristas del ELP'fascista. ca. Si no lo impulse directamente, por lo trabajadores. Estan en el Gobierno de Cada paso en la traicion combinada del menos lo favorecio con la deseducacion que coalicion para avalar tales atentados. PCP y el PSP resalta mas claro la necesi- crea su forma de atacar al PS. Y sobre todo, Pero para Soares, la amenaza mas inme- dad de luchar por la unidad del movimiento en lugar de defender a brazo partido el obrero, construyendo a traves de esa lucha diata para las libertades en Portugal no derecho del PS a conservar el periodico, en el partido revolucionario que el proletariado viene del MFA, ni de los partidos burgueses los hechos ha apoyado la intentona, en portugues se merece. Por un frente linico del dirigidos por salazaristas,(PPD, CDS'". . .), convivencia con sectores militares deseosos PC y del PS para luchar contra la reaccion ni del fascismo . . . sino del PCP. En la de acallar la voz de un partido obrero. capitalista; contra el fascismo y contra el campana del Repubiica como en otras Sin duda, la actuacion del PCP en este MFA que le abre el camino, contra todos los ocasiones el PS, en nombre del socialismo, caso entra dentro de su palabrerla sobre la se ha unido al PPD y al CDS para presionar ataques a las libertades, a las organizacio- supuesta "dinamica revolucionaria impul- y atraer al MFA y marginar . . . al partido nes de los trabajadores y oprimidos. . . . sada por el MFA"' que estarla por encima Contra la batalla capitalista de la produc que cuenta con el apoyo de la mayor parte de la democracia formal burguesa. Todo el del proletariado. "Solicitados por el PC (y cion. mundo sabe que, sin embargo, el PCP es el Era esa lucha contra la reaccion burguesa por el PPD) no tenemos mas que un enemigo mas acerrimo de la formacion de lo que buscaba el instinto de clase de los verdadero aliado: el MFA," habia dicho comites de fabrica, organos de democracia trabajadores de Repubiica. No son ellos los Soares. directa de masas que son los linicos que responsables de que ese instinto haya sido pueden dar base a unas formas democrati- desviado y deformado, llevandoles a inten- En definitiva, ambos partidos rivalizan cas superiores. tar suprimir un periodico considerado por en servilismo respecto de los jefes militares. Pero hay mas. El hecho del Repubiica— decenas de miles de trabajadores socialistas Mientras se combaten piiblicamente divi- como antes el apoyo a la restriccion del como un arma de esa misma lucha. diendo a la clase, se dan la mano para derecho de huelga y la politica de "unici- La democracia obrera (que en este caso ayudar al MFA a reprimir al MRPP,'' a los dad" sindical—deja claro que en nombre de ensenaba que un pequeno grupo de obreros soldados que no quieren defender al impe- la "revolucion" ese partido se estd uniendo no era quien para quitar el periodico a un rialismo en Angola. Y sobre todo, para a representantes de la burguesia como el partido obrero con amplia audiencia de oponerse a huelgas como la de Quimica y MFA para atacar las libertades, los periodi- masas) es indispensable para la lucha Hosteleria. Ambos cumplen la consigna del cos, los derechos mas elementales de la unida de toda la clase, por los intereses de MFA, que llama "al pueblo portugues y a clase obrera. la clase entera. Para derrotar a la reaccion los partidos politicos para consolidar la A esa agresion, el PS contrapone una es vital luchar por la democracia ohrera unidad nacional frente a la dura tarea de campana por la "libertad de prensa" dentro entre los partidos y en los sindicatos, y reconstruccion." Esta reconstruccion consis de una democracia "pluralista" como la de desarrollar formas de democracia directa en te en imponer al proletariado la superexplo- Europa Occidental. las fabricas y centros de trabajo. Solo as! es tacion capitalista llamada "batalla de la En Europa Occidental, la "libertad de posible unir a la clase y tejer la mas firme produccion." prensa" es el derecho de los monopolios y de alianza con las demas victimas de las Unirse a la burguesia, dividir a los su Estado a manipular la informacion. La agresiones capitalistas: los campesinos, los trabajadores y oprimidos: es la tarea de prensa franquista y toda la reaccion euro- soldados, la juventud . .. el pueblo de pea han apoyado la campana de Soares. Angola. □ Curiosamente, por los mismos dias un banquero que defiende ese tipo de "libertad" expulsaba al director y toda la redaccion del ala "liberal" de la burguesia espanola. 7. Exercito de Libertafao Portuguesa. semanario Destino. Solo que en este caso no 3. Partido Comunista de Espana. se trataba de una "imposicion de los Documerfts discussed at 1974 Tenth obreros" sino del derecho de propiedad. El 4. Partido Socialista Obrero Espanol. World Congress of Fourth International. "democrata" PujoP habia decidido echar a 128 pages, BYz x 11, $2.50 5. Partido Popular Democratico, Centro Democra- Intercontinental Press tico Social. 1. Movimento das Formas Armadas. P.O. Box 116, Village Station 6. Movimento Reorganizativo do Partido do Prole New York, NY 10014 2. Jordl Pujol, banquero Catalan representante del tariado.

