JULY 30, 1971 25 CENTS

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

i 100• campaign• 110 .. l't'Jlt/17 ST!Jilt. 'AT/ON

Vietnamese struggle threatened by Nixon's IDeeting with Mao Presjdent N ixon' s decision to visit China widened access to the world market and revolution. Nixon has been .feeling sharp and meet with its leaders marks a new increased possibilities of obtaining badly effects from the combined blows of the stage in U. S. imperialism's relations with needed materials. Already the Nixon ad­ Indochinese people and the U.S. antiwar China. Th is action will probably be accom­ ministration has listed a series of commod­ movement, including large-scale Gl oppo­ panied by diplomatic recognition of China ities that can now be shipped to China sition in Vietnam. by the U.S. and its admission into the Unit­ and has likewise approved entry into the The disclosure of the Pentagon papers by ed N ations. Those who have consistently U.S. of previously banned Chinese goods. a section of the U. S. ruling class itself and defended the Chinese revolution against For the American rulers, however, these Nixon's refusal to agree to the new seven­ its foes of ov er 20 years, as The Militant ore not so much concessions as gains. The point proposal put forward by the Vietnam­ has done, will w elcome the fact that Wash­ policy of blockading China became disadvan­ ese have exposed any pretense that Nixon ington has finally been compelled to rec­ tageous long ago, and Wall Street has had has plans to end the Indochinese war soon. ognize that the People' s Republic of China many reasons for wanting to shift to a more What Nixon is really looking for is a Kor­ does exist. flexible approach. In fact, the change has ea n-type settlement that would leave the For China, U.S. recognition has its advan­ been advocdted for years by a sector of U. S. with a beachhead in V ietnam. tages. In the arena of world diplomacy, it the American ruling class. . Henry Kissinger, N ixon's assistant for na­ means enhanced p restige and greater in­ The circu mstances in which Nixon took this tional security affairs, has admitted that in fluence. The economic gains will also be step at this particular time can only cause hi s negotiations w ith Chou En-lai agreements considerable, the most immediate being grave concern to defenders of the Chinese Continued on page 6

VOLUME 35/NUMBER 29 CANADIAN C~~LICITY IN NIXON'S WAR: A large ARMED FORCES ATTACKED FOR OPPRESSION OF wall poster detallmg Canada's complicity in the Vietnam GAYS: A new study of homosexuality from the Institute war is available from the York Committee to End the for Sex Research, founded by the late Dr. Alfred C. Kin­ War in Vietnam (Box 272, Richmond Hill Ontario Can­ sey, has condemned the U.S. Army's attitude toward ~da ) .. The ~oster describes Canadian milltary, poiitical, gays as "unwise, unjust, and in essence unenforceable." . fmancial, diplomatic and industrial aid to the Vietnam The study indicated that over 3,000 servicemen are given war, including the harassment of U. S. "exiles" in Can­ less-than-honorable discharges for being gay. The study ada by Canadian cops and the training of Canadian c?ncluded, '~We know too that over 90 percent of ser­ troops for Vietnam-type operations. - vicemen receive honorable discharge. It appears obvious, therefore, that most homosexuals remain undiscovered JUAN FARINAS: On June 30, the United States Court by military authorities and complete their service with of Appeals, Second Circuit, took oral arguments on the honor." Juan Farinas case. T,he decision on whether to uphold a Jan. 29 lower court ruling convicting Farinas for ob­ SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENT ACTIVISTS: On July structing the selective service system will be announced 19, a three-judge federal panel struck down as uncon­ later, probably at the end of the summer. Farinas, a stitutional a 1969 Pennsylvania law that enabled the state supporter of the Workers League, is being framed up to cut off scholarships of students involved in campus for passing out antiwar leaflets when he was called for struggles. U. S. district court Judge Joseph S. Lord III THIS induction in 1968. Contributions and letters of support stated that the law violated students' Fifth Amendment can be sent to the Juan Farinas Defense Committee, 135 protection against self-incrimination and free speech rights W. 14th St., Sixth !"loor, New York, N.Y. 10011. guar.anteed by the First Amendment. The suit was brought WEEK'S by Goddard and Haverford colleges. Lawrence Silver, attorney for the. two colleges, said, "The consequence COMMUNIST PARTY TO ANNOUNCE PRESIDENTIAL, MILITANT of the ruling is that 44 7 students previously denied aid TICKET: The July 13 Daily World announced that a under the statute will now receive aid." 3 Telephone workers strike recent meeting of the CP's national committee decided. to War of attrition on name a Communist Party presidential ticket for the 1972 ILLITERACY IN THE SOUTH PERSISTS: According rail lines elections. The candidates will be nominated at a later to the U. S. Office of Education and the Bureau of the 4 Women launch abortion date. The meeting also called a national convention of Census, nearly one million people in a dozen Southern the CP, to be held next Feb. 11-14. campaign states are unable to read and write in any language. 5 Abortion rally Another study has indicated that there are an additional HOUSTON SMOG: Noxious fumes strong enough to turn one million who are functionally illiterate. The study re­ 8 Geneva Accords white ambulances yellow have attacked the Houston water­ ported that Blacks make up one-half of the Southern il­ 10 Black Conferences in front. On July 12, 30 dock workers were forced off their literates. It reported that programs to teach Blacks to jobs by three waves of poisonous fumes emanating from San Diego and Brooklyn read are viewed by many whites as "civil rights activi­ the nearby sulphuric acid plant of the Stauffer Chemical ties" and are therefore discouraged .. 11 Where we began and Company. Half of the workers were hospitalized. Over where we are going 200 dock workers and a family of tourists have been LOS ANGELES GAY FORUM: "The Struggle for Sex­ sickened by the fumes since April 22. Howard Zeh, di­ 14 'People's Assembly' ual Liberation: A Report on Gay Pride Week," was the rector of Stauffer's plant, denied responsibility for these in Bolivia subject of the July 2 Los Angeles Militant Labor Forum. attacks of illness, claiming that the plant operated within Speaking were Johanna Gullick, a member of the Gay 15 New election coalition the lenient city and state pollution regulations. Attacks on Palestinian Women's Intergroup Council; Morris Kight, one of the organizers of the Christopher Street West parade; Don fighters L.A. COPS SUED: The father of Gustave Montag, a 24-year-old garment worker who was fatally shot Jan. Kilhefner, L.A. Gay Liberation Front; and Natalie Har­ 16 Journalist reports on ary, a member of the Socialist Workers Party and an Bangia Desh 21 during a Chicano Moratorium demonstration filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court for $250,0oo' dam­ activist in the recent L.A. Gay Women's ·conference. Kight 17 PLP-SOS and the politics ages against the county and Sheriff Peter J. Pitchess. The described how the activists who built the Christopher. Street of disruption complaint sues the sheriff and his deputies for negligence West parade started only 44 days before the action and 18 What is needling in handling their weapons arid for delay in summoning faced the handicap of a media blackout from the major networks and newspapers. PW editor? medical aid. 19 UFWOC takes offensive U.S. GRAND JURY PLANNING INDICTMENTS: Ac­ FILIPINOS AND THE U.S. NAVY: From a report in 24 Rev. Koen jailed cording to the July 15 New York Times, a federal grand Liberation News Service we learned that at cocktail par­ Davis, Magee to have jury in Boston was planning to hand down criminal ties in the captain's quarters, or during fancy state dinners separate trials indictments against Neil Sheehan, a Times reporter, for in Washington, most of the stewards who wait on the his role in the publication of the Pentagon papers. Shee­ officials are Filipinos. In 1970, approximately 14,000 han led the Times to the papers. This follows Attorney Filipinos were serving as stewards in the U. S. Navy. General John Mitchell's statements that the Supreme Court As many as 100,000 young Filipinos apply for enlist­ 2 In Brief ruling in favor of the Times and Washington Post would ment annually since the Philippines has an estimated un­ 6 In Our Opinion not prevent him from punishing the two newspapers for employment rate of 30 percent. His paycheck---' $125 a Letters exercising freedom of the press. month- puts a Navy man in the upper quarter of Fili­ pino wage earners. Most Filipino recruits can't meet re­ 7 Great Society quirements for higher Naval ratings, however, since most CULVER'S CONVICTION CONDEMNED: The National Insurgent Ma;ority ranks require U. S. citizenship and high grades on com­ Peace Action Coalition, which organized the massive April petitive English language examinations. 9 National Picket Line 24 antiwar demonstrations, condemned the conviction of 20 In Review Air Force Captain Thomas Culver for participating in DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE BANNED: Six an antiwar action and petition in London on May 31. Gis and ten civilians were arrested at Ft. Lewis, Wash., Stephanie Coontz, an NPAC spokeswoman, said that recently for handing out leaflets carrying the Declaration "American servicemen retain their constitutionally guaran­ of Independence. They were charged with "distributing teed rights while in uniform . . . and the government has dissident literature." Later, when Military Police found no business at all interfering with the rights of citizens someon( to tell them what was on the leaflets, the charge as it has done in the case of Captain Culver.... We was changed to passing out literature "without prior ap­ demand complete vindication of Captain Culver." Coontz proval" of Ft. Lewis' commanding officer, General Bolling. linked the defense of Culver to the building of the massive This follows Bolling's previous refusal to allow G Is to fall antiwar offensive culminating in the Nov. 6 dem· circulate the U.S. Consitution's Bill of Rights. onstrations called in 15 different cities. She particularly THE MILITANT stressed the importance of the Oct. 25 Veterans Day ac­ tions called by the July 2-4 NPAC convention. Schedule change The next issue of The Militant, dated ·Aug. 6, will VOLUME 35/NUMBER 29 EVELYN REED, WELKE EMANCIPATIE? This is the be 32 pages and will include a special five-page JULY 30, 1971 title of the recently published Dutch edition of Evelyn feature on Chile. Following that issue we will talce CLOSING NEWS DATE-JULY 21, 1971 Reed's book Problems of Women's Liberation. The En­ glish-language edition published by Pathfinder Press has a three-week vacation. Publication will resume with Editor: MARY-ALICE WATERS the issue dated September 3. Technical Editor: JON BRITTON currently sold over 20,000 copies. Busineu ~anager: SHARON CABANISS MORE ON PATHFINDER BOOKS: In a short review Southwest Bureau: HARRY RING, 1107 1/2 N. West­ MOR~ FREEDOM OF SPEECH: At a July 13 meeting, ern Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 90029. Tel: (213) 463. of Towards an American Socialist Revolution (published 1917. by Pathfinder Press a couple of months ago), the July 5 Trustees of the California state colleges discussed a plan Publishers' Weekly states: "The authors of this book are that would give university presidents the right to veto Published weekly by The Militant Publishing Ass' n., Marxists-revolutionary socialists active in the Socialist speakers receiving fees over $500. Trustee Robert Horn­ 14 Charles Lane, New York, N.Y. 10014. Phone: b~ of Los Angeles said a list of speakers at the colleges Editorial Office (212) 243-6392; Business Office (212) Workers Party, but their statements are lucid and forth­ 929-3486. Second-class postage paid ot New York, right, refreshingly unlike the rhetoric of the Old Left, with displayed the "current fascination with anarchists, revolu­ N.Y. Subscription: domestic, S6 o year; foreign, S7.50. its tedious harangues and cliches. These are revolution­ tionaries and felons. We don't have to speculate what By first-class mail: domestic and Canada, S22, all aries who offer specific constructive suggestions for build­ their purposes are." What worried Hornby most, after other countries, $24. Air printed matter: domestic ing a new political party that could turn this country reading a list of speakers from San Jose State College, and Canada, S26; Latin America and Europe, S40; was that" There are few Anglo-Saxon names." Africa, Australia, Asia (including U.S.S.R.), SSO. Write around." The book is available in paperback for $1.95 for sealed air postage rates. Signed articles by con­ from Pathfinder, 410 West Street, N.Y., N.Y. 10014. -MAR GEL BLACK tributors do not necessarily represent The Mililani's views. These are expressed in editorials.

<; ~' Union leadersh_iP 'Ma Bell couldn't ends phone str1ke; work without us!' N v locals still out !~N~:a~~~%y 19 -RocHot- :-:,_:·ve to ••• to get a drink of • • · tom wages, poor working conditions "You can go in the cafeteria -if you By RACHEL TOWNE be on a par with men for the same and continual harassment- that's have enough money," says another NEW YORK, July 20- Last night, job." The CWA nationally was asking the story at Ma Bell. operator. "Of course, the same menu's Joseph Bierne, president of the Com­ that its women members, most of As telephone operators deserted up Friday, Saturday and Sunday, munications Workers of America whom are clerks, receive 80 percent their switchboards last week and and if there's anything left over, it's (CWA), agreed to accept a new con­ of the wages now paid to men. The maintenance men walked off the job, up on Monday too." tract and asked his 400,000 members new contract does not close this gap. the mood was angry. "They treat you to return to work after a week-long, One reason the CW A raised higher like a slave in there." says Janice Wil­ "Although customers never see us, nationwide strike. wage scales for women workers as a son, 20, a Black woman who walked we have to follow a dress code," says The new contract calls for a 33.5- major demand is that it wanted the the picket line last week. She is the one phone worker. "It's really trouble, percent increase in wages and fringe support of the telephone operators in sole supporter of a two-year-old child what they make you go through." She benefits over three years. the strike. Without their cooperation, and she earns $2.16 an hour as a said that women must wear heels and Settlement for another 100,000 tele­ a strike by craftsmen is greatly weak­ telephone operator- after eight nylons. phone workers who belong to other ened. months on the job. She started at Most irritating is that operators can­ unions has not been reached yet. $2.13 an hour. not hang up or answer back crank Yesterday, presidents of the 23 CWA In New York, the CWA made a big "You can really make it on our calls. "IT someone calls you a dirty locals in New York State, representing effort to educate the operators on their wages," she says sarcastically. something-or-other, you have to be 38,500 workers, voted to reject the rights in the strike and on crossing Local 7200 of the Communication nice," says an operator. "You have to contract accepted by Bierne, though CW A picket lines. Most of the opera­ Workers threw up round-the-clock say, 'Yes, sir, that's what I am.'" they have since softened their position. tors belong to the Telephone Traffic picket lines at the main offices of Bell Operators report that the company Union (TTU), a company union, and Local presidents in the Northwest re­ Telephone here. They jeered at super­ even hesitates to allow workers to go many were told by the company that gion also voted to reject the contract. visors who crossed the picket lines. home when they are sick. Worse still if they stayed out they would be fired. In an all-night emergency meeting "Better count your money now," one is what happens when workers are In spite of this intimidation, more than last night, the executive board of Lo­ maintenance man shouted at a strike­ out sick-they get visits from the tele­ half of the operators here did stay out. cal1101, which covers Manhattan, the breaker, "'cause you won't want to phone company. "I was out for three Bronx and Brooklyn, voted to tell (In some areas, operators belong to days," says Pat Bohmer, a mainte­ the CWA, but are in different locals work there after the strike." their members to continue to honor Strikers say that Bell Telephone be­ nance man. "I had a temperature of the Western Electric picket lines that from the craftsmen and do not always 103 degrees, and the doctor said to support their strikes. The CWA in New gan training supervisors to take over have kept Local 1101 members off for switchboard operators as soon as stay in bed. The next day, the boss the job for a week. They also voted to York State is challenging the TTU in came out to see if I was home." an election sponsored by the National the current contract ran out April 30. tell their members to reject thecontract. Supervisors here are working 14 Labor Relations Board on Aug. 2. Other interviews confirmed that this According to Local 1101 vice-presi­ hours a day. Also on the ballot is District 65 of the was a common practice at Bell Tele­ dent Dennis Serrette, telephone work­ H Bell Telephone was determined Distributive Workers.) phone. ers nationally have been offered a $29- to keep the switchboards running, A Black telephone repairman leaned a-week raise in the top pay scale for A major issue of the strike was "ab­ strikers were also adamant. They say against the back door of the main the first year of the three-year contract. sence control," a policy which now the strike is solid here. They want $1 The second year the offer is for $7.50, offices here. It was after 10 p.m. and allows the telephone company to fire more an hour. and $8 for the third. Workers in New some dozen pickets were standing any worker during the first year of Local telephone operators' wages York and other big cities get an addi­ nearby talking. The man, in his thir­ employment despite membership in the start at $80 a week, according to the tional $5 to $9 a week because of the ties, carried a picket sign. A super­ union. This issue was not settled to the union. Weekly pay can rise to $110.50 "hazardous duty'' and high cost of visor walked out past the catcalls and satisfaction of the New York locals. after five years, but then stops. Top living. There is also a 4 percent cost­ slurs. Someone shouted, "How do you In January, the New York State lo­ pay for a clerk at Ma Bell is $109 a of-living clause that can be used after like pimping for Ma ?' cals went out in a wildcat strike when week. "You 'can work 20 years and 12 months of the contract. The man nodded in the direction of men from out of town were brought not go any higher," says Vicki Eck­ In addition, the new contract pro­ the supervisor disappearing into the in to ao repair work and given prior­ man, 21. nit's not fair." vides for a "modified agency shop" ity in overtime. This strike began in night. "That's management," he said that requires all employees who have New York City and spread to the quietly. "He's a different kind of ani­ been with the Bell system for 30 days rest of the state, eventually involving More than pay is at issue. In inter­ mal." to pay dues to the union. 48,000 workers. After two weeks, the views, phone workers reeled off a list He thought for a moment. "They Serrette considers the offered con­ international endorsed the strike and of grievances. Operators said that talk about how this company is being tract "far from adequate" and even the the union was able to get the out­ seating was cramped and uncomfort­ automated. But you know, we are the money offer is not satisfactory for the of-towners sent back home. During able. people who make this company click. large number of women workers this strike, fmes of over $1-million "You have to get permission to go It couldn't work without us," he whose pay now averages only 62 per­ were imposed on the locals and the to the bathroom," one operator said. smiled. "We're the majority." cent of men's pay, according to the international, but these have since union. Serrette feels that "wages should been reversed by the courts. Work rules spark battle in rail industry By C.E. SCHEER a showdown with the mismanagers of and W. E. PETERSON the railroads and their benefactors in ST. PAUL- The imposition of new government. rules and regulations by every major The carriers, for their part, seek to railroad company has sparked a bat­ provoke a nationwide wildcat strike, tle of attrition between management hoping in this way to blame undisci­ and the railroad workers. plined railroad workers for the break­ Railroad management sees the down in rail transportation. A typical struggle as its opportunity to escape example of the drastic effect of the responsibility for the delapidated rail rules changes is found in St. Paul, transportation system in this country. Minn., where road brakemen and con­ Railroad workers begin with their ductors, responsible for intercity backs to the wall, forced to defend freight and passenger operation, have themselves with improvised weapons. suffered a 50 percent layoff and even Neither side is confident of the out­ worse effects in their working condi­ come. tions. Under the new work rules, a After finally getting the nod from train crew was sent to LaCrosse, Wis., the U.S. Supreme Court on its legal­ 130 miles away from home, and re­ ity, the "selective strike" strategy of leased from duty with no room or United Transportation Union Presi­ board or transportation home. dent Charles Luna is underway. The The ranks of the UTU have Southern and Union Pacific were the responded to this assault on their first carriers struck. Others are to fol­ working conditions and wage scale low. by slowing down operations, working Luna's "selective strike" strategy is "strictly according to rules" handed his alternative to arbitration on the down by the company. This tactic one hand and all-out strike struggle was initiated in Minneapolis-St Paul Denver Post photo on the other. The latter course, which on July 16, the day the new "agree­ · Denver Communications Workers taunt Mountain Bell he seeks to avoid, would mean defy­ ments" were put into effect by the car- workers who are not on strike. ing court injunctions and would bring Continued on page 22

