THE De Gaulle vs. French labor

MILITANT -see page 12 Published in the interests of the Working People

Vol. 32- No. 49 Friday, December 6, 1968 Price 15c Black students in San Francisco lead united campus strike action -story page 5-

Survivor of W.Va. mine blast which was ignited by pure greed. See story page 9.

STUDENT PROTESTERS JAILED. A hundred black students a nd several white supporters were VICTIM OF RACISM. As we went to press, Eldridge Cleaver, jailed at University of Wisconsin in Oshkosh following sit-in provoked by administration's refusal Black Panther minister of information, was slated to be re­ to carry out agreed on black studies program. See story page 5. turned to jail in new travesty of justice. See story page 12. Page 2 THE MILITANT Friday, December 6, 1968

THE MILITANT Panther-Peace &Freedom alliance Editor: HARRY RING Business Manager: BEVERLY SCOTT Publlahed weekly by The Militant Publishing Ass'n., 873 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10003. Pbone 533-6414. Second-class postage paid at New York, N.Y. Subscription: domestic, $4 a year; foreign, $5.50. By first class mail: domestic and Canada 510.50; all other countries, $15.00. Air printed matter: domestic Criticism of a criticism The author replies and Canada, $15.00; Latin America, $24.00; Europe, $28.00; Africa, Australia, Asia (including USSR), $33.00. Write for sealed air postage rates. Signed articles by contributors do not necessarily represent The Militant's views. These are Los Angeles, Calif. New York, N.Y. expressed in editorials. Derrick Morrison's call ("The The point of my article on the Panther-Peace & Freedom al­ Panther-Peace and Freedom al­ liance," The Militant, Sept. 20) liance was not to negate or deny Vol. 32-No. 49 Friday, December 6, 1968 for the Panthers to function solely the necessity for alliances, but to •· as a mobilizing force for the black elaborate and amplify on the type liberation movement may appeal of alliances necessary to push the to black racists. It may serve black liberation struggle forward. This column is an open forum equally well the goals of white The point of your letter seems for all viewpoints on subjects of Merit Publishers is proud to announce: racists. In his concern for black to be that I am downing all al­ general interest to our readers. liberation, he ignores the fact that liances in general between black Please keep your letters brief. Where there are many people who are and white radicals, and the Black necessary they will be abridged. neither black nor white who are Panther - Peace and Freedom Writers' initials will be used, names also fighting for liberation. 50 YEARS alliance in particular. being withheld unless authorization We have been geared for too I find this conclusion very hard is given for use. many years to responding in to reach even if the article was terms of a black-white syndrome only read in a cursory fashion. OF WORLD which has been equated in Amer­ The article dealt with two types perspective is to provide the work­ ican history to a slave-master of alliances, strategic and tactical. ing masses with a revolutionary syndrome. If Morrison's sug­ Whereas a tactical or united-front party that will put an end to gestion to the Panthers were fol­ alliance with the Peace and Free­ capitalist exploitation. The work­ REVOLUTION lowed to its logical conclusion, dom Party over the defense of ing masses are made up of black, we might see a reversal of the Huey Newton was correct, it was Puerto Rican, Mexican-American, black and white rol~s in Amer­ not in the interests of the Panthers Amerindian, Oriental, and white An International Symposium ican history, but we would not to establish a strategic or long­ workers. Therefore, such a party find any of us freed from the range alliance with Peace and would be multinational in compo­ Edited, with master-slave syndrome. Freedom. This strategic alliance sition. Alongside this organiza­ Derrick Morrison is the Socialist was expressed in the electoral are­ tion would arise revolutionary an Introduction and Article, by Workers candidate in New York's na. parties speaking to the question 20th congressional district. If the To quote from the article: "Many of national liberation of the op­ Ernest Mandel Black Panther Party had chosen times, white radicals and black pressed nations in this country. to ally itself with the Socialist militants confuse this single- issue The Black Panther Party is one Contents Workers Party rather than with or united-front type of alliance such organization. Predictions of the Founders of Marxism on the Peace and Freedom Party, with a political orlong-rangetype To put the capitalist exploiters the Development of World Revolution would Morrison still hold to the of alliance. out of business, both types of by luis Vitale (Chile) opinion that the Panthers would "A case in point is the defense organizations will be needed. do better by working towards the of Huey P. Newton. From a spe­ For further elaboration on the The Theory of Permanent Revolution creation of an independent black cific alliance to defend Newton, subject, I suggest that you get a by livio Maitan (Italy) political party? Where does the the Panther Party's working rela­ bulletin entitled, "On the Revolu­ Socialist Workers Party stand in tionship with Peace and Freedom tionary Struggle of Black Amer­ Three Phases of the Russian Revolution relation to Morrison's projected evolved into a political alliance ica for Self-Determination." It can by Sirlo Di Giuliomaria (Italy) independent black political party? that is supposed to aid in the be obtained from the Los Angeles Morrison speaks out of one side liberation of the black nation. YSA, which is located a 1702 The Rise and Fall of the Third International of his mouth about an indepen­ "A specific alliance with the Peace E. 4th St., or from the m tiona! by Ross Dowson (Canada) dent black political party and out and Freedom Party to defend YSA office, P. 0. Box471, Cooper of the other side of his mouth Newton is justifiable. In fact, each Station, N.Y., N.Y. 10003. The Tragedy of the German Proletariat about using the masses of Afro­ and every organization that is Derrick Morrison by Georg Jungclas (Germany) America as a tool to further the willing to defend Newton's consti­ objectives of the Socialist Work­ tutional rights, even if they do not The Chinese and Indochinese Revolutions ers Party. agree with Newton's political Mich. highschooler by Nahuel Moreno (Argentina) Derrick Morrison's article is views, should be incorporated in another example of poor political a legal-defense organization. . . . " 'very interested' The Cuban Revolution and Its Lessons tactics. Rather than bringing out "In my opinion, the transforma­ by Hugo Gonzalez Moscoso (Bolivia) the objectives of the Socialist tion of this specific alliance into Southfield, Mich. Workers Party, he has attempted a political or electoral alliance Enclosed is a check for $1 for a The National Question and the to "put down" his opponent in was a mistake." subscription to The Militant. I Blade Liberation Struggle in the United States much the same way that the Now, concerning my SWP can­ read a copy of this while I was in by George Breitman (U.S.A.) Humphrey forces attempt to dis­ didacy. I am not in an alliance Detroit. This paper is both in­ credit the Nixon forces. Instead, with the SWP but a member of formative and truthful. I am very Is There a Third Way for the Third World? he should have sought out the it. interested in the Young Socialist _ by Sitaram B. Kolpe (India) positive values of the Panther­ The SWP is an organization program and would like to re­ Peace and Freedom alliance. uniting people around the pro­ ceive more information on it. H.S. The Uneven Development of the World Revolutionary Process C.P.S. gram of socialist revolution. Its by George Novack (U.S.A.)

The Roots of Bureaucracy and Ways to Fight It by Fernand Charlier (Belgium)

Economics of the Transition Period by Ernest Mandel (Belgium)

Is Marxism-Leninism Obsolete? by Joseph Hansen (U.S. A.) (If you are interested in the ideos of I~DIANA: Bloomington: YSA, Russel Block, 194 Jay Street, Albany 11210. socialism, you can meet socialists in your 207 East 2nd St., Bloomington 4740i. 339 New Yark City: Militant Labor Forum, Necessity and Objective Roots of Proletarian Internationalism city at the fallowing addresses.) 4640. 873 Broadway (near 18th St.), N.Y. 10003. by Pierre Frank (France) Evansville: YSA, Ronald Hicks, 1619 (212) 982-6051. Franklin St., Evansville. OHIO: Cleveland: Eugene V. Debs Hall, The Vanguard Party and the World Revolution CALIFORNIA: Atascodera: YSA, Bill Blau, Indianapolis: Holstead-Boutelle Cam­ 2nd floorwest,9801 Euclid Ave., Cleveland by James P. Cannon (U.S.A.) P. 0. Box 1061, Atascadero. paign, P. 0. Box 654, Indianapolis, Indiana, 44106. (216) 791-1669. Berkeley-Oakland: Socialist Workers 46206. Kent: YSA, P. 0. Box 116, Kent. Party (SWP) and Young Socialist Alliance MARYlAND: Baltimore: YSA, Toby Rice, Yellow Springs: Antioch YSA, Michael The articles in this volume come from the pens of (YSA), 2519A Telegraph Ave., Berkeley c/o tlram, 1518 Park Ave., Baltimore. Schreiber, Antioch Union, Yellow Springs fifteen authors in ten countries. All of them are leading 94704. (415) 849-1032. MASSACHUSETTS: Baston: Militant Labor 45387. 767-5511. Forum, 295 Huntinaton Ave., Rm. 307. OREGON: Portland: c/o Tonie Porter, 5203 figures and theoreticians of the revolutionary Marxist Los Angeles: SWP and YSA, 1702 East Fourth St., L.A. 90033. (2 13) AN 9-4953. (617) 876-5930. S. W. Pomona, Portland, 97219. movements of their respective parts of the world. Sacramenta: Sacramento State College MICHIGAN: Ann Arbor: Nan Byam, 921 PENNSYLVANIA: Philadelphia: SWP and lnasm uch as the fifty-year proletarian struggle, with YSA, John Montgomery, West Bridge, *192. S. Forest, Ann Arbor, 48104. Phone 761- YSA, 686 N. Broad St., Philo. 19130. (215) its turbulent events, ebbs and flows, ups and downs, 1025 University Ave., Sacramento, Calif. 0828. CE 6 -6 998. Detroit: EugeneV.DebsHall, 3737Wood­ TEXAS: Austin: YSA, Charles Cairns, 1B03 h..as been worldwide in import and scope, it is fitting 95825. Son Diego: San Diego Labor Forum, ward Ave., Detroit48201. (313) TE 1-6135. Enfield Ave., Austin. that a work examining that epoch and seeking to draw P.O. Box2221, San Diego92112. Eost Lonsing: YSA, Ginny Osteen, 409 Houston: YSA, David Shroyer, 1116 from it lessons for ultimate victory be a joint inter­ San Francisco: Militant Labor Forum and W. Holmes, 353-6170. Columbus St., Houston 78703. (713) JA 9- national effort of revolutionists. Pioneer Books, 2338MarketSt.,S.F.94114. Ypsilanti: Ed Mattos, 913Washtenaw*16, 2 236. (415) 552-1266. Ypsilanti, Mich. 48197. Phone 4B2-7348. UTAH: Salt Loke City: Shem Richards, 957 Santa Rasa: Young Socialist Alliance, MINNESOTA: Minneapolis-St. Paul: SWP, E. First Ave.,Salt Lake 84103. (801) 355· Price $7.95 368 Pages Stefan Bosworth, 808 Spencer. YSA and Labor Bookstore, 704 Hennepin 35 37. Ave., Hall 240, Mpls. 55403. (612) WASHINGTON, D. C.: YSA, 3 Thomas Cir­ New York State residants odd 2% tax, New York City, 5%. GEORGIA: Atlanta: YSA, 187 14th St. ILLINOIS : Carbondale: YSA, Bill Moffet, FE 2-7781. cl~. N. W., 2nd floor, Washington, D. C., 406 S. Washington. MISSOURI: St. Louis: Phone EV 9-2895, 20005. (202) 332-4635. erit Champaign-Urbana: YSA, P.O. Box2099, ask for Dick Clarke. WASHINGTON: Seattle: SWP and YSA, Station A, Champaign, Ill. 61820. NEW JERSEY: Newark: YSA, c/o Walt and 5257 University Way N. E., Seattle 98105 873 Broadway . publishers Chicago: SWP, YSA and bookstore, 302 Andrea Brode, 425 Mt. Prospect Ave., (206) 523-2555. !'lew York, N.Y. 100031 S. Canal St., Rm. 204, Chicago 60606. Newark, N.J., 17104, tel. 483-8513. WISCONSIN: Madison: YSA, 202 Marion (312) 939-5044. NEW YORK: Albany: YSA, Carol French, St. (608) 256-0857. Friday, December 6, 1968 THE MILITANT Page 3