Intercontinental Press fight publicly, dividing the working class, they lend a hand to help the MFA repress the MRPP® and the soldiers who do not want to defend imperialism in Angola. And, above all, in opposition to strikes like those of the chemical and hotel workers, both are carrying out the MFA's slogan calling on The 'Republica' Episode: Divisive Politics "the Portuguese people and the political parties to consolidate national unity in view [The following article appeared in the state to manipulate information. The Franc- of the difficult task of reconstruction." This June 12 issue of Combate, the central organ oist press and all European reactionaries reconstruction consists of imposing capital of the Liga Comunista (Communist have supported Soares's ceunpaign. Guri- ist superexploitation in the so-called "battle League), a sympathizing organization of ously, during the same days, a banker who for production" on the proletariat. the Fourth International in Spain. Signed defends that type of "freedom" fired the To unite with the bourgeoisie, to divide by E.A., the article is dated June 9. publisher and the whole editorial board of the workers and oppressed—that is the task [The translation is hy Intercontinental the weekly Destino. Only in this case it was of all popular fronts. The beneficiary is Press.] not a question of "something imposed by always the bourgeoisie: the workers." It was a case of the rights of • The MFA is encouraged in its desire to ownership. The "democrat" PujoP had go over the heads of some workers parties decided to kick out the editors because, that it cannot suppress at the moment. The attack against a working-class news according to him, they were trying to let the Thus it can utilize them as transmission paper—as in the case of any organization or voice of the PGE^—tunong many others— belts to force the workers to accept capital right of the workers—is an attack against the voice of the majority party in the ist aggressions. the entire workers movement, which has workers movement and one that is persecut • The bourgeois parties fish in the forged such instruments of struggle through ed by Franco, he heard. And this is not an troubled waters and capitalize on the its own efforts. isolated case: The scandalous repression of demoralization of some sectors of the petty However, the leadership of the Portuguese journalists is repeated over and over again bourgeoisie that are disillusioned with the Communist party is responsible for the in the press of the Spanish "democratic working-class parties. attempted seizure of the daily Republica opposition." Publications in which the • And, in short, the way is opened for the from the Socialist party. Even if it did not PSOE"* has a certain influence are not fascists to denounce the "chaos of political promote it directly, the miseducation pro marked by a great tolerance for other views. parties" (Gunhal offers proof) and the vided by its method of attacking the SP In Portugal, since the masses have forced "threat of a Moscow dictatorship" (Soares paved the way for the seizure. And, above the capitalists to loosen their grip on the offers proof). Precisely while the GP and SP all, instead of uncompromisingly defending press somewhat,"freedom" means that it is were squabbling over the Republica affair, the right of the SP to keep the paper, the controlled by the MFA acting as the the fascist ELP' began to carry out terrorist PGP acted to support the seizure along with bourgeoisie's representative. And the SP actions. sectors of the military who want to silence a along with the CP signed an agreement workers party. recognizing the MFA's right to trample this Each step in the combined betrayal by Doubtless, the PGP actions in this case and many other rights of the workers. They the PGP and PSP projects more clearly the are in harmony with its rhetoric about the are in the coalition government to endorse need to fight for the unity of the workers so-called "revolutionary dynamic promoted such outrages. movement, and in the course of that hy the MFA,"^ which is supposed to be But to Soares the most immediate threat struggle, to construct a revolutionary party above formal bourgeois democracy. None to freedoms in Portugal does not come from worthy of the Portuguese proletariat. For a theless, everyone knows that the PGP is the the MFA, the bourgeois parties led by united front of the GP and SP to fight staunchest opponent of the formation of Salazarists (PPD,GDS® . . . ), or from the against capitalist reaction; against fascism factory committees—mass organizations of fascists. It comes from the PGP. In the and against the MFA, which opens the way direct democracy, which are the only thing Republica campaign as on other occasions, for it; against all attacks on the freedoms that can provide the basis for higher forms the SP, in the name of socialism, has united and organizations of the workers and the of democracy. with the PPD and the CDS to pressure and oppressed. Against the capitalist battle for But there is more to this. The Republica appeal to the MFA and to exclude the party production. affair, like the PGP's previous support to that has the support of the largest section of Such a battle against bourgeois reaction restrictions on the right to strike and to the the proletariat. "Pursued by the GP (and by was what the workers of Republica sought policy of "one unionism," makes it clear the PPD), we have but one true ally: the with their class instinct. They are not that in the name of "revolution," this party MFA," Soares said. responsible for the fact that that instinct is joining representatives of the bourgeoisie In short, the two parties are rivals in has been derailed and deformed, leading like the MFA to attack the freedoms, news servility to the military chiefs. While they them to try to suppress a newspaper papers, and most basic rights of the considered by tens of thousands of socialist working class. workers as a weapon in that very struggle. The SP counterposes to such aggression a Workers democracy (which in this case campaign for "freedom of the press" within 2. Jordi Pujol, a Catalan banker associated with showed that it was not up to a small group the "liberal" wing of the Spanish bourgeoisie. a "pluralistic" democracy like that in of workers to take away the newspaper of a Western Europe. 3. Partido Comunista de Espaiia—Spanish Com In Western Europe "freedom of the press" munist party. is the right of the monopolies and their 4. Partido Socialista Obrero Espahol—Spanish 6. Movimento Reorganizativo do Partido do Socialist Workers party. Proletariado—Movement to Reorganize the Prolet arian Party. 5. Partido Popular Democrdtico—Democratic Peo 1. Movimento das Forgas Armadas—Armed For ple's party; Centro Democrdtico Social—Social 7. Ex4rcito de Libertac3o Portuguesa—Portuguese ces Movement. Democratic Center. Liberation Army.