THE MILITANT/ JULY 30, 1971 3 the women's liberation movement in the past few laws, and that the coalition encourage the orga­ years. Previous conferences have stressed education nization of contingents of class action suit plain­ and discussion on how we are oppressed as wom­ tiffs to march in the Nov. 20 demonstrations. en and what we should stand for. At this con­ The conference endorsed the recommendation of ference women came together to decide how we the high school workshop to plan a national day can unite in action to actually win some victories of leafletting high school women about the abor­ 1,000 that will have a decisive impact on the lives of tion campaign. It was suggested that this be under­ millions of women. This conference dealt with the taken in conjunction with the ACL U, in order question of how best to mobilize women so that to be ready to defend the legal rights of high we can have an effect on the concrete political school women to leaflet and organize on the abor­ reality of the United States -so that we can force tion issue. men a change in the laws which restrict our right to The Third World women's workshop of about control our own bodies. 45 women voted unanimously in favor of the Participation in the conference from every area national abortion campaign and discussed ways of the country and every sector of society indicated of reaching Black, Chicana, Puerto Rican, Asian­ laun~:h the tremendous breadth of potential support American and Native American women. The work­ around the issue of repeal of abortion laws. There shop recommended that literature issued by the were old and young women, Black, Chicana, national abortion campaign should also be printed Asian-American and Puerto Rican women, working 'in Spanish and should emphasize the involvement women, professional women, gay women, welfare of Third World women in the campaign. nat'l women, church women, and women from the mili­ Lesbian sisters at the conference discussed how tary. The University of Tennessee student govern­ to involve gay women, and presented the follow­ ment sent six sisters to the conference and paid ing proposal, which was approved by the con­ their way. Several groups had brought their own ference: 'We propose that at the massive marches banners and hung them around the auditorium­ for the repeal of all abortion laws, we march in abartian "New Haven Women's Liberation," "Grand Rapids, a contingent as lesbians. We propose also that the • Michigan- Women Unite," and "University of Cal­ abortion coalition put out literature on why les­ ifornia, Berkeley Female Liberation." bians support abortion law repeal, that gay speak­ [ One theme that ran through the workshop ers be included in all meetings that take place n; discussions, which took place all day Saturday during the course of this campaign and that they as well as Sunday morning, was the necessity be available to speak in the name of the campaign for the women's movement to confront the various for abortion law repeal when speakers are re­ antiabortion forces emerging around the country. quested for other meetings." A sister from Wisconsin reported in the legisla­ The working-women's workshop dicussed many tion workshop that one house of the Wisconsin ways to reach out to working women: through the legislature had voted to require fetal death cer­ YWCA and the PTA, both of which have taken 1:all u.20 tificates for any legal abortions performed. A Los positions in favor of abortion law repeal; through Angeles woman described billboards around the approaching trade unions and unionists for en­ Los Angeles area with a picture of a fetus holding dorsement of the campaign; and through leaflet­ a telephone, calling for help to "Birthright," an ting and special efforts at reaching telephone work­ manh an antiabortion counseling agency. Connecticut wom­ ers, nurses, nursing students and municipal workers. en told of nuns bringing third grade children with Even during the first workshops held on Sat­ antiabortion placards to fill legislative hearings urday morning a thorough political discussion on the abortion laws. took place, and it became clear that the overwhelm­ Washington During the 50 different workshops that took ing majority of women present were in support place in the course of the conference, a great many of the major abortion action campaign proposal, By CAROLINE LUND ideas were expressed regarding ways of reaching including the national demonstration Nov. 20. On July 16-18, the 123rd anniversary of the first new women who have never been involved in women's rights conference, held in Seneca Falls, the abortion struggle before, and also ideas for Free abortion N.Y., more than 1,000 women gathered in New coordinating and intensifying the abortion struggle One of the major political debates that took York City to work out a united plan of action nationally. Enthusiasm for the national demon­ place at the conference was over a proposal that aimed at winning total repeal of all laws restrict­ stration was high. the main demand of the campaign should be "free ing the right of women to abortion. Workshops were held on topics as varied as abortion on demand," instead of repeal of abor­ The conference, open to women only, overwhelm­ "women and the war" and "child liberation," in tion laws. A number of women formed a caucus ingly approved a proposal for a national cam­ addition to legislation, legal action, demonstra­ in support of this position. It was discussed in paign demanding repeal of antiabortion laws, tions and different interest groups. virtually every workshop as well as at the plenary no forced sterilization and repeal of anticontra- In the three-hour-long workshop on legislation, sessions on Saturday night and Sunday. It be­ came clear that most women at the conference agreed with this demand, but the vast majority felt that a more effective, broader campaign could be organized and more women mobilized at this time by focusing on the demand for repeal. The women present overwhelmingly rejected the con­ tention that abortion law repeal would be "mean­ ingless" for working-class and poor women, or that anything short of free abortions would be only "an abstract right." For instance, at the plenary session Saturday night, Olga Rodriguez, a Chicana from Los An­ geles and a member of the Young Socialist Alli­ ance, stated: "A sister got up here and talked about how this campaign was about 'just repeal.' Iwant to say here and now that Third World women do not in most states in this country even have 'just repeal.' We are dying on the tables of butcher abortionists. We are at this conference because we have a stake in this campaign. We have a bigger stake than most women sitting in this room." Debby Deegan, from Wayne State University Women's Liberation and the Michigan women's class action suit, explained how women in Michi­ gan had learned from experience that focusing on free abortion on demand excluded many wom­ Photo by Sally Feingold en who were willing to fight for repeal. She said regarding the March 13 demonstration of Michi­ ception laws. The campaign will build toward a attended by about 100 women, the sisters decided gan women at the state capitol in Lansing: 'We mass march on Washington, D. C., on Nov. 20 to recommend to the conference as a whole that would have had a demonstration twice as big if of this year, with a parallel demonstration in San the national abortion coalition establish a com­ we had centered on the demand for repeal." Francisco. munication service which would relate both posi­ In reaching this decision to call the first women's tive and negative lessons learned through struggles WISE march on Washington since the suffrage move· in the legislatures of each state. The workshop Another caucus present from the beginning of ment, the conference was characterized both by also felt that the coalition should form a committee the conference was Women for the Inclusion of great enthusiasm about the prospects for a uni­ to investigate the possibilities of demanding fed­ Sexual Expression (WISE). WISE favored adding fied national abortion campaign and also by in­ eral legislation that could invalidate all state laws "freedom of sexual expression" as a central de­ tense and often bitter debates, which culminated restricting the right of women to abortion. mand of the campaign for the repeal of abor­ in a walkout by about 150 women on the last Recommendations from the workshops on liti­ tion laws. day of the conference. gation, passed by the conference as a whole, in­ The WISE proposal, like the free abortion on In the course of the hours of discussion and cluded the proposals that the'- coalition become a demand proposal, was discussed in virtually every debate over all the various points of view repre­ clearing house for information and coordination workshop on Saturday and it rapidly became sented, one thing became clear: This conference of the class action suits being waged in many clear that the overwhelming majority of women was different from the numerous conferences of states to challenge the constitutionality of abortion Continued on page 2J

4 many social problems and whereas the role of Chicana women has traditionally been limited to the home, be it resolved that the national Chicana conference go on record as supporting free and legal abortions for all women who want or need them." Jeanne Walton from theW ashington, D. C., teach­ ers union told about the problem of forcing the union to fight for the needs of women workers. At the last convention of the American Federation of Teachers, she said, a women's caucus presented resolutions calling for abortion and birth-control counseling for both teachers and students, but the women delegates were hooted down on the floor of the convention. She said that many teach­ ers were particularly concerned with fighting for the right of their students to birth-control and abortion information. Other speakers included Dorothy Dillon, a gay activist from Chicago, and Pam Denning, from the Toronto Women's Caucus, who reported on the abortion repeal struggle in Canada. Messages were read from Betty Friedan and Representative Bella Abzug. The rally presented living proof of the breadth of support from all sectors of women for abortion law repeal, and set the stage for the historic con­ ference which followed it. -CAROLINE LUND Thev .:ame Photos by Lora Eckert and Sally Feingold Among those addressing the Friday night rally were Marsha Coleman (top left) of the Mich­ igan Black Women's Abortion Class Suit Elmo Barrera (top right), an organizer of the recent tram national Chicana conference in Houston; Dr. Barbara Roberts (bottom left), an organizer of the national abortion conference; and Janet Wringle (bottom right) of the Detroit Welfare Rights Organization. eve ere Janet Wringle, a Black woman from Detroit Wel­ fare Rights Organization, said, "Hell yes! It's im­ The Women's National Abortion Action Coali­ portant for a Black woman to relate to the issue tion has released the following statistics about the of abortion." She described her $50 back-alley participants at the July 16-18 national abortion abortion in the Detroit ghetto, and said "We need conference, based on questionnaires filled out by a plan to unite." those who registered. Paula Mueller, legislative assistant to Constance Total registration was 1,025 women, who came Cooke, brought greetings from New York State from 29' states and four countries (24 from Cana­ Assemblywoman Cook. And Pat Maginnis, who da, three from France, two from Germany and has just been convicted under a California law two from Sweden). The largest delegations were forbidding the dissemination of information on 403 from New York State, 112 from Massa­ abortion, gave a hilarious dramatic reading of chusetts, and 65 from Illinois. The age span was the section of the Comstock law which prohibits from 13 to 72 years old. The largest number of sending information on abortion and contracep­ women- 417 - were between 20 and 24 years old. On July 16 the Women's National Abortion Con­ tion through the mails. Two hundred forty-four different organizations ference opened with an inspiring speak-out of Dr. Barbara Roberts, one of the organizers of were represented, 47 of which wereabortigngroups, women from all viewpoints and walks of life, united the conference, spoke from the point of view of a 36 campus women's liberation groups, and 21 in our determination to fight until we win the ab­ doctor who has to see women who have been chapters of the National Organization for Women. olition of all laws restricting the right of wom­ mutilated by illegal abortionists, has to see bat­ Representatives of publications who registered as en to abortion. tered and unwanted children, and has to affirm participants in the conference (other media attend­ It set the the tone for the entire conference and that a woman is mentally unfit in order to give ed press briefings) included Off Our Backs, Wom­ provided striking confirmation of the breadth and her a legal abortion. ankind, Women's World, Family Circle and The depth of support for the campaign projected by From the Michigan Black Women's Abortion Militant. the more than 1,000 women who participated in Class Suit, Marsha Coleman stated, "We must say Of particular interest was the representation at the weekend activities. Many of us came away no to Nixon-No! You will not control my life. the conference from Daughters of the American with a new sense of conviction about the impor­ No! You will not control my community. No! Revolution, Scott Air Force Base Committee to tance of the fight we are undertaking. You will not control my body." Restore Military Women's Abortion Rights, the The rally appropriately opened with a talk by Representing Third World Women Uniting for Women's Party, and Pioneer High School Wom­ Ruth Gage-Colby, a long-time feminist and peace Abortion Law Repeal was Hanna Takashiga, who en for Women's Rights from Michigan. activist who was arrested on a suffrage demon­ discussed why Asian women support abortion law Eleven trade unions were represented, in addi­ stration in 1918. repeal. tion to Pennsylvania State Employees for Wom­ Author Kate Millett spoke of the depth of the One of the high points of the rally was the speech en's Rights, and Women In City Government United fear of unwanted pregnancy which unites us around by Nancy Stearns, an attorney who has worked from New York City. Also represented were five the issue of abortion. "The common ground is on several of the East Coast class action suits welfare rights organizations, the Lutheran Wom­ that we are all impregnable. That terror lives with against abortion laws. She stated her opinion that en's Caucus, Michigan Catholics for Abortion Re­ all of us." She also brought out a point which we can't depend on the courts any more than on form and the Women's History Library in Berkeley, was to come up again and again in the course the legislatur.es to simply grant women the right Calif. of the conference- that in a sense the issue of to abortion-we have to win over and orgah:ize The largest occupations represented were students abortion has been chosen for us. Millett spoke (298 women) and secretaries (102 women). public opinion so that we are a force. of the importance of making a demonstration of Stearns went on to tell the conference about the Of the 612 women who filled out a separate power to "confront the backlash" of antiabortion questionnaire on their experiences with abortion, case of woman in Florida, Shirley Wheeler, who forces. She also solidarized herself with the posi­ has recently been convicted of ''manslaughter" for 26 percent had had an abortion, which is the tion of a caucus of women at the conference who same as the national average. Thirty-seven per­ simply having an illegal abortion. The man­ favored adding the demand for "freedom of sex­ cent of the pregnancies aborted were due to the slaughter charge carries a sentence of up to twenty ual expression" to the national abortion cam­ unavailability of contraceptives or contraceptive years in prison. The conference participants were paign. information. The most common reasons given for outraged at this brutal treatment of a sister for Speaking for the thousands of Catholic wom­ the unavailability of contraceptives were that doc­ en who support the right to abortion was Dr. simply exercising her right to control her own tors wouldn't give them to single women, or state Mary Daly, a theologian teaching at Boston Col­ body, and a petition was later circulated at the laws prevented women under 21 from obtaining lege. She began by noting that "One hundred per­ conference protesting the arrest and conviction of contraceptives. cent of the bishops who say abortion is immoral Shirley Wheeler and sent to Florida Governor Twenty-seven percent of the pregnancies were and illegal are men, and 100 percent of the peo­ Ruben Askew. due to the failure of contraceptives. Twenty-three ple forced to have abortions are women." She al­ Another speaker was Elma Barrera, an orga­ percent of the abortions were for women raised so pointed out how the distorted mentality that nizer of the recent national Chicana conference in as Catholics. Seventy-four percent of the abortions calls abortion murder is the same mentality that Houston attended by 600 Chicanas. She read some were illegal. Of the 65 women who had never had condones wars. "If instead of dropping the atom of the resolutions passed by the conference, in­ an abortion but did have children, 31-or 48 bomb on Hiroshima we had dropped contracept­ cluding one which labeled the Catholic Church percent_.;. said they would have aborted at least ives, there would have been a big protest from "an oppressive institution," and another which read: one of their children but were afraid to do so the Vatican." "Whereas unwanted pregnancies are the basis of because of the dangers of illegal abortions.

THE MILITANT/ JULY 30, 1971 5 In Our Opinion Letters ... Nixon-Mao Continued from page 1 Pentagon papers PCPJ at NPAC conference were made that lay the basis for even more fruitful "negotiations" I have never voted for a capitalist I've just read the Militant report of when Nixon, Mao and Chou meet in Peking. Such negotiations be­ candidate, and I am not sorry, even the National Peace Action Coalition tween Washington and Peking will likely lead to agreements at the though I took a. lot of abuse through conference and see that Harry Ring expense of the Indochinese revolution. the years for "wasting" my vote by makes repeated reference to a resolu­ Putting its own narrow, national interests above the interests of the voting socialist. tion introduced on Sunday, July 4, world revolution, the Maoist regime has most recently shown its will­ This abuse reached its height in as being a "People's Coalition for 1964, when Lyndon B. Johnson and Peace and Justice" resolution. (The ingness to betray revolutions in Pakistan and Ceylon. The Chinese Barry Goldwater were the presiden­ resolution was critical of Fred Hal­ bureaucrats supplied arms, aid and "radical" political cover for both tial candidates. Johnson, the great stead and the marshals for the way Yahya Khan's genocidal suppression of the Bengali independence "peace" candidate, had to be elected they handled the PL-SDS disruption struggle ond the Bandaranaike regime's slaughter of young revolu­ at any cost. Goldwater, the con­ of the conference on Friday night tionists in Ceylon. This was done so brazenly that it could be inter­ servative archreactionary, had to be and Saturday afternoon.) preted as nothing less than an advertisement to U.S. imperialism defeated in order to prevent war and To the best of my knowledge, the other dire consequences. official delegation from the PCPJ did that China was willing to make any sacrifice to "improve" relations The Communist Party had more not ask for a workshop room- with Washington. of an excuse than ever to continue this was done on the initiative of a Not even Nixon could misunderstand that language- if he had not its line of supporting the Democratic single person who is not on our completely grasped the meaning of Mao's consistent policy over the Party, a policy they have pursued steering committee but who has been years of seeking alliances with "progressive" sectors of the colonial since Franklin D. Roosevelt's second active in various nonviolent training capitalists, a policy that in 1965 helped pave the way for the slaughter candidacy in 1936 (except for their programs. I sat in on the workshop support to Henry A. Wallace and briefly and saw only one member of as many as a million Indonesian Communists. the Progressive Party in 1948 ). of our steering committee present. Thus, it appears quite likely that Chou spelled out what they are The religious fervor with which the The resolution did not reflect the prepared to do in Vietnam. Otherwise why the secret diplomacy? reformist of all types supported views of the People's Coalition and Leading spokesmen for the Nixon administration believe that some Johnson knew no bounds. As the it was not authorized by them. sort of preparation for "settling" the Vietnam war is in the offing. campaign rhetoric heated up, people Under any circumstances, it would I had worked with for years grew Gerald R. Ford, House Republican leader, stated, "I would expect, have been inappropriate for us to colder and more distant. Since I have introduced such a resolution­ for instance, that one subject the president and Chou En-lai would wasn't voting for Johnson I was, or any other resolution- since we discuss is the convening of an Indochina peace conference." ipso facto, supporting Goldwater in were present only as guests and Senate Republican leader Hugh Scott put it more bluntly: "Hanoi their eyes. The Stalinists, as expected, observers. is bound to lodk over its shoulder wondering how much longer China were the worst, and some of them On the basic question of h,ow the would support its war effort." stopped talking to me until long after disruption was handled, one might Johnson was safely ensconced as the This is the fear of the North Vietnamese government. An editorial argue that pacifists would not have savior of peace and this great Amer­ carried people out bodily, but neither in an official Hanoi newspaper, Nhan Dan, warned: " ... the Nixon ican "democracy." the NPAC or the PCPJ are pacifist· Doctrine consists in ... dividing fhe socialist countries, winning over Some of these reformist types have coalitions, and NPAC certainly had one section and pitting it against another in order to oppose the been badly shaken up by the revela­ the right to defend its conference in national liberation movement.... tions of the Pentagon papers and the ways it felt most effective. The may learn the lesson that there is "Nixon's policy also consists of trying to achieve a compromise most deplorable aspect of the events no fundamental difference, and no between the big powers in an attempt to make smaller countries on Friday and Saturday was not lesser evil to choose from, between the action of NPAC marshals but bow to their arrangements." the two major parties. the deliberate attempt to disrupt a The Vietnamese had bitter experience with such a "compromise In my opinion, these revelations meeting and deny freedom of speech. between the big powers" in 1954 when the Geneva conference di­ have created a broad opening for David McReynolds vided -their country after they had defeated the French. Along with the Socialist Workers Party in the New York, NY: coming election campaigns. the Kremlin, Peking participated in this betrayal that forced the Indo­ Hopefully more and more people [The July 23 Militant carried a chinese to allow U.S. imperialism to establish a beachhead on their -and particularly the youth- will statement from the People's Coalition soil. (See article p. 8.) The clear implication of Kissinger's trip and come to the conclusion that Eugene for Peace and Justice along the same the planned visit by Nixon is that an attempt to force a similar solu­ V. Debs was right when he said that lines as McReynolds' letter.] tion on the Indochinese people is in the works. it's better to vote for something you The behavior of the Maoist regime is not an incidental quirk but want and not get it than to vote for what you don't want and get it. rather the logical extension of Peking's policies for the last 22 years. This is exactly what happened to - Farm workers protest The Maoist regime, like that in the Soviet Union, represents a privi­ the many millions who voted for The following are excerpts from a leged bureaucratic strata. Like the Soviet regime, the Maoist bureau­ Johnson in 1964. statement we have issued in response cracy is totally alien in its outlook and actions·from any consistently E.P. to the administration of a $20-mil­ lion U.S. Department of Labor revolutionary policy. Both learned their trade from the master be­ New York, N Y. grant. The grant is supposed to trayer of revolutions and the architect of "peaceful coexistence"- benefit farmworkers. The attached Joseph Stalin. . statement was sent to the president Nixon's "ping-pong" diplomacy is also aimed at attempting to de­ Thinks we're fair of the United States, U.S. secretary fuse the antiwar movement in the United States. Instead of "setting I find The Militant very good, espe­ of labor, and Florida state officials: We, in United Farm Workers of a date for withdrawal," as many of his congressional critics are de­ cially on the unions, the G I and antiwar movements, the Socialist Florida, Organized Migrants in Com­ manding, Nixon has set a date for a meeting with Mao and Chou. Workers Party and Young Socialist munity Action, and Florida Farm Antiwar doves in the U.S. Congress and mouthpieces of "dovish" Alliance campaigns, and fairness on Workers Organization, would have capitalists like the New York Times and the Washington Post, who your opponents. liked to commend the Department of only recently were locked in combat with Nixon over the publication T. J. Labor for initiating ~ long overdue of the secret Pentagon papers, are now attempting to create the im­ Davenport, Iowa program to assist farm workers in overcoming the circle of economic pression that Nixon's proposals will end the war. They -(Jre trying to poverty which has always been a convince us that all we need to do now is wait a few months for part of farm workers lives, but we Nixon and the Chinese leaders to sit down behind closed doors, come Thinking it over cannot. to an agreement, and the war will be over. Thus, while these critics I have been receiving The Militant We cannot commend them because take some of th~ heat off Nixon while they wait to see what comes for several months, and am im­ all we know of the program is what we read in the papers. Once again out of these meetings, the slaughter in Vietnam continues. pressed with the quality of its in­ formation. However, due to the clash the federal government has planned The antiwar movement cannot accept this course. After the hypocrisy of philosophies- both moral and a program without consulting the of Ni!ton's negotiations in Paris and his phony peace plans, antiwar socio-political- that are represented very people the program is supposed activists can place no hope in Nixon's negotiations with China or in by you and me, I feel I should to serve. any settlement that violates the Indochinese people's right to self­ cancel my subscription forthwith and We have read that the program is supposed to be administered by the determination. let things settle a bit while I try Farm Labor Service. We strongly Instead, it is essential, now more than ever, that mass actions in to get it together. You have provided me with li lot protest the choice of the Farm Labor the streets be built to demand immediate withdrawal of all S. troops U,. of thoughtful reading, though. Service as the agency to administer the grant for the following reasons: from Indochina. As many people as possible must be mobilized for the Than~s. Aug. 6-9 Hiroshima-Nagasaki memorial actions, and for the fall anti­ K.G. war offensive culminating in massive demonstrations on Nov. 6, called Springfield, fll. by the National Peace Action Coalition. Participating in and building these actions around the demand "Out Now!" is the best reply to all of Nixon's schemes to prolong the war.