DRUM: black

un1on1sts• •

on the move

DRUM. Dodge Revolutionary Union Movement, composed of militant black trade unionists at Dodge assembly plant in Hamtramck, Mich., was organized during wildcat strikes last spring. Group fights low wages, speed-up, and racism of bosses and union bureaucracy. By Derrick Morrison DETROIT- I recently had the oppor­ "The UAW washed their hands of the heard that March had won and would be hadn't voted in the first election because tunity to talk with one of the leaders of the case completely. The local Chrysler Cor­ in the run-off election, they immediately the union leadership did not anticipate Dodge Revolutionary Union Movement poration, from the plant manager on down, jumped up, and one of them said, using DRUM being in the run-off or even coming (DRUM), an organization of black workers tried to retaliate, intimidate, suppress, what bad language, 'Oh no,' or something, and close. As a result of the first election, the at the Dodge assembly plant in Ham­ have you, the black workers that were then the two of them ran to the police union leadership sent out letters to 3,000 tramck, which is an internal suburb, part involved. But due to the threat of another station. retirees. And these retirees are 99 percent of the Detroit metropolitan area. strike, the higher echelons called this off." "And then in a matter of minutes, they Polish. These are the types who are the "DRUM is a revolutionary union move­ One of the issues in the July strike was began to verbally attack the workers loung­ power base for the United Caucus, ment," he told me, "comprised of workers the fate of seven black workers who had ing behind a bar, which was across the Reuther's group, with 20 o.r 30 years in Dodge Local 3 of the United Auto­ been fired because of the May wildcat. street from the plant. When the workers seniority- that would put them in the plants mobile Workers, and community workers "Discharge," the DRUM leader said, "ac­ retaliated verbally, the police called for the during the time when a black man was outside of the UAW. DRUM was formed to cording to the UAW, is not a strikable paddy wagon and brought out their axe not allowed in the plants. eliminate racism in the Chrysler Corpo­ issue. So we presented 170 standard handles. ration, in the UAW and in the black 'When the brothers saw this, they ran into "The letters sent to the retirees said that grievances and strikable issues to protect young militants or 'young racists' -in community. the 30 workers that were disciplined and the bar. But the police attacked them right reference to DRUM- were trying to take "In the Chrysler Corporation we are the seven that were discharged. in the bar. They dragged one brother out over the local, and if they succeeded, re­ primarily concerned about the working "But Chrysler Corporation and the and took him back to the police station tirement benefits and old age benefits would conditions, and equal representation on leadership of Local 3 has a deal going and charged him with assault and battery be cut off. After reading this letter, the re­ management's side in relation to the num­ of some type where they eliminated 135 of a police officer. tirees came storming down to the polls. ber of black workers at Hamtramck As­ grievances. And then, on the strikable "At this point, all of the workers and the So approximately 500 retiree votes were sembly, the Dodge plant. In the UAW, issues, all they did was uphold the supple­ black union stewards that were still at the wEt are concerned about equity and re­ Local hall moved outside to find out what picked up by Reuther's man in the run­ mentary agreement of the international off. presentation for the black workers. In the disturbance was about. And a group of contract which they had stalled on, such "Also, it has been rumored that $10,000 the black community we are fighting ra­ as putting mirrors and clocks on the walls approximately 25 was sent to the police cism on all levels. station to find out why this brother had was spent to stop DRUM in this election. in the rest rooms. All the grievances were That was to pay for newspaper stories "DRUM itself is primarily a young or­ eliminated with the exception of the seven been arrested. ganization in as much as its membtrs are "But the delegation was pushed out into designed to box the black workers in, discharged personnel. And Chrysler and especially the older black workers. If the young. The organization itself is approxi­ Local 3 thought that would be a nice the street by cops with shot guns and axe handles. The cops ordered everybody election had been held on Monday, March mately s~ven months old-we have been package deal to sell the workers, to lift across the street and told us that the mayor would have won by a landslide. But Tues­ quite successful in our seven months." the strike vote by clearing up all 170 would come down to the Local hall and day the Chronicle [black weekly] came DRUM was organized during a series grievances, plus they agreed to take back explain what happened. Approximately out and printed this front-page article that of wildcat strikes last spring. In May, a five of the seven fired workers. 50 of us went inside the Local hall. Hamtramck Assembly plant was going to wildcat strike over speed-up on the "A special meeting was called by the "After we gathered inside, in walks the move to the suburbs because of the black assembly line was organized by black and Local 3 leadership, abo•1t the first or mayor and the police chief. And the broth­ militants. white workers. It was during this strike that second Sunday in September. And this is "And other articles said that DRUM was several young black workers started publi­ ers were angry because they had been when the UAW tried to jam this deal down axe-handled and Maced at the bar. So moving to sabotage the paint shop and shing a mimeographed newsletter, DRUM, our throats so we would lift the strike blow the whole plant up. defending the interests of black workers they were very loud. All of a sudden the vote. We refused to do so." police chief pulled his .38, and screamed, "So it was made to seem as though if you at the Hamtramck plant. Not only did The majority of the people at the meet­ voted for the militants, you were going to management come under thefireofDRUM, if anyone moves he is going to shoot. ing were supporters of DRUM. "First of "At about this time a pro-Reuther official have to move to the suburbs, or the plant but the UAW local and internationalleader­ all," the DRUM spokesman continued, "we is going to be burned down and you will ship as well. locked all the doors, locking us in. He went did not want to accept the deal. Then they out with a key to the police station, and be out of work. Sa the old workers panicked Black workers are a majority of the called in an international representative led approximately 30 to 40 cops back in and went down to save their jobs. A lot of 10,000 workers at the plant. By July, named Art Hughes, who tried to read us the door. They came in shooting gas. They the older black workers voted for Elliot, DRUM had become organized to the point the riot act from the international, and we Reuther's man, in the framework of saving where it shut down the plant on July 12 just beat us and Maced us until they got refused to accept his rap. So then, there tired. their jobs. in a strike not approved by the UAW was a proposal put on the floor that we "Lynn Townsend, president of Chrysler Local 3 leadership. "The mayor and the police chiefwatched. would lift the strike vote and accept the The police chief was screaming, 'They're Corporation, came out with a directive to 'What happened after the July strike?'' rehiring of the five if the union itself would the plant manager, a guy by the name of I asked the DRUM leader. all animals!' put the otht!r two on payroll. "I got Maced. The only thing that saved Kobus. Kobus then put out a letter saying "After the strike," he told me, "first of "They really went to nutsville then and me from being blinded was that I had my that the Chronic!£ was lying. But Kobus all, there were no reprisals. Every man said no good. We then took over the glasses on. But quite a few brothers got didn't do this until the afternoon of the day was brought back to work after we shut chairmanship of the meeting and pushed of the elections, and due to the fact that a the plant down for three days- Friday, Maced point blank. After they would shoot our proposal through. They called a check the brothers with Mace, it would seem to lot of black workers, in fear of more axe Saturday and Monday. Tuesday, every­ on our proposal because they said there handles and Mace, turned out from 5:30 one went back to work, and there were paralyze them. They would buckle over were people in the audience that were not and fall down, and they couldn't get up to 7 in the morning to vote, the 700 vote no reprisals on management's part. a part of the UAW, so the vote was inva­ for about a minute. And while they were deficit [March lost by 700 votes] had al­ lid, which was a trick they had never used lying there, the cops would beat them with ready been set." before. So we just >'ldjourned the meeting." axe handles." I asked him if DRUM has gotten any Intercontinental On Sept. 26, there was an election in I asked him if there had been any pro­ support from white workers. "Yes," he re­ Local 3 that DRUM participated in, put­ test made to the UAW about what had plied, ''from an organization called CR U, ting up Ron March as its candidate. The happened. "Not yet," he replied, "but there Committee for Real Unionism, a group of office in contest was that of trustee for will be. They keep postponing the union young white workers that organized for the Press Local3. and executive-board meetings. They had election and did a real good job_" DRUM is helpingtoorganizeblackwork­ Intercontinental Press, published DRUM was well organized for the elec­ one business meeting called, which was scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. At 1:30, ers at other Detroit auto plants. "These weekly, specializes in political analysis tion. On election day, the DRUM leader a Tom jumps up and challenges the quo­ black workers will belong to another or­ and interpretation of world events of said, 'When they saw how much power DRUM had, campaigning in vehicles and rum. At 1:31, the meeting was adjourned ganization internal to their own plants, and particular interest to the labor, social­ mobilizing workers and what have you, for lack of a quorum." externally we will all belong to a confed­ ist, colonial independence, and black the police department started a harassment The run-off elections took place on Oct. 3. eration," he said. liberation movements. campaign by ticketing our campaign cars On that day, "the cops put on a two-man In discussing what other auto workers Subscriptions are $7.50 for 26 issues. and trucks and anything that had Ron detail just to harass us. They ran us out around the country can do, he said, "First Mail your subscription to: March's picture on it. This went on all day. of Hamtramck center completely. They of all I would say they should organize. If Intercontinental Press, P. 0. Box 635, "Finally, after the polls were closed at would not let us park our campaign trucks one brother reads this interview and digs Madison Square Station, New Yorlc, 5:30p.m. -at around 6:15p.m. -the elec­ in town. it, he should find another brother, and the N.Y. 10010. tion results were in and showed that.March 'We used the trucks to transport the two of them should organize. You should had won with 536 votes, and the second brothers up to the polls. We had our big stay independent, this is the trick. Every­ Name ... guy, who was pro-Reuther, had 521. There rush hour between 3 and 5:30 p.m. We body organizes among themselves, and were 28 candidates in all, and there were just poured our forces at the gates, just then you unite all of the organizations for Address . approximately 3,000 votes cast in the first blocked traffic and went through our thing. a cause, like a liberation front. They can election. We were not harassed by the cops at that write to: DRUM, cfo Inner City Voice, City ...... State ..... Zip "The police were sitting in the Local hall time. 8661 Grand River, Detroit, Michigan when the results came in, and when they "The retirees voted in this election. They 48204." Page 4 THE MILITANT Friday, December 6, 1968 Ray defense: 'leftists' murdered Dr. King? College of Malcolm X Recent articles in the New York Times and Look magazine indicate the possibility On Nov. 22 representatives of the Black of attempts to use the trial of James Earl Liberation Movement in Santa Cruz, Calif., Ray, accused assassin of Martin Luther will meet with members of the University King, as a vehicle for smearing the left. of California board of regents to present It was revealed in the Nov. 10 Times their demand for a "College of Malcolm X." that Arthur J. Harris, the lawyer recently The proposed college would be set up at fired by Ray, was planning to carry out the University of California complex in his defense on the fantastic assumption that Santa Cruz, where 20 new colleges are the assassination was plotted and financed scheduled to be constructed. The Black by 'black militants with foreign ties." Ac­ Liberation Movement, supported by mem­ cording to the Times, Harris said that he bers of the black community in Santa had concluded that the only organizations Cruz, is proposing that the seventh col­ capable of carrying out the elaborate plan lege be devoted to the study of the "black which allowed the assassin to kill King and experience." elude capture for two months was either the A brochure published by the Committee CIA or 'black militants with Red Chinese for the College of Malcolm X explains that or Cuban backing." Harris, who was elected the name of the college is representative of mayor of Birmingham on a racist platform the type of institution envisioned. "This and who is a supporter of segregationist name speaks directly to the majority and Eugene (Bull) Conner, apparently decided minority groups in this country, defining on the latter. the ideal of the college more precisely There is no way of knowing what will be than 'Afro-American' or 'Black Studies,' the line of defense of Ray's new lawyer, by identifying the program with the ideas Percy Foreman. When asked what he of this great man," the brochure says. thought of Harris' theories, Foreman de­ Further information on the project, in­ clined comment. cluding copies of the brochure, can be The Times article appeared concurrently obtained by writing to the Black Libera­ with the publication of a sensational series Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. tion Movement, P. 0. Box 1502, Santa Malcolm X of articles in Look magazine which quotes Cruz, Calif. 95060. James Earl Ray as saying that he was der, "nobody told me anything about any involved with other conspirators in a plot planned murder of King or anyone else." Dismissed to kill King. The series is written by author Ray's letters to Huie contain detailed de­ New alliance William Bradford Huie, and is based on a scriptions of how he lived during the months correspondence he has been having with before the assassination. He relates how he Two political-science teachers have been Ray who is in jail in Memphis awaiting carried out a number of tasks assigned to The Student Nonviolent Coordinating dismissed from their positions at Wilson trial. him by "Raoul," including the smuggling of Committee and the National Black Liber­ .Junior College in Chicago after they failed According to Huie, Ray wrote him that three packages by car from Windsor, On­ ators have announced the formation of a to live up to an agreement made with the his only contact with the apparent "plot­ tario, to Detroit and the smuggling of a political alliance between the two orga­ Afro-American History Club last March ters" was through a man who identified tire, apparently containing contraband, nizations. that they use works by black authors in himself as "Raoul." Raoul is described as across the Texas-Mexican border. The National Black Liberators is an or­ the cdurse curriculum. having promised Ray, an escaped convict, At the end of the second article Huie ganization based in St. Louis which was When the Afro-American History Club travel papers and $12,000 to go into busi­ draws some conclusions about the case formed last summer. According to a recent demanded that the teachers be removed, ness in a new country if he would carry which he says are based on "what I know SNCC press release, the Liberators were the president of the predominantly black' out certain "activities." and what I have learned from Ray." Huie organized around "political and economic college as well as the 118-member faculty Ray is quoted as saying that although he asserts that the King assassination was issues, as well as the ideology of self­ acted under the direction of the conspirators "planned, not by impulsive men who hated defense." On the local level the Black Lib­ council agreed to the demand, and on Nov. 17 the two teachers received letters as early as eight months before the mur- him personally, though they probably did erators have formed coalitions with black hate him, but by calculating men who informing them of their dismissal. and radical white groups in Missouri and wanted to use his murder to trigger vio­ Illinois. They have also created "deputy lent conflict between white and Negro citi­ chapters" elsewhere in the Midwest. Six blacks face zens." Paterson cops exposed "He was murdered by a white man, or Predicts "racial incidents" white men, who would be described as A Pentagon spokesman predicted recent­ murder charges 'Southerners' or 'racists,"' H uie writes. ly that "racial incidents" are likely to in­ "Dr. King was the secondary, not the pri­ A Passaic County grand jury has charged crease in Vietnam. Jack Moskowitz, who mary target. The primary target was the Paterson, N.J., cops with using "terrorism" bears the unlikely title of "Deputy Assistant in Kentucky United States of America." and "goon squad" tactics during an out­ Secretary of Defense for Civil Rights," has It's hogwash, but it apparently sells burst in the black community last July. said that he bases this prediction on his re­ Last Sept. 1 in Berea, Ky., five black magazines. A statement released by the jury said cent investigations of "racial troubles" in men defended themselves against an at­ that "unimpeachable witnesses"had testified Vietnam. tack by members of the racist National that the police had assaulted numbers of "The young Negro serviceman is ex­ States Rights Party. In the resulting shoot­ ACLU in Tenn. black and Puerto Rican people caught in pressing his black awareness," Moskowitz out two men were killed- one black and isolated areas, beating them viciously. In said. "He is not going to be sloughed off. one white. protests vote other instances during the so-called "riot," He is not going to suffer ir:dignities." According to the November Southern police broke windows of stores owned by Patriot, the entire black community and black people and even hurled tear gas into many of the whites are supporting the six irregularities the headquarters of the Southern Christian black men who are charged with murder­ Leadership Conference. Seek funds to aid ing Elza Rucker, the sergeant of arms of The American Civil Liberties Union in Despite the unimpeachable witnesses, no the States Rights Party. Murder charges Nashville, Tenn., reported a number of charges have been brought against the have also been brought against the eight irregularities in the Nov. 5 presidential guilty cops. A number of black groups are States Righters for the death of 36-year­ elections, including the last-minute, unex­ filing suit urging that the state attorney Denver Panthers old George Boggs. plained dropping of the Socialist Workers general take over the case from the Passaic The shooting occurred after five Afro­ Party from the state ballot. The SWP was County prosecutor. They point out that the A defense fund has been set up to aid Americans who were returning from a on the ballot in 19 states. county prosecutor is a member of the local Denver Black Panther Party Captain hunting trip drove their car by a States Other irregularities included the refusal law firm in which the head of the board Lauren Watson who has been framed on Rights Party loudspeaker which was blar­ to allow certain students to register al­ of fire and police commissioners is the charges of "conspiring" with eight others ing racist speeches into the black commu­ though they had lived in Tennessee for senior partner. to burn a cleaning establishment during nity. the required year before the election; the a revolt in the black community in Denver One of the five, Doug Moran, said that denial of places for write-in votes; and the last September. all they intended to do was toseewhat was fact that "most of the locations authorized All persons interested in contributing to happening. "They drew first," he said. 'When for registration during the two days of the fund may do so by sending a donation we drove up, they said: 'You damned nig­ supplementary registration were in white, to the Lauren Watson Defense Fund, cjo gers, what do you want? Go away from middle-class neighborhoods." CAL·ENDAR Rev. Russell Simpson, 2510 Vine St., Den­ here.' And we said, 'We aren't going any­ Meanwhile, the ACL U in Minnesota ver, Colo. 80205. where. We live here.' And we hadn't fin­ forced a local election board to count the The frame-up of Lauren Watson is part ished saying that before they shot-shot votes for minority parties which it had LOS ANGELES of a general campaign in Denver to vic­ right into my car. I've lived in Berea all earlier refused to do (see The Militant, MARXIST RADIO COMMENTARY, now weekly, by timize militant black youth. Five days be­ my life, and I've never seen anything like Nov. 22). Theodore Edwards, Socialist Workers Party. Mondays, fore Watson was arrested, Police Chief that. Not even in Korea." In that case the election board in Lake­ 6:45 p.m.; repeated Tuesdays, 10:15 a.m. KPFK Seaton was quoted in the Denver Post as After the shoot-out, the police confiscated ville, a town of about a thousand people, (90.6-FM). blaming the problems of the black commu­ more than 20 weapons from the States had not counted votes for minority parties • nity on 'black militants." He charged Wat­ Righters. Four were taken from the black and refused to do so even after the issue NEW YORK son, who he referred to as a "self-professed men, two of which had not been fired. was made public. Action by the ACL U MIUTANT 40TH ANNIVERSARY BANQUET. Sot., Dec. Black Panther" with being part of a general The six defendants are all in their 30s changed the picture. 14. 6:30 p.m.: BANQUET, delicious load and drink. plot to "take over and run things" in Denver. and 40s. Most are married and have chil­ Two votes for the Peace and Freedom 8:30 p.m.: PROGRAM, featuring Farrell Dobbs, na­ When Captain Watson spoke at an anti­ dren. Three have lost jobs as a result of Party, one vote for the Socialist Workers tional secretary, Socialist Workers Party. Contrib. war rally in Denver Nov. 2, he said he the case. One of the defendants- George Party, and one write-in vote for Eugene S2.50 (S1.75, under 18, Sl for program only.) 873 thought the charges were brought against Boggs' brother-was not even on the scene McCarthy were subsequently recorded. Broadway (near 18th St.) Ausp. Militant Labor Forum. him as part of an attempt by the district when the shooting occurred. • attorney to win white votes . No trial date has been set, but the legal SAN FRANCISCO Three days after the rally, Watson was expenses of preparing the case have already HAVE YOU MOVED? If so please THE STUDENT STRUGGLE IN MEXICO. Speaker: San­ victimized again by the Denver cops. A begun. To contribute, send donations to notify our business office of your tiago Ramirez, Mexican student. Documentary films police car trailed Watson's car and then the Concerned Citizens Committee, Dr. D. new address, including ZIP. of recent student struggles. Fri., Dec. 6, 8:00 p.m. arrested him on 11 different traffic viola­ W. Epling and Loyal Jones, Box 228, 2338 Market St., Ausp. Militant labor Forum. tions and for "resisting arrest." Berea, Ky. Friday, December 6, 1968 THE MILITANT Page 5