July 28, 1975 workers party with a broad mass audience) vital to fight for workers democracy in the unite the class and cement the firmest is indispensable for the unity of the entire parties and trade unions, and to develop alliance with the other victims of capitalist class in the struggle for its common forms of direct democracy in the factories aggression: the peasants, the soldiers, the interests. To defeat the reactionaries it is and work centers. Only thus is it possible to youth, the people of Angola. □

Directive on the Reorganization of the Portuguese Army

[The following directive was published in without which the revolutionary impulse • The official delegate of the MFA in the the July 11 issue of Movimento—Boletim would not be able to bear fruit. unit. Informativo das Forgas Armadas, the d. It is important, moreover, to stress that • The delegate or delegates to the AMFA. fortnightly organ of the Movimento das the ADUs in no way challenge the authori • Military personnel appointed directly For?as Armadas (MFA—Armed Forces ty of commanders and their responsibility by the GDE, which will set a minimum and Movement). It was not specified whether for decisions. The commanders, for their maximum number for each unit. the directive came from the Revolutionary part, should be the leading activists of the b. The officers that make up the chain of Council, which is both the leadership of the MFA, always bearing in mind that the aim command are the following: MFA and the real government of Portugal, is not to restore an outmoded military • The lieutenant commander. or from the army command. The transla institution but to create a new one. That is, • The director of education. tion is by Intercontinental Press.] the objective is to advance toward a • The commanders of battalions or competent, democratic, and revolutionary operational groups, training groups, or the army dedicated to the service of the people commanders of operational or training and capable of conforming to the socialist subunits (companies, squadrons, or batter For a Democratic Army: Directive on society we want to build. ies). the Democratic Organization of the MFA e. Carrying out the present directive will c. The military representatives of all in the Miiitary Units and Estabiishments help to make the armed forces a great classes mentioned in point 1 are to be patriotic, democratic, and socialist force, elected in the following manner: 01. Preambie and as such a major pillar of the people's Every class (i.e., officers, noncommis gains and the Portuguese Revolution. sioned officers, and privates) is to elect a. In order to give form to the MFA at f. Serious and conscientious execution of three persons for every vacancy to be filled every echelon of the army, and in pursu this action program will contribute decisive for each class in the group of military ance of the "Principles and Lines of Action" ly to establishing a competent hierarchy approved by the Revolutionary Council on and genuine discipline in the armed forces, March 27, 1975, Assembleias de Delegados discipline that comes from willing and de Unidade [ADU—Unit Delegate Assem conscious cooperation. It will reinforce the blies] of the MFA are to be established in all ties of friendship, fraternity, and sincere units and their detachments in mainland collaboration among all military personnel Portugal and on the islands. without distinction of rank. This will build continental b. The representative and leading bodies up a natural barrier against all maneuvers Press of the MFA in the military units and aimed at disrupting the unity of cohesive- detachments act in collaboration with the ness of the armed forces. available In respective commands but are not to be g. In their spheres of activity, the ADUs micrororm confused with them. The ADUs are bodies are governed by: that advise and support the command. 1. The general principles of the Portu They are intended to assist the command in guese Revolution already defined, which are dealing with problems that concern the intended to serve as guides in achieving a fulfillment of the unit's mission by propos multiparty socialist society and guarantee ing actions and activities and taking steps ing national independence. that will help to build an efficient, cohesive, 2. The principle of nonpartisanship in the and democratic army in the service of the armed forces, which rejects all attempts at people and national independence and one infiltration and control by the political Y Xerox that can conform to the socialist and parties. pluralist society that we want to construct. L University c. The commander of the unit will be the 02. Organization ex officio chairman of the ADU. This body Microfiims will also include any delegates to the a. In all military units, training schools, 300 North Zeeb Road AMFA [Assembleia do Movimento das and detachments ADUs should be built, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 Forgas Armadas—Assembly of the Armed with the following composition: Xerox University Microfiims Forces Movement] who may be in the unit 1. The commander, who presides over the 35 Mobiie Drive or detachment (see point 02.a.l of this officers down the chain of command to, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4A 1H6 directive), as well as representatives of all including, the subunit. Military personnel categories—the ranks, noncommissioned representing all classes, including both University Microfiims Limited officers, and officers. professionals and draftees. St. John's Road, Tyler's Green, Penn, Besides full representativeness of the 2. Grupo Dinamizador da Unidade Buckinghamshire, England ADUs, this will guarantee a high degree of [GDU—Unit Political Education Group], PLEASE WRITE FOR initiative, along with innovative ferment which is directed by the Grupo Dinamizad COMPLETE INFORMATION within the army and a mutually beneficial or do Exercito [GDE—Army Political Edu intimate contact with all the commands. cation Group] and is made up of:

Intercontinental Press representatives referred to in point 1. The 04. Functioning detachments (with the exception of dele elements thus elected will constitute an gates to the Comissao Nacional de Sargen- electoral college and from their number will a. The ADUs are to meet: tos [National Noncommissioned Officers choose representatives to fill the vacancies 1. In normal course, once a month. Committee]. All activities of these now for the various classes. 2. In special session: abolished organizations that have a recog d. The number of privates elected in the (a) On the initiative of the commander. nized usefulness will be taken over immedi manner prescribed in the preceding para (b) On the recommendation of the MFA ately by the ADUs. graph can never be less than the total delegate or the delegate or delegates to the b. Commanders of units and detach number of officers and sergeants elected. MFA assembly. ments are ordered to carry out this direc The number of representatives to be (c) On the recommendation of at least tive, which they are to bring to the elected for each class will be set by the one-third of the military personnel elected attention of all military personnel under Grupo Dinamizador in accordance with the to represent the classes (see point 2.c). their command. They will facilitate and size of the unit roster and the magnitude of promote the work of the ADUs, participat ing in these bodies as ex officio members. the tasks to be accomplished. b. General assemblies of military person nel or meetings of classes can be held in the c. Work in the structures of the MFA 03. Mission must be carried on with a real activist units or detachments when this is neces spirit—every member of the armed forces is sary to carry out the tasks assigned to the an activist in the MFA. a. The ADU. ADUs, on the initiative of these bodies, the d. As mentioned in point 01.a, the As a body advising and supporting the GDU, or the military personnel. Such commander and as the interpreter of the meetings must be reported to the command present directive concerns only military spirit of the MFA in the unit, the Assem- units and their detachments. However, and to the GDU. while the spirit of this directive can be bleia de Delegados da Unidade is empow c. In order to carry out the established considered a guide for institutions and ered to discuss and propose activities and objectives more effectively, the ADUs may other military bodies, it is recognized that actions, as well as adopt measures, pursu form working groups, such as teams for the norms established here are not totally ant to the following objectives: internal and external education, and ap applicable to these establishments, given 1. In the area of internal education: point whatever persons are needed for this. (a) Educating military personnel cultural the different situations and peculiarities of d. The ADUs will receive directives from ly and politically along nonparty lines but the various military institutions and other the GDE, but in general these will be existing bodies. Thus, on the basis of the in the spirit of the Revolution. limited to setting the general lines of action, present directive, the directors or heads of (b) Promoting active and voluntary parti leaving a considerable room for the creative cipation of all military personnel in rational establishments and other military bodies spirit and initiative of the ADUs and thus use of their free time. must send proposals to the EME(GDE) for giving them a wide latitude in their activi (c) Strengthening the cohesiveness and study in the formulation of specific direc ty. esprit de corps of all military personnel tives. □ e. Without detracting from the specific among themselves and around the MFA. responsibility of the command, each ADU (d) Strengthening the discipline of the is collectively responsible for any abuses or unit and helping in the application of this errors it may commit as well as for the Ukrainian Poiiticai Prisoners discipline as a consultative organ of the activity of any working groups it may Hoid One-Day Hunger Strike command in accordance with rules to be set create. later. f. The ADUs will communicate with A group of Ukrainian political prisoners (e) Assuring the welfare of military higher levels of authority through the chain issued an appeal in defense of Ukrainian personnel and improvement of the various of command. However, when the circum women political prisoners and announced a aspects of their living conditions, namely stances require, they can contact the GDE one-day hunger strike, according to issue housing, food, and hygiene. directly, while informing the intermediate No. 35 of the Soviet samizdat publication (f) Promoting cultural, recreational, and levels of command. Special reports should Chronicle of Current Events. Among the sport activities. be sent to the Regeio Militar [RM—Military signatories are Zoryan Popadyuk, Vasyl Region] on experiences that are thought to Ovsiyenko, Kuzma Matviyiv, Vasyl Dolish- 2. In the area of external education: be of particular interest. Such reports ny, Ihor Kravtsiv, and Roman Senyuk. The (a) Conducting effective campaigns of should include an account of the results and latter four have not been heard of previous cultural education and civic action that will any pertinent suggestions that should be ly in the West. be determined by the GDE and CODICE, considered by higher authorities. The prisoners urged all who "value or, in the case of detachments, by the units g. The ADUs are forbidden to give press freedom" to demand that the International under whose authority they come. conferences and issue public communiques, Congress of Women—due to meet this (b) Conducting, on their own initiative in accordance with the rule laid down in the October in Berlin—Work for the release of and in liaison with superior officers, other GDE's Circular No.5 of April 10, 1975. such women as Stefaniya Shabatura, Iryna campaigns of cultural education and civic h. Members of the GDUs can participate Stasiv-Kalynets, Nadia Svitlychna, Nina action that may be considered opportune on in all meetings held in the unit that are Strokata, and Iryna Senyk. The appeal said the local level. authorized by the command. that the confinement of women in camps (c) Establish proper relations with the i. In their activities, the ADUs will strive under harsh conditions is incompatible people and the civilian authorities. to adjust to the normal schedule of the with the norms of common human rights b. GDU. respective units. and is a crime against freedom and democ The GDUs have the following specific racy. tasks: 05. Final Provisions The appeal ends with the following 1. To assure the internal education of the declaration: "To underline the importance unit. a. With the formation of the ADUs, the of our demands, we, a group of Ukrainian 2. To establish permanent liaison be EIIRPs cease all functions, along with political prisoners in Mordovian concentra tween the units and the higher bodies of the whatever committees, teams, or councils, tion camps, announce a one-day hunger MFA. etc., may exist in the military units or strike for March 8, 1975." July 28, 1975 For Immediate, Unconditional Withdrawal nians captured after carrying out actions against the Israeli occupation. From Ail israeli-Occupied Territories • Administrative imprisonment and ex pulsion for the leaders and militants of the [The following article appeared as an. situation that followed. Many saw the unarmed resistance who have become better organized and carried out more activities editorial in the June 1 issue of the Israeli American efforts to reach a "settlement" Trotskyist publication Matzpen Marxist. and the numerous trips by Kissinger as an since October 1973. In spite of the effective methods employed The translation is hy Intercontinental alternative to the Palestinian struggle and by the Zionist occupation, in spite of the Press.] a sure road to the liberation of the territo various pressures and dangers, the resist ries occupied by Zionism. The welcome ance has not been smashed in the occupied given Yasir Arafat at the United Nations territories. Through different roads and by and the various plans for a "Palestinian June 1967-June 1975. Eight years that varied means, thousands of Palestinians state" on the West Bank have created the mark a turning point in the history of the have heen organized against Israel. Hun illusion that the Israeli occupation is state of Israel. A turning point that began dreds of them have fallen during the past coming to an end. Many Palestinians have with "the greatest victory of all time" and eight years, dozens have been expelled from already substituted the diplomat's dinner that is ending with the deepest social and their country and torn from their families, jacket for the "freedom-fighter's gun," and political crisis Israel has ever known. and thousands have been imprisoned in showy negotiations with the leaders of This transition from victory to crisis is Israeli jails for long terms. imperialist powers for the mobilization of not accidental. The 1973 war and the These prisoners, detainees, and deportees the Arab masses. earthquake that shook the state of Israel are in the front line of the Palestinian As for the Israeli anti-Zionists, many are the direct result of the 1967 war and the struggle. They are the ones who have have started to neglect the struggle against occupation. And that is why even in 1967, shown the way forward for the resistance the occupation. In place of militant and when the vast majority of Israeli Jews were and the struggle, even when demoralization unconditional solidarity with the Palestini celebrating the "victory festival," we—a and an attitude of resignation affected an fighters, they are beginning to talk of quite small group of anti-Zionist socialists— many Palestinians, often the best of them. more "realistic" proposals for negotiations were able to foresee the political develop They are also proof that even the most between Israel and the Palestinians and to ments that we are living through today. acute oppression cannot hold hack the advise moderation to the Palestinians. It is true that the 1967 war enabled Israel legitimate resistance of an occupied people But Israel does not give any impression of to conquer territory, markets, and access to and their struggle to free themselves from wanting to give up the occupied territories. supplies of cheap handmade goods. It also their oppressors. On the contrary, it is planning new coloni paved the way for an unprecedented mili The Palestinian resistance movement in zations and strengthening the civil and tary and industrial buildup. But