6 The Great Society Calling Dr. Marx- Dr. Jesse Steinfeld, carried reminders and announce­ ord. The image-conscious officer ex­ U.S. surgeon general, said coffin-nail ments." plained he did it because, "I'm trying consumption is the nation's top health to make people overcome the idea that First, the Farm Labor Service is problem and has resulted in an epi­ Remedial advertising- The New York all policemen are fat, apple-eating well known to be totally unrespon­ demic of lung cancer as well as great Times reported ad writers were in­ cops that have no heart and no feel­ sive to farm workers. The Farm La­ increases in heart disease, emphysema trigued with Bon Vivant's botulin ings." ~f that doesn't help prove all . bor Service has been run as a labor and bronchitis. The puzzled medic problem, at least imagewise. One sug­ cops aren't that way, he could try recruiting office designed to benefit said the govE!rnment seems to have gested: "I'd stop all advertising and belting the idea out of people's heads the growers. a schizophrenic approach to the prob­ recall the product. · Then, I'd reintro­ with a billy. Secondly, the Farm Labor Service lem. On the one hand it requires cig­ duce it. I'd run ads about the totally has been accused by many diverse arette manufacturers to print health revamped production facilities and try Now, if it dissolved into a martini-A organizations of racism, discrimina­ warnings on their packages. At the to make hay out of the improvements, patent has been issued for a button­ tion, violation of minimum wage same time it subsidizes tobacco grow­ something like, 'From the Sparkling like piece of synthetic rubber which, laws, referral of farm workers to la­ ers. New Plant of Bon Vivant' But," he when moved about in the mouth like bor camps in violation of state and added, "say nothing about the reason a hard candy, will allegedly satisfy local sanitation laws and of issuing Downright totalitarian- The Pentagon for the new plant- that way you calm the craving for coffin nails and help fraudulent statistics as the availabil­ said that a senatorial proposal to limit fears without spreading the story." dieters reduce their food intake. ity of farm jobs and of farm labor. U.S. "assistance" to Laos to $200- United Farm Workers of Florida, million a year would constitute a curb You pay your money and you take Organized Migrants in Community on Nixon's constitutional prerogatives your chances- The federal Environ­ Soul food- Members of the Apostolic Action, and Florida Farm Workers "as commander-in-chief to direct mili­ mental Protection Agency said it Christian Church moved their com­ Organization believe that farm work­ tary operations· in Southeast Asia." would not make public key data which munity from Bell Gardens, Calif., to er organizations throughout the would help to determine whether the Kennet, Mo., after their pastor had United States are the most able of Waning nag wavers- Flag Day did permits it issues to industry to dis­ a vision that California is going to all to administer this or any other not come off well in San Diego, a charge wastes actually contain ade­ be destroyed by earthquakes because program designed to assist the farm long-time stronghold for flag wavers. quate safeguards against water pol­ area residents have "spurned the word worker. A survey disclosed that at best one lution. "The public has no way of of God" Television, doctors, smoking; United Farm Workers of Florida home in 50 posted Old Glory. The keeping us honest," a spokesman ex­ short dresses and equality for women Organized Migrants in Florida San Diego Union explained: "Little plained. "That's a chance they have are ruled out in the devout communi­ Florida Farm Workers Organization participation in the Flag Day obser­ to take." ty. All of which may seem a bit stiff vance ... was laid primarily to lack but apparently not as much so as the of interest and confusion over dates No apple in his mouth- Patrolman congregation's peanut brittle, the sale Need help of patriotic holidays- despite the fact Bill Gilstrap of the Salem, Ore., police of which helps keep it afloat. A number of peace and social ac­ that newspapers and radio stations department set a 50-mile jogging rec- -HARRY RING tion groups in New York City are about to lose their home. We need you;: help! Last year the Psychologists for Social Action, New York Sane Coun­ cil, Vets for Peace, Medical Com­ mittee for Human Rights, Computer People for Peace and other groups established a headquarters at a wonderful central location at 137 West 14th St. It is known as the The Dolphin Center and it has become a beehive of effective organiz- Twelve-year-old Sharon Poole was the· only girl on the of Sharon Poole with the absurd contention that, "While ing and nonviolent action. Little League baseball team in the town of Haverhill, many girls are exceptionally proficient in baseball, funda­ Dolphin Center served as an oper­ Mass., until she was kicked off the team by a special mental physical and metabolic differences between growing ating base for much of the planning meeting of the league's 10 managers. The managers felt beys and girls make it hazardous for girls." However, for the recent spring antiwar dem­ so threatened that they even fired the coach who had the American Medical Association's committee on the med­ onstrations. Meetings at the Center recruited Sharon PoQle to the team. ical aspects of sports told the Times that there was no have been addressed by Congress­ Why the panic reaction? Sharon Poole says: "Just be­ medical reason why girls should not compete with boys woman Bella Abzug, Seymour Mel­ cause I'm a girl, I guess." All the boys admitted she in noncontact sports. man, and other leading figures. The was a very good player. At the end of the Times article, the author said that 2,500 foot loft is a service and When she appeared on the field for her fir·st game, said Sharon Poole had "denied speculation that the experience communication center for groups the July 7 New York Times, she faced "a tqrrent of verbal (of being excluded from the team) would make her join who make daily use of the Center's abuse from the stands." The real opposition to her playing women's liberation." This sort of response is very common mimeo machine, typewriters, meet­ came from the parents rather than the boys in the in news interviews with women who have asserted their ing 'and office facilities, telephones league. The July 6 Boston Globe editorial put its finger right to move beyond the traditional fields of activity and staff. IT you know of groups on the problem: "Obviously, a parent may lose his or allotted to women. looking for an office at moderate her sense of self-importance if some girl strikes out his The reason so many of these women do not yet identify cost, the Center presently has space. or her son, or hits a homer off of him, or throws him with the women's liberation movement is largely because However, shortage of funds will out at second base." of the false image presented in the mass media that the force us to shut our doors unless Meanwhile, one of the officials at the Little League head­ women's liberation movement is a bunch of bra-burning you and others act quickly. IT each quarters in Williamsport, Pa., tried to justify the exclusion freaks. Although they don't realize it yet, young women person receiving this letter will send like Sharon Poole are very much a part of the develop­ us as generous a contribution as p'ossible, we will be able to continue ment of the feminist movement, which is asserting the and to service our present peace and rights of women to fulfill themselves as human beings, social action groups, who are trying_ not restricted to a "woman's place" or a "woman's role." to make this country a better place for all of us. Some developments in the struggle of women to control Doris K. Miller, Ph.D., Psychologists our own bodies . . . Criminal charges have been filed for Social Action; Robert J. against Romy Schneider and Vera Tschechova, two prom­ Schwartz, Ph.D., N. Y. Sane; Martin inent German actresses, because they were among 374 &hiffer, M.D., Medical Committee German women who publicly declared they had had illegal for Human Rights; Howard E. Gru­ .abortions to challenge the antiabortion laws. The German ber, Ph.D., co-founder of Dolphin law stipulates imprisonment for up to five years for women Center; Ron Wolin, Vets for Peace; who undergo an abortion.... The May 16 London Theodore Werntz, Committee for So­ Times reported that an acute' shortage of beds for legal cial Responsibility in Engineering. abortions in England has led to a rise in the number of New York, N. Y. back-street abortions. The clinics licensed to perform abor­ tions under the 1967 Abortion Act cannot keep up with the demand, and women are also having increased dif­ ficulty getting the British National Health service to pay for their abortions. The Times says that the Ministry of The letters column is an open forum Health is deliberately not licensing any more abortion for all viewpoints on subjects of gen­ clinics to meet the demand because it fears an outcry from eral interest to our readers. Please the antiabortion lobby.... In San Antonio, Texas, Chi­ keep your letters brief. Where neces­ canas have come together to form the Concerned Chicana sary they will be abridged. Please in­ Women's Organization in response to the use of poor dicate if your name may be used or Chicanas as guinea pigs in a birth-control pill experiment if you prefer that your initials be used without their knowledge. A meeting of the Concerned Chi­ instead. cana Women's Organization drew 20 women to protest this action by the research foundation; which was done for a federal agency and a birth-control pill manufacturer. Sharon Poole -CAROLINE LUND

THE MILITANT/ JULY 30, 1971 7 Korea out of Indochina, up to and and that falling this, the U.S. actively action. And the military situation in including the sending of U. S. troops oppose any negotiated settlement in the Red River Delta near Hanoi de­ to fight and die in Indochina, to make Indochina at Geneva. teriorated so badly in late May and the French colony safe for imperial­ "(3) It be the U.S. position in event early June that Washington felt inter­ This ls the second ln a series of arti­ ism." of failure of (2) above to initiate im­ vention would now be useless. On June cles on the top-secret Pentagon papers This editorial also quoted an article mediate steps with the governments 15 Secretary Dulles informed [the revealed by the New York Times. The by New York Times correspondent of the Associated States aimed toward French ambassador to the United series will review the history of the James Reston, written from Washing­ the continuation of the war in Indo­ Stntes} Bonnet that the time for inter­ war ln Indochina and The Militant's ton, March 30. Reston said, "The feel­ china, to include active U. S. partici­ vention had run out." (Emphasis coverage of the war. ing has been growing here that the pation and without French support added.) French and the Associated States [Sai­ should that be necessary." By DICK ROBERTS gon regime] will not win the war by A memorandum dated May 26, from The year 1954 opened with the Viet­ themselves and that, while they might Adm. Arthur W. Radford, Chairman The Geneva Accords namese liberation armies near to vic­ well need the help of the United States, of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to Sec­ This revelation of Dulles' position tory in Indochina. The Eisenhower public opinion in this country is not retary c:J Defense Charles E. Wilson, completely validates The Militant's es­ administration was preparing a mas­ prepared for armed intervention by p:roposed a plan of attack which in­ timate of the meaning and conse­ sive U. S. military intervention to the United States. This has alarmed cluded "Employing atomic weapons, quences of the Geneva conference. As stave off French defeat. officials at the State and Defense de­ as well as other weapons [and con­ the conference was opening, the White But there were obstacles to this plan. partments." ducting an] offensive air operation House had given up on its program It was only one year after the Korean The Militant had a different opinion: against selected military targets in In­ of immediate military intervention. war armistice. The unpopularity of "The American people are resolutely dochina and against . . . military The only hope, in its view, was to sal­ vage imperialism's hold on Vietnam at the bargaining table. The Militant warned about the dan­ gers of Geneva while the conference Pentagon papers was being planned in early May. It declared May 10, ''With all reporters rigidly excluded from any of the ses­ sions, the Big Five (U.S., France, England, the Soviet Union and the Chinese People's Republic) began to work out possibilities for a deal as the basis for settlement of the Indo­ chinese war. "Through such a deal the Stalinist representatives from the Soviet Union and China might barter off the success of the Indochinese revolution and fu­ ture revolutionary movements throughout Asia in return for a 'peace pact' with American imperialism." The Militant further pointed out that Eisenhower had already been dealt a serious blow by being prevented from sending in U.S. troops. This was not. the result of diplomacy. It was brought about by the sweeping power of the Indochinese revolution, hostility to U.S. imperialism in all the coun­ tries of Southeast Asia, and the mass opposition of the American people shown in their letters of protest to Congress and newspapers. "American imperialism," The Mili­ tant continued, "is not negotiating with authentic revolutionary and trustwor­ thy representatives of the aspirations of the Indochinese people and of the working class everywhere who want an end to the war. "Washington is dealing with the Sta­ linist leade-rship in Moscow and Pe­ king, who are quite ready to use the negotiations to get a settlement that will be favorable to the bureaucracies in the Soviet Union and China at the expense of the Indochinese revo­ lution." (Emphasis in the original.) The New York Times series is con­ Closing session of 1954 Geneva Conference. "When the agreement to par­ spicuously short on documentary ma­ tition Indochina was signed in Geneva," wrote The Militant in 1954. "everyone terial exposing the diplomatic rela­ tions between Washington and both had been consulted but the Indochinese people." Moscow and Peking. This in itself is undoubtedly an indication of the im­ perialists' ambitions at the present that war and the reluctance of the opposed to being dragged or driven targets in China." Washington's strate­ stage of the war in Southeast Asia. American people to get involved in into such a war .... And that is one gists were ready to launch an atomic As the diplomatic moves of the last another one placed severe restrictions of the most hopeful signs in the whole war against China! weeks make crystal clear, the ruling on the policy makers in Washington. situation. n But these schemes soon had to be class still holds open the hope that This was so despite the years of postponed. A "trial balloon" speech Moscow and Peking can be utilized­ anti-Communist propaganda and the recommending U.S. intervention in as they were in 1954- to bring pres­ "Red-scare" witch-hunt hysteria cooked Eisenhower moves to intervene Indochina by Vice-President Richard sure against the revolution for a set­ up by Senator Joseph McCarthy, The New York Times summary of Nixon was answered by a flood of tlement favorable to imperialism. which was reaching its peak in the secret Pentagon documents underlines letters to Congress and editorials in One document in the Times series, same months of 1954. how far the Eisenhower-Dulles team the papers crying out against another however, reveals that Washington Officially pretending that the Ameri­ went in laying the groundwork for war. The French and British govern­ knew that Moscow and Peking would can people shared with them the con­ U. S. intervention. ments opposed military escalation. go along with a partition in 1954. viction that "Chinese Communism" On the diplomatic arena, Washing­ And on May 7, the French fortifi­ This is a dispatch from Undersecre­ must be stopped in Southeast Asia, ton was pulling out all the stops to cations at Dien Bien Phu collapsed tary of State Bedell Smith at Geneva spokesmen for U.S. imperialism ac­ prevent a settlement of the war at before the powerful revolutionary of­ to Secretary of State Dulles, July 18. tually proceeded with the utmost cau­ the Geneva convention scheduled to fensive. "The Indochinese peasants The dispatch contained an Associated tion. "Trial balloon" speeches and open in June. On the military arena, and workers have dealt a major po­ Press news item: "leaks" to leading newspapers were it planned to send Special Forces litical and military blow to French "'The Communist bloc has demanded used at every point to test public re­ teams headed by the CIA agent Col. and American imperialism and have that the United States guarantee the action. Edward Lansdale into action during further paralyzed Wall Street's ability,. partition peace plan for Indochina An editorial in The Militant, April 5, the Geneva conference. for the time being, to intervene with and join in an agreement to neutralize 1954, exposed the White House efforts. The main directives were recom­ U. S. troops," The Militant declared the whole country, a responsible in­ "Secretary of State Dulles," it declared, mended by a "Special Committee Re­ May 17. formant said today.... "speaking before the Overseas Press port on Southeast Asia," April 5: Aecording to the New York Times "The informant said the Commu­ Club in New York on March 29, clear­ "(1) It be U.S. policy to accept noth­ summary, "... all of the arguments nists are pressing for the stamp of ly confirmed the warning that The ing short of a military victory in In­ in favor of intervention came to American approval on the armistice Militant has been sounding for several dochina. naught. The French cabinet felt that agreement- already okayed in prin­ months: The Eisenhower administra­ "(2) It be the U. S. position to ob­ the war-weary National Assembly ciple by Britain and France- which tion is preparing to make another tain French support of this position; would balk at any further military could divide Vietnam between Com-

8 munist leader Ho Chi Minh's Vietminh The aggressive character of world Keller) analyzed the situation in Viet­ of Vietnamese palace guards. When and Bao Dai's pro-Western regime." imperialism was brutally demonstrat­ nam at the close of 1954: the sect crisis broke out in the spring Under pressure front Moscow and ed over and over again on the bloody "When the agreement to partition of 1955, Colonel Lansdale visited Mr. Peking, the Vietminh feadership battlefields of the Far East in the after­ Indochina was signed several months Diem nearly every day.... agreed to the fateful partition of Viet­ math of the Second World War. The ago in Geneva, everyone had been "During the sect armies' uprising, nam. The depth of this betrayal is U.S., France and Britain intervened consulted but the Indochinese people. the Saigon Military Mission helped clear. from a two-sentence observation to crush the wave of colonial revolu­ Their weight, however, is now being premier Diem plan measures against made by columnist Marquis Childs, tion that swept from Bombay to Seoul. felt in South Vietnam, that portion the Binh Xuyen and Colonel Lans­ writing from Geneva July 23: "There The New York Times revelations of the eastern section of Indochina dale repeatedlY. pressed the embassy was every reason why the Commu­ only make this point clearer. Washing­ handed over to the French and their to support the Premier." And so forth. nists should not have granted an ar­ ton never had any intentions of abid­ native agents. That is the basis of the The rival Vietnamese factions that mistice," said Childs. "The Vietminh ing by the Geneva Accords. Lans­ complaint being voiced by the pro­ attempted to displace Diem were had ample resources to sweep on to dale's CIA gangs were carrying out imperialist press in America that 'from crushed one after another with Lans­ victory." sabotage operations around Hanoi all accounts, South Vietnam seems dale's advice and financial assistance. Imperialism had gained its cher­ while the big powers were meeting. doomed to fall to the Communists ished foothold in South Vietnam. It Dulles was taking steps to assure that within a year.' (N.Y. World Telegram, The Times states that "The American was now only a matter of time before whatever was agreed upon in Geneva Dec. 24.) aid effort ... was focused almost en­ the counterrevolutionary war could be would not be carried out. "The South Vietnam government tirely on security. Eight out of every reese ala ted. The Weinstone argument is com­ headed by ex-emperor Bao Dai ... is 10 dollars went to security, and much pletely false. Neither Moscow nor Pe­ visibly crumbling apart. The people of what was intended for agriculture, A phony argument king agreed to the betrayal of Geneva are starving while official graft and education, or transportation actually Apologists for Moscow's role at Ge­ in order to expose Washington's poli­ corruption run riot.... went to security-directed programs. neva have seized Washington's objec­ cies. They agreed because they are "Thus the complaint that South Viet­ "For example, the [Pentagon] tions to the settlement as proof that always willing to sacrifice the revo­ nam 'seems doomed to fall to the account says, a 20-mile section of the accords actually made gains for lutionary movement in any country Communists' is not an expression of highway, built between Saigon and the revolution. Thus W. W. Weinstone if it is in the immediate, narrow in­ concern lest the revolutionary North Bienhoa at the insistence of the MAAG wrote in the April 17, 1971, Daily terest of the ruling bureaucracy in Vietnam regime renew the military [U.S. Military Assistance Advisory World: China or the Soviet Union. struggle, but of fear that the people Group] commander . . . received "The 1954 accord was not imposed in the southern section will kick out more aid money than all the funds on the Vietnamese. It was achieved by their present rulers, who keep power provided for labor, community de­ the victory of the Vietnamese over the No elections only with the aid of French, forces velopment, social welfare, health and French. The U.S. took part in the According to the New York Times, and U.S. arms, and that all Vietnam education from 1954 to 1961." conference on the accord but John Dulles sent the following message to will be united under the regime of Washington's intelligence, military Foster Dulles would not agree to it Geneva on July 7: "We realize of Ho Chi Minh. and diplomatic apparatus in Saigon and stalked out of the conference. His course that even agreement which ap­ "The imperialists look with forebod­ was quietly preparing for the day deputy Bedell Smith declared that the pears to meet all ... points cannot ing toward the South Vietnam elec­ when war would be resumed against U.S. would implement the accord, constitute guarantee that Indochina tions scheduled by the Geneva con­ the revolutionary insurgents. This re­ which it never did. The U.S. never will not one day pass into Communist ference for 1956." quired a cover for imperialist opera­ liked the 1962 Geneva agreement on hands.... tions- the "South Vietnamese govern­ Cambodia and Laos any better and "Since undoubtedly true that elec­ ment." violated that agreement as well." tions might eventually mean unifica­ 'South Vietnam' According to the Times, the secret This is the end· of Weinstone's ar­ tion Vietnam under Ho Chi Minh this The Times summary shows the cru­ Pentagon study for this period con­ gument and the reader might very makes it all more important they cial role that Lansdale and his Special cludes: "Without U.S. support, Diem well ask, what does it prove? The should be only held as long after Forces played in stabilizing the shaky almost certainly could not have con­ imperialists violated the 1954 accords cease-fire agreement as possible.... regime of Ngo Dinh Diem against solidated his hold on the South during and they violated the 1962 accords. We believe important that no date the revolts of Vietnamese nationalist 1955 and 1956. Without the threat You have to be familiar with the should be set now and especially that groups. of U.S. intervention, South Vietnam tortured logic of the American Com­ no conditions should be accepted by "During the fall of 1954 Colonel could not have refused to even dis­ munist Party's apologies for Kremlin French which would have direct or Lansdale helped Mr. Diem recruit, pay cuss the elections called for in 1956 foreign policy to get it. In Weinstone's indirect effect of preventing effective and train reliable bodyguards.... under the Geneva settlement without mind, an accord which the imperialists international supervision of agreement With the permission from the [U.S.] being immediately overrun by the violate has merits-because it exposes ensuring political as well as military embassy, the [ U. S.] Saigon Military Vietminh armies. Without U.S. aid the character of imperialism. guarantee.... Mission then began secre~y paying in the years following, the Diem re­ But for Marxists the permanent war "We consider 'respect' as strong a funds to a Cao Dai leader, Gen. Trinh gime certainly, and an independent drive of imperialism had been demon­ word as we can possibly employ in Minh The, who offered his services South Vietnam almost as certainly, strated well before the twentieth cen­ the circumstances to indicate our po­ to Premier Diem. could not have survived.... tury and does not need to be proved sition with respect to such arrange­ "Colonel Lansdale also brought "South Vietnam was essentially the once again at the expense of the lives ments as French may evolve ..." from the Philippines President Maga­ creation of the United States." (Em­ of hundreds of thousands of Vietnam­ Militant correspondent Art Preis saysayis senior military aide and phasis added.) ese. (writing under the pen name of Joseph three assistants to train a battalion [To be continued.] The National Picket Line It appears that a deal has been arrived at between the Nixon administration But little of that "democracy" will filter down to the ranks. It just means and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters executive committee regarding more power for the four chiefs. of the area fiefdoms. the fate and future role within the union of James Hoffa. Under these area dictators, hundreds of IBT local unions are already under In late June, Hoffa announced from his prison cell that he would not be receivership, with no power to elect their own officers, decide upon their own a candidate for the presidency of the international union. He urged that the local contracts, or spend their own money. delegates to the coming convention elect Frank E. Fitzsimmons to his place. The convention made sure these dukedoms would have more money to spend Almost immediately after this announcement, President Nixon paid a "sur­ in maintaining their control- they raised the monthly 1 0-cents-per-member prise" visit to the IB T executive commitee meeting in plenary session in Miami assessment to :w cents. Beach. It has not been reported what he said at that meeting except that it When questioned by reporters about rumors that if and when Hoffa gets out was a very cordial session. of prison, he would turn power back to Hoffa, Fitzsimmons replied that he The convention elected Fitzsimmons president by an almost unanimous vote. will not relinquish his position. Hoffa will be president emeritus, he said, and They made Hoffa president emeritus, a newly created honorary post. They that is all. also granted him a pension of $78,000 a year for life or a lump sum settle­ Some delegates believe that Hoffa will run the union from behind the scenes, ment of over $1-million. Hoffa chose the latter. His wife Josephine remains but others described the new president as a "shrewd, stubborn man who has on the union payroll at $45,000 a year as head of the Women's Division. outlasted many other leaders in struggle for power." His son has been retained as a lawyer for the Washington, D. C., headquarters I like better the description of one worker-teamster some years ago. He said, at $30,000 a year. in words to this effect-"Whenever a situation arose (whether with a boss or The parole board, which had just recently turned down Hoffa's plea for within a union), Hoffa was right in the thick of it. With Fitzsimmons, you parole, da:ided that "new evidence" had been uncovered and granted Hoffa call the office, and if he happens to be in, he answers the phone." a new hearing on August 20. With Hoffa seeming to be safely out of the way, the administration demon­ The first break in the 18-day-old United Steelworkers union strike in the copper strated its satisfaction in two ways: President Nixon sent the convention a mines came on July 18 when a small operator, the Magma Copper Co., and friendly letter in which he said the IBT and his administration "should work the union arrived at a tentative agreement affecting about 3,000 of the 35,000 together on economic problems," and that he had found it "personally grat­ copper miners. ifying" to have visited the committee meeting. He also sent his secretary of Magma Copper operates only in Arizona. According to the July 19 New labor to bring greetings to the convention. York Times, the proposed agreement would raise average wages by 92 cents Fitzsimmons was granted a $25,000 a year increase over Hoffa's old sal­ per hour, increase pension payments by 50 percent, and includes an unlimited ary- to $125,000-making him the highest paid bureaucrat in the business. cost-of-living escalator clause to go into effect in May 1972. In addition, the convention granted him the right to spend whatever he wants This proposed settlement is far below the wage and fringe benefits agreement of the $90-million treasury to lobby, make political contributions and carry won in the can and aluminum industries earlier this year. on organization drives. What did this convention do for the more than two million IBT members? In addition, workers in the steel industry, whose contract is currently being They raised the dues and increased the amount of per capita tax paid the negotiated in Washington, D. C., are demanding an improvement over the can international office. This is expected to enrich Fitzsimmon's treasury by $50- and aluminum settlements. The strike deadline in steel is August 1-and such million a year. a strike has already been authorized by a referendum of the membership. Fitzsimmons announced he would grant more "democracy" to the union. -MARVEL SCHOLL