By Dianne Gannon SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 25-The stu­ dent strike at San Francisco State College initiated by the Black Student Union ( BS U) enters its third week with increasing num­ Students, faculty bers of students and faculty committed to its demands. The strike is centered on de­ mands by black and other minority stu­ dents to have the right to determine their education. These include the establishment of a black studies department and a school of ethnic studies, as well as the reinstatement of ra lly behind blacks George Murray, Black Panther minister of education. Murray was suspended from his job as a teaching assistant for exercising his free-speech rights. The massive strike support expresses a deepening solidarity with the black libera­ • tion movement by white students and fac­ ulty members. Concretely, it illustrates how S.F. State strike a minority can perform a vanguard func­ tion, mobilizing and radicalizing the major­ ity. When the faculty joined the students in striking- and with continual campus pres­ ence of the tactical squads-school was officially closed on Nov. 13. The trustees, who included people like Katherine Hearst of the Hearst newspaper chain, corpora­ tion lawyer James Thatcher, and Dudley George Murray Swim of Del Monte foods, as well as Max dents comprise only three percent of the rush the crowd. They were equipped with that the convocation cannot grant the 10 Rafferty and Ronald Reagan, called for student population, a decrease of seven a tear-gas gun, but the presence of so many demands. However, the convocation itself an immediate reopening of the campus. percent in the last seven years, yet half of student and faculty members forced them is a tremendous pressure tool on the ad­ The trustees have stated that discussion the State of California is made up of minor­ to reconsider. ministration and the trustees. on the issues can occur only after "law and ity peoples. After the tactical squad withdrew with Discussions springing up around cam­ order" have been restored. But despite the Elliot Goodman of the BSU, in the tradi­ three hostages, students discovered classes pus are the real sources of education on pressure, faculty and students have refused tion of Malcolm X, said that the only way were still meeting. They went into the build­ campus. These discussions indicate a grow­ to reopen the school. that a people would receive their freedom ings a second time. Again the tactical squad ing understanding of the black liberation When college president Smith called stu­ is when they show the enemy their willing­ movement. Leaflets continue to pour out; dent-faculty departmental meetings, the art, marched onto the campus, and a helicopter ness to do anything to get it. Other minor­ informal departmental caucuses are being psychology, sociology, drama, and social kept circling overhead. As the squad with­ ity students, including Chicanos and Chin­ drew, they beat those who were standing born; more and more people are being won welfare students voted to continue the strike. ese Americans, also spoke in support of nearby. over to the side of the strike. The anthropology department refused to Black and white are united in the fight conduct classes on campus, and other de­ the demands. By Nov. 22, there were massive pickets against racism although they are organiza­ partments passed various resolutions call­ Un the second morning of the convoca­ in front of every building on campus. The tionally separate. Thus far, victimization ing for the withdrawal of the cops and the tion, the students again set up picket lines faculty demanded that Smith meet with has been minimal-less than 15 students reinstatement of George Murray. around the building. They went into class­ them. Meanwhile, Mayor Alioto, who has have been arrested, a handful beaten, and When Smith announced that he was re­ rooms, taking pictures of those teachers launched vicious attacks on George Murray two suspended. This is despite the presence opening school with massive aid of the who held classes, compiling lists of the and the Panthers, came outwithaproposal of the tactical squad, helicopters, telescopic cops, the faculty voted instead to call a classes that met, and encouraging students to have classes discuss the BSU demands campuswide convocation for the purpose to respect the strike and attend the convo­ for Thanksgiving week, with classes re­ lenses on top of buildings, and plainclothes of discussing demands. Smith announced cation. turning to subject matter the following week. cops. These cops, when spotted, are photo­ that classes would reopen anyway, declar­ At a massive BSU rally that noon, stu­ In other words, getthe classes into function­ graphed and followed until they are forced ing "the faculty vote was not representative." dEmts were asked to go into classrooms ing units once more, and then the strike to leave the campus. The majority of the faculty defied him and bring out the students and faculty who will be broken. Solidarity rallies, demonstrations, and forcing Smith himself to participate in the were still in classes. Close to 2, 000 students The faculty got Smith to agree to reestab­ strikes have occurred at other state col­ convocation. Minority students, the faculty poured into the buildings and dispersed lish the convocation. The BSU-TWLF leges, including Chico State, San Jose State, and administrators participated in a panel classes. (Third World Liberation Front, a coalition and Sacramento State colleges. L. A. stu­ as thousands crowded into the main audi­ Plainclothes cops, who had swarmed onto of black organizations) laid down three dents demonstrated against the trustees at torium and the various rooms around cam­ campus at the beginning of the strike, tried conditions for resumption of the convoca­ their meeting last week. All state colleges pus where there were closed-circuit TV to arrest several students. Other students tion: all classes cancelled; no cops on cam­ have the same set of businessmen-trustees hookups. The strike which shut the campus came to the aid of their fellow students and pus; the convocation to center around the and are affected by the same repressive down a week before now took a new form. some were able to escape 1''1.d slip into the demands. Smith is attempting to split the trustee control of students, but this is the At the opening session of the convoca­ crowd. One cop was trapped in the hallway convocation up into smaller groups. first time that such spontaneous outbursts tion, BS U spokesmen presented eloquent and students disarmed him. Another cop While the form of the convocation is still of sympathy demonstrations have taken statements reaffirming the need ofminority Maced the students, a third drew his gun, pending, students are beginning to realize place. people to determine the kind of education fired two shots, and ordered a group of relevant to their lives. Jack Alexis of the students to "freeze" as he nervously waved BS U traced the history of American higher his gun around. The students scattered, education, one that has been designed for and none were injured. This is the second the elite, the slavemaster's son. time guns have been used on campus by Nesbitt Crutchfield, a BSU leader who the cops. had been beaten up, handcuffed, and ar­ The tactical squad marched onto campus Panther frame-up rested by the cops on campus the week pre­ with army helicopters hovering overhead. vious, declared that minority students are The faculty tried to get the cops off the fighting for their very survival. Black stu- campus. The tac squad stood ready to • JOO black students jailed 1n S.F. falls apart • By George Johnson In Oshkosh protest action NOV. 25-An attempted all-out war by from San Francisco State College. Both the city of San Francisco on the Black San Francisco daily newspapers ran scare By William Clary office. Panther Party fell on its face last week. stories, inspired by police accounts of the OSHKOSH, Wis. -A hundred black stu­ The cops were soon there and the stu­ Charges were dropped against seven of shooting. dents and several white supporters were dents given two minutes to get out or be eight Panthers after a shoot-out Nov. 19 But a black ex-cop, now involved in jailed here Nov. 21 as a result of the jailed. They elected to stay. in which three cops were wounded, two community-service projects, had doubts. refusal of racist school administrators to They were then herded into two Hertz of them seriously, when they stopped a He asked: "First of all, is it reasonable carry out student demands they had agreed rent-a-trucks. At the police station they marked Panther news delivery van. that a white truck, clearly marked 'Black to. were charged with disorderly conduct and Eldridge Cleaver, Panther minister of Panther the Community News Service' The black students at Wisconsin State unlawful assembly. Bail was set at $250 information, charged that the shooting would be used in a holdup by anyone? University here entered Dempsey Hall, each. was the work of an agent provocateur, It's far too easy to spot. the administation building, and demanded An appeal for bail money was sent as was a gas-station holdup police claimed "Is it reasonable that eight intelligent that school president Roger Guiles sign throughout the state, and many, including was committed by eight Panthers from the Black Panthers, some of them leaders of certain demands agreed to on Oct. 20. the Madison Young Socialists, responded truck. The truck was marked, "Black Pan­ the party, would rob and risk arrest for These demands were: generously. The majority were released ther the Community News Service," and $80? e The hiring of black instructors; by the next morning. was being used to transport Panthers to "If they were involved in a robbery, at e The addition of African history and The students have been suspended by a meeting across the Bay in Oakland.. 2890 3rd St., near Army, why would other Afro-American courses; the university and have 10 days to appeal. According to reports, the cops who were they go towards the police station instead e Establishment of a black cultural cen­ If they don't appeal in that time they are wounded had stopped the truck after a of onto the bridge? ter open to blacks and whites. automatically expelled. On appeal, their gas-station manager allegedly informed ''Why-would the Panthers force a shoot­ The administration had said the demands cases will be reviewed, with the final out­ police that such a truck had been involved out with the cops in a well-marked truck, would be met, but no action was taken. come dependent on the university in an $80 holdup at his gas station. Clea­ in a well traveled cop neighborhood, with Then, on Nov. 21, when the students hierarchy. ver also said the Panthers believe the gas­ no good escape route?" entued Dempsey Hall seeking the presi­ Oshkosh has a long history of racism. station manager was in the payofthecops. It was also pointed out that one of the dent's endorsement of the agreed-on de­ Last year, area barbers refused to cut The day after the shoot-out, Mayor Alio­ wounded cops was the policeman who mands and he refused to comply, tempers blacks' hair. Black students have always to, who is a lawyer, called for a grand­ wrote the report in the slaying of a black were lost. Some students gave vent to their had a problem finding housing in the city. jury investigation of the Panther leadership San Franciscan ·by an off-duty cop last anger against the racist administration, Judge Sitter, who will be trying the stu­ for conspiracy. The grand jury, however, month. The report was later reported to and some wip.dows were broken and some dents, reportedly has been known to use refused. Alioto has been in the forefront have been falsified by the author, who is files overturned. Students occupied Guiles' the word "nigger" while on the bench. of attempts to fire Panther George Murray said to have been "uptight about the blacks." Page 6 THE MILITANT Friday, December 6, 1968