on the the occupied territories has never had any military administration on the West Bank. other hand, it completely blinded the significant help from the Israeli population. Washington's difficulties in putting effec population and the leaders of Israel to the Israelis have shut their ears and remained tive pressure on Israel and Kissinger's social and political reality they were living silent in face of the oppression of the recent setbacks are reopening the eyes of in. Palestinian-Arah people during the past those who tied their hopes to an imperialist In the occupied territories, this social eight years. settlement. For an unavoidable fact domi reality took the form of a struggle and There are only a few hundred persons nates the situation: More than a year and a armed action against the Israeli occupation. who have refused to accept the occupation, half after the October war, the Israeli This struggle itself was insufficient to the expulsions, the collective punishments, occupation continues. liberate the territories, to be sure. It did, the dynamiting of houses. These few That is why after a period of relative however, serve as a catalyst for the mobili hundred have not been able to tie the hands calm—to be sure, a result of the Israeli zation of the masses of the whole region of the leaders of the state and force them to repression but also of the illusions spread against the state of Israel and blocked any end the repression and the occupation. In by the Palestinian leadership—the Palesti political stabilization of the region. This spite of that, the Palestinian militants hold nian people's struggle and resistance are on reality was also reflected in the increasing in great esteem this limited and modest the rise again. After the strikes and isolation of Israel throughout the world, struggle by those Jews who have not been demonstrations by high-school students at including in the imperialist countries, willing to accept the occupation and who the end of last year, today we are seeing a whose governments were not ready to pay have done their best to unmask before the renewed upsurge of armed actions and of the price for Israel's unrealistic, rosy-hued Jewish population the real nature of the acts of resistance of all sorts. dreams. Zionist regime. This was the context in which the The new wave of resistance is proof that But the aim in struggling against the October 1973 war and the serious political the population of the occupied territories is occupation is not to win the thanks of the defeat of the state of Israel occurred. At the beginning to understand that the surest Palestinians nor to become worthy of their very least this war had a profound effect on road to ridding itself of the Israeli occupa respect. We have fought because it is in the the Israeli population. Some of those who tion is through its own struggle and not fundamental interest of the Israelis them eight years ago still refused to accept the through Kissinger's diplomatic exercises. selves, because only the common struggle of necessity to return the conquered territories The resistance should serve as a reminder Palestinians and Jews against the Zionist today raise questions about the very possi that the occupation continues, and with it, a regime can put an end to the bloody conflict bility of the state of Israel continuing to new wave of Israeli terror. The deporta and allow both peoples to live together in exist! This change on the part of the Israeli tions, jailings, and other measures used by mutual respect of each other's rights. Un Jewish population should not be underesti the Israeli authorities have increased this yielding struggle against the occupation mated, but at the same time no hasty year. The current repression against the has been and will be not only in the conclusions should be drawn. Palestinian resistance in the occupied Palestinians' interests but also in our own. It is not an accident that many persons, territories can be divided into two main Eight years after the June 1967 war, there both Jews and Arabs, drew wrong conclu categories: is still not a real opposition movement sions from the last war and the political • Decades-long prison terms for Palesti against the Zionist occupation on the part

Intercontinental Press of the Israeli population. Our most elemen International Protests Called for August 1 tary duty is unceasingly to express our total solidarity with the Palestinian struggle. On this occasion, June 5, 1975, we call on the Israeli left to organize a week of solidarity Free the Political Prisoners in Dominica! with those who have been deported and with the political prisoners. It is one of the ways we can concretely express our uncon [The following communique was issued is that they happen to be alive in Dominica ditional support to the Palestinian struggle. by the Movement for a New Dominica' July at this particular stage in her history. • Solidarity with the deported Palestini 8.1 MND is organising a delegation to go to ans! the Premier prior to the demonstration and • Solidarity with those held under ad make the following demands: ministrative detention, for whom the au The repeal of the "Dread Act." thorities are incapable of even providing The Movement for a New Dominica is The release of all prisoners held under the reasons for their imprisonment! calling upon all our Comrades outside of Act and of all other political prisoners. • Solidarity with the Palestinian political Dominica who are opposed to the exploita The setting up of an independent, non- prisoners sentenced by the