THE MILITANT/ JULY 30, 1971 Conference of Pan-Africanists on West Coast discusses political action By JOHN HAWKINS Baraka was forced to refer to the Griffin, an independent candidate from SAN DIEGO- Close to 250 people slander campaign against him and his Los Angeles for state senate during from six states and the Caribbean organization, the Committee for a the last elections. attended the Western Regional Confer­ Unified Newark, on the part of the The political liberation workshop ence of the Congress of African Peo­ Gibson administration, and the failed to outline any specific plans ples (CAP) in San Diego June 18-20. alliance formed between Black and for the mobilization of Black people Called around the theme of "Nation Puerto Rican militants to publicly in the struggle for control of the insti­ Time West," the conference held anum­ combat it. tutions in our community. The dis­ ber of workshops and two plenary ses­ Baraka noted that Gibson and the cussion indicated that independent sions to discuss the development of other Black politicians in Newark Black institutions that would serve the institutions necessary for the liberation were totally controlled by the conser­ interests of Mrican-Americans could of African-Americans. vative and traditional leadership of come about in only three ways-by At the Friday night session of the the Democratic Party and the local constructing counterinstitutions, by conference, after introductory remarks barons of organized crime. Rather Africanizing "Negro" institutions, or by Jo Cochezi, coordinator of the than call for a complete break with by Blacks gaining control of currently Black technology workshop, Chaka the Democrats and for struggle white-controlled institutions. The great­ Stevens, coordinator of the San Diego against them, Baraka confined his al­ est emphasis was placed on the con­ CAP, and Imamu Vernon Sukumu, ternatives to the Gibson experience, to struction of counterinstitutions (the chairman of the western regional the hope that "a more militant mayor" least productive of the three). chapter of the CAP, Imamu Amiri of unspecified affiliation could be elect­ The mass mobilization of the Black Baraka (Leroi Jones) delivered the ed next time. community was subordinated to elec­ keynote address. This lack of clarity on the nature toral activity by the workshop leaders, Using his experience in the politics of the Democratic Party and Black and was generally seen as only a way of Newark, N.J., for illustration, political action pervaded the work­ by which the local CAPs could win Bar aka spoke on the need to form shops at the conference. In particular, membership. a Black political party and outlined the political liberation workshop was three spheres of political development dominated by Democratic Party This lack of a mass-action perspec­ in the Black community: the initial speakers. Although the workshops tive characterized all the other work­ gathering of cadre dedicated to the heard presentations on Pan-African­ shops, which dealt with such topics liberation of Black people; second, ism by Rosie Douglas, a leader of as Black economics, law and justice, "operational and organizational unity" the Black movement in Canada, and religion, education, and social orga­ -the unity of various groups within Mamadu Lumumba, a Black student nization. the Black community around a pro­ leader at San Fernando State College, Among the proposals approved by gram in order to influence and mobi­ the main discussion revolved around the Sunday plenary were the establish­ lize the masses; and last, alliances with the necessity of preparing for the 1972 ment of a regional CAP newsletter other oppressed nationalities. elections by beginning to investigate for the western region, the distribution To illustrate these "three spheres," the Democratic Party. of Black News, published in Brooklyn, Baraka pointed to the Committee for as a CAP publication, and the calling a Unified Newark as an example of The main advocates of this cours, of a regional convention sometime in the type of cadre organization he had of action were California Democratic the fall for the nomination of candi­ in mind and the 1970 effort to elect state senator Merv Dimally, who pro­ dates for the 1972 elections. Kenneth Gibson mayor of Newark jected Black involvement in a third A film of the conference is ·being as an example of "operational orga­ force movement for 1972, with the produced and will be available toward nizational unity." Ironically, as an ex­ nomination of a Black vice-presiden­ the end of the year from Cold Produc­ ample of alliances formed with other tial candidate on the Democratic ticket tions, 1531 Monroe #6, .Los Angeles, lmamu Baraka oppressed nationalities in Newark, as one of its major goals, and Booker Calif. 90038. No gains at Brooklyn Black convent ion By DERRICK MORRISON ond convention as well. tems, and delivering goods and ser­ The convention adopted the name NEW YORK- Despite the convening About 200 people attended the sec­ vices, it is clear that CFUN is about of the African National People's Party. of a second Black political convention ond meet, held at a nursery school working in the Democratic Party, the in Brooklyn, July 3-5, to establish an facility near The East. A little over party of the white capitalist oppressor. independent Black party, no real 100 people came from New York, Baraka disclosed that in 1972 CFUN A brother from Pittsburgh reported to headway was made in the formation approximately 30 from Washington, will organize with others to run as the Brooklyn Black political conven­ of such a vehicle. D. C., and about 25 from the Com­ "African Nationalist Democrats" in tion on the brutal murder of a Black The first convention was held last mittee for a Unified Newark [CFUN]. opposition to the "regular Democrats" youth in that city. The youth, Ernest Nov. 7 at The East, an African-Amer­ The rest came from Pennsylvania and in the New Jersey Democratic Party T. WilHams Jr. was shot and killed ican cultural and educational center a smattering of other states. Many of primary. This face-lifting effort was by a white cop, Howard Landers, on that publishes Black News, a nation­ the militants present were there as in­ palmed off as the road toward a Black mistaken identity. (We all look alike.) alist weekly. It attracted 300 people dividuals. The political experience of political party. The Ernest T. Williams Jr. Memorial and excluded no political tendency some was rooted solely in govern­ Only the electoral politics workshop Fund was subsequently organized and within the African-American comm u­ ment-funded poverty agencies. repudiated the line advocated by the began to hold rallies throughout the nity. It attempted to assess the pres­ The eight workshops ranged from papers. All the other workshops fell Black community protesting the kill­ ent juncture of the Black liberation financing the new party and struc­ hook, line, and sinker for the ver­ ing. In a Militant telephone interview struggle in order to get together a turing community organizations, to biage. with Brother Yusef, he related that a program on which to establish an strategy and tactics of the new party. six-member coroner's jury met July 7, A rally at The East that evening independent political party. The or­ Paul Boutelle of the Socialist Workers all white and aged from 35 -to 70. ganizers were inspired by the talk Party cochaired the workshop on featured Doug Moore of the Black The next day, they declared the cop of such a party at the first Congress electoral politics along with a CFUN United Front of Washington, D. C., guilty of involuntary manslaughter, of African People, which was held representaU··e. This was on request and Baraka. Moore, who ran as an not murder in the first degree. in Atlanta last September. But rather of the convention's steering commit­ independent in D. C.'s election of a Because the city district attorney than continue talk of a Black political tee. nonvoting delegate to Congress last publicly declared that he didn't see party, they decided to set out and On the second day of the conven­ spring, lashed out at the Democrats any reason why Landers should be actually build one. tion, CFU N representatives, who and Republicans, particularly the 'arrested in the first place, militants Despite their good intentions, how­ chaired or cochaired most of the Black members of Congress. But he of the Fund are moving to get the ever, The East organizers had no workshops, introduced position pa­ presented no workable strategy to­ state attorney to try Landers. plan, strategy, nor even an initial · pers on the organization of a party. ward a Black party. Contributions to the effort and the program of action to offer at this The chief paper submitted, entitled family can be sent to: Ernest T. Wil­ Baraka read his 11-page "strategy" first gathering. After the meeting, a "Strategy and Tactics of a Pan-African liams Jr. Memorial Fund, cfo Pitts­ paper, making extended comments. steering committee constituted by the Nationalist Party" and discussed burgh National Bank, 618 N. Home­ conference met. It concentrated pure­ mainly in the strategy and tactics On July 5, the last day, workshop wood, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15208. Infor­ ly on organizational matters- crea­ workshop, was signed by Imamu reports were read and approved. A mation on the campaign can be had tion of a secretariat, constitution, and Amiri Baraka (Leroi Jones). CFU N representative reported on the by writing: Ernest T. Williams Jr. research bodies. However, when these papers are electoral politics workshop but failed Memorial Fund, cjo FACE Center, The vacuum in respect to a pro­ stripped of all their verbiage about to· include much of the actual discus­ 521 N. Homewood Ave., Pittsburgh, gram of· action characterized the sec- cadre organization, new value sys- sion in that workshop. Pa. 15233.

10 The following is the major portion of a speech class struggle, and to the movement which they twenty-five years ago this week, when a small delivered by James P. Cannon. National Chair­ created, which made it possible for us to build group in the Communist Party raised the banner man of the Socialist Workers Party, at a rally on, and to be here today. We are the direct descen­ of Trotsky and his program. They expelled us for in New York City celebrating the twenty-fifth an­ dants and heirs of the old IWW, the heroic IWW that, and we struck out on a new road, to build niversary of the SWP, Oct. 30, 1953. The occasion of Bill Haywood and Vincent St. John and Frank a new party, to replace the one that had been was also the wind-up rally of the SWP city-wide Little. corrupted and degenerated, to build a new party election campaign in New York City. And we are also the heirs and the sole con­ on the old program. This speech is included in the book Speeches tinuators of the Communist Party in this country, The issues that were raised that day, at that for Socialism by James P. Cannon, which will be which was founded in 1919. It grew up out of meeting, have been put to the test of twenty-five available early in August from Pathfinder Press, the left wing of the Socialist Party which had fought years- and surely, those have been the biggest and 410 West St., New York, N.Y. 10014, for $3.45 the struggle against the first imperialist war, and the most eventful years in all history. I think no (paperback). out of a section of the IWW which had suffered one can deny tonight that the test has shown who I want to talk a little bit tonight about the party. persecution of all kinds in its strikes and battles was right and who was wrong. You have it vividly The Socialist Workers Party represents a program, during the war and the prewar period. illustrated at this very meeting in the speech of first of all and above all. This program, as Engels That whole movement of left-wing radicalism David Weiss, recounting the campaign of the So­ once expressed it, is the conscious expression of of the American workers, which was unified and cialist Workers Party against the whole capitalist the unconscious historic process which is operating given a sharpened program by the great Russian war setup, and his scornful denunciation of the relentlessly and inexorably to transform society Revolution of 1917, was all brought together and campaign program of the miserable Communist from capitalism to socialism. But when we say concentrated in the Communist Party as it was Party, wiping the spittle of Wagner off their faces that we and our program are the conscious ex­ launched in 1919. That's where we come from. and still saying "Vote for Wagner." pression of this unconscious historical process, it We come from the party that took shape in the In that alone is strikingly illustrated the verdict does not mean that we are simply observers, ana­ fight against the first imperialist war, out of the on the dispute that was raised in the meeting twen­ lysts and commentators. Just because we are the cadres of American radical workers who first re­ ty-five years ago- who would be revolutionary conscious expression of the historic process we also sponded to the great Russian Revolution led by and who would capitulate. And by showing who have the duty to participate in the process and help Lenin and Trotsky. was right, and who was wrong, the events of the it along. That's the difference between a party of The Socialist Workers Party is the heir of all that. last twenty-five years have shown to whom the action in struggle and a mere circle of academi­ It represents all of that. And we can say proudly future belongs. The future belongs to those who cians, analysts and observers. Quite different. that in its twenty-five years it has represented it link themselves with the progressive course of the It has also been said by Engels that we, the honorably and creditably. In addition to all that historic process and help it along. The future be­ Marxists, the revolutionists, represent the future has gone before us, on which we built and which longs to those who stand firmly by the program. of the labor movement in its present. That is anoth­ is part of our strength and our confidence, we have That wasn't so clear to many people in October er excellent and accurate way to present it. But made our own contribution in twenty-five years 1928. Now, if some comrades, feeling the weight we don't merely represent the future in the present. of battle. of the long war boom and the conservatizmg As active revolutionists, we strive, by every means, effect of it on the working class, and on the labor every day, by every form of activity, including Origin of SWP movement, and the accumulated effects of the reac­ such great activities as you carried on in this We date the origin of our party to twenty-five tion and the witch-hunt-if they find that it is election campaign- we strive to transform the pres­ years ago because it was at that point when it not so easy to stand firm for revolutionary prin­ ent into the future at a little earlier date. seemed, for a time, that the chain of continuity ciples and to be active and aggressive for them­ The program we stand on goes back a long of the revolutionary movement and of revolution­ if you think it's difficult now, I can tell you there way. It is by no means our invention, by no ary thought and revolutionary program was al­ have been harder times. means new. It goes back in an unbroken line most broken. Under the impact of world events, There have been harder times to be a revolu­ of continuity to the Communist Manifesto of Marx the reaction that set in after the first revolutionary tionary socialist, and October 1928 was one such and Engels of 1 05 years ago. Our party goes postwar wave, the old program of revolution, time. The situation then was somewhat different back to that program along an unbroken line the old program of Lenin, was revised and dis­ from now. Certainly the prospects for socialism of continuity and, by that same token, is connected carded by the usurping clique of Stalin, which didn't look very promising to anybody. And many in its actions with all the actions and efforts of had gained power in the Soviet Union. got discouraged and lost all perspective of the all the working class of all countries of the world The Communist Party in this country had been future. The reason was they saw things from too for 105 years; and all their experiences, all their softened up by the long prosperity, the long period close a view-what was before their eyes-and victories and defeats, are assimilated and general­ of hopes deferred. Its leadership had turned con­ ized into the program of the party today, and are servative and Stalinized- and it seemed, for a a part of our strength and our confidence. moment, that the continuous line of revolutionary More specifically, in this country the Socialist activity according to the program of Marxism Workers Party goes back to all the great struggles was suddenly about to break. But not everybody and movements of the past, of the American work­ gave way. Not everybody capitulated. ing class, and represents their tradition too. So Those who resisted the degeneration in this coun­ we speak here not only for ourselves. We speak try found inspiration and guidance from the writ­ for all those who went before us, and whose banner ings of Trotsky· in faraway Russia. Trotsky was we carry, and whose cause we represent. conducting the great heroic fight against the degen­ We are the direct descendants and the sole heirs eration, against the revisio~ and discarding of the of the Haymarket martyrs of 1886, the pioneer program. And we who heard his voice, who had fighters for the eight-hour day, to whom every the opportunity, after many years of suppression, union man who enjoys a shorter workday and to get hold of his writings, revolted against the union conditions today, whether he knows about Stalinist degeneration of the Comintern and of the it or not, whether he ever heard their names or Communist Party in this country. We raised the not, owes a debt of gratitude that someday will banner of Trotsky on October 27, 1928. be recognized. We go back to the old Socialist That's why we trace the origin of our party, Party of the time of Debs, which roused a whole the origin of the SWP as a distinct party, of our generation to an elementary understanding of the own making and our own building, to that day, James P. Cannon in 1938

THE MILITANT/ JULY 30, 1971 11 did not see them in process, with a historical per­ In one country after another, the labor movement, virtually all the leaders of the Communist Party spective and a Marxist analysis. the communist movement was pushed backward. eventually got reconciled to the idea that the Marx­ And in America, the great boom of the twenties ist prognosis of the contradictions of capitalism Capitalist prosperity was roaring along at such an unprecedented rate leading to crisis and revolution were no longer Why, in 1928, don't you know, there were people that almost everybody began to believe-it's hard operating in this country, that the "old books" who thought that the boom was going to last for you to realize it now, perhaps, or to recall didn't have the answer anymore. forever! The world situation seemed to have turned it, after the experiences later- but almost every­ The Stalinist gang in the Soviet Union, national­ definitively to the stabilization of capitalism. The body believed, including the capitalists themselves! ly limited and narrow in their outlook, concerned great hope that had been raised by the Russian -they thought that out of their own thick heads only with their own privileges, abandoned all hope Revolution of 1917, which carried with it a great they had found the solution of the contradictions of the international revolution. They began to think revolutionary wave across Europe for five years, of capitalism. And the economists in the colleges only in national terms and evolved a new "theory," had finally subsided. The Russian Revolution sur­ were writing, writing, writing: "Marx has been revising Marx and Lenin and their theory of the vived, but it was isolated in a capitalist world. refuted! American capitalist genius has solved the international revolution developing in stages from The German revolution, which had been counted problem!" one country to another until it engulfed the world upon as the great reinforcement, which would seal And social democrats from Germany sent dele­ and transformed the world. They evolved the mon­ the doom of capitalism all over Europe, which had gations over here to study the workings of Amer­ strous conception of "socialism in one country," every possibility of success, had been finally de­ ican capitalism, so that they could go back home by which they really meant- revisionists never feated in 1923 for lack of a revolutionary party and tell their own capitalists: why don't you do tell the truth, they never say what they really capable of leading it to victory as Lenin's party like that and solve the problem, and then we won't mean, they always speak in double-talk-"No rev­ did in Russia. need a revolution or anything like that! And every olution outside of Russia!" And on the basis of that terrible defeat, capital­ labor faker in the country was sure that what One revolution is enough, they thought; let us ism got restabilized in Europe. Reaction set in. was going on then would go on forever. And try to save what we have here, come to terms with

12 · the capitalists on fbe statu~ quo in the rest of the 'We.~:4,~Ul~n't dream of having a meeting of tb,is world, and transform the Communist parties from size, to say nothing of having a television audietiee revolutionary organizations, aiming to lead the in those days. masses in revolution, , into miserable pressure But we had something else. We had conviction groups in the service of Soviet diplomacy. That in our program, and that's a mighty strong prop was the program foisted, step by step, upon the of suppor.t. In the fight for socialism you have Communist Party of the Soviet Union by the Sta­ to expect and encounter difficulties. You have to linists in the period of reaction in the twenties. expect hard times on some occasions. But you This monstrous revisionism and betrayal- revi­ can stand them on certain conditions- if you have sionism has always been the prelude to betrayal­ a clear historical perspective, if you are not over­ culminated in 1927 with the expulsion from the whelmed by the events of the moment, but see Communist Party of Trotsky and the othel' great in the events of the moment that a different thing leaders of the revolution. will develop tomorrow. If you have a class histori­ Here in the United States the long boom of the cal perspective and a clear head, you can be a twenties with no intervening crisis, softened up the revolutionist under any conditions. Of course, it Communist Party in this country and got it ready helps too if you have a good "belly," as the boys for the corruption of Stalinism. The leaders of say, to be able to take punishment. That helps. the Communist Party became convinced that there As a matter of fact, if you haven't got a good could be no revolution in this country in the fore­ "belly" it's very difficult to be a consistent rev­ seeable future; that the United States, in any case, olutionist in good times and bad. was an "exception" to the Marxist law. We had all that in the early days. That's a Now I must say the theory of the leaders of fact. And we still have it. And in addition, we had Cannon at New York election rally 1945 the Communist Party, as it was evolved in that on our side in that unequal fight in the beginning, long, difficult period of the boom and the prosperi­ we had the greatest political thinker of modern ty, was agreed to by nearly everybody else in the times. That was Comrade Trotsky. That made country. That was almost a unanimous opinion. the difference. But we didn't agree. A few of us didn't agree. When we started our fight, he was in exile in A few of us had read "the books." And from the Alma Ata, in Asian Russia, thousands of mileJ books we derived a theory and a conviction that away. We had no contact with him, but we had what was before our eyes was only temporary and some of his writings in our hands, his criticism of superficial. We held on to the old theory that the the program. That was our only connection with contradictions of capitalism would explode and him at the start. Later on, after he was deported upset it and create the conditions for revolution. to Turkey, we got direct contact with Trotsky In the very first i88ue of The Militant, comrades, and had him «nd his advice and his thinking in the very first issue of our Militant, published all the time. a few days after we were expelled from the Com­ And we still have Trotsky, despite the fact that munist Party, we printed an assertion that the the Stalinists finally assassinated him. The greatest James P. Cannon, national secretary of the boom, which had everybody fascinated, already political thinker, the greatest revolutionist, the most International Labor Defense, spealcs to 1926 showed signa of cracking and was heading for heroic man of modern times- they finally assas­ ILD meeting. Sitting behind him is Elizabeth a bust and a crisis; that this crisis would shake sinated him in 1940. But we still have Trotsky's U.S. capitalism to its foundations, and that out writings and example as our guide. Gurley Flynn, who chaired the meeting. of the crisis and the misery and oppr.ession and And we are convinced by all the evidence that horrors that would follow would come a new the whole course of world development in the last anybody's chances to revise the basic program working ctass and a new labor movement ana twenty-five years has confirmed Trotsky's analysis. upon which our party and our world movement the conditions for building a revolutionary party. The stabilization of capitalism in 1928, which has been founded and built. Our party was born And we said about the Soviet Union and the the Stalinists took for permanent, which was sup­ in struggle against Stalinist revisionism, don't for­ Stalinist program, in our first number of The posed to last indefinitely, lasted only one more get that. Our party began in a doctrinal struggle Militant twenty-five years ago: the Stalinist pro­ year. Just one year and two days after I made against a revision of the Marxist program. The gram of socialism in one country is a revisionist my speech in that Stalinist Central Committee meet­ party was steeled and strengthened in a great betrayal of Marxism. The Trotsky program of ing, and told them that this boom would not last doctrinal battle against Burnhamite revisionism international revolution is realistic and right and and would run into a crisis which could change in 1939-1940, in the last year of Trotsky's life, we will support it at all costs, no matter how the whole thing and open up the perspectives of when he directly participated and led the party small our numbers may be~ because we believe the revolutionary party-just one year and two in our fight against the revisionists. In the course the program will carry us to victory in the end. days after we were expelled and organized the of these and other doctrinal battles we became real And we said that the issue would not be decided original nucleus of the SWP, the great boom blew Trotskyists, and proud to bear the name. by the vote at the meeting where we made our up. Trotsky's teachings have been assimilated into declaration and were expelled from the Communist On October 29, 1929, the stock-market crash our flesh and blood and bone. His teachings have Party. We said we would support the program of sent its reverberations throughout the world, and sustained us for twenty-five years, and enabled us international revolution as advanced by Trotsky, capitalism began to writhe in the death agony to stand up against all pressure, and to endure and on that rock we would build a new party in of crisis and war and revolution, from which it all hardships, and still persevere and continue and this country. That's what we started out to do can never be extricated. We Nere confident of that fight and hope and believe in the future. j\nd if twenty-five years ago. when we started out twenty~flve years ago. Today, someone asks: ''What are the. chances now to on our twenty-fifth anniversary, we are more con­ change us after all this, to 'revise' us, so to speak, Against the stream fident than ever for firmer reasons and with strong­ at this late date?" we would have to answer pes­ I'll admit now what I wouldn't admit then-that er proofs from all the events of the past twenty­ simistically: "No chance whatever." The Trotskyists it was not easy at the start. The Stalinists gave five years. are fixed the way they are and there's no chance us a rough time. We were only a handful of people. We are frequently spoken of as "optimists." to tamper with their orthodox doctrines or the They expelled us. They broke up our meetings. Throughout the labor movement we Trotskyists program of their party. That they will not allow, When we tried to hold a meeting they brought have become known far and wide in these twenty­ and it's an utterly pessimistic enterprise for any­ in a mob. and broke up meeting after meeting, five years because we have been active on many body to even contemplate. and beat up all the Trotskyists.. Beat us up on fronts. They all see the Trotskyists always with On the other hand, we are optimistic and we the streets. Burglarized our houses. In the same the same attitude and the same spirit, and our have unlimited confidence in the program upon Daily Worker that is today boosting Wagner the "optimism" has been frequently noted and spoken which we have built our party-the program de­ Democrat for mayor, they slandered us every day about by friends as well a• enemies. "The Trotsky­ rived from the basic doctrine of Marx, Lenin and as "agents of American imperialism" and "counter­ ists," they say, "are very optimistc people." Now, Trotsky. As we start off on the second twenty-five revplutionists." there's a certain justification for this opinion of years of our struggle for a socialist America there That sounds funny doesn't it? That the sup­ us, but it shouldn't be taken one-sidedly. We are are only two things we need, and these two things porters of Wagner, the finks who broke strikes not cheerful idiots by any means. We are not we've got. First, we have the conviction, based during the Second World War, the finger-men of optimistic about everything. Our optimism is a on theoretical analysis and living evidence of de­ the FBI during the war, the advocates of the in­ discriminating, selective, reasonably based opti­ velopment in the last twenty-five years, that cap­ centive-pay speedup of the workers during the mism. italism cannot survive and that international so­ war-that these people called us "agents of Amer-. About some things we are pessimistic. For ex­ cialist revolution is already knocking at the door. lean imperialism" and "counterrevolutionists" twen­ ample, we are pessimistic and have not a trace Th.at's our profound conviction of the state of the ty-five years ago! I say it sounds funny now, of confidence in the 1urure of capitalism. In that, world as it looks from here tonight. And the sec­ but it wasn't so funny then. I think, we have a common bond with the highest ond asset we have is the conviction that the pro­ We were isolated and alone. They had the audi­ brains of American capitalism who are very doubt­ gram formulated by Trotsky in his lifetime:____ in ence; they had the d~ily press; they had the ap­ ful in their own minds too. They don't know what's the latter eleven years in direct collaboration with paratus; they had the money:_and nobody was going to be, and say so frankly in their financial us- is the only program to organize the revolution listening to us. It makes me laugh ironically when organs. In 1928 they were all happy and confi­ and to lead it to definitive victory and the transi­ I hear people say these days, "What's the use of dent, but now they're all full of doubts and gloom, tion to socialism. running an election campaign, nobody is listening and they wish somebody would tell them that We celebrate our glorious twenty-fifth anniver­ to you." I wonder what such fainthearted people things are not as bad as they look. We can't tell sary tonilzht at the halfway mark of our journey would have said in 1928, when we tried to explain them that because we're honest, we always tell and our task, with only half done. Twenty-five the problems arising out of the great theoretical the truth, and the truth is that things are worse years ago last Wednesday, we started from scratch, fight in the Russian Communist Party and nobody than they look for capitalism. That's all we can with only a handful of people and a program, would listen because nobody was interested. tell them. We have not a trace of confidence in to build the new party of the American Revolution. Did I say nobody listened? That's not quite the future of capitalism in this country or in any We've succeeded with that half of the task. On correct. A few listened. And a few more. And out other country. the basis of the Trotskyist program, we have built of our constant pounding and talking and talking, a party whose cadres can never be broken. whether the people would listen or not, we as­ ''We are optimistic" In the next twenty-five years the cadres of this sembled the original cadres of this party. People On the other hand, we are optimistic, and for party, armed with the same program, will grow listen now a hundred and a thousand times more. good sound reasons, about the prospects of rev­ and expand and become leaders and organizers We didn't have the forces for an election campaign olution in all countries, including this one. of the socialist revolution in the United States. then. We couldn't dream of getting on the radio. We are pessimistic, profoundly pessimistic, about That's the way it's going to be.