Ernest Mandel: 1mpress1ons• • of U.S. politics

Washington, D. C. April 1968-Black rebe

Ernest Mande~ the editor of the Bel­ grationist legislation which was gaining Society and the KKK. And if you look Jewish and, to a lesser extent, Irish origin, I gian socialist weekly La Gauche (The ground in each Congress. at these organizations, you realize that which were kept well in hand by the Dem­ c Left), recently spent two months on a Obviously, this idyllic view does not they are weaker than in 1962, the time ocratic electoral machine. lecture tour in the United States. correspond to what 1s happening in the of my last visit. The number of activists This was a totally disparate coalition. c Upon returning to Europe, he was asked, United States today. What is occurring there is very low. The surface manifes­ It represented 60 percent of the American t in an interview, to give his impressions of today is a process of polarization. And tation of this phenomenon is that the fight­ electorate. It was sustained by a certain c the American political scene. This was this means that the center-left forces, which ing, the brawls, and the confrontations number of totally contradictory factors. published in the Nov. 9 issue of La Gauche. were the predominant forces in American are not between the activists of the right In the first place, there was the completely z The following translation ofthe interview political life, are being reduced from both and left but between left activists and the exceptional prosperity of American capi­ is by Intercontinental Press. directions. They are losing to the right police. talism, which enjoyed a monopoly of pro­ l and they are losing to the left. These are The only considerable forces the right ductivity on the world market, ena,bling Question: What is the most outstanding the reasons in brief for their pessimism. can lean on are not extralegal forces but it to pay its workers wages two to three feature of American political life today? the establishment, the police and part of times above the level of the workers in Answer : I think that there is a striking Q: Why doesn't this pessimism cor­ the Army. But that's considerable. Western Europe. c contrast between the pessimism which pre­ respond to the reality? In the second place, it was maintained by l: vails in the traditional, moderate left circles A: Very briet1y because the center-left's Q: Is there an economic crisis with re­ the American workers' lack of political class r in the United States-which is what they losses to the rignt which are summed up percussions in the political field? consciousness. The American working c call the liberal left, the left integrated into in the Wallace phenomenon, and the slight A· There is no economic crisis in the class still has a very acute class conscious­ t the Democratic Party, the unions, the tradi­ shift of the middle classes toward Nixon United States and there is no question of ness as far as defending its wages goes, but tional black organizations like the is a short-term development produced by one. There is talk of a recession next it has no political consciousness, no tradi­ t NAACP-a pessimism that goes so far complex and contradictory causes. For year. But I don't want to say anything tion of independent political action. Above 1 as to predict a police state (the term comes some, but only a small minority, this is about that because these are minor fluc­ all, it has no socialist internationalist poli­ r from Walter Reuther, the head of the auto­ a backlash against the gains and the radi­ tuations. The real income of the workers tical traditions. And as long as its wages mobile workers union) in the near future, calization of the black people. For others is starting to decline. Real wages are are maintained, it is inclined to toler ate if not an American fascism . . . I think it is simply a protest against the prevailing higher than ever in spite of the rise in the American imperialism's foreign policy so that there is a striking contrast between kind of politics, against the "establishment," cost of living, but the tax increases have long as it does not cause too many tremors c this pessimism and the reality which is a protest which might be just as much produced a slight drop in the net real in American society. entirely different. against the war in Vietnam, against infla­ family income and in wages. However, And in the third place, the coalition was r And it is very difficult for foreign ob­ tion, the rising cost of living, and a lot this is a minimal decline in relation to maintained by the continuation of racial servers to comprehend this reality right of other things that are not going right the heights attained at the end of 1965. segregation in the South and the passivity t off. To grasp this reality you have to in the United States. This might be cause for, let us say, of the black masses and even of the black l get an insight into American society But what is striking about all these irritation. But it is an entirely minor youth, whose only desire at the time was I' through people who are genuinely linked rightward reactions is their lack of or­ phenomenon. The prosperity is still such integration into American society, thus t with what can be called the vital forces ganization and solidity. What is involved that there are no economic causes to pro­ identification with white rule and conversely of the American nation. is much more a mood than an organi­ voke any reaction from the majority of nonidentification as blacks. The pessimism of the traditional, mode­ zation. the working class. And in the fourth place, the coalition rate left is easy to explain. This left be­ What is most conspicuous about the It is a different matter for the really was maintained by the predominance of the a lieves in gradual progress. It regarded Wallace movement is that it is not an poor minority strata. And these poor lay­ traditional moderate '1iberal" left (they c the Roosevelt coalition, the coalition of organization, at least not yet. What is ers are much larger than generally be­ would be called radical socialists in 0 the Democratic Party with the unions and most salient is its inability to develop lieved. The poverty in the big cities is the most moderate black organizations, as a body of activists. The only Wallace shocking. New York and Chicago have eternal. It saw progress in the form of activists are the members of the old ultra­ slums of the sort no longer seen in half social legislation, in the form of the inte- right organizations like the John Birch of the cities in Europe. The Scandinavian countries, Switzerland, West Germany, Holland, and even Belgium no longer have the massive concentrations of poverty that you see in various American big cities.

Q: Does this contradiction between the haves and the disinherited masses create only irritation, or is this expressed in a deeper malaise? A: The political crisis the United States is going through has more complex causes. They cannot be reduced simply to the problem of the antithesis between the rich and the poor. I would go back to the for­ mula I just used. What is beginning to shake the stability of American society is a process of political polarization. For almost 35 years this celebrated Roosevelt coalition governed the United States. Even during eight years of the Eisenhower administra­ tion it remained unshaken. This coalition was a phenomenon absolutely unique in the world. And its nature, let us say, its unnatural nature, escaped most observers on the European left. What were the components of this coali­ tion? There were three. There was the "lib- · era!" big bourgeoisie -liberal and imper­ ialist of course-the New York bankers. There were the unions, with the small train they still had of liberal black organiza­ tions. And there were also the Southern Bourbons, that is the most retrograde, the most reactionary part of the American bourgeoisie and petty bourgeoisie. The pawns of this coalition were the workers, who though unionized lacked political con­ sciousness, above all the large groups of relatively recent immigrants- particularly GI PRAY-IN. Antiwar protest at Ft. Jackson, South < Ernest Mandel addresses New York SDS meeting. the masses of Italian, East European, and have begun to participate in mass actions against the w )8 Friday, December 6, 1968 THE MILITANT Page 7

Okinawa vote setback for U.S.

Ruling circles in Washington and Tokyo about includes the use of tankers from suffered a stunning setback when the people Okinawa to refuel Guam-based B-52 bomb­ of Okinawa and the rest of the Ryukyu ers used to rain death on Vietnam. Nuclear island chain voted in favor of ending U. S. weapons are stockpiled on the island for control and again becoming part of Japan, possible use against China. They could and in favor of getting the U.S. military be delivered via Mace-B missiles or F-105 bases off their islands. They registered jets. their stand in the election for chief executive The Times pointed to another concern of of the Ryukyu Islands. the Pentagon: the difficulty of finding as When 94 percent of the vote had been convenient a base somewhere else in counted, the clear victor was Chobyo Yara, Southeast Asia if the U. S. should be forced who was backed by the Socialist and Com­ to get out. munist parties. He defeated Junji Nishime, "In addition to Okinawa's strategic loca­ president of the Liberal-Democratic Party tion, its value has been great because the of Okinawa and former mayor of Naha, military has had almost complete freedom 1968-Black rebellion in wake of assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. the island's capital. of movement of American forces in and out The central issue in the election was the of the islands, subject to none of the poli­ n, France) among the intellectuals and stu­ A second factor working against the popular demand for an end to the United tical restrictions imposed on bases on n- dents. Roosevelt coalition is the Vietnam war. States occupation of Okinawa, its return another country's soil." These four elements have begun to break The war has provoked a very broad to Japan, and the dismantling of American Although the political will of the Okina­ 1. down in recent years. This began with reaction among the students and intellec­ military bases in the Ryukyus. Yara had wan people has been made clear in the n the blacks. Blacks who, under the pressure tuals. This reaction, whose breadth is campaigned for immediate reversion of election, their new chief executive will be n of various factors- the mechanization of underestimated in Europe, is very import­ the island group to Japan, while his con­ severely limited in the effective action he ;, agriculture in the South, the industriali­ ant. It has completely changed the Amer­ servative opponent had supported Sato's can carry out. His proposals must be y zation of the South, the rural exodus, ican political climate and gives the best plan for drawn-out negotiations on the approved by the real ruler of the one i­ mass shift from the South to the North­ answer to those who talk about a semi­ question with Washington, with an implicit million people on the island, the United )- blacks who were urbanized, proletarian­ fascist danger or police state in the United guarantee that U.S. bases would remain States high commissioner. g ized, and radicalized, began to reject the States. I would say that we have never even if formal control were restored to The election represents a preliminary ~e goal of integration pure and simple. They seen in an imperialist country such a Tokyo. victory in the big battle shaping up over n became aware of their identity as blacks, vast and radical opposition to a war A mass movement opposed to the Amer­ the renewal of the Japan-U.S. Security of the dual oppression that weighs on them in progress as that manifesting itself in ican occupation has mushroomed in Oki­ Treaty in 1970. y both as poor people and as blacks. This the United States today. nawa. The recent election itself was a con­ ;s has been expressed above all in the radi­ We were privileged to see the birth of cession won by the mass mobilization of g calization of black youth, the birth of the a new stage in the antiwar movement, the Okinawan people. It was the first election s­ black power movement, etc. which is basing itself more and more on for chief executive since the U.S. ad­ Guerrilla attack lt Then a profound cleavage developed in the soldiers themselves. In October there ministration began. i- the Democratic Party between the Southern were a series of demonstrations by soldiers The .Japanese press described the Sato re Bourbons who wanted to fight any move­ supported by the population. In San Fran­ government as "shocked" by the leftist victo­ 1n Venezuela i- ment for faster integration, and the mono­ cisco, 500 soldiers demonstrated backed ry. Takeo Fukuda, general secretary of