occupation tion of man by man and who are committed partisan commission of enquiry into police forces for their just and legitimate struggle! to changing the system that perpetuates brutality and erosion of our constitutional On this occasion we must once again this injustice, to support our just protest rights. express our total solidarity with those anti- against political repression and disregard The setting up of an independent, non- Zionist Jewish political prisoners who have for our constitutional rights and freedoms partisan commission of enquiry into corrup here in Dominica. chosen the road of the Palestinian resist tion in the Public Service. ance as their method of struggle and have On August 1st, 1975, the people of A repeal of all other Acts contrary to the consequently been sentenced to long prison Dominica will march through the streets of constitution of Dominica, e.g., the Seditious terms. Beyond our differences over what Roseau to demand the true freedom that Act, the C.S.A. Act, and the Race Relations should have been granted to them exactly road to follow in this struggle, we will Act. 141 years ago on that same day. This continue to be in total solidarity with them. These demands will be reiterated at the demonstration will be carried out against a We regard them as comrades in the com mass demonstration on August 1st. We are mon fight and pledge to fight for their background of the erosion of our constitu therefore calling on those overseas groups immediate liberation, together with that of tional right and freedoms, the enactment of to which this paper is addressed to support all the other political prisoners. more and more violent laws against the us in two ways: (1) To organise a public • Free all the political prisoners! citizens of Dominica, the unleashing of the demonstration" of solidarity with our • Allow all those expelled to return! forces of physical violence upon the youth struggle here in Dominica in their countries • For the immediate and unconditional of the State, and the brutal repression of the on the same day.(2) To send statements of withdrawal from all the occupied territories! more politically advanced groups among solidarity which should arrive here by 21st the population. July to be read out at the demonstration In the last three years we have seen the and publicised some time before the latter. passing of the "Seditious Act," a law to Broad community support is being generat prevent the freedom of speech in this ed. country, the C.S.A. Act, a law to transform Israel, South Africa Strengthen Ties In the true spirit of struggle and brother government workers, citizens of the State, hood we expect your support in any way into unwilling tools of a politically violent Israel and South Africa have more in possible. We would be happy to reply to any government, the Race Relations Act, an common than their shared system of additional questions coming from you re the insult to the hard-fought struggles of the ex- apartheid rule. The two countries are situation in Dominica and hope that our slaves against their white masters, and the steadily expanding their economic, politi links with each other continue to streng Dread Act, perhaps the greatest barbarity cal, and military ties. then. □ in the history of law-making, which gives Former Israeli Intelligence Chief Gen. Meir Amit reported July 7 that senior any man the power to kill another man on 2. At Eastern Caribbean Commission, Caribbean Israeli military officers visit South Africa sight, on the mere suspicion that he belongs to an unlawful society, the definition of Tourist Information Bureaus, British High Com regularly to lecture on modern warfare and missions, and United Nations Headquarters, which is open to the whims and fancies of counterinsurgency techniques. N.Y.C. Amit, who now heads the large Israeli madmen. corporation Koor Industries, called atten More immediately, we have witnessed the tion to the Zionists' military link with the wicked frame-up of Desmond Trotter, a Banzer Regime Jails 33 white racist regime while on a business and highly conscious youth, for years in the for Labor 'Agitation' lecture tour of South Africa. forefront of the struggle against oppression He also disclosed several Israeli-South in this country, sentenced to hang for the The Bolivian military dictatorship of African economic projects. These include killing of a white man; more recently the Gen. Hugo Banzer Sudrez arrested thirty- the participation by the state-owned South murder of two young men up in the hills by three persons, including three Spanish African Railways in a railroad project in members of the Defence Force (their crime Roman Catholic nuns, for allegedly trying Israel; construction of an Israeli plant in remains a mystery); the continued harass to organize a general strike. The regime South Africa to desalinate sea water; a joint ment of members of MND who have been said most of the arrests were made July 14 venture in manufacturing agricultural stopped and searched at gunpoint without in Oruro, 125 miles south of the capital La chemicals, scheduled to open in South warrant; finally, the deliberate and brutal Paz, where "a second stage of agitation" Africa next year; and a depot for storing oil beating of innocent youth whose only crime intended to create confrontations between under "tight security conditions" being workers and the government was being built in Israel with South African assist- planned. Those arrested reportedly included 1. 6 Canal Lane, Goodwill, Dominica.—IP a number of labor leaders.