THE MILITANT/ JULY 30, 1971 13 'People's Assmnbly' in Bolivia Inoves to strengthen its role The following includes major excerpts great enthusiasm, it seems-by Gen­ building assumed the characteristics of out its promises to the working people from an article that appeared in the eral Torres. The president, of course, a revolutionary crisis. of the country. The measures it recom­ July 19 issue of Intercontinental Press. cannot cut himself off from the miners' Panorama reported the mounting mended flowed clearly and logically from this position. A "People's Assembly" has begun to unions and the most 'committed' stu­ tensions: "Alarming reports spread As a result, the forces willingly or function in Bolivia. Its formation rep­ dent leaders without running the risk from the comfortable neighborhood unwillingly supporting the Torres resents an intensification of the class of falling victim to a new rightist plot." of Sopocachi and its surrounding government have had little apparent struggle in Bolivia and a strengthen­ In face of the mass mobilization areas. While the delegations from the basis for objection. "The deputies of ing of the workers' and peasants' touched off by the Oct. 4 coup of pro­ interior of the country crowded the this embryonic organ of workers' de­ movements. American rightist General Rogelio accesses to the capital and roused a mocracy were careful not to offer their The 221 deputies in the assembly Miranda, the Bolivian military and its tumult in the steeply sloping streets antagonists any provocation," Pano­ who took their seats in the Palacio U.S. backers were forced to accept of La Paz with their enthusiasm, the rama noted. "And now that this body Legislative June 22 did not look like the government of Torres. It seemed well-to-do citizens spread shocking ru­ has been installed in the parliament the stereotypes of legislators in bour­ to be the only alternative to full-scale mors: 'After they take over the Palacio building, it is growing stronger and geois democracies, reported the June civil war and direct intervention by Legislativo, the workers will storm the 29-July 5 issue of the Buenos Aires Washington. The Bolivian military es­ state offices and there will be a blood­ stronger." weekly Panorama. "They were the tablishment, including its commander bath.' That is, they were prodding the In calling for the ouster of imperial­ shirtless ones of Bolivia- Indian fea­ in chief General Reque Teran, how­ discontented officers to stage a preven­ ist military and intelligence personnel, tures, small dark heads, calloused ever, has not concealed its fears that tive coup before the red peril plunges the Asamblea Popular was only draw­ hands, work clothes, no ties. Torres would- be forced to make dan­ Bolivia into the abyss. ing the logical conclusion from Torres' "To make up for this lack of ele­ gerous and perhaps fatal concessions "The nerves of the military officers promises to safeguard the indepen­ gance, these legislators had a quality to the mass movement. surrounding General-President Juan dence of the country. few of their foreign counterparts could In its first 10 days in the Palacio Jose Torres were also strained to the Moreover, since it was the workers boast of. They represented their con­ Legislative, Juan de Onis pointed out breaking point. ... who blocked the right-wing coup of stituencies directly and in a distinct in an article in the July 8 New York "Military seniority was respected re­ Oct. 4, thus enabling Torres to set spirit of class solidarity. In short, they Times, the Asamblea Popular passed luctantly, and the plotters let the zero up a reformist regime, and since there combined all the characteristics any­ resolutions calling for the expulsion hour go by without coming out of is still a continual threat of a new one could ask for to frighten the mea­ of U.S. military and intelligence forces their barracks. Of course, at least as rightist coup backed by imperialism, ger bourgeoisie that exists in the An­ and for workers' self-management of far as their intentions go, they were it is only reasonable that the workers dean highlands." the state-owned tin mines. "Judging only postponing the coup. But the should be armed. The Asamblea Popular (People's from the record of the past seven fact that the rebels had to defer their It is reasonable also that the work­ Assembly) was the outgrowth of a months," he said, "the government will strike is quite indicative. It means that ers should assume control of their united-front leadership that sprang up be under constant pressure, including a good part of the officers, 'touched' factories and mines, since the agents to head mass resistance to an attempt­ the threat of a general strike, to com­ by fears of the As am blea, hesitated. of the imperialist companies and the ed rightist military coup Oct. 4, 1970. ply with these demands." They knew that the extent of popular managers linked to the previous mili­ Born out of the mass mobilization that The Torres government grants the mobilization, along with the existence tary regimes cannot be trusted not to brought General Juan Jose Torres to Asamblea Popular only a consultative of a nationalist sector in the armed sabotage the economic basis of Bo­ power as a "left" representative of the role. It has the potential, as de Onis forces committed to supporting Tor­ livian independence. Furthermore, the army, the Asamblea Popular has con­ recognized, however, to take com­ res, meant that a coup would prob­ production centers are the natural for­ tinued as a center of authority parallel mand of the fundamental areas of the ably ignite a civil war of unpredict­ tresses of any resistance to a rightist to the military government. Bolivian economy. Panorama pointed able consequences." takeover. In its June 22 issue, the Paris daily this out with special clarity: In its opening session in the Palacio Despite this reasonableness, the gov­ Le Monde took note of the invasion "Its resolutions are obeyed by its Legislative, the Asamblea Popular ernment has not been spared discom­ of the bourgeois parliament building, members, who represent almost all adopted a resolution declaring it fiture. It was eminently reasonable for closed for years under the military the organized workers. In equipping would not avoid any confrontation the workers to demand that the ruling regime, by an organization leading themselves with this assembly, the necessary to defend the democratic faction of the army-since it claims the masses in the streets, factories, workers have emerged from the sphere rights of the Bolivian working people: to be an ally of the workers and can and mines. In an editorial entitled "A of purely trade-union activity. They "In the likelihood of a coup, the Asam· hold power only with their support­ 'Workers' Government' in Bolivia?" have entered fully into the political blea Popular, as the expression of purge the officer corps of men respon­ Le Monde wrote: "Generals hostile to arena, and with a socialist program. workers' power, will take the political sible for crimes against the working a policy of trying to reduce U.S. in­ "In this assembly the workers co­ and military leadership of the masses people. fluence in Bolivia, and representatives exist with politicians and students, but in struggle and will carry on the fight "The question of how to build a of the middle classes worried by the they are a majority, with 60 percent until the rightists, fascists, and impe- . new country is being hotly debated perspective of nationalizations are not of the seats. This is why the right is rialists are driven definitively out of in the barracks and the union halls," concealing their dismay at seeing the sounding an alarm, blowing up the the country.... If a coup d'etat takes Panorama pointed out. And the work­ new 'People's Parliament' take the proportions of the scandal, calling the place, the Asamblea Popular will call ers of Bolivia represented in the Asam­ place of the old legislative assembly. Asamblea Popular a soviet and pro­ for a general strike and occupation of blea Popular seem to think that they "Composed of delegates from all the claiming that dual power has been the factories and mines as the first cannot build a new Bolivia without a country's working-class sectors and established in Bolivia." response of the working masses." thorough investigation of the estab­ members of all of the left parties, this Judging from the reports in the in­ By and large, the program of the lished power structures-especially the 'People's Assembly' met for the first ternational press, the move of the Asamblea seemed confined to demand­ army, which continues to rule the time in May. It was accepted -without Asamblea Popular into the parliament ing that the Torres government carry country.

July 26, marking the eighteenth anniversary of the 1953 attack on the Moncada barracks led by Fi­ del Castro, is hailed by revol u­ ti on aries throughout the world. Photo is of New Year's Day 1968 celebration on ninth anniversary of victory of the revolution.

14 eration. At one point, when a woman in the operations, and that only about At the July 10-11 state executive was nominated for an important com­ 200 were left Tal slanderously board meeting of the union, the sus­ Electoral mittee position, a man in the audience claimed that hundreds of Palestinian pension was lifted. Frazier won his yelled out in disgust, "Yeah, a woman commandos were Israeli agents. He back pay. But a further motion was -and a faggot too." singled out the Popular Front for the passed that he be transferred upstate coalition At another point, a bitter confron­ Liberation of Palestine, the Democrat­ or be fired if he refused. Such trans­ tation occurred between Spock and ic Popular Front, and Al Ansar (the fers are a traditional way of getting some members of Albuquerque NOW. Partisans- a group associated with rid of unwanted organizers. Frazier formed During the confrontation, the Inde­ the Communist Party) for special con­ refused to be taken away from his .By BILL PERDUE pendent New Mexican Party's 1970 demnation and banned them from Jor­ Los Angeles base of membership sup­ ALBUQUERQUE, N. M. -A confer­ gubernatorial candidate, John Sala­ dan. He also stated that Yasir Arafat port and was thus dismissed. ence of "radical, independent" parties zar, tried to cut off debate with the and other leaders of Fateh were to For the first time in recent years, meeting here over the July 4 weekend statement, "I'm for women's lib, male be banned. the union is suffering a decline in On July 19, Iraq broke off rela­ formed a new organization called The chauvinism, and lunch!" membership. Its failure to effectively tions with Jordan because of these Coalition. Its perspective will be the Bitter fighting was not limited to fight the welfare cuts and this racist attacks, but refused to lift a finger formation of a new national third par­ the question of the role of women at incident have been key factors behind the conference. A hot debate also took to stop the slaughter. Shelling between ty for the 1972 elections. Around 200 Jordan and Syria in areas where Pal­ the decline. place over who might be The Coali­ persons from 19 states attended the estinians had fled was reported by A number of Black workers are now tion's presidential candidate in 1972. conference, more than half of them the July 21 New York Times. The dropping out of the union and are from New Mexico and California. Although consumer advocate Ralph Times quoted Arafat as saying: "We reportedly checking out the possibility The platform adopted by the con­ Nader was discussed as a possibility, are not fmished as people are alleg­ of forming a new union that would ference was referred to a committee no •final choices were agreed upon. ing; we will continue to exist in Jor­ hire Black staff and move more effec­ for "editing." It will then be presented, The conference represented a largely dan with all our means in order to tively to fight .the welfare authorities. along with a slate of candidates, to unsuccessful attempt to revitalize the safeguard the unity of the people of a later, delegated· convention of The remnants of the New Party and the Coalition in November. Peace and Freedom Party. Like those bofu bank~ [of ilie Jorda: river]. suit filed Among the positions adopted by the parties and the "peace" candidates of conference were the following: 1968 and 1970, The Coalition fails • A proposal that the Equal Rights to provide a real alternative to cap­ Amendment to the U.S. Constitution italist politics. Union fires against be passed "with the stipulation that protective legislation be extended to Black men." • Support for "fully equipped, par­ Jordan ent-controlled child-care centers." organizer E~LAGE • "Free birth-control and abortion PHILADELPHIA-A suit on behalf clinics staffed by qualified physicians attacks By WALTER LIPPMANN of local peace groups and individuals and personnel" financed by the gov­ In the spring of 1970, Social Services against the FBI was filed by the Na­ ernment. union, Local 535, AFL-CIO, which tional Emergency Civil Liberties Com­ • Opposition to forced sterilization fedayeen organizes welfare workers throughout mittee in federal district court on July and forced abortion. California, hired the first Black busi­ 14. The action seeks to enjoin the FBI • A call for natural resources to be By TONY THOMAS ness agent in its· history. Previously, from continuous and malicious ha­ "owned and controlled by the people." The Jordanian Army continued its of­ the only Blacks hired by tl;le union rassment, intimidation and open "sur­ • An end to the laws discriminating fensive against the Palestinian resist­ had been in clerical positions. veillance" of the plaintiffs, who include against homosexuals. ance forces in Jordan with a series Errol Frazier got the job after· a the Philadelphia Resistance, American In addition, the proposals of the rac­ of attacks on Palestinian positions in persistent campaign by militant Black Friends Service Committee, and nu­ ism and foreign policy workshops northern Jordan July 13. These at­ and white members and stewards of merous individuals from the Powelton were not adopted in the plenary ses­ tacks are part of the overall offensive the Los Angeles chapter of the union. neighborhood of Philadelphia. It also sion but were referred along with the of U.S. imperialism and Israel Local 535 was the only local in seeks to collect damages and secure rest of the platform to the editing com­ to destroy the resistance as a political the Service Employees International the return and destruction of all FBI mittee. The racism workshop affirmed factor in the Middle East and to better Union in Southern California that had records obtained as a result of this "to the non-white national minorities secure a peaceful settlement between never had a Black organizer, despite illegal activity. their right of self-determination." The the Arab capitalist states and Israel. the fact that nearly a third ofthe mem­ The defendants,' including U. S. At­ foreign policy workshop called for The Palestinians have faced a grim bElrship of the Los Angeles chapter is torney General John Mitchell, FBI abolition of the draft and the imme­ situation since the September 1970 Black. chief J. Edgar Hoover and the local diate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Jordanian civil war, during which Frazier lasted about 14 months. His FBI, are charged with physical vio­ Vietnam. Hussein was able to establish mili­ ouster was tied in with a general crisis lence; threats; excessive, continuous, While the coalition born at this con­ tary superiority over them and halt confronting the union and its officials. open and unjustifiable surveillance; ference is projected as a "real alterna­ the growth of the resistance and de­ Faced with massive welfare cutbacks illegal searches, seizures, arrests and tive to the Democratic and Republican crease its power and influence among in the state and nationally, the union limitations on freedom of movement; parties," nowhere in the platform is the Palestinian and Jordanian masses. bureaucrats have sought to limit re­ illegal electronic surveillance and wire­ there any mention of the necessity to The Jordanian Army has carried out sponse to lobbying liberal Democrats tapping; illegal harassment through break in a fundamental way from a number of campaigns since then, and supporting Nixon's reactionary intimidation of friends, relatives, em­ capitalist politics. The program con­ slowly reducing the rights and operat­ welfare "reform" program. ployers and associates; and denial of tains no analysis of the mass radicali­ ing room of the Palestinians in J or­ They saw Frazier's presence on the the right to counsel. The brief cites zation that is presently shaking loose dan. The Arab governments, who feel staff as a threat to their ineffectual such violations, which began in early whole sectors of society from the ideo­ threatened by the militant Palestinian reformist approach. Not that Frazier April, as part of an alleged investi­ logical domination of the ruling class. leadership, . have become increasingly was a particularly militant leader. But gation of the theft of some flies from open in their opposition to the Pales­ since he had won his job through the the Media, Pa., FBI office. , The leaders of The Coalition do tinian fedayeen. Syria, for instance pressure of Black and white militants, The brief describes the purpose of take note, in the conference call, of -which once attempted to appear as he was more responsive to their de­ the FBI's conduct as "to chill, deter, the "serious dangers of polarization the Arab state most favorable to the mands for stronger action to stop the discourage and inhibif those who of our society and the alienation of resistance-has just interdicted a ship­ welfare cuts. would challenge the government "from our people," but for them the solution ment of arms sent from Algeria to By a recent state executive board freely associating with others in polit­ lies essentially in the electoral process, Fateh, according to the July 7 issue decision, a southern coordinator, ical activity to advance their objections not in independent mass action. of LeMonde. Chuck Egbert, was appointed with vir­ to governmental policies and social One of the major shortcomings of On July 13, fighting between the tually total control over the Southern conditions, and from engaging in free the conference was that it did not take Palestinians and the Jordanian Army California chapters of the union. He speech, assembly, and petition; to up the question of building a mass began. The Jordanians attacked feda­ could suspend staff and make most coerce plaintiffs into involuntary w ai­ independent antiwar movement to yeen in the area between Jarash and decisions on policy. Egbert decided to vers of their constitutional rights; and, fight for the immediate withdrawal of Ajlun, eight miles to the northwest. get rid of Frazier. With the support as the defendants, by their agents have the U.S. from Indochina- Instead, the The Jordanians view the attacks as of the president of the L.A. chapter stated, to 'enhance the paranoia' in platform offers options of voting for an attempt to push the Palestinians . and the state president, Frazier was the New Left." the candidates of The Coalition and away from Israeli-occupied territory. suspended on a series of charges that At a news conference in connection support for the "People's Peace Trea­ A dispatch from Amman in the July were either false or true of all the paid with the filing of the suit, several of ty." The foreign policy workshop, in 15 New York Times claimed that sev­ union officials. the plaintiffs described the harassment fact, spent most of its time not dis­ eral thousand Royal Jordanian troops The racism involved in the ouster they had experienced. Lisa Schiller, a cussing how to build the antiwar were involved in the operation. In move was dramatized when Frazier's Resistance worker, was followed by movement, but methods for bringing the first few days of the action, ac­ desk in the union office was draped FBI agents and her mother was ques­ about nuclear disarmament; strength­ cording to the Times, commandos in black and a toilet brush placed tioned and intimidated. Jim Hart, a ening the United Nations; rej~ting a were driven out of the villages of El on it. Powelton resident, was assaulted, ar­ proposal to call for a trade boycott Kitta, Saqeb, Raimun and Sabia, and Black unionists responded to this rested and interrogated by agents who with Rhodesia and South Africa; and Jordanian troops occupied the nearby by circulating leaflets denouncing this had been haunting the neighborhood rejecting a proposal to support the Gaza refugee camp ''which had been racist act and built a modest protest claiming to be "insurance agents" and nationalization of U. S.-owned prop­ the last camp under guerrilla control." demonstration outside union head­ "bird watchers." Anne Flitcraft, of the erties by governments in Mrica, Latin These attacks, with artillery, tanks quarters. The Los Angeles chapter AFSC staff, described an FBI raid America, and Asia. and armored cars, turned into a rout executive council, consisting of the on her home and physical threats on In addition, the conference proceed­ of the Palestinians, who were armed stewards and officers, unanimously herself and her attorney. ings were characterized by ·a disre­ with light weapons. Hundreds of Pal­ passe4 a motion demanding Frazier's The plaintiffs are optimistic about gard for the opinions of the female estinians fled from Jordan into Syria return. It also censured the chapter the chances of winning the suit. David delegates, despite the fact that the con­ and Israel. president for his role in the affair. A Rudovsky, of the NECLC and one of ference leaders, who included Gore On July 19, Wasfl Tal, prime min­ motion was narrowly defeated calling the lawyers in the case, said at the Vidal and Dr. Benjamin Spock, de­ ister of Jordan, claimed that over for the firing of the southern coordi­ news conference, "We expect the court clared tht:ir support for women's lib- 2,300 commandos had been captured nator. will agree with us."