~s polist bourgeoisie of the North who wanted up by 15,000 persons. And similar dem­ the ruling Liberal-Democratic Party, ner­ te to stem the black radicalization by speed­ onstrations took place elsewhere, and even vously expressed the hope that Yara would Some 15 guerrillas attacked the police 0 ing up integration somewhat and making in the South. follow "realistic and constructive policies." station in the small town of San Vicente :s concessions to the black vanguard. This movement calls for democratic Yara announced that he would set up in the state of Apure, the Venezuelan autho­ It can not be said yet that the broad rights for soldiers and especially freedom a committee to study the gradual closing rities reported Nov. 12. The guerrillas set fire to the building in lS masses of black people have broken with of speech, organization, and freedom to of American bases. ll the Democratic Party. Analysis of the elec­ demonstrate. The soldiers thus are demand­ Sa to is not the only one who was worried which court is held. They also staged a rally and painted the walls of the town with :y tions may show that the loyalty of the ing the right to protest against the war and by the radical victory in Okinawa. The slogans. k black masses to the Democratic Party was to call for the immediate withdrawal of New York Times pointedly commented Nov. 12 that it "may also affect the long­ Troops and police were sent to the region lS greater than that of any other strata of American troops from South Vietnam. And the American population. But this caused it seems moreover that this movement is range planning of the United States mili­ to track down the freedom fighters. IS Two days later, the military reported that ly a split in the Democratic Party in the also spreading among the soldiers in South tary commanders in Asia and the Pacific, South, a beginning of a split with the Vietnam. who regard Okinawa, the largest island a different group of guerrillas ambushed a force of the National Guard at a place appearance of the Wallace phenomenon The Vietnam war has had considerable in the Ryukyu chain, as a forward base called Los N aranjos in the state of Sucre. and the emergence of the first black radi­ weight in the creation of a second center of vital importance to the American defense Three soldiers were wounded and an cal groupings, which were the first centers of radicalization among the students and posture in Asia .... of agitation among the students. intellectuals. There has been an enormous "American military commanders have officer was killed. According to the Ministry of Defense, change in comparison to 1962, when I recently termed the big air bases in Oki­ first visited the U. S. We can say that nawa vital to the air defense of Taiwan three guerrillas were captured. The others today the American universities have in and of South Korea succeeded in esc.::ping, abandoning their fact become centers of radicalism as never The "defense" the generals are talking arms as troops pursued them. before except to some extent at the begin­ ning of the thirties. There is no univer­ sity- and I visited about thirty -where there are not radical student groups hold­ ing the center of the stage or where there are no professors of radical or advanced socialist opinions. Still to be considered are the last two components of the split coalition. We can say that the polarization is going to have a contradictory effect on one of them­ Northern big capital. Bigcapitalingeneral also polarizes when it is confronted with a mass radicalization. One wing will want to go further in granting reforms, the other toward taking a harder line. The fourth component is left, the most important one, and the most enigmatic one as well-the mass of workers. The answer to the question of what this mass will do has nothing to do with demonic formulas such as the worker masses being racist, frustrated, moving toward fascism. These factors affect only small minorities. The future responses of these masses de­ pend essentially on one factor, whether or not the system is able to assure that the high standard of living will be main­ tained and that it will continue to improve. If the answer is yes, then the outlook for the United States is not fascism but a con­ tinuation of the relative stability which this society has known over the last 30 years. If the answer to this question is no, then the outlook by far themostproba­ .. ble is that a third center of radicalization Photo by Barry Sheppard will emerge, a center of radicalization in OPPOSED TO U.S. RULE. Prof. Setsurei Tsurushima, leader of Japanese­ Jackson, South Carolina, last February. Since then Gis the unions and among the workers. Okinawa friendship society, fighting for end of U.S. occupation, talking to Fred ions against the war. That obviously is another question . Halstead in Osaka last summer. Page 8 THE MILITANT Friday, December 6, 1968 Ft. Dix Gl announces servicemen's teach-in

By Joel Aber PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 23-Antiwar G I Allen Myers, a member of the Ft. Dix Free Speech Movement, announced today at a news conference the launching of a massive campaign to publicize the G I Teach-In to take place at the University of Pennsylvania on Dec. 7. Featured speaker at the teach-in, which has been organized by and for active-duty Gis, is Brig. Gen. Hugh B. Hester, U.S.A., ret. General Hester spoke at the massive Oct. 12 antiwar march led by 500 active­ duty Gls in the Bay Area. According to Myers, "The fact that Hester is speaking will make it very embarrassing for Gen. Collins [commanding general at Dix] to tell guys that they are forbidden to go to hear another general." Other features of the teach-in include a panel of lawyers speaking on Gls' rights, Media focuses on Gl who a panel of recent Vietnam veterans, and an open mike for any G I to speak. During the next two weeks, Myers said, Gls will be bombarded with leaflets about got brass to back down the teach-in as they get off of buses and planes in Philadelphia and New York City, Allen Myers By Lillian Hopkins at the Army-Navy football game, which en to visit the barracks to get the word out. NOV. 25- The brass at Ft. Benning, private every day. There wasn't much the will take place in Philadelphia next Satur­ Apparently panic-stricken, the brass react Ga., must be cursing the day they first brass could do about this headache. Re­ day, at the Ft. Dix barracks, and via the by sending a dozen MPs to apprehend each heard the name of draftee Edwin Glover. taliation against Glover- at least the U.S. mail. leafleter, questioning each of us for several More nationwide publicity has been given cruder forms which they had employed in Civilian organizations sharing the job hours, searching us "to make sure that you to their outrageous treatment of the anti­ the past-obviously would not go over of publicizing the event include the Phila­ are not members of the military," handing war GI and to the victory of defense cam­ very well on national television. delphia Student Mobilization Committee to each of us a formal ejection notice, person­ paigns mounted on his behalf. The Army did bust Glover from the rank End the War in Vietnam, Philadelphia ally signed by Gen. Collins, explaining that Glover had been subjected to persecution of private-first-class to E-2, on the grounds Women Strike for Peace, and the New York we may be subject to prosecution if we ever for almost two months, until the author­ that his promotion had been illegal in the Student Mobilization Committee. again enter Ft. Dix, and finally giving us ities were finally forced on Nov. 7 to back first place since there was a "flagging ac­ The attractive brochure advertising the a military-police escort off the base. down. tion" on him at the time. (That is, his rec­ teach-in explains to servicemen, "Our rights Despite the brass, word is getting out. A front-page feature on Glover in the ords were pulled for investigation, during as citizens in uniform will last only so long Meanwhile student antiwar activists have Nov. 18 Atlanta Constitution spread the which time no favorable action is sup­ as we use them. Please join us in defending launched an imaginative campaignofth,eir story around the Southland, and made the posed to be taken.) This petty harassment and exercising the right of free speech for own to get people on the campuses to join young socialist the best known G I at Ft. was not technically a violation of Glover's Gis." the teach-in. Among posters prominently Benning. To counteract the rather sym­ rights, however, and does not undo the This call for the teach-in notes that "in displayed at Penn and Temple are ones pathetic Constitution portrayal, it was felt brass' backdown in the case. recent months, several regulations issued with a photo of Nixon, captioned, ''Would necessary to put forth "the other side of the Glover's victory will help counter the at Ft. Dix have restricted our right to dis­ you buy a used war from this man?" and story" in the local Columbus Ledger and notion that the Army can do anything to cuss thE: war in Vietnam and to express a photo of Lt. Susan Schnall and Airman Inquirer, giving the version of Capt. John an antiwar G I without the world off base our opinions to the American public. As Michael Locks leading the Oct. 12 demon­ Davis, Glover's company commander. ever knowing about it or being able to citizens who have sworn to defend the Con­ stration in San Francisco, captioned, "The On Wednesday evening, Nov. 20, Glover respond. With its overwhelming force and stitution of the United States, we wish to Gls say 'No.' Come totheTeach-InDec. 7." returned to his barracks from his regular its arsenal of regulations, the Army seems consider with all interested G Is the question duty to find CBS television cameras wait­ to have plenty of leeway to put a critic of how best to defend our constitutional ing. CBS filmed an interview with him and under intolerable pressure, ship him out, rights against such regulations." two other Ft. Benning antiwar activists, or put him out of circulation in the stockade. Among the regulations forbidding free Peace now Pvt. Don Pyle and Maury Knutson. Glover (This image is obviously encouraged by speech is one under whichMyerswascourt­ also learned that a story on his case was the military, to intimidate the swelling ranks martialed on Oct. 1. This regulation forbids coming out in Newsweek magazine. of antiwar soldiers.) passing out leaflets which would be "con­ The Army's "private war" against their Although it would be a mistake to under­ trary to the best interests of this command." obscene? Marxist critic was getting less and less estimate the burdens which can be placed At the court-martial, however, the brass on the antiwar G I, this myth of military backed down, apparently for fear that the For the first time, the federal govern­ omnipotence and impunity is disproved by regulation would be tested and thrown out ment is attempting to use "antiobscenity" the obvious restraints under which Glover's in the courts. Gl defender officers are now forced to operate. Even Since G Is are subject to persecution for laws to attack the antiwar movement. This the most isolated Army base is not a fortress exercising their right of free speech at Ft. is the issue involved in the case of Lan­ impervious to the forces of legal defense, Dix, the civilian antiwar movement is or­ caster, Pa., Free Press editor Christian responds to publicity, and mass pressure. ganizing brigades of young men and worn- Eaby, who was arrested by federal mar­ shalls Nov. 4. Last February, the Free Press, an un­ news article derground paper, suggested that recip­ ients of business-reply cards and postpaid New York, N.Y. 'junk" mail write antiwar slogans on them The article by Philip GaileyoftheAtlanta New York hospital strike and return them to their senders. Shortly Constitution which you reprinted in last thereafter, Eaby was called down to the week's Militant is an important example Lancaster postal inspector's office to dis­ of the kind of public interest and attention By Howard Reed ees and their dependents to be paid by the cuss "illegal misuse ofbusiness-replycards" which the GI Civil Liberties Defense Com­ NEW YORK, Nov. 25 -Mental hygiene state. and asked for a sample of his handwriting. mittee hopes will be awarded any soldier workers at three New York state hospitals e Promotional and educational oppor­ After consulting his lawyer, who advised whose rights are violated. There are, how­ thus far have been forced out on strike tunities for all employees. that there is nothing illegal about returning ever, two points in this article on Pfc. since Nov. 18, because Gov. Rockefeller business-reply cards inscribed with antiwar Edwin Glover which warrant clarification. has denied them the right of an election When the strike started city and state slogans, Eaby refused to give the sample. The Constitution says that the Pentagon to determine whether they will be repre­ officials suddenly became "concerned" Then, on Nov. 4, Eaby was arrested and and Ft. Benning have been besieged with sented by the Civil Service Employees As­ about the mental patients. It is common charged with having sent five obscene post "angry telegrams and letters from Glover's sociation- an "independent" organization knowledge that atrocious conditions exist cards to different magazines. He had been civilian 'comrades.' " That's putting it a bit with the qualities of a company union-or in mental hospitals all over the state, with indicted secretly by a federal grand jury narrowly. The GI CLDC has received the American Federation of State, County extreme shortages of facilities, staff and Sept. 10, and he has yet to be informed what copies of protest telegrams from Andrew and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO doctors. But now Rockefeller is pointing to "obscenities" he allegedly wrote on the cards Young of the Southern Christian Leader­ (AFSCME). the union in mock horror and blames it. or what sort of "evidence" the government ship Conference, clergymen of various de­ Last year, Rockefeller arbitrarily rec­ Patients were arbitrarily sent home, and will use against him. (The U.S. govern­ nominations, independent students and ognized the CSEA as the sole representa­ the city, whose disgusting hospital facili­ ment presumably finds all antiwar slogans campus groups, prominent antiwar figures, tive of 150,000 state employees. He said ties were themselves exposed in detail a year obscene. ) But on Nov. 19, he was sJa ted to and numerous antiwar committees around that this recognition was for one year only, ago by AFSCME, is suddenly expressing be arraigned in Philadelphia to plead the country. at which time the employees could vote in fear that its own overcrowded facilities "guilty" or "not guilty" to charges the pre­ The Constitution article also suggested a representation election for whichever or­ would be "taxed." cise nature of which he does not know! that Glover is a lonely dissident surrounded ganization they desired. The state has obtained temporary in­ Nov. 4, the day of Eaby's arrest-al­ by hostile G Is who are only too ready However, instead of having an election, junctions and restraining orders against most two months after the indictment was to beat him up. Our information indicates Rockefeller started negotiating last month the union under the Taylor Law, which handed down-was also the day of a that the two physical attacks on Glover with the CSEA for a two-year contract to forbids strikes by public employees, but high-school-student strike in Lancaster he were induced by the promise of three-day last until1970. these have not broken the strike. In addi­ had helped to organize. The choice of this passes, not by some instinctive revulsion AFSCME is also demanding: tion, Rockefeller has continued "bargain­ day for his arrest quite effectively prevented towards his politics. In fact, what is hearte­ e A minimum starting salary of $6,000 ing" with the CSEA and has adamantly his appearing at the students' rally. ning is how many of Glover's fellow Gis a year, with no employee receiving an in­ refused to hold an election. This is an attack on the Lancaster Free stood by him in spite of officers' threats crease of less than $1,500. The average This strike is especially significant be­ Press' first amendment rights, garbed as that anyone seen talking to Glover or wages are currently less than $4,000 a cause it is the first among state employees a phony "obscenity" charge. A defense fund visiting him might get a share of his year. in New York, although there have been has been established to cover the cost of trouble. And a number of them have in­ • Retirement benefits of half pay after many job actions among city employees. legal fees. Contributions and inquiries may dicated interest in his political views. 20 years, with higher benefits for addition­ A victory for the union would pave the be sent to the Christian Eaby Defense Fund, Matilde Zimmerman al years. way for further organizing among the cjo the Free Press, P. 0. Box 592, Lan­ National Secretary, GI CLDC e Health and life insurance for employ- 150,000 New York state employees. caster, Pa. 17604. Friday, December 6, 1968 THE MILITANT Page 9 Mine disaster: a toll of greed