July 28, 1975 following estimates "prepared within the intelligence community"(this would include all sources available to the White House): "The Russians shipped $505-million in arms to North Vietnam in 1967, $70-million in 1970 and $100-million in 1971. Soviet economic assistance amounted to $200- A reader in Fayetteville, Arkansas, who the Opposition 83 [Declaration of the 83], million in 1967, $345-million in 1970 and happened to he reading the recommenda which I also signed at that time. $315-million in 1971. tions on news and opinion magazines in "I very much regret that because of the "Total Soviet military-economic aid was Magazines for Libraries, thought we might material conditions I cannot acquire these $705-million in 1967, $415-million in 1970, be interested in the following notation on publications at their full price. and $415-million again in 1971. . . . Intercontinental Press: "I ask you to charge me a low price or "Military assistance from China was "Committed to the political philosophy of send me these books as a gift, which I $145-million in 1967, $85-million in 1970 Trotsky, a typical 24-page weekly issue thank you for in advance, and I hope that and $75-million in 1971, while Chinese concerns itself with such matters as anti you will not refuse my request." economic help in these years was $80- war demonstrations, an analysis of Presi The Bulletin of the Opposition was million, $60-million and $100-million, re dent Nixon's economic policies, a study of published under Trotsky's editorship and spectively." the 'Mexican Left,' and reports from the contains many articles by him and other "Economic assistance from East Europe world around on activities of interest to the leading members of the Opposition. For S.F. an countries came to $90-million in 1967, political or social activist. The news it must have been a moving experience to $205-million in 1970 and $185-million in paper/magazine is carefully edited, the learn about it after the terrible years of 1971. . . ." material usually written by the editor or prison and exile in which he had no way of The accuracy of these estimates has never taken from the world's press. Despite the knowing the fate of his comrades in the been denied by either Peking or Moscow. obvious bias, the reports are accurate, well Opposition or what had happened to the written, and of considerable help to anyone movement he joined in 1927 against Stal Thomas Boushier of Norman, Oklahoma, trying to keep up with national and in's usurpation of power. sent us the following note: international politics and movements. We have begun to take up a collection in "'The Forced Evacuation of Cambodia's There is little or none of the 'hysteria' often New York to make it possible for S.F. to get Cities' [in the May 19 issue] was one of the associated with this type of publication. It that gift. For those who would like to most deeply moving, hut at the same time, can be recommended for larger public and contribute, please make out your check to highly objective pieces of literature that I've academic libraries, particularly the latter, Reba Hansen, care of Intercontinental read in a long, long time. The effect Hansen where there is an imaginative political- Press, or send some folding money. produces in the reader was enhanced by the social science program." context Peter Green had established in We don't know what issue that appeared S.M. of Tiverton, Rhode Island, sent for a earlier articles. Thus, I suspect that that in. Possibly it was before Nixon's hasty copy of the July 14 Intercontinental Press. one article will never fail to serve me as an departure from Washington. The recom He is interested in the series on Chile by example of the necessity for a critical mendation also includes a slight error. A Jean-Pierre Beauvais which "may prove Marxist understanding of events for quite typical issue runs to 32 or 48 pages. helpful to my studies on imperialism." some time Nonetheless we thought that item was "Moreover, without the Intercontinental worth citing for our highest award button: P.K. of Bloomington, Indiana, writes that Press, I suspect that I'd know virtually Right on! he "had planned to let the sub run out and nothing about what's going on in Portugal; spend the $ on Deutscher's Trotsky trilogy, with it, I feel as if I can about 'sense' the Through a circuitous route, a letter from but I'm enjoying Red Fred's series on the way things are unfolding there." S.F. in Tel Aviv, written in Russian, antiwar movement too much to have to wait reached us. We thought it might be of till next year when his hook comes out." In her column of June 18, the syndicated interest to some of our readers, so here's a So the $ were enclosed for renewal. No columnist Harriet Van Home made some translation: libraries in Bloomington where you can telling points on one of our favorite sub "By chance I saw in Tel Aviv the four- borrow or read Deutscher's trilogy? jects: volume edition of the Bulletin of the "From the outset, the new Postal Service Opposition published in New York. G.C. of Nottingham, England, sent us the has been tainted with scandal and distin "As a former supporter of the Opposition following query: guished by the kind of performance that referred to above in the Soviet Union since "In a recent discussion with a Maoist who would be hilarious were it not so damaging. 1927, I was imprisoned in the USSR in roundly denounced the Soviet Union's lack "Elmer Klassen, the first Postmaster prisons, exile, and in concentration campS of military aid to the Vietnamese, he General under the new corporation, en for approximately 18 years, until 1946 when became somewhat disturbed on learning gaged in numerous shady deals, hired his I was set free on account of a pact between Peking's lack of aid. After twisting and old cronies from American Can Co. at General Sikorsky (of the newly established turning somewhat uncomfortably, his last- unprecedented postal salaries, and main Polish government) and Stalin, and was ditch stand was Intercontinental Press's tained a sybaritic life style (two chauffeurs, repatriated to Poland. figures (quoted in June 2nd ICP) were a $50,000 kitchen in his private office), all "Since 1970 I have lived in Israel. I unsubstantiated and didn't give any source at taxpayer expense. receive no pension either from Poland or of China's military aid.(He seems to accept "Meantime, a man in Ellsworth, Maine, from the Soviet Union. I have turned 76, am the ones for Moscow.) Therefore could proved that a pair of oxen drawing the mail ill, and live exclusively from a modest Intercontinental Press give the source of the in a wagon could get it there faster than the sustainer. ... figures for the military aid of both Peking Postal Service. And some wit suggested to "I am very interested in acquiring the and Moscow to Vietnam, please." Congress last year that a special Christmas four-volume Bulletin of the Opposition An Associated Press dispatch from Wash stamp be issued, saying, 'O Lord, Deliver mentioned above and also the Platform of ington, dated April 12, 1972, gave the Me!"' □

Intercontinental Press