THE MILITANT/ JULY 30, 1971 15 Shah's foes Genocide in Bangia Desh die before firing squad seen by Pakistani journalist From Intercontinental Press From Intercontinental Press els, pursued the pogrom in the towns In army headquarters in Dacca, the In an apparent attempt to keep in­ "We are determined to cleanse East and the villages. three-point government program was ternational protests from marring his Pakistan once and for all of the threat "I have seen whole villages devas­ explained to him as follows: celebration of the 2,500th anniversary of the "Persian monarchy," Shah Reza of secession, even if it means killing tated by 'punitive action.' "(1) The Bengalis have proved off two million people and ruling the "And in the officers mess at night Pahlevi decided to condemn and exe­ themselves 'unreliable' and must be cute opponents of his regime in secret. province as a colony for 30 years." I have listened incredulously as other­ ruled by West Pakistanis; The Comite de defense des prison­ This was the message, Anthony wise brave and honourable men niers politiques iraniens [Committee to Mascarenhas wrote in the June 13 proudly chewed over the day's kill." "(2) The Bengalis will have to b€ Defend the Iranian Political Prisoners] London Sunday Times, that he heard The army justifies its actions on re-educated along proper ·Islamic the basis of reactionary religious and lines. The 'lslamisation of the masses' learned that seven alleged guerrillas "repeatedly" from high Pakistani mili­ were sentenced in secret to speedy exe­ tary and civilian officials in East Ben­ racial prejudices. Hindus are the ene­ -this is the official jargon- is intend­ ed to eliminate secessionist tendencies cutions, according to Le Monde of gal. my and Bengalis are regarded as cor­ and provide a strong religious bond July 3. Not even the names of the Mascarenhas's account of Yahya rupted by Hinduism. with West Pakistan; condemned were made public. Khan's genocidal war against the "The Hindus had completely under­ In response to this report, the In­ Bengali people is all the more con­ mined the Muslim masses with their "(3) When the Hindus have been ternational Association of Democratic vincing in that the writer is a West money," one officer told Mascarenhas. eliminated by death and flight, their Jurists called on the Iranian regime Pakistani. He is, or was, the assistant " ... It had reached the point where property will be used as a golden to reveal the names of the twelve "guer­ editor of the Karachi Morning News, Bengali culture was in fact Hindu cul­ carrot to win over the under-privi­ rillas" supposedly captured in an un­ as well as Pakistan correspondent of ture, and East Pakistan was virtually leged Muslim middle-class. This will successful raid on the Siakhal police the Sunday Times. under the control of the Marwari busi­ provide the base for erecting admin­ headquarters in the north of the coun­ In early April, Mascarenhas and nessmen in Calcutta. We have to sort istrative and political structures in the try. It asked in particular for the seven other Pakistani journalists were them out to restore the land to the future." names of the seven sentenced to death. people, and the people to their Faith." flown by the Yahya government to "The first consideration of the army," The organization demanded that the twelve be given public trials with re­ East Bengal. They were clearly given "The people here," said another of­ Mascarenhas discovered, "has been ficer, "may have Muslim names and spect for the rights of the defense. to understand that their task was to and still is the obliteration of every confirm the dictatorship's propagan­ call themselves Muslims. But they are Despite this appeal, two of the seven trace of separatism in East Bengal. were executed July 5, according to the da. Hindus at heart. . . . Those who are This proposition is upheld by the con­ July 7 issue of Le Monde. However, Mascarenhas, however, was so ap­ left will be real Muslims. We will even tinuing slaughter and by everything Iranian officials explained that the sen­ palled by what he saw that he felt teach them Urdu." else that the government has done tences of four had been commuted to he had to publish the truth. In mid­ Mascarenhas described the army's in both East and West Pakistan since life imprisonment because they had May, he arranged for the Sunday activity as "genocide conducted with March 25. The decision was coldly "expressed regref' for their action. The Times to print his story, asking only amazing casualness." taken by the military leaders, and sentence of the seventh was reduced that it be delayed until he could get "Sitting in the office of Major Agha, they are going through with it-all to ten years in prison. his family out of Pakistan. Martial Law Administrator of Co­ too coldly.... The article did not explain by what Mascarenhas' s experiences left no milia City, on the morning of April "The crucial question is: will the kill­ authority the sentences of these five room to doubt the kind of war that 19, I saw the off-hand manner ing stop? prisoners had been changed. Nor did Yahya is waging: in which sentences were meted out. A it. report whether the shah's govern­ "I was given the army's answer by Bihari sub-inspector of police had ment had yet revealed the names of Major-General Shaukat Raza, com­ ". . . as I travelled with the officers walked in with a list of prisoners be­ any of the "guerrillas," even of the manding officer of the 9th Division, of the 9th Division headquarters at ing held in the police lock-up. Agha two executed. during our first meeting at Comilla Comilla I witnessed at close quarters looked it over. Then, with a flick of In its protest, the Paris defense com­ on April 16. mittee asked if the Teheran govern­ the extent of the killing. I saw Hindus, his pencil, he casually ticked off four ment intended to commemorate two hunted from village to village and names on the list. "'You must be absolutely sure,' he and a half millennia of autocratic rule "'Bring these four to me this eve­ door to door, shot off-hand after a said, 'that we have not undertaken in Iran by "sacrificing several human ning for disposal,' he said.... cursory 'short-arm inspection' showed such a drastic and expensive opera­ lives to a divinity symbolized by the "Later that evening I saw these men, they were uncircumcised. I have heard tion- expensive both in men and shah." the screams of men bludgeoned to their hands and legs tied loosely with money- for nothing. We've under­ death in the compound of the Circuit a single rope, being led down the taken a job. We are going to finish House (civil administrative headquar­ road to the Circuit House compound. it, not hand it over half done to the ters) in Comilla. I have seen truck­ A little after curfew, which was at politicians so that they can mess it Resistance loads of other human targets and 6 o'clock, a flock of squawking my­ up again. The army can't keep com­ those who had the humanity to try to nah birds were disturbed in their play ing back like this every three or four grows help them hauled off 'for disposal' by the thwacking sound of wooden years. It has a more important task. under tJ.,.e cover of darkness and cur­ clubs meeting bone and flesh." I assure you that when we have got few. I have witnessed the brutality Yahya's policy, Mascarenhas wrote, through with what we are doing, there in Dacca of 'kill and burn missions' as the is to convert the formerly semicolo­ will never be need again for such an army units, after clearing out the reb- nial province into an open colony. operation.'" By MARCEL BLACK On July 5, Bengali liberation forces knocked out the electric power station in Dacca, capital of Pakistani-occupied East Bengal. Action by Bengali guer­ rillas had earlier blocked out power in Comilla, a town about fifty miles from Dacca. According to a dispatch in the July 6 New York Times, the bombing ofthe power stJltinn was part of a stepped­ up campaign by the Bengali Mukti Fouj (liberation army) in response to a speech Yahya Khan, the Paki­ stani dictator, made July 5. Yahya dismissed the rumors that he was planning to return East Bengal to civilian rule and allow even a rump Awami League, composed of Paki­ stani stooges, to function. Yahya "said that martial law would continue even after a civilian government was established. . . . He said that the Awami League, the East Pakistani party that won a national majority in last December's election, was still, and forever, banned," the Times reported. According to the Times, resistance in the wake of Yahya's statement "ap­ pears to be widening and growing more effective."

Bangia Desh bombing victims

16 PL-SDS and the politics of disruption By TONY THOMAS the antiwar movement to hold meet­ clashes between various tendencies in and organizations that it opposes. Does the antiwar movement have the ings, rallies and demonstrations with­ the antiwar movement would be an When antiwar organizations around right to hold meetings, demonstrations out disruption. open invitation for the police to come the country rejected PLP and SDS pro­ and rallies without being disrupted? One of the strengths of the antiwar, in and "settle" the disputes in their own posals that capitalist politicians and Was the physical ejection of members Black liberation, Chicano and women's way. This would lead to serious vic­ reformist labor leaders be excluded of Progressive Labor Party (PLP) and liberation movements is the practice timization of all those involved and from the April 15, 1970, demonstra­ Students for a Democratic Society of democratic decision making at their help pave the way for increased gov­ tions, PLP organized its followers to (SDS) who disrupted the July 2-4 Na­ meetings and conferences. Ideas are ernment attacks on the antiwar move­ attempt to "trash" the demonstrations. tional Peace Action Coalition conven­ presented from all points of view, there ment. The April 15 antiwar rally held by tion justified? Why did the disruption is discussion, and decisions are made the New York Vietnam Moratorium take place? on the basis of majority votes. Every Committee was broken up by SDS All of these questions were posed at organization has the right to orga­ and PLP-inspired disrupters shortly the July 2-4 NPAC national confer­ nize itself without attacks and disrup­ Stalinist methods after it began. ence in New York City. Individual tions from those who oppose it. PLP's support of physical attacks Similarly, following the May 1970 PLP and SDS members were removed and disruption within the movement student upsurge, in whichPLPopposed from the opening rally for disruption flows from its admitted and open ad­ turning the universities and high and banned from the conference for Disruption vs. debate herence to the methods of Stalin. The schools into organizing centers for the their stated intention of continuing this If these procedures and the right of U. S. Communist Party during its ultra­ antiwar movement, PLP launched a disruption. Similar actions of disrup­ NPAC or any other group to hold left "third period" in the late 1920s and series of physical attacks on Young tion and violence by PLP members meetings without disruption were re­ early 1930s-the period of the CP's Socialist Alliance and Student Mobili­ over the past few years were convinc­ jected, it would be a serious blow to history that PLP models itself on­ zation Committee activists. ing evidence that they would in fact all the mass movements. organized physical attacks on mem­ continue to try to disrupt the gather­ The center of these attacks was the For instance: since the majority of bers of the Socialist Party (whom they ing. the people at the NPAC conference Boston area-once a PLP stronghold PLP and the small remnants of SDS called "social fascists"), Trotskyists and -which had become one of the main were against PLP' s politics, would it other groups that opposed their poli­ opposed the inclusion of Senator Vance centers of the antiwar movement. On not have been correct, following the tics. Hartke and Victor Reuther, an official logic put forward by the disrupters, May 3, 1970, Bob Bresnahan, an This was an attempt to transplant of the United Auto Workers, as speak­ for this majority to have interrupted SMC and YSA activist who was a the brutal methods of the Stalinist bu­ ers in the July 2 rally that opened the and physically threatened and a~tacked marshal captain in defense of the Bos­ NP AC convention. They claimed that the PLP and SDS members who spoke reaucrats in the Soviet Union to the ton April 15 demonstration, was at­ such speakers have "sell-out" positions throughout the conference? Would it U.S. radical and labor movements. tacked at a YSA educational confer­ on many issues and thus should be not have been justified for persons Just as Stalin attempted to silence criti­ ence by eight SDS members who beat excluded from participation in the from NPAC to go to PLP meetings cism by revolutionary socialists with­ him after knocking him down. rally. and rallies and demand that no PLP in the Russian workers movement, the If this policy were actually carried members speak and hoot down dis­ American CP tried to substitute goon­ On May 24, a national steering com­ out, the antiwar movement would be agreeable speakers or physically squad tactics for political debate. mittee meeting of the SMC held in reduced to supporting one or another threaten or attack them? The CPUSA was forced to curtail Boston was attacked by over 50 PLP of the different political tendencies, If such a policy were accepted within these tactics only after it had created and SDS members led by SDS N a­ since overall political program would the movement, brute force would re­ a scandalous image for itself, and also tiona! Secretary John Pennington. John be the basis for admission to the anti­ place political discussion. Anyone not because other groups began to orga­ McCann, an SWP member who was war movement rather than support to willing to undergo physical combat to nize an effective defense against these coordinator of the fight that led to mass actions to end the war. participate in a radical meeting would tactics. the successful Massachusetts 1970 anti­ But the real issue was not who was be discouraged from taking part in PLP has sought to revive these meth­ war referendum, was savagely beaten on the speakers list, a decision which the antiwar movement. Energy now ods. In 1967, PLP members attacked at this meeting. was democratically approved by the spent on organizing mass actions Militant salespeople and SWP election PLP's proposals were rejected by in­ opening session of the conference. The against the Indochina war would be cempaigners outside of a PLP rally in creasing majorities at the NPAC con­ real issue was whether a small minor­ diverted into internecine combat with­ San Francisco. In New York, in that ferences in June and December 1970. ity has the right to enforce their views in the movement and lead to tragic same year, PLPers physically set upon Having given up the idea of winning on the majority through physical dis­ injuries and even deaths. supporters of the New York Vietnam support for their ideas through open ruption, as the PLP and SDS members Organizations with large member­ Peace Parade Committee who were try­ discussion, they cynically decided to tried to do. After the overwhleming ships, powerful resources and/ or ing to get signatures to put an anti­ break up the July 1971 antiwar confer­ majority of the conference approved the favor of the police would be best war referendum on the ballot. ence by disruption. This attempt was the agenda, PLP members hooted, hol­ able to function in such a situation. Since the splintering of SDS and thwarted because the overwhelming lered, used sound equipment, and Attempts by police provocateurs to PLP's growing isolation from the rad­ majority ·of participants in the NPAC charged the speakers' platform in an disrupt the antiwar movement would ical movement,. PLP has, in despera­ convention believed in the right of effort to drown out or prevent from be enhanced by this atmosphere. tion, resorted increasingly to the use NPAC and everyone else in the move­ speaking those speakers they disliked. Furtl)ermore, physical attacks and of physical disruption to combat ideas ment to hold their meetings. When marshals and ushers asked them to stop, and tried to eject several dis­ rupters, PLP and SDS supporters at­ tacked them. This led to the removal of about 100 disrupters, which was fully approved by the conference of over 2,000 people (see July 16 Mili­ tant). The logic of PLP's assertion is that it alone has the right to determine who are "sell-outs" and that it has the right to take upon itself the responsibility for silencing them. It could thus label any position that it disagrees with as a "sell-out," including those of orga­ nizations and individuals in the radi­ cal movement, and use that as a jus­ tification for disrupting their meetings and attacking them. NPAC had no choice but to eject the PLP and SDS disrupters. Anyother course would have denied the right of

Carmen Pola of the Oakland chapter area known as the U.S. Southwest war. That march we won't easily for­ of the Raza Unida Party read the (California, Arizona, New Mexico, get. Three of our people died at the. following statement, along with the Colorado and Texas) account for hands of the brutal Los Angeles and National Antiwar Convention Raza about 20 percent of the total number Los Angeles County pigs, and scores NPAC workshop proposal, at ll West Coast of U.S. casualties in Indochina for this were injured. I should add, however, National Peace ~ction Coalitipn news area, although we comprise only about that the pigs got a good fight for conference July 13 in San Francisco. 11 percent of the population in these their money, for our people defended statement five 11tates. So it becomes very clear themselves bravely until hundreds of The people of La Raza have been which people in American society fight pig invaders overwhelmed our barrio against every war this government the wars started and fostered by its and began beating men, women and on civilian rulers and their bloodthirsty children indiscriminately, in their usu­ has initiated since the beginning of its bloody history. The war in Indo­ generals. al style. china is no exception. It almost goes without saying that La Raza We have been some of the biggest We of La Raza have demonstrated we support any actions against the victims of these foreign adventures. our opposition time and again in the war in Indochina which we think will In 1917, for example, Puerto Ricans past four years to this war in dozens bring our brothers back here where were gratuitously granted U.S. citi­ of antiw'ar marches throughout the they should be, fighting the social and zenship so that we could be used as Southwest and in other places as well. economic injustices inflicted by this cannon fodder in World War I. To­ Over 30,000 Raza marched in Los government on a large portion of its day, Raza casualties for the five-state Angeles last Aug. 29 to protest this society.

THE MILITANT/ JULY 30, 1971 17 from the is needling People's World editor of '~utraliaD People's opportunism'' By DOUG JENNESS savagely suppressing a massive student upsurge. When the editor of the American Communist Par­ Bloice, however, doesn't have one word to say SAN FRANCISCO- It has been quite painful for ty's West Coast weekly attacks another Communist against this reactionary meddling by the Soviet over a year to watch certain developments in Aus­ Party, one can't help wonder what's needling him. Union. tralia. In the aftermath of the Czechoslovakian It is apparent from Carl Bloice's attack on the It's no wonder that Bloice is so upset. There must crisis of August, 1968, the Communist party of Australian CP in the May 22 People's World that be more than one member of the CPUSA who is the country has been wracked by terrible internal he is disturbed. And he makes it clear that it was uneasy about the counterrevolutionary position controversy. Some of it was principled, and dealt not "merely" their "criticism" of the 1968 Soviet of their comrades in Ceylon. with important questions prompted by the events invasion of Czechoslovakia that roused his ire But Bloice isn't through. He also states that in Prague, but much of it has read like petty bick­ against the errant Communist leadership in when the CPA starts "sticking their noses into the ering. A lot of it has reflected political tendencies Australia. Rather, it is the political direction he Left movement in the U.S., I think we have a right which as they have developed over the months has noticed from reading the Australian CP's news­ to complain and I would imagine the Ceylon com­ leave little room for optimism over the future of paper, the Tribune, week after week. That direction, rades would feel the same way." If this is what the Left down-under. we learn, is toward "opportunism." Bloice dishes up and serves as "internationalism," It has become clear, week after week, reading the It's been nearly a year since the first signs of party's newspaper, the Australian Tribune, that this "opportu.nism" cited by Bloice appeared, and what was involved there was not merely criticism. it would at first seem strange that he has taken A political direction was being taken by the leader­ this long to warn his readers. ship of the party and that direction was opportun­ But if. one reads his article (reprinted in full ism. I have watched it operating not just in Aus­ on this page) closely, it becomes clear that what tralia but also in other parts of the world. In fact, is really getting under his skin is that he's noticed the reason I am putting these thoughts into print the same problem in "other parts of the world," and is that I've seen it happening here. most significantly, "the reason I am putting these Whether the disagreement starts with differences thoughts into print is that I've seen it happening over the Middle East, Eastern Europe or Latin here." America, all too often it turns into an avalanche There it is- out of the bag! Bloice is worried of anti-Sovietism and quickly results in a break­ about "opportunism" right here, in the American down in international solidarity. Communist Party! And apparently it has got him To me it seems that's what's been happening so shaken up that he had to write a warning in the pages of the· Tribune. Every break or seem­ to his readers. ing contradiction in the world working class move­ But what is the nature of this "opportunism" ment has been seized upon. Never mind that some that Bloice fears "will turn into an avalanche of of the things being hailed were contradictory to anti-Sovietism," quickly resulting "in a breakdown each other, logic is sacrificed to the grand goal in international solidarity?" of being "respectable" by disassociating from the Rather than directly raising his concerns about main currents of international socialism. the CPUSA, he tries to make his points indirectly The rush these days amongst some folks in by aiming his ~ire at the dissident Communist Party the Australian Communist party seems to be to­ of Australia. And in the course of this attack he ward the grand masters of opportunism- the reveals that this "opportunism" is a "rush ... Trots. toward the grand masters of opportunism- the This situation was brought home to me directly Trots [sic]." a few months ago when lo and behold a member So that's it. The Australian CP is soft on Trot­ of the Socialist Worker's party shows up in Aus­ skyism and Bloice has noticed the same thing tralia speaking about the black liberation move­ here at home. ment in the U.S. and was interviewed by the Trib­ As examples of how the Australian CP is making une. In the process he was asked all sorts of things a "rush" toward Trotskyism, Bloice cites interviews about the movement and, weirdly enough, the U.S. printed in the Tribune with two American Trotsky­ Communist party and his replies were printed like ists, Andrew Pulley and Patti liyama, and a Cey­ he was some kind of expert. lonese Trotskyist leader and trade-union secretary, The gall of the Tribune editors to take the word Bala Tampoe. Andrew Pulley, whose interview of a Trot on the subject of reds and blacks in the The interviews with Pulley, Tampoe and Iiyama with Australian CP newspaper U.S. struck me as a real affront and not the way appeared in the Tribune on July 22, 1970 (hardly has American CP editor upset. for a Communist organ to behave. "a few months ago," as Bloice states); March 17, On March 17, the Tribune carried an· authori­ 1971; and March 31, 1971, respectively. The inter­ tative sounding interview on Ceylon by Bala Tam­ views with Tampoe and Iiyama were reprinted in we want no part of it, and apparently the CPA poe who it identified as a "Ceylon revolutionary." the May 10 and.June 14 issues of Intercontinental feels the same way. What it didn't say is that Tampoe is a member Press. But how can interviews with two members of the of the orthodox Trotskiest [sic] party in Ceylon. "The gall of the Tribune editors to take the word Socialist Workers Party be considered interfering Then on April 14, using such people as Tampoe as of a Trot [sic) on the subject of reds and blacks in the American Left movement (i.e. the Commu­ sources, a Tribune "special writer" (unidentified) in the U.S.," opines Bloice about the interview nist Party)? Unless, of course, there are those lectured the Ceylonese government on what it with Pulley, "struck me as a real affront and not in the CPUSA who are "soft" on Trotskyism and should do to solve its current political crisis. the way for a Communist organ to behave." Bloice might see the CPA's views as offering legitimacy Then on March 31, following the Vietnam Mora­ doesn't specify what mode of behavior a Com­ to their position. torium in Australia, the Tribune found another munist organ should adopt, although it's clear As indicated earlier, this was apparently Bloice's Trot expert on the U.S., "international anti-war that printing interviews with Trotskyists is not reason for writing his article. His article is actually activist" Patti Iiyama, formerly of Berkeley, now included. part of a pattern of attacks on the Socialist Work­ of New York. But then Bloice gets down to another specific ers Party and the Young Socialist Alliance that Iiyama gave out with the usual Trotskiest [sic] charge, which may well have bothered him even are primarily designed to educate CP members line on the struggle for peace in the United States, more. He chastises the Tribune for lecturing "the about Trotskyism. For example in May 1970, true to form not discussing the multi-issue nature Ceylonese government on what it should do to Mike Zagarell, CP youth director, gave a public of the struggle here. solve its current political crisis." speech in New York entitled "The Inside Job­ I have only the scantiest notion of how the Aus­ This would seem to imply that a ~ell-behaved Trotskyism in the Movement," which has since tralian Communist party makes its political de­ Communist organ like the People's World would been reprinted as a pamphlet. In April of this cisions. And l am not much interested. W nat con­ never be so rash as to include analyses and posi­ year, Tony Monteiro of the CP and the Young cerns me is the decisions. I have no intention of tions on political developments in other countries. Workers Liberation League gave a speech at the meddling in their affairs. They can take any po­ Of course, this is ridiculous because the PW has Center for Marxist Studies in New York entitled sition they want, on anything they want. But when carried many such articles. "Trotskyism: Racist Voice in the Left" reprinted in they start sticking their noses into the Left move­ What burns Bloice, although he doesn't come the July Political Affairs. In addition there has ment in the U.S., I think we have a right to com­ right out and say it, is that since the Communist been a significant increase in the number of at­ plain and I would imagine the Ceylon comrades Party of Ceylon is part of the Popular Front gov­ tacks on the SWP and the YSA in the CP's Daily would feel the same way. ernment headed by Bandaranaike, it should be World. -CARL BLOICE supported and praised, not atta\cked. All of these taken together are testimony to the Bloice has the gall to attack the Tribune's criti­ profound impact that. the growth and influence of cism of the Ceylonese government while that gov­ the SWP and YSA are having even on the members ernment, with the assistance of Soviet arms, was and periphery of the Communist Party.