By Dick Roberts mation. One coal miner today can do the And there is one feature of the capitalist NOV. 25 - While the smoke was still 'Disgr.untle.d' job it took five in the immediate postwar system that the viewer of the mine disaster billowing from Consol No. 9 and the fami­ period. But the rate of fatality per worker does not see as he watches the politicians, lies and friends of the 78 trapped miners nexl ol kin has not changed. industry hirelings and trade-union bureau­ were waiting in silent desperation, West The bureau of labor statistics records crats fumble around to explain away the Virginia Governor Hulett C. Smith flew ~'lt,elatives 6fthe78me~.tr::t~~ an average of 200 mine deaths per year mine explosion to the bitter families and into the grief-stricken mining town to make today, where it was 1,000 two decades friends of the workers: the discreetly con­ a brief speech. ~~d .. ~ince J.Vednes?a~ ht ::t.?Y~~~ earlier- exactly corresponding to the de­ in~,··. gas.. ~lled. cpal111it1~ bd~r~ cealed, profit-swollen capitalist owners Chicago Daily News correspondent Wil­ crease in total numbers of mine workers themselves. rl,lpteg a news c(ntfereJ:lce toga,y as a result of the introduction of "modern liam J. Eaton noted the governor's re­ Consolidation Coal is 50 percent owned technology." marks and the response of at least one by shouting out fuattheGons.o~ by three individuals- Ailsa, Paul and Rich­ In fact, Consol No. 9 is owned by Con­ member of the audience: lidativ.··24. the second-highest rate of return on in­ most vividly. It is little wonder that the appraisal." vestment in the country, second only to the apologists for that system are so quick This juxtaposition of the state governor's he knew it and so did everyone else. war industry. to explain that it was all- an "accident." speech and the response of one miner Something was bound to happen." captures the essence of the mine disaster. The mining company attempts to pla­ On one side stands the voracious profit­ cate public opinion by pretending it is gouging of the coal industry and its apo­ doing everything it can to save the mi­ U of Ill. students back logists at the heads of government and the ners. In this case, explosions and fires coal workers' union; on the other side, are spreading through the mine tunnels. the rank-and-file unionists who work in The company claims it is allowing the the mines. fire to spread in the hope that oxygen will get through to the trapped men. 2 victimized activists The grim repetition of mining disasters UPI reports Nov. 21, "Officials of Con­ literally blows the lid off this bitter rela­ By Ellis Burress solidation Coal Co. assured families of tionship of classes: It reveals for everyone CHICAGO, Nov. 23- The University the trapped men at a 'family briefing' to see that capitalist industry knows utter­ of Illinois has suffered a defeat in its that the company had no intention of ly no respect for the life of workers, that attempt to victimize Carl Finamore and sealing the mine's openings 'at this time."' day after day miners work under lethal Genaro Lara, two outspoken political lead­ New York Times reporter Ben Frank­ conditions, and that both the federal and ers on the university's Chicago Circle Cam­ lin describes one of the explosions Nov. state governments have done next to noth­ pus. 22, the following day: "The biggest new ing to make working conditions safe for While the university is still pressing the detonation today was a blast of such the miners. case, Dr. Arnold Hartoch, chairman of force that it shattered and blew off a 26- In such a moment of "crisis," industry, the subcommittee on student discipline - ton concrete and steel temporary cap from government and the top mine-union bu­ the committee that is hearing the case - an airshaft of Consolidation Coal Com­ reaucracy unite to pretend this isn't so. was forced to resign his chairmanship. pany's No. 9 mine. Governor Smith assures the nation that He did so in response to the wide support "Five hundred tons of rock was to be the mine explosion was an "accident," that to Finamore and Lara by students, faculty dumped into the open shaft tonight in an miners know the "hazardous business"they and the campus newspaper. The campus attempt to reseal it." face. press has given the case front-page publi­ The West Virginia coal region has been William Poundstone, executive vice-presi­ city and editorial support. marked by mine disasters. The worst one dent of the mining company, tells reporters The defense case originated from an in this country occurred not far from Con­ that precautions have been taken to prevent Oct. 15 demonstration, organized by the sol No. 9, at Monongah, in 1909, with Ad Hoc Committee to Defend the Farm the methane-gas explosion: "Although a death toll of 362. technically classified as gassy," Poundstone Workers, to protest the purchase of table There have been two explosions in Con­ says, Consol No. 9 "is only a moderately grapes by the U of I student union. Three sol No. 9 since the second world war. weeks after this demonstration, Finamore gassy mine, as mines in this area go." On Nov. 13, 1954, 16 miners were killed And William A. Boyle, UMW president, and Lara, who played a major role in Carl Finamore by a gas explosion and fire that took four organizing and leading the demonstration, piously declares: "I share the grief. I've months to extinguish; the bodies were not Finamore up to his office so that he, Har­ lost relatives in a mine explosion. But as were presented by the university with a recovered until March, 1955, and another series of six charges ranging from "aggra­ toch, could allegedly "wipe up the floor long as we mine coal, there is always the explosion took place in the mine only a with you [Finamore]." danger of explosion. . . . This happens vated assault on a police officer" to '1ead­ month after that. ing a violent and illegal demonstration." After a brief rally that afternoon, Fina­ to be one of the better companies, as far It is true that the total death toll in coal The reason for the delay in presenting more, Lara and witnesses went to Har­ as cooperation with our union and safety mines in this country is lower today than toch's office to demand his resignation and is concerned." the charges was that Finamore was the it was several decades ago; but this fact Socialist Workers Party candidate for gov­ again demand that the hearings be open. The feelings of one miner, a brother-in­ only emphasizes the rapacity of the coal ernor of Illinois, and the university ap­ At this point Hartoch, who had two private law of one of the trapped men, squeezes industry. parently felt it would be politically unwise detectives with him, ordered Finamore ar­ its way into the paragraphs of the New The lower death toll results simply from to make such an attack on a candidate rested for trespassing in his office, and York Times: "It's been filled with gas- the reduction of the labor force by auto- for governor. Finamore pointe::l out that he was not in Genaro Lara has been very active in Hartoch's office, but in the hallway. Fina­ both the antiwar movement and in point­ more then went to find a campus police ing out the racist admissions policies of officer to have Hartoch arrested for threate­ the university regarding Mexican Amer­ ning him with bodily violence. Sometime icans. Only 2 0 of the university's 1 0, 5 00 during these proceedings, Hartoch resigned students are of Mexican extraction. from his chairmanship of the discipline Both Finamore and Lara are leading committee. political activists on the Circle Campus, The next hearing is scheduled for the and in an editorial on Nov. 12, the cam­ afternoon of Tuesday, Nov. 26. At that pus newspaper stated, "It is an open secret time there will be a demonstration to de­ that several UICC [University of Illinois mand that the hearings be open and that Circle Campus] police officers and admi­ the charges be dropped. nistrators have promised to 'get' Finamore sooner or later." Since the charges are an attack by the <3•••~(lPfi*.· .. ••.·.gro~er·~ university with the intent of silencing what lc>ve ·saigon the administration considers unpopular and embarrassing political views, the Com­ N~W>YORK (LNS} -'l'J).e mittee to Defend Finamore and Lara was Vietnam has takett on established to combat this attack on civil wal" m liberties. The committee is demanding that al'l()thet ~conomic safety~va.lve any hearings to be held on the case be fundi~~· •... Califor~ia gral)~S, open to the student body and that all w}),~sEl sales .during the nati,oa.~ charges against the defendants be dropped. wi(}e consumer boyctitt h~ve The committee organized a rally on Nov. 14 at the student union to publicize the shup.ped ne~rly !1)14 million, case. are tl9W' ]Jei:tl.g shipped in huge The committee has also been circulating qua:t).tltie~ to tll~~~r zoJ:le. petitions to gain support for the defendants Ac~()rging •.•. to .. t);le Wall Street and has retained a lawyer. It cooperated J Ot1l'~~J.i grape ~}),~pments to with the Greater Church Federation of Chicago to set up a news conference for Vietna~ d\l~illg the . major the defendants which resulted in several tmop··••·buil

MAJOR STRUGGLE IN ITALY: Workers, students combine forces

NOV. 24- Massive strike actions by fellows in a previous march. Theextension main demand, for the right to political Italian workers coupled with militant stu­ of the protest movement into the high assemblies. dent struggles brought the downfall of the schools marked a new step forward for Students in Bologna and Bari demanded Christian Democratic government of Pre­ the student strikes. more departments in the high schools and mier Giovanni Leone. The strikes continued and deepened as technical schools, and more state scholar­ On Nov. 14 the country was shut down they entered their second day. Thousands ships. by a general strike involving 12 million of high-school students demonstrated in When the massive workers' general strike workers demanding major reforms of the the streets of Rome Nov. 13. Leadersofthe began at midnight, Nov. 13, the students country's social-security program. Five "Student Movement" in Florence declared declared their solidarity. days later the government was hit by a their support for the workers' general strike. strike of a million public employees. Their statement said, "The battles that Public transport was struck in many And, to 'add to the explosive quality of workers carry forward against the exploi­ cities, usually for several hours. Workers these events, thousands of students, en­ tation of one class by another are the same held a rally in Milan that stopped traffic gaged in a struggle for university and high­ battles that the students carry on against in the Piazza del Duomo for more than school reform, joined the workers' move­ the class schools." an hour, while in Turin police attacked ment. Leaflets were distributed in Milan criti­ demonstrators in front of the Fiat plant A series of militant battles preceded the cising the adminstration of the Catholic with tear gas. general strike and walkout of government University. Elsewhere in the city, police The student struggle continued during workers. were used to remove 40 students from the the day of the general strike. In Bologna, Workers in Rome demanding wage raises halls of a high school. 4,000 students held a march protesting clashed with police and with nonstrikers In Ferrara police broke up a sit-in of the closing of a vocational school that COP ATTACK: University of Rome Nov. 8. 800 students at one high school. A hastily had previously been occupied by the stu­ student dragged away by police during Naples was paralyzed the same day by called meeting of the city's high-school dents. The march concluded by joining a massive student action last February a general strike called by all the union principals voted to grant the students' workers' rally. and March. federations to demand government inter­ vention to revive the economy in the area. A thousand high-school students marched in Venice asking for more class­ rooms and more teachers. Similar demon­ strations took place in Florence and Rome. How a 'responsible' paper can The student protests mushroomed into a national movement Nov. 12, when tens of thousands demonstrated across Italy for a voice in school administration and better facilities. help perpetrate a racist hoax In Rome a two-day sit-in closed the Uni­ versity School of Education, postponing entrance examinations. At the University By Ed Smith was omitted: "I felt in a case ofthis gravity of Padua, students cabled the Minister of NEW YORK-The New York Times we didn't want to soup up the evidence," Education protesting the examination sys­ carried a front-page story Nov. 15 that the Times calmly reported Rosenbaum as tem, while at Bari, 1,000 students from the went far toward destroying the case against answering. technical schools held a march to demand Ahmed N a mer and his two sons- the three Rosenbaum also "said the defendants had an assembly hall. Yemini Arabs charged with "plotting" to 'strong ties abroad' and that the New York Minister of Education Scaglia was finally assassinate Richard Nixon. Police Department was interested in 'many, forced to announce the indefinite postpone­ The Times reported that the man who many aspects of the case.' He said the Secret ment of examinations on a national scale. had informed Brooklyn police about the Service and the office of the U. S. Attorney The students, like their counterparts in alleged plot, one Mohammad Algamal, had also talked 'with us on other aspects France, maintain the examinations serve had roomed with the Namers until a week of the case.' He gave no details." to exclude students from the universities before they were arrested. At that time, The following day, with the Namers in who have completed the necessary require­ Algamal quarreled with the Namers, who jail facing maximum penalties of 23-years ments. ousted him from their apartment. imprisonment, the Times finally decided it In Pistoia, high-school students demon­ gin to more than offset her hostile neigh­ Although the three defendants are still might be time to suggest to its readers that strated against the arrest of two of their bors' numerical superiority.'" being held by Brooklyn police, District In addition to this blatantly sensational­ the whole thing may have been a hoax Attorney Elliot Golden admitted that the ist anti-Arab article, the Nov. 11 New York after all. revelation about Algamal cast "reasonable Times carried a second article on the Even the most naive are not likely to be New attack on doubt" on his "credibility." Namers' arrest which revealed that the startled by the fact that the Brooklyn On the surface it appears that the New Times did know from the outset that a very district attorney's office is not above grab­ York Times has lived up to its famous dubious "informer"was involved in the case. bing some headlines by exploiting current Mobutu regime motto and come to the defense of three in­ This article reported on neighbors' views anti-Arab bias and playing along with what nocent victims of a phony police prose­ about the three alleged suspects. A para­ is almost certainly a fake accusation. New evidence of opposition to cution. graph near the end of it stated: "The Namers But it is perhaps worth noting that it's Congolese dictator Mobutu was re­ But the Nov. 15 New York Times reve­ were not known around the Pappas Bar not just the "gutter press" that's capable of vealed by Radio Kinshasa Nov. lation casts just as much doubt over its at 801 Franklin Avenue, where a still un­ joining in on this kind of crooked business. 11. The government station said own role in publicizing the case as it casts identified caller was said to have notified troops had been sent to deal with doubt over the role of the Brooklyn police the police of the alleged plot against the several thousand followers of exe­ in prosecuting the case. President-elect." Algerians release cu ted rebel leader Pierre M ulele. Why did the Times wait for five days This did not discourage the New York The rebels had come out of the after the Namers' arrest to reveal that the Times from proceeding in the following two political prisoners forest at Kilembe near Gungu in whole case against them hinged on pos­ days to blow the case up into an "interna­ Banudngu (formerly Kwilu) prov­ sibly suspect testimony? At the outset neigh­ tional plot" and link it to the young Jor­ bors were suggesting the accusations were ince. The censored broadcast did danian, Sirhan B. Sirh~;~n, the accused jailed after coup not report any details of the action. the work of a disgruntled lodger. slayer of Robert Kennedy. The editors of the influential newspaper On Nov. 12, the Times "disclosed" that The Boumedienne regime in Algeria has might respond that they didn't know the Hussein N amer, the eldest son, ''had been recently released several political prisoners nature of the prosecution's case. But if in California." But District Attorney Golden who have been jailed without trial since that is true, why did they buy the prose­ "could provide no date for any such trip shortly after Ben Bella was overthrown cution's "Arab plot" story to begin with? or trips." in June 1965. Mohammed Harbi, Bach­ Why did they take the lead in publicizing The third day of the case, the New York ir Hadj Ali, and Hocine Zahouane; all this smear and in supplying whatever Times admitted that there was a "secret leaders of the Organisation de Ia Resis­ "evidence" they could come up with to lend informant" involved in the accusations, "but tance Populaire [Popular Resistance Orga­ it credence? the press and public," it alleged, ''were pre­ nization], were freed Nov. 1. Their move­ The New Y ark Times went to press the vented from seeing the informant as he ments are still restricted, and they are night after the three men were arrested, and entered the fourth-floor grand-jury room." banned from entering the Algerian capital. it ran the "plot" story on the front page. Meanwhile, the same article blandly re-. Mohammed Harbi is a revolutionary In addition to giving the Brooklyn police ported, "In an Associated Press dispatch socialist, well known as a journalist and department's version of the arrests, the from AI Matawir, Yemen, yesterday, a the former editor of Revolution Africaine. Times saw fit to add these bits of loaded cousin of Ahmed Namer was quoted as He was a member of the central commit­ "information": having said that Ahmed Namer was a tee of the Front de Liberation N ationale, e "There was no indicati0n ... of any member of the secret police in Aden ..." and was at one time general secretary connection [between the arrests of the It also tossed in the rather murky point of the provisional government of the Yemini Arabs] and the arrest of Edward that "thus far, there has been no indication Republic of Algeria. He went into opposi­ Hotter, a 30-year-old Egyptian, five blocks about what side, if any, the Namers have tion to Ben Bella in 1962, although he from Mr. Nixon's apartment here on a taken in the bitter, five-year war between later supported him against more conserva­ charge of possessing a loaded rifle and a the Yemeni Republicans and the Royalists tive elements in the Algerian government. switchblade knife ...." who oppose the regime." The ORP was formed after the June coup e "Despite Yemen's distance from Israel, On Nov. 13, the fourth day after their in resistance to the Boumedienne regime. some Yemini were described as feeling as arrest, the Namers were indicted on four Three of Ben Bella's close collaborators \' strongly about the Palestine issue as do counts each, including "conspiracy in the were released Nov. 17. These were Hadj \I Arabs in neighboring countries ...." first degree." Oddly, the indictments did Ben Alia, former president of the National \ e "During the campaign, the Nixon cam­ not mention Nixon as the supposed target Assembly; Mohamed Seghir Nekkache, paign committee published a book 'Nixon of the conspiracy. former minister of health, and Abderrah­ on The Issues.' On the Israeli-Arab rela­ The New York Times stated that it asked man Ben Cherif, former minister in charge Pierre Mulele tions, this pledged 'a policy that would Assistant Brooklyn District Attorney of the president's office. Ben Bella him­ give Israel a technological military mar- Harold Rosenbaum why Nixon's name self is still being held. Friday, December 6, 1968 THE MILITANT Page 11 L.A. banquet salutes our 40th birthday

By Della Rossa for its great contribution in the past and LOS ANGELES - James P. Cannon, predict greater contributions in the future." founding editor of The Militant, was sa­ Eduardo Ojeda of the Mexican students' luted with prolonged applause when in­ National Strike Council was given a troduced at a gala banquet here celebra­ prolonged applause by the audience as an ting the paper's fortieth anniversary. expression of international solidarity and The principal speaker of the evening was tribute to the striking students. George Novack, a long-time contributor "I am happy to be here to celebrate to The Militant and a former editor. Other the fortieth anniversary of your courageous

elf tho:: Amnic.1.n 1\~rty an:. speakers represented a number of the pa­ newspaper," Ojeda said. 'We wish we could orqanically up '1,\'Jth the fund~m..::nt.d _yucs­ per's various constituencies. l\0115 ..:onfrontrng the Communist Party ot the publish such a newspaper in Mexico." Soviet Union ~11J thl.' Commtcrn. and cunnot be The spirit of support for The Militant solved separately from them. Tho:: left win~ ot the Dolores Villa, a leading activist in the Amcrian Party, t.lktng sh;tpc 111 th~· prmuple among those present was registered by a .;;.trugglc ac;.umt the ri~ht ,-.·in~ INJcrshrp • >i the Los Angeles Chicano movement and a Party (Lovcstonc·Pcprcr ).(roup) will ~c forward collection of $1,035. member of the Educational Issues Com­ only in~of.1! :t~ it n~.:ogmz~~ the ncc.:~s!ly. nf a strng!llc ,u;ainst the nght ,\anger on an Jl\terna· In a moving address, George Novack mittee, said. "I've read The Militant for tmn,t! scale and links np It~ fights in the Amcri<.:an Party w1th thl· Bohhe·.•Jk h~ht for the lnndamental discussed the role of a Marxist paper as 20 years and it's helped me a great deal tenets of Lcnimsm in the Com1numst Party ut the SoYio.'t un;on ;mJ in th.- Commh:rn. an invaluable tool in the social develop­ in the struggles for my people. I'm happy Thc Oppo.<;ttion in the C• •mmw1i.,t J~.trty SoYid Uni0f1 kJ hy L Trnt~ky l1ao hecn ment of man. and proud to celebrate the fortieth anni­ inr the• umtv uf the .tnJ all the hasis 'lf the vi..:tnry Revolutionaries, he said, have "the nob­ versary with you." lest, most gratifying, and toughest assign­ Attorney William G. Smith, active in the ment mankind has known, the establish­ antiwar movement as an anti draft attorney, ment of a new social relationship, bring­ said, "I salute The Militant on its anni­ ing out the highest of man's potential. versary. I've read it for 10 years and I've "Hate and envy will wither away," he gone to it frequently to find out about continued, because there will be nothing the black struggle and the Cuban Revolu­ in the social structure to sustain them. tion." Shermont Banks, Los Angeles leader Peter Seidman, Los Angeles Young So­ of the Black Panther Party, told the gather­ cialist organizer, said, "Last week we form­ • ing, "I feel proud to be here and to hear ed six new locals of the YSA. We've doubled An historic ISSUe such a speaker as George Novack. I our size in the last year, and The Militant want to have further discussions with him is more important to us than ever before. In celebration of the fortieth anniversary of The Militant, a special on the question of Marx's theory in the It unites us in tenacity, discipline, com­ facsimile issue of Volume I, Number 1 has been issued. Copies, on black liberation struggle." bativity, and the honesty which are neces­ durable paper, are available at $1 each. Jack Sheppard, a steelworker and long sary to the revolutionary struggle." time reader of The Militant, said "The Joel Britton, Los Angeles Socialist Work­ History comes alive as you read this first issue which announces Militant carries the banner which will re­ ers Party organizer, pointed to the paper's formation of a left Opposition to combat developing Stalinist oppor­ arm the workers in the struggle against increasingly significant role in helping to tunism within the Communist Party and Third International. the boss. I proudly salute The Militant promote the rights of Gls as citizens, in­ With that act, a handful of revolutionary fighters declared their de­ cluding their right to oppose the war. A growing number of Gls, he said, are re­ termination to preserve the principles of revolutionary Marxism and garding The Militant as one of their best to oppose Stalinist efforts to divert the international class struggle. allies. By keeping alive the principles of authentic Marxism during those As far as the SWP is concerned, he difficult years, those revolutionary fighters helped lay the basis for said, "The Militant is the best organizer today's growing international revolutionary movement. we have." Their founding program is outlined in Vol. I, Number 1 of The Mili­ tant. It's fascinating reading and very relevant for today. Celebration held Send your dollar for a copy to: in Minneapolis THE MILITANT By David Thorstad 873 Broadway MINNEAPOLIS - A banquet celebra­ ting the fortieth anniversary of the found­ New York, N.Y. 10003 ing of The Militant was one of the most successful affairs of its kind in many years. More than $300 was raised in a collection George Novack, Chairman, for the paper. An autographed copy of the first issue was auctioned off for $52. Militant 40th Anniversary Fund Committee Barry Sheppard, former editor of The Militant, was the principal speaker. He 873 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10003 gave a very moving and stimulating ac­ count of his recent world tour. The dinner was excellent and the hall attractively decorated, with material about I want to help expand and improve The Militant. The Militant and the people who helped sustain it over the years the principal fndos•c:J is my contribution of $_...... _..__..______James P. Cannon theme. The. Great Society