18 presentation on why women, and only tion laws of Massachusetts. It should the strike July 6. women, can be entrusted with control be clearly understood that the Catholic This means it is again illegal for Women over our bodies. Natalie Harary of community is by no means monolithic the growers to hire non-citizens as Lesbian Feminists spoke about the in its views. Many Catholics are con­ strikebreakers-but enforcement of this relevance of an abortion repeal fight vinced that abortion is not appro­ law will probably require more pres­ to gay sisters. Two sisters from the priately a matter of criminal law. It sure from the union. hold L.A. Medical Committee for Human Rights is important, moreover, to distinguish UFWOC won a second victory July testified. High school women, older the legal question of abortion from 7 when a California assembly bill women, paramedics and others were the moral question. It would be dif­ banning secondary boycotts and har­ speak-out represented by various speakers. ficult to justify the imposition of the vest-time strikes was killed in com­ Carol Downer represented a small By JANE MELTON monolithic moral stance of official mittee. The UFW OC had organized group of women who oppose cam­ LOS ANGELES-"Repeal all abortion Catholicism- which hardly corre­ a demonstration of 7,500 persons in paigning for law repeal and who think laws; no forced sterilization" was the sponds to the views. of all individual Sacramento, the state capital, that day. women can easily learn how to per­ Catholics- by legal means upon so­ demand that set the tone for the July form self-abortions, a process they hope ciety at large. . . . 11 Women's Speak-Out for Abortion to facilitate. It is evident that the thought of Cath­ A third showdown was won by the Law Repeal sponsored by Los Angeles Andrea Davis, one of the organizers olic scholars on abortion is not as Women's Abortion Action Committee. growers. On July 9, a state court is­ of the speak-out, emphasized the im­ monolithic as some spokesmen would sued an injunction against picketing Over 65 women gathered to listen and portance of an abortion repeal fight. have it appear. Moreover, official Cath­ speak about abortion experiences and of the growers' houses, on the grounds "We have the potential now for build­ olic positions have changed over the it was an invasion of privacy and antiabortion laws. ing a movement that can win." centuries. Finally, the fact that it has Mter a moving reading of Myrna not First-Amendment-protected free The Los Angeles Women's Abortion been estimated that countless thou­ speech. Lamb's play ButWhatHaveYouDone Action Committee will hold a meeting sands-probably millions- of Ca th­ for Me Lately? by Constance Pfeifer John Porter, attorney for the union, open to all women on Wednesday, July olic women have had abortions says said he plans to appeal the injunction and Ryan McDonald, approximately 28 at 8 p.m., at 8864 W. Pico Blvd., so loudly what the words of no eccle­ to the U.S. Supreme Court if neces­ a dozen women spoke. Their comments Los Angeles (near Robertson Blvd.), siastical leader can drown out: that reflected the many facets of the femin­ to discuss the Women's NationalAbor­ the problem is not a simple one and sary, and announced in court he would advise his clients that the order ist movement as well as specific ideas tion Conference held in New York cannot be resolved equitably by label­ about how to win the demand for abor­ City July 16-18. For further informa­ ing abortion as "murder" and as a is unconstitutional. Judge Roscoe Wil­ tion law repeal. tion, contact the committee at P. 0. Box "crime." key threatened to cite him for con­ tempt if he did so. Olga Rodriguez, who had recently 25744, Los Angeles 90025, or phone One of the significant events of our returned from a national conference (213) 826-5246. time is the women's liberation move­ Meanwhile, ·boycott activities have of Chicanas in Houston where the de­ ment, which is bringing about a wide­ centered on the Navy, which has mand for free abortion on demand spread recognition of the fact that anti­ stepped up buying of scab tomatoes­ and no forced sterilization was unan­ abortion laws should be seen in the while the struck grower's quality, be­ imously adopted, diacussed the rele­ context of the long history of the op­ low usual Navy standards to begin vancy to Chicanas and Latinas of a pression of women. Such laws are with, has gone down during the strike. campaign to repeal abortion laws Catholic not helpful to women who must make The Defense Department multiplied based on the right of women to con­ difficult moral choices, and they should its purchases of grapes and lettuce trol their own bodies. be repealed. during the nationwide boycotts of those Testimony from Rona Fields, a na­ crops. tional coordinator of Psychologists theologian San Diego is said to be the largest for Social Action, pointed to the psy­ naval base in the world, and the Na­ chological damage done to women vy's strikebreaking power is consider­ who wish to terminate unwanted preg­ supports able. UFWOC and supporters have nancies and cannot do so in the state been picketing the naval air station, of California without declaring them­ UFWOC and leafletting sailors and civilian em­ selves mentally unfit. ployees at the gates. Lana Phelan, a West Coastvice-pres­ abortion The Catholic diocese in San Diego, ident of the National Association to The following statement in favor of takes caught between its more radical clergy Repeal Abortion Laws, a leading figure repeal of all antiabortion laws was in the Los Angeles National Organiza­ made by Dr. Mary Daly, a Catholic and Chicano mass base on one side tion for Women, and co-author with theologian at Boston College, before and the growers-who are important the Social Welfare Committee of the offensive financial contributors-on the other, Patricia Maginnis of Abortion Hand­ book, gave a harrowing account of Massachusetts legislature March 23, By JESSIE SMITH has tried to maintain a public stance her attempt to obtain an illegal abor­ 1971. Dr. Daly's entire statement is SAN DIEGO-The United Farm of neutrality. tion at age 15 when doctors told her being distributed by the Committee Workers Organizing Committee, which But this position was exposed when that a continued· pregnancy and de­ for a Women's National Abortion Co­ has been facing pressure from the gov­ Bishop Leo Maher suspended thework­ livery would probably kill her. "I alition. For additional copies and other ernment on four fronts in its efforts ers' priest, Father Victor Salandini, didn't know much at that age, but I literature to build the abortion law to begin organizing San Diego Coun­ for his active role in the strike. just knew that what had happened to repeal movement, write Women's Na­ ty, is back on the offensive against Father Salandini has been saying me was wrong." She resolved then to tional Abortion Coalition, 137 A Egger-Ghio Farms. mass on the picket lines for the pre­ fight against the cruel antiabortion W. 14 St., New York, N.Y. 10011. The Egger-Ghio strike was decerti­ dominantly mexicano farm workers, laws. Tel: (212) 924-0894. fied June 24 by the U.S. Labor De­ using a corn tortilla instead of a wafer. Mary Petrinovich, a feminist long partment. After UFWOC sued the gov­ Instead of the traditional vestments he identified with abortion law repeal ef­ I wish to express my support of Bill ernment, U.S. officials admitted they wears a serape decorated with the red forts in the Los Angeles area, gave a S996, which would repeal the abor- had made a "mistake" and recertified UFWOC flag. Socialist Ca ign'71 of Boston children into integrated Among the candidates for Boston schools. School Committee is Pat Bonner­ Boston Opposing Hicks are 10 other can­ Lyons, a Black hospital worker and Houston The Boston Socialist Workers Party didates, including incumbent Mayor a member of the Young Workers Lib­ The Socialist Workers Party campaign Campaign Committee filed nomina­ Kevin White and City Councilman eration League. She is in the process in Houston, Texas, is intensifying its tion papers July 12 for its mayoralty Tom Atkins. Atkins is trying to be­ of gathering the necessary number of pace of activity. An important part of candidate John Powers. Petitions were come Boston's first Black mayor. signatures to be placed on the ballot. this activity is being spearheaded by filed July 13 for School Committee The campaign of John Powers stands the Young Socialist Campaigners, a candidate Mark Friedman and for out in stark contrast to those of the group of young supporters of the cam­ City Council candidate John McCann. other candidates. This campaign paign. In addition to sponsoring a marks the first time since 1948 that candidates' meeting at the University The SWP had little difficulty in ob­ the SWP will have candidates on the of Houston July 20, it has just pub­ taining the required valid signatures. ballot in Boston. It is the first time lished a campaign brochure aimed at The committee managed to file before the SWP has ever run for mayor. In youth which it is distributing through­ such big name candidates as Mayor a city long known for its political cor­ out the city. Kevin White, Congresswoman Louise ruption, the SWP campaign is a re­ Day Hicks, and seven other candi­ freshing change. To date Powers has The SWP is running four candidates dates. been the only mayoralty candidate to in Houston-Debby Leonard for may­ The signatures have already been talk about the issues facing the voters or and Paul McKnight, Jeanette Tracy checked by the SWP validation team of the city. and Mareen Jasin for City Council. and from 50 to 100 percent more An indication of the character of The candidates, in cooperation with signatures than required were obtained. Powers' campaign was the serious cov­ the American Civil Liberties Union, The entrance of Louise Day Hicks erage given by the media after his are challenging election law restric­ into the race for mayor has given the first press conference on June 24 when tions that require candidates to own campaign national importance. Hicks, he announced his candidacy. Thatday real estate for two years previous to at present in Congress, has a long both he and White announced they the election; to have been residents of political history on the Boston School were running. Almost all of the radio Houston for five years; to pay un­ Committee. She gained national prom­ and TV stations gave them both equal reasonable filing fees to gain ballot inence when she tried to prevent busing time. John Powers status; and to sign a loyalty oath.

THE MILnANT/ JULY 30, 1971 19 In Review Theater Black Girl by J. E. Franklin. Directed by Shaun­ daughter .when she is being too harsh with the strangers that she is "on the staff," but neglects eille Perry. Presented by the New Federal children, the one who guards us, and most im­ to mention, as her snickering daughters point out, Theatre at Theatre de lys, New York. portant, the one who tells us how to make it in that she is the maid. an oppressive society. Mu'Dear, without the eco­ The two eldest daughters, Norma (Gloria Ed­ nomic resources, substitutes for the state: Society wards) and Ruth Ann (Loretta Greene), are both J. E. Franklin's Black Girl portrays the psycholog­ places on individual families the burden for caring married and have children, but spend their days ical oppression of the Black family in society. for its members. in their mother's house out of loneliness and bore­ The characters in the play represent what is miss­ Some critics may look at this play as a story dom. Billie Jean is almost 18, and, determined ing in capitalist society: stability, warmth, security of the Black matriarchy. Yet, in spite of the fact to break out of the women's cycle of maturity, and the fulfillment of basic human needs. Black that both the mother and the grandmother are pregnancy and dependency, is studying ballet. how­ Girl also portrays the nuclear family as an op­ strong figures, they have no actual power or con­ ever, Billie Jean, like her sisters, is a high-school pressive institution that makes impossible any type trol over their lives or the destiny of others. dropout, and is now a truant She has a room of of human relationship and dialogue. This society Although under capitalism all women are op­ her own, decorated with pictures of idealized dan­ places so much emphasis on individual achieve­ pressed as women, Black Girl portrays the special cers, but is seldom alone to practice because her en­ ment, it makes Black people aspire to achieve, vious sisters send their two little children on errands oppression of Black women. Due to the nature and yet at the same time it denies us the right through the room, and a gentleman boarder, a of our class and national oppr.ession, Black women to achieve. The end result is self-hatred and a friend of the grandmother, stumbles in and out. face the most b~utal and perverted form of ex­ feeling of individual inadequacy. But Mama Rosie's hopes are not centered on ploitation. We are confined to the lowest paid jobs, Mama Rosie's (Louise Stubbs) life has been any of her daughters. Perhaps it is too risky to dare the object of sexual exploitation (the Black Amazon one of self-hatred, and she has projected this onto to invest love in those who can so easily fail; stereotype be!ng only one form), and the most her daughters. For she saw them re-living her or, even more significant perhaps, how can bestial form of national oppression. Black Girl own life-bored, with babies, and with half a mothers feel love and acceptance for children who is about that oppression- not the oppression of man around the house half of the time. Her feeling are indeed directly tied to their own lack of achieve­ white women or women in general. of insecurity is so great that instead of telling ment and consequent economic and psychological -MAXINE WILLIAMS and friends she is a cleaning woman at school, she dependency? For Mama Rosie "had to" drop out MARSHA COLEMAN replies that she is one of the staff. of school in the fourth grade. So now she takes As women, and especially poor women, we are in young women boarders and urges them on to taught to sell ourselves in order to be appreciated. fulfill her own thwarted ambitions. So when Earl (Arthur French), Mama Rosie's The latest and most beloved of these young husband, comes to see her after six long years, women is Netta, who comes to visit Rosie on a her first and primary thought-before she can semester break from college and finds the three develop any kind of emotional feeling after being sisters at home alone. Netta, greatly interested deserted with children-is to get money. Although in the struggle of Billie Jean, and recognizing she never bothered to fix herself up before, she her danger, wants her to come back with her to even primps and changes clothes for this task. continue school and her dance training. Earl, this ']ive-ass nigger" with a maroon suit, Netta is ridiculed by Norma and Ruth Ann, a flashy shirt and processed hair, is the epitome who, upon questioning her about her sexual ex­ of the blood who, chained by socio-economic con­ perience and finding that she is still a virgin, ditions, seeks lots of women, a fast buck and declare that "Book stuff can sure kill that fern- expensive cars in order to "feel like a man." But . inine stuff," and cause one to end up "funny." They in trying to break from these chains, he senses also call her "freak" and say she's "just like a that his shining moment is going to be short-lived. man." Netta walks out and tries to persuade Billie For pimping too often has its ups and downs. Jean to come along. But Billie Jean, uncertain He flashes around and hands out green bills to about her loyalties- and feeling angry at Netta his family not just because they could use the for the love and attention she receives from her money, but in order to impress them. And in mother- hesitates. so doing, he proves to himself that he is some­ Mama Rosie, who is half persuaded that Billie body. Jean is going to run off and "ruin her life," yet truly ambivalent in her attitude toward this daugh­ Mr. Herbert (Timmy Hayeson), the docile man, ter who might escape, enters into the conspiracy is taken aback when Earl comes home and is against Billie Jean. The three women hold her greeted enthusiastically - with the exception of down and attempt to call the truant officer who Billie Jean (Kishasha)- by the rest of the mem­ will send her to reform school. But Mu'Dear comes bers of the family. Earl represents what he does in and takes command, declaring, "It's her life. not have: money and youth. As a result, Mr. If she don't make nuthin' out of it, then it'll be Herbert, who is merely a shadow in the family, her nuthin' ." She adds that Billie Jean couldn't do is made to feel like a nobody. This scene is so much worse than her sisters. real that one can almost forget one is seeing a Billie Jean then escapes to Netta, school, and play. freedom as Rosie sobs: "I didn't try to hurt her. The daughters are portrayed as jealous, bicker­ I was just afraid all my children were gonna end ing, cynical women. This society has all but up just like me." The men in the play represent typical men in drained them of any use for living. Billie Jean Black Girl, written by a woman and directed Black women's lives. Mr. Herbert is docile and is the object of her two sisters' hostility because by a woman, reveals clearly and poignantly how dependent; Earl, the father of Norma and Ruth she had the audacity to be someone. She is the women, motivated by envy and despair because Ann, ill a pimp. Earl has just returned, flashy antithesis of everything they had in their lives. of the powerlessness and frustration of their lives, and fresh, from a six-year pimp job in Detroit. This hostility is especially directed toward Netta turn on other women to destroy them. He sizes up Billie Jean for his stable and tells (Saundra Sharp)-the adopted daughter. Mama In the rapid, glittering dialogue that both un­ her "That'll sell when cotton won't." Rosie adopted children because it was her only dercuts and emphasizes the brutality of the play, means· of fulfilling herself. Netta is the antithesis one can appreciate the skill of the fine new play­ With the myth of "freakiness" imposed on young of her daughters; she is Mama Rosie's dream wright, J. E. Franklin. She already made her fem­ girls if they do not have sex with men, and the deferred- everything she wanted to be but was inist debut with the play Two Flowers, performed dependency produced by the arrival of unprepared­ not able to be, everything she wanted her children by the New Feminist Theatre. for children who turn up because women "couldn't to be but that they were not. She pinned her hopes Black Girl, which grew out of the New Federal keep their skirts down," women are trapped in a on Billie Jean, the youngest, but she begins to have Theatre project sponsored at Henry Street Settle­ vicious cycle of dependency, anger and despair. doubts about her too. She almost destroys Billie ment House by the New York State Council on This is all powerfully dramatized by Black Girl. Jean in the process of trying to keep her from turn­ the Arts, is a feminist statement about women. But it could also be White Girl, for this is a ing out like her sisters. It is set in the home of a family of women- a play about all women. Not very different are the Franklin has described her play as a "play about mother, grandmother, three daughters and an myths of white culture that trap women in the choices." Billie Jean takes the path presented to "adopted" daughter-in a small Texas town. It same dependency. Nor do white women have any her by Netta and leaves home to go to school. is about women betrayed and destroyed, but fe­ more control over their own bodies. Even when rocious and struggling against the power world white women have men around to throw them Mu'Dear (Minnie Gentry), the protective grand­ of men and white skin. a few crumbs, the men are still there to give orders mother overlapping three generations, has re­ The mother, Mama Rosie, is the controlling fig­ and hold the reins. mained strong despite everything. She is called ure of the family, but Mu' Dear, the grandmother, Thus Black Girl, sensitively directed by Shaun­ Mu'Dear because she is seen as a woman in the unlike old women in white families, commands eille Perry, truly makes a woman's statement: White Black family who commands that respect. You a position of respect For Black women, thrown or Black, we are all controlled through our bodies; do not talk smart to Mu'Dear, you do not disobey more heavily onto their own resources, band to­ and white or Black, we are still turning on each her, you do not cuss her, and heaven.forbid you gether to combat both men and the white world. other in our anger. should strike her. Mu'Dear is the one who tells her Mama Rosie works at a school and brags to -LUCILLE WERSON

20 the aisles, and noisily swarmed around the plat­ en's National Abortion Coalition, Cindy Cisler form where the chairwoman's podium was. After of NOW and author Kate Millett, stated they were ... conference disconnecting the microphones, several even phy­ temporarily withdrawing their names as sponsors Continued from page 4 sically threatened staff members who tried to stand of the coalition. at the conference disagreed with it. As this became in their way. Many women were confused and discouraged evident, however, many of the WISE women, in­ The 700 to 800 women in the auditorium stayed by the prevalence of red-baiting, disruption and stead of pursuing the political discussion around in their seats, despite this threat of physical take­ threats of physical violence from the WISE caucus. the issue, turned to denouncing the participants over of the meeting, and used the tactic of "verbal But on the other hand, a common understanding in the conference as dupes and "stupid," and be­ resistance"- such as chanting "Sit down!" and "Out of the urgency of the abortion issue united the gan to red-bait everyone who disagreed with them. of order!"-to bring the meeting to a point where vast majority of the conference participants in a When this failed to alter the opinions of the ma­ the political discussion could continue. determination to launch this national abortion re­ jority of the women there, WISE turned to orga­ Finally, the WISE caucus became quiet enough peal campaign and get on with the business ahead nized disruption of the conference, in utter dis­ so that, between their shouts, the discussion could of us. The complete seriousness of the sisters at respect for the views of the majority of women go on, but the WISE women remained seated on this conference was indicated by the fact that about present. the floor occupying the front of the hall. Spokes­ 600 women stayed for the entire plenary Sunday Supporters of WISE launched a red-baiting at­ women from WISE were given the floor to pre­ afternoon, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., although there tack on the conference early Saturday, when they sent their views, but instead of discussing the is­ was no lunch break. passed out a leaflet in all the workshops called sues, or trying to convince the women there to sup­ "What Every Woman Should Know." This leaflet port tlieir proposal, they continued their red-bait­ Women attending the national abortion charged that the Socialist Workers Party and the ing attack on the conference. Young Socialist Alliance had "attempted to co­ Marge Sloan, a Black sister from the Chicago conference purchased $440 worth of revolu­ opt many movements; they have successfully co­ Gay Women's Caucus, challenged the assumption tionary literature from the table set up by opted the peace movement. ... Do we wish to by WISE that women from the conference could the Socialist Workers Party and Young So­ be co-opted by a political party to be used to for­ not think for themselves and were being manipu­ cialist Alliance. In addition, the participants ward its own ends? This is the basic issue being lated. "I'm a woman and no man or woman has bought 238 copies of The Militant and 76 debated here as well as in many other cities and ever made decisions for me," she stated. states." The Saturday night session ended after the WISE copies of the International Socialist Review. The red-baiting and disruption of the conference supporters again left to caucus. continued at the Saturday night general assembly, During the Sunday plenary session, which heard After the final WISE walkout, the conference when a WISE supporter took the floor at the very workshop reports and voted on the major pro­ proceeded to hear all the workshop reports on opening of the general discussion and made a posals before the conference, the red-baiting and how to build the abortion campaign, and adopted witch-hunting motion that each member of the disruption by WISE culminated in a walkout. a structure proposal setting up a national coordi­ staff identify herself and state her political affili­ After an hour of general discussion, the nating committee. This committee will be composed ation. major action proposal for repeal of abortion and of one woman from every national organization, After some discussion, this motion was soundly contraception laws and no forced sterilization was area coalition and committee that supports and defeated. passed overwhelmingly by the women present, with wants to build the abortion action campaign. It Carol Lipman, a member of the Socialist Work­ only three or four votes in opposition. When a will be responsible for implementing the decisions ers Party and part of the staff that helped orga-· vote was taken on the free abortion on demand of the conference. nize the conference, pointed out that red-baiting slogan and it failed decisively, the WISE women­ and witch-hunting tactics within the women's move­ who were standing in the aisles, refusing to sit New stage ment would destroy it, but that McCarthyite meth­ down and participate-began to shout "Racists!" The sharp debates and divisions at the con­ ods which succeeded in intimidating people during and "Pigs!" at the conference participants. When the ference reflected the fact that it marked a new the 1950s don't work in the radical movements of demand for freedom of sexual expression was also stage for the women's movement-the first time the 1960s and 70s. She pointed out that such red­ decisively voted down, the WISE women chanted since the rise of the women's liberation movement baiting was always introduced in order to try to "Anti-gay!" that sisters have gotten together and mapped out obscure the political issues and prevent people After the main votes were taken, and the WISE a national campaign of action around a specific from considering different ideas on their own merits. perspective was clearly defeated, Magora Kennedy, issue of life and death concern to every woman Another sister got up and said: "What I'd like speaking for the caucus, announced the walkout. in the country. to know is what purpose is going to be served Beginning by saying "You all look like lambs The decisions made there open up the possibility by getting women up here and having them tell being led to the slaughter," she continued: "I hope for building the most powerful movement ofwom­ their political organization? I can get up here . that when you go back to your various homes, en since our sisters fought for and won the right and identify myself as a life member of the Daugh­ you will stop, think, and realize what is happen­ to vote. ters of the American Revolution, which I'm per­ ing to you in the future. The women's liberation Dr. Barbara Roberts, from the Women vs. Con­ fectly entitled to do, and a member of the Unitari­ movement disowns any affiliittion or relationship necticut class action suit, most clearly expressed an Church, and what goddamn good is that going with the Women's National Abortion Coalition. this seriousness and determination of the women to do? ... And what has it got to do with the ... We are calling for a caucus now to form a who took part in this abortion conference when National Abortion Coalition of people who have women's liberation national abortion campaign." she commented Sunday morning: "Let's get on with come from two and three thousand miles away?" About 150 women walked out after this state­ the work at hand, because this abortion campaign Instead of participating in the politicial discus­ ment, chanting "Off the Trots!" [Trotskyists-mean­ has got to win. We've got very powerful enemies, tion that took place Saturday night, the WISE ing the SWP and YSA]. Between 60 and 70 of these and we've got millions and millions of women women walked out to caucus while the plenary women held a caucus meeting outside on the lawn. all around the world depending on us to save was taking place. An hour later, about 55 of At the end of the conference, two women who their lives and to save their liberty, and no one them marched back into the auditorium, down had been sponsors of the Committee for a W om- else is going to do it for them but us." Third World sisters: No forced sterilization The recommendations of the Third World wom­ en's workshop at the national abortion conference were reported to the conference by Marsha Cole­ man, who is on the staff of the Women's National Abortion Coalition and is part of a class action suit by Black Michigan women against the Michi­ gan abortion law. She reported that the Third World workshop of about 45 women had voted unanimously to support the main proposal for a national abortion campaign. The statement passed by the workshop reads in part: "There is a myth that Third World women do not want to control our bodies, that we do not want the right to contraception and abortion. But we know that Third World women have suffered the most because of this denial of our rights and will continue to suffer as long as the antiabortion laws remain on the books. We know that more Third World women die every year from illegal back-street abortions than the rest of the female population. We know that Third World women are the first victims of forced sterilization. And we know that we intend to fight for our freedom Photo by Sally Feingold as women. Third World workshop "Part of this struggle to control our own bodies is the fight against forced sterilization and pop­ FORCED MOTHERHOOD. IT IS A WOMAN'S a telegram to Angela Davis, supporting her in ulation-control schemes. The campaign to get rid RIGHT TO CHOOSE.... her fight to win bail, and expressing our wish of abortion laws is one of the best ways to fight that she was here free and here with us taking forced sterilization because the lack of legal abor­ "One of the best ways we can make a power­ part in our discussions." tion has been used for years to force women to ful show cJ force of Third World.. women demand­ Coleman also brought the recommendation that undergo sterilization. As part of this campaign, ing our rights will be to organize large contin­ the literature of the abortion coalition be printed we will also fight the racist laws which have been gents of Third World women marching in the in Spanish as well as English and point out that proposed in some states, which stipulate that wel­ demonstrations this fall, united as Blacks, as there are Black, Chicana, Latina, Puerto Rican, fare mothers must be sterilized after they have Chicanas, as Puerto Ricans, as Asians, and Native Asian-American and Native American women in­ had a certain number of children. WE ARE Americans. volved in the campaign. The report and recom­ AGAINST FORCED STERILIZATION AND "We also recommend that this conference send mendations were accepted by the conference.