AFRAID OF SNOWBALLS?-President­ anyone sweet talk you into believing that elect Nixon will probably wear striped any other product is 'the same thing.' State ------~------_:_,...... Zip ______;., trousers and a formal coat, but no top Our unique formulation (patent pending) hat, for the inauguration. can't be duplicated. And this secret formu­ lation is the thing that makes our product ------clipondmail ------FAIRY PRINCESS-"Mrs. Aristotle Ona­ work so well.,"- From an advertisement ssis, the former Mrs. John F. Kennedy, in Police Chief magazine. flew to New York last night. ... Health, immigration and customs officials boarded SOCIAL SCIENCE DEP'T - A photo­ the plane shortly after it had landed in graphic study of the legs of 1,000 girls Special to New Readers the rain and fog, and they cleared the is underway at Ashton University in celebrated bride on the spot. ... Mrs. Ona­ England to determine whether legs reveal ssis was the last of the 114 passengers personality traits. If you would like to get better acquainted with THE MILITANT, you to disembark. Witnesses said that the rain may obtain a special, introductory four-month subscription for $]. {If stopped the moment she stepped out onto you're already sold on the paper, you can help out by sending a reg­ the boarding stairway." - Nov.19 New DESTROYING RESPECT FOR ular one-year subscription for $4.) York Times. PARENTS-A federal jury indicted Eril Whitehorn in San Francisco Nov. 21 des­ XMAS HINT-A Utah doctor has de­ pite his mother's statement that he was 0 Enclosed is $1 for a 4 month introductory subscription. signed a hooded ash tray which curls simply following her orders in declining r:::J Enclosed is $4 for a 1 year regular subscription. the smoke through a pair of clear plastic to register for the draft. lungs demonstrating how deposits of oil, NAME greasy tars and nicotine are deposited in human lungs. THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK-"! know they'd be pretty stupid not to take ad­ STREET ••••••••••••••••••••• 0 0 ••••••• 0 ••••••••••••••••••••• CAVEAT EMPTOR!-"Today, with thou­ vantage of the bombing halt to better their sands of police departments and federal positions, but it really galls me that they're CITY .. . STATE .. . .. ZIP and state government agencies using Chem­ sitting around up there as if they owned ical Mace non-lethal weapons, we're flooded the place." - A high-ranking U.S. officer with scores of success stories daily . complaining about the North Vietnamese. Send to: The Militant, 873 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10003 There are imitators now. But don't let -Harry Ring Page 12 THE MILITANT Friday, December 6, 1968

De Gaulle vs. French labor Young Socialist

By Dick Roberts Chicago parley NOV. 25- De Gaulle's decision not to devalue the French franc at this point is neither so unique nor imaginative as many jars red-baiters of his former detractors in Washington have implied. CHICAGO, Nov. 25- The forthcoming The wage-freeze policy de Gaulle pro­ Young Socialist national convention, slated poses, coupled with reduction of govern­ to be held over Thanksgiving weekend at ment spending in order to increase un­ the University of Illinois' Circle Campus in employment, is the standard formula for Chicago, seems to be a source of irritation capitalist ruling classes in times of economic to the local red-baiters. difficulty. The Nov. 20 Chicago Tribune carried It is the same "prices and incomes" po­ an article, "Circle Campus Set for Red Con­ licy the Labor government in Britain be­ vention." Immediately, State Senator John gan directing against workers in 1965, two Lanigan shot off a letter of protest to uni­ years before the devaluation of the pound. versity officials. Washington is attempting to stabilize the "Considering the treasonous activities of dollar through higher taxes- once again such groups associated with the YSA and directed at increasing the unemployment the difficulties that took place in Chicago," levels of workers; Secretary of the Trea­ Lanigan howled, "it seems to me that for sury Fowler announced plans to extend the university to provide a forum to en­ the tax "surcharge" an extra year within courage possible civil disorder is deroga­ 24 hours of Paris' decision not to deva­ tory to the interests of the people of this lue the franc. state who are paying taxes to support the Americans should be familiar with the university." kind of demagogic arguments de Gaulle Lanigan added, "I know I speak for is now launching against French workers. many of my colleagues in the general Here as in France, the capitalist ruling assembly when I say that we are extremely class has made every attempt to blame disturbed at some of the student groups price inflation on higher wages. De Gaulle and cabinet meet the press. operating on campus at the University of But the inflation of the dollar has been Illinois and other state-supported institu­ caused by war spending and rapid price tions." increases; wages have barely been able upsets, the most important being Indo­ creases - challenged by massive imports In response, university officials distrib­ to keep up with the spiraling cost of living, china and Algeria. of foreign steel. ) uted a leaflet to the entire University of and for many American families they have In every respect de Gaulle's political The French capitalists hope to salvage Illinois student body, reaffirming the fact fallen far behind it. career symbolizes this life-long losing battle their position in world trade by driving that the convention would be held on cam­ France is not at war, but the inflation of the French ruling class to make up down workers' wages following the model pus Nov. 29-Dec. 1. The leafletproclaimed of the franc has also been cause by a rash for its succession of defeats in the imperialist of Britain's three-year "austerity program." the university's dedication to a "policy of of price increases. French rulers are at world market-and to try to act as though But there is more than economic strate­ maintaining open forum for open discus­ pains to blame the problems this has it never happened. gy to be learned from London'sexperience. sion of ideas." caused them on the wage gains won by The caricature of de Gaulle shielding Three years of "prices and incomes" poli­ According to the Chicago Young Social­ workers in the June general strike. himself from the French students last May, cy have not accomplished the central ob­ ists, who are hosting the convention, a Uni­ But the truth of the matter is that the with his cherished nuclear bomb tells much. jective of restoring Britain's economic versity of Illinois campus group known present problems of the French capitalists The franc plays a pivotal but not deci­ health, as was eloquently attested to by the as the United Patriots International have have much longer historical roots. They sive role in these schemes of the French severe measures to restrict imports London threatened to "disrupt" the convention. stem from the half-century ambition to imperialists. De Gaulle hoped to make the announced in the monetary crisis last week. Another threat against the convention reverse the decline of the once-powerful franc a stable world currency in order to That is because announcing a wage-freeze came second hand, by way of the editor French imperialist empire. facilitate the penetration of foreign markets policy is not the same thing as carrying it of a Spanish-language paper in Chicago. Beginning with the victory of the Octo­ by French capital and to undercut "dollar out. In time the British workers have seen He sa'id that he had received a phone call imperialism." ber revolution in 1917, the 20th century through the hoax of the promise to keep that Cuban exiles intended to attack the has been marked by a series of defeats His reluctance to devalue has the charac­ prices in line with wages; they have watched convention. for French imperialism. The triumph of ter of any number of other ''last stands" prices steadily increasing while their wages That, the Young Socialists responded, soviet power deprived French capital of to defend the "glory that was France." have been frozen. would be a bit like the Bay of Pigs. the vast Russian market. In any event, the decision of whether More and more British workers have It was followed by the rise of a newly or not to devalue the franc is secondary repudiated Wilson's economic policies and powerful German imperialism which drove to the immediate problems of the French have conducted strike struggles to gain France out of markets both in Europe ruling class. Their main concern is to fair wages against the government's wage­ and the underdeveloped world- a process take away from the French workers what strangulation program. that two imperialist wars failed to halt. De they conceded them as a result of the May­ If that is happening across the Channel, Gaulle's chagrin at this moment is no June struggle. where there has not yet been a massive doubt encouraged by the fact that French And these measures were required with mobilization of workers anything like the capitalism is once again pitted against or without devaluation. In fact, devalua­ French workers' upsurge in June, what is a powerful Germany, despite that nation's tion itself is a means of raising prices going to be the response of French work­ "defeat" in the second world war. and has an immediately inflationaryeffect. ers now to a policy aimed at depriving And the ~ftermath of World War II saw The pattern is familiar. Those who them of the gains they won, when they French imperialism suffer further grave followed last summer's steel contract settle­ have just seen the immense power at their ment in this country will remember that disposal? the steel workers' wage increases were a It is no accident that the de Gaulle who pretext for price increases in steel-nearly announced an austerity program for three times the additional labor costs! France took pains to add that "necessary Eldridge Cleaver: But the intensification of international measures must be taken to put an end competition does not give the French capi­ [to) all agitation and demonstrations, all talists the same room for maneuver. (And tumult and parades, that preventworkand victim of racism it should not be omitted that the U. S. offend sound-minded people." steel industry has subsequently been forced But this too has the ring of a General to back down on the summer's price in- Custer at the Little Bighorn. SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 26-Tomor­ row Eldridge Cleaver may be in jail. The California state supreme court has refused to hear an appeal on behalf of the minister of information of the Black Panther Party and in effect has completed the job of rail­ Ocean Hill slates Nov. 30 rally roading him back into jail. Cleaver was appealing the Sept. 27 de­ cision of the district court of appeals which NEW YORK, Nov. 25-At the request come from the Black Caucus in the United Oliver, chairman of the governing board; said that he must return to jail as a parole of the Ocean Hill-Brownsville governing Federation of Teachers and the New Coali­ Adam Clayton Powell; and representatives violator. board currently under suspension by the tion, the opposition party within the UFT, of various trade unions and community The California adult authority arbitrar­ board of education, a massive demonstra­ as well as the United Bronx Parents and organizations. Entertainment will be pro­ ily decided that Cleaver was violating his tion is being planned at Ocean Hill for 75 other community groups. vided by James Brown and Tito Fuentes. parole, after he and several other Panthers Saturday, Nov. 30, at 12 noon. The governing board called for the dem­ A spokesman for the Black, Puerto Ri­ were ambushed by the Oakland cops last onstration as a massive show of support can, Hispanic Leadership Caucus stated April. In that shoot-out, the cops killed The demonstration is being organized for community control of schools and the that the organization was "committed to 17-year-old Bobby Hutton and wounded by the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic Trade Ocean Hill-Brownsville experimental pro­ the organization of the disadvantaged as Cleaver. Union Leadership Caucus, a newly formed ject, as well as to protestthe factthat Ocean workers in the trade-union movement and Cleaver was ordered to surrender to his group consisting of leaders and representa­ Hill was excluded from the recent nego­ to the development of collective action to parole officer tomorrow to be returned to tives of 27 trade-union locals in New York. tiations which terminated the six-week solve the problems of black and Puerto prison. The union locals with representatives in school shutdown last week. Rican people in New York." Not content with this, Oakland authorities the caucus include: District 65, AFL-CIO; The governing board announced today The caucus itself is "geared to pool the are proceeding to prosecute Cleaver and District Council 35, State, County and that it would notabidebysomeofthe terms resources and talents of minority workers the other Panthers who were attacked by Municipal Employees; Local 1199, Hospi­ of the settlement which it considered punitive in the trade-union movement." the police last April. On Dec. 23, a trial tal Workers; Local237, Teamsters; Local to the governing board, teachers and stu­ The rally and demonstration will take date will be set for these victims, who are 445, IUE, AFL-CIO; Social Service Em­ dents. place on Dean and Hopkinson streets and being charged with attempted murder and ployees; Local 140, Furniture Workers; Speakers at the demonstration will in­ can be reached by taking the "A" train assaulting a police officer with a deadly and others. clude: Rhody McCoy, unit administrator of the Eighth Ave. line to Rockaway in weapon. Support for the demonstration has also at Ocean Hill-Brownsville; C. Herbert Brooklyn.