THE MILITANT/ JULY 30, 1971 21 tactics far the 70.. every Tuesday, 7 p.m., through University. Room 323 SMC. For more Information, - roads have stolen over the years from Aug. 3. P-anent revolution, every Wednesday, 7 call288-1063. Ausp. Sy.'P-YSA. the public. p.m., through Aug. 4. At 136 Lawrence St. (at Willough- The elimination of railroad workers by). Ausp. SWP-YSA. ' SAN DIEGO SUMMER EDUCA110NAL SERIES. Trade unions ..,d to cut down on expenses is not so Calendar the revolutionary party, Thurs., July 29, 7:30 p.m. easy. What is needed is not few.­ Socialist electoral policy, Mon., Aug. 2, 7:30 p.m. AMHERST, MASS. er workers but more -for mainte­ Son Diego State College New library, Room 307. COMMUNilY RADIO WOIISHOP. A radical analysis Socialist summer school nance, more inspection and repairs. Ausp. SWP-YSA. For more information, call286-9885. of current Issues. Every Friday . night from 7:30-8:30 CHICAGO The elimination of the costs of wrecks p.m. on WFCR-FM. 88.5. WFCR can be heard In near­ HOW TO MAlE A IEVOI.U110N IN lHE U.S. A series and breakdowns would pay a lot of ly all of western New England and eastern New York ol da11e1. Slalinian: the political revolution against wages. State. Also on WMUA.FM. 91.1, on Tuesdays from bur--r. East Berlin, Poznan, Budapest, Prague, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Gdynia. Tues., Aug. 3, 7:30 p.m. How and why do On the lllinois Central alone, the revolutio.-y socialists c:ondud election campaigns? five worst wrecks in the past 30 BOSTON Fri., July 30, 7:30 p.m. and Sat., July 31, 10 a.m. months killed 13 crewmen and 10 SOOAUST WORKERS CAMPAIGN '71 meets every 180 N. Waclter Drive., Room 310. For more Infor­ other people, while injuring more than Thursday at 7 p.m. at 295 Huntington Ave., Room mation, call641-0147. Ausp. SWP-YSA. ... rail 150. 307. You are Invited! DENVEI Continued from page 3 Over the years, railroad workers VOICES OF DISSENT: Wednesdays, 8-9 p.m. on WliS­ tiSTOIY OF lHE SOOAUST WORICEIS PARTY. The riers. Switchmen and conductors are have suffered delayed, sub-standard FM, 88.1 Thursdays, 8-9 p.m. on WRia-FM. 91.7. Mon­ 1950s-revolutio-;es and the witch-hunt. Thurs., July now carefully inspecting roadbeds and wage settlements. Our escalator clause, days and Fridays, 4-5 p.m. on WIUR-FM. 90.9. Wed., 29, 8 p.m. Ausp. SWP-YSA. Contoct Rocky Mountain equipment, shoving cars to a stop in­ designed to keep wages abreast of the July 28 and Thurs., July 29: Sex loles in Rod. Man., Socialist Summer School, 6JJ7 E. 13th Ave. Phone Aug. 2; Wed., Aug. 4; Thurs., Aug. 5; and Fri., Aug. 6: 623-9505. stead of "kicking" them while making rising cost of living, was given away Anais Nin. up trains. As a result, one industry job by U TU President Luna for two wage LOS ANGELES that is accustomed to receive 20 cars increases of only 2 percent each, IIOOICLYN, N.Y. SOOAUST SUMMER SCHOOL Sodalist electoral poli­ from St. Paul for switching purposes spaced over two years. Our last con- - lHE STRUGGLE FOR UIERA110N IN PALESTINE TO­ tics. Thurs., July 29, 8 p.m. 1107 1/2 N. Western received only three the day after the tract ran out more than one an<). a DAY. Speaker: Peter luch, contributor to The Militant, Ave. For more information, call 463-1917 or 463- carrier imposed the new work rules. author of ..rning Issues in the Mickle East. Fri., July 1966. half years ago. 30, 8:30 p.m. at 136 Lawrence St. (at Willoughby). This makes it hard for the carriers H cuts of "unnecessary" workers are Donation: SI, h.s. students SOc. Ausp. Militant labor MADISON to handle their own freight, virtually in order, they should begin and end Forum. For further information call 596-2849. MAIXIST SUMMa SCHOOl. Slalinism-past and pre• impossible for them to take over the with the platoons of supervisory per­ ent: the revolution betrayed, a case study. Sat., July jobs normally handled by the lines sonnel, lawyers, bankers and finan­ NEWYO~LOWERMANHAnAN 31, 1:30 p.m. at Che Guevara Movement Center, that have been struck. WILL THE STEELWORKERS STRIKE? Speaker: Franlllov­ 202 W. Gilmon St. Far more Information, call 256- cial manipulators of all k4lds who ell, staff writer for The Militant. Fri., July 30, 8 p.m. 0857. It appears as if the rail transpor­ have bled the railroad~ white throtJgh at 706 ..oadway (4th St.), Eighth Floor. Donation: tation system will grind slowly to a mismanagement and piracy. SI, h.s. students SOc. Ausp. Mditant labor Forum. For MINNEAPOUS halt, and again the U.S. Congress Union demands. for the enforcement further information, call 982-6051. lHE IEVOI.U110N IIEIIAYB>. Every Tuesday at 7:30 will be asked to find a solution. The of job-protection agreements and elim­ p.m. through Aug. 3. At 1 University N. E. (at E. Hen­ nepin), Second Floor. Ausp. SWP-YSA. carriers are hopeful that Congress will ination of jobs only by attrition are ATLANTA appropriate large sums of new cap­ good as far as they go, but such de­ lHE NEW FEMINST MOVEMENT: The history of the NEW YOlK: LOWB MANHAnAN ital to rebuild the railroad system and mands leave out the "unprotected" struggle for women' 1 rights, Wed., July 28, 8 p.m. TOWARDS AN AMERICAN SOOAUST REVOLU110N. keep the same old management in workers and add to the unemployed The oppression of aaclt women, Fri., July 30, 8 p.m. Series I..,- Wol'ld War R and the Schactman light, Sun., control of big profits at public .ex­ rolls. 1176 1/2 West Peachtree. Ausp. SWP-YSA. For more Aug. 1, 1 p.m. Series 2-Trade union politics today, A six-hour shift or a four-day work Information, call876-2330. pense. Tues., Aug. 3, 7:30 p.m. The international roots of week for yard crews and "continuous the current radicalization, Wed., Aug. 4, 7:30 p.m. The UTU Transportation News re­ lAY AREA (CALIF.) Series 3-lndependent campaigns and the tactic of ports that "at least three government time" payment for road crews, with SOOAUST SUMMER SCHOOL. Socialist electoral poJ.. critical support, Thurs., July 29, 7:30 p.m. Ausp. SWP­ studies are underway to determine the a meaningful mileage limitation, icy. Two dasses by Doug Jenness, staff writer for The YSA Socialist Summer School. 706 ~ay (4th St.), cost of nationalizing the bankrupt should also be demanded. Militant. Fri., July 30, 8 p.m. Sat., July 31, II a.m. Eighth Floor. For more information, call 982-605 I. The steady decline of real wages Penn Central (PC) railroad," and Son Francisco State College, Education building, Room in this industry calls loud and clear 117. For more Information, call 626-9958 (San Fran­ NEW YOlK: UPPa MANHAnAN notes "a growing feeling in Washing­ for an escalator clause and a large cisco) or 654-9728 (Berkeley). Ausp. SWP-YSA. SOOAUST SUMMEI SCHOOL. Socialist electoral poJ.. ton that Federal Judge F.P. Fullam, catch-up raise. icy, Tues., July 27, 7:30 p.m. The new radicalization: who is in charge of PC's reorgani­ BOSTON f.ni.._ Wed., July 28,1 p.m. 2744 ..aodway (ld6th It is not the inh:erent inefficiency of FIANCE IN REVOLU110N. Series an French history St.), Second Floor. Phone 663-3000 for details. zation, may entertain a motion to na­ rail transportation that stands in the from the 1789 revolution to the present. Since the May tionalize or liquidate the railroad way of meeting the wQrkers' needs. explosiol\ Sun., Aug. I, 7 p.m. at 295 Huntington PlaADELPHIA in late August. This can be a very efficient form of Ave., Room 307. Repression ond fascism, Wed., July SOOAUST SUMMER SCHOOl. The n- radicalization "Fullam is using the liquidation 28, 7:30 p.m. at Boston University School of Public transportation for both freight and and the revolutio.-y party, Wed., Aug. 4, 7:30p.m. threat to back his plan to eliminate Communication, 640 Commonwealth Ave., Room 206. 1004 Filbert St. (one blaclt north of Market). For more passengers. Ausp. SWP-YSA. For mare Information, call 536-6981. information, call W~16. Ausp. SWP-YSA. 8,900 PC employees," says the UTU The real problem is that the rail­ paper. roads are controlled by capitalist IIOOICLYN, N.Y. POIII.ANO The matter of nationalization ought profiteers backed up by the govern­ SERIES OF a.ASSES. Socialist electoral Politics, every tHREE EDUCA110NAL SERIES. The revolutionary party, to be easy, requiring less than three TUesday, 7 p.m. July 13-Aug. 3 at 1015 Washington Mondays at 7:30 p.m. through Aug. 2. Marxism and ment The only real solution is na­ Ave., Apt. 6. History and organizational principles the struggle for national liberation, Wednesdays at government studies certainly. All that tionalization- nationalization under of the Socialist Warkers Party, every Sunday through 7:30 p.m. through Aug... _ Marxist economic theory, is needed is for the government to workers' control This should be the Aug. I. Call 596-2849 for exact time. Strategies ...d Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. through Aug. 5. Portland State take back some of what these rail~ central demand of the UTU. Socialist Directory ALABAMA: University: YSA, P. 0. Box 5462, University, Ala. 35486. MASSACHUSETTS: Amherst: YSA, Box 324, Student Activities Office, NORTH CAROLINA: Chapel Hill: YSA, Box 2448, Chapel Hill, N.C. ARIZONA: Phoenix: YSA, c/o Aris Scrarla, P.O. Box 750, Tempe, Ar­ Campus Center, U of Mass., Amherst, Mass. 01002. V514. izona85281. Tel: (602) 959-5932. · Boston: SWP and YSA, c/o Militant labor Forum, 295 Huntington Ave., Tucson: YSA, 410 N. 4th Ave., Tucson, Ariz. 85705. Rm. 307, Boston, Mass. 02115. Tel: (617) 536-6981,262-9688. OHIO: Cincinnati: YSA, c/o Sarabeth Carr, 3653 Shaw, Cincinnati, CALIFORNIA: Berkeley-Oololand: SWP and YSA, 3536 Telegraph Ave., Flttsfield: YSA, c/o R. G. Pucko, 77 Euclid Ave., Pittsfield, Moss. 01201. Ohio 45208. Tel: (513) 871-..725. Oakland, Calif. 9-4609. Tel: (415) 65-4-9728. Worcester: YSA, Box 1470, Clark U, Worcester, Mass. 01610. Socialist Oeveland: SWP and YSA, 4420 Superior Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44103. los Angeles: SWP and YSA, 1107 1/2 N. Western Ave., los Angeles, Workers Campaign '71, P.O. Box 97, Webster Sq. Sto., Worcester, Moss. Tel: (216) 391-5553. Calif. 90029. Tel: SWP- (213) 463-1917, YSA-(213) 463-1966. 016JJ3. Yellow Springs: YSA, Antioch College Union, Yellow Springs, Ohio Riverside: YSA, c/o Woody Dioz, 572.. Warren St., Arlington, Calif. 45387. 92503. MICHIGAN: Ann Arbor: YSA, P.O. Box 408, Ann Arbor, Mich. 48107. OREGON: Portland: YSA, c/o Val Moller, 1944 N. W. Johnson, Room Sacramento: YSA, c/o Mark Lampson, 2307-A 24th Ave., Sacramento, Detroit: SWP, YSA, Eugene V. Debs Hoii,3737Woodward Ave., Detroit, 103, Portland, Ore. 97209. Calif. 95822. Mich. 48201. T'l: (313) TEI-6135. PENNSYLVANA: Philadelphia: SWP and YSA, 1004 Filbert St. (one San Francisco: SWP, YSA, Militant labor Forum, and Pioneer Books, East lansing: YSA, P. 0. Box 14, East lansing, Mich. 48823. block north of Market), Philadelphia, Pa. 19107. Tel: (215) WAS-4316. 2338 Market St., San Francisco, Calif. 9411-4. Tel: (415) 626-9958. MINNESOTA: Minneapoli ..St. Paul: SWP, YSA and labor Bookstore, RHODE ISLAND: Providence: YSA, P.O. Box 117, Annex Sta., Prov­ San Diego: SWP, P.O. Box 15111, Son Diego, Calif. 92115. YSA, P.O. I University N.E. (at E. Hennepin) 2nd II., Mpls. 55413. Tel: (612) 332- idence, R.I. 02901. Tel: (401) 863-3340. . Box 15186, San Diego, Calif. 92115. 7781. TENNESSEE: K-ville: YSA, c/o Charles Kelly, Box 187, Melrose Hall, COLORADO: Denver: SWP, YSA and Militant Bookstore, 607 E. 13th MISSOURI: Kansas City: YSA, c/o Student Activities Office, U of Mis­ Knoxville, Tenn. 37916. Ave., Denver, Colo. 80203. Tel: (303) 623-9505. Bookstore open Mon.­ souri at Kansas City, 5100 Rockhill Rood, Kansas City, Mo. 64110. Tel: TEXAS: Austin: SWP and YSA, P.O. Box 5586, West Austin Station, Sat., 10:30 o.m.-7 p.m. (816) 92-4-3714. . Austin, Texas 78703. R.ORIDA: Jacksonville: YSA, P.O. Box 8409, Arlington Branch, Jackson­ NEW HAMPSHIRE: Portsmouth: YSA, P. 0. Box 479, Durham, N.H. Houston: SWP, YSA and Pathfinder 8ooks, 3806 Wheeler, Housto~, ville, Fla. 32211. 03824. Texas 77004. Tel: (713) 741-2577. Tallahassee: YSA, c/o Brett Merkey, 814 California St., Tallahassee, NEW YORK: Binghamton: YSA, P.O. Box 1389, Horpur College, Bing­ San Antonio: YSA, cfo P.O. Box 774, Son Antonio, Texas 78202. Flo. 32304. Tel: (904) 222-8776. hamton, N.Y. 13901. UTAH: logan: YSA, c/o Doyne Goodwin, 855 North 7th St. East, logon, Tampa: YSA, P. 0. Sox 9133, Tampa, Flo. 33604. Tel: (813) 228-.f655. Broololyn: SWP and YSA, 136 lawrence St. (at Willoughby), Brooklyn, utah &4321. GEORGIA: Atlanta: Militant Bookstore, 1176 1/2 West Peachtree St., N.Y. 11201. Tel: (212) 596-28.. 9. WASHINGTON, D.C.: SWP and YSA, 2000 P St. NW, Rm. 413, Wash.,. SWP and YSA, P.O. 'Box 7817, Atlanta, Go. 30309. Tel: (-404) 876-2230. long Island: YSA, P.O. Box 357, Roosevelt,l.l., N.Y. 11575. Tel: (516) D. C. 20036. Tel: (202) 833-9560. IlliNOIS: Chicago: SWP, YSA and bookstore, 180 N. Wacker Dr., FR9-0289. WASHINGTON: Seattle: Militant Bookstore, 5257 University Woy N. E., Rm. 310, Chicago, Ill. 60606. Tel: (312) 641-0147. New York City-City-wide SWP and YSA, 706 Broadway (4th St.), Seattle, Wash. 98105. Hrs. II o.m.-8 p.m., Mon-Sat. Tel: (206) 523-2555. DeKalb: YSA, c/o Student Activities Center, Northern Illinois U, DeKalb, Eighth Floor, New York, N.Y. 10003. Tel: (212) 982-8214. WISCONSIN:laCrosse:YSA,c/o431 N.9thSt.,lo Crosse, Wis. 54601. ltt.60115. Tel: (815) 753-0510 (day); (815) 753-4445 (night). lower Manhattan: SWP, YSA and Merit 8ookstore, 706 Broadway Madison: YSA, 202 W. Gilman, Madison, Wis. 53703. Tel: (608) 256- INDIANA: Bloomington: YSA, c/o John Heilers, West University Apts. (.. th St.), Eighth Floor, New York, N.Y. 10003. Tel: SWP-(212) 982- 0857. •22, Indiana U, Bloomington, Ind ...7401. 6051, YSA-(212) 26/J-0976, Merit Books-(212) 982-5940. Milwaukee: YSA, c/o Tom Tonk, 1314 12th Ave., Grafton, Wis. 53024. KANSAS: lawrence: YSA, c/o Mary Bee, 402 Yorkshire, lawrence, Upper West Side: SWP and YSA, 2744 Broadway (106th St.), New Oshkosh: YSA, 572A Boyd St., Oshkosh, Wis. 54901. Tel: (414) 233- Kan. 66044. Tel: (913) 843-8083. York, N.Y. 10025. Tel: (212) 663-3000. 6155.

22 Pbilosopben iDierprel ~·Gfa cJ .n'f;oTiaftT..:T ~)J '1~oi the world... ~TQ ~o1l't~~Ts1 ~~31 JHJ 517~cr ~5:i ~~ ~~~~ ~~ ~~ N~ tmro~1s11 / ~ . Classified 5.f~~ VTrJr~\J ~~T~ 11MES CHANGE PRESS publishes quality pamphlets and posters an women's liberation, hip culture, Third If you read Bengali, then you already know what our friend World struggles, gay liberation, Marxism, revolution­ I; in Bangia Desh wrote. If you haven't brushed up on your Ben­ ary poetry, anarchism, ecology, etc. Write for free illistrated catalog: 1023-M Sixth Ave., New York, N.Y. gali recently, we can help you with a literal translation: 10018. "Read Intercontinental Press. -· "Be a subscriber of Intercontinental Press. Weare "Know the revolutionary movement of the world through it." Calendar and Classified ad rates: 7 5c cbaaging iL per line of 56-character-wide typewrit­ ten copy. Display ad rates: $l0.00 per JoiDiheYSA ------Intercontinental Press column inch ($7 .50 if camera-ready ad is endased). Payment must be included -1 WANTTO.JOIN TME YSA P. 0. Box 116 _.I WOULD Uft MOlE INFORMA110N witlt ads. Tlte Mililani is publislted eaclt Village P. 0: Station _INCLOSED IS $1 FOR YSA CONVENnON weel on Friflay. Deadlines lor ad COPY: RISOI.U110NS New York, N.Y. 10014 Friflay, one weel preceding publication, NAME Name ______fer Classified and display ads; Tue.day CITYUHHS __~------STATE ___ noon, three flays preceding publication, DP PHONE _____ lor Calendar ads. QIP AND MAl. TO YSA, lOX •11 COOPER Street ______;______STA110N, NY, NY 10003 City ------State------Zip------

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SOME COMMENTS ON MAYDAY by Fred Halstead ... NEWARK: CASE STUDY OF A CITY IN CRISIS by Derrick Morrison ... THE TWO-PARTY SYSTEM a new play by Myrna Lamb ... CATALYSTS OF i itant- WORKING-CLASS RADICALIZATION by Frank Lovell ... "LABOR RADICAL"- A Dishonest History of the CIO by Milton Alvin

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THE MILITANT/ JULY 30, 1971 23 THE MILITANT

stated that in all of his years of prac­ Front of Cairo, P. 0. Box 544, Cairo, of the Arab League here yesterday. ticing law in Georgia he had never ill. 62914. Using the Telex facilities and the tele­ Separate encountered the "racist. elitist ffith" ex­ phones, the supporters cabled all the pressed by the state prosecutors. When Arab leaders, the Middle East News Arnason asked Roberts to restrain Agency, U Thant of the United Na­ himself, .he replied, "Your Honor, I Mistrial in tions, Yasir Arafat of the Palestine trials for am choosing my words very carefully Liberation Organization (PLO), indi­ because if I use the words I have in vidual radical newspapers in the Mid­ my ~eart I'd be cited for contempt." Houston dle East, and the Arab League head­ Davis, The defense motion to review the quarters in Cairo, with the following grand jury selection will be ruled on message: this week. frame-up "In view of the bloody massacres aa-ainst the masses of Palestinians in Magee By JERRY FANNING Jord-an, we, the supporters of the Pal­ By HOLBROOK MAHN HOUSTON- An all-white, predom­ estinian revolution, have occupied the and MICHAEL SCHREIBER Rev.Koen inantly middle-aged jury deadlocked Arab League's information center in SAN RAFAEL, July 20-Pretrial ac­ 7 to 5 in favor of acquittal of Bartee Washington, D. C., in protest against tivities in the murder-kidnap-conspira­ Haile here July 16. Haile, a member the Arab regimes- specifically those cy case of Angela Davis and Ruchell of the John Brown Revolutionary among them that claim to be pro­ Magee took a dramatic turn on July jailed in League, was on trial for the frame--up gressive-for their failure to render 19 when Judge Richard E. Arnason charge of shooting at a cop during the any meaningful support for the Pal­ severed the trial of the two defendants. assault on People's Party II head­ estinian masses and their revolution­ Arnason granted a motion by Shel­ Sl Louis quarters by the Houston police on ary movement. Our condemnation is don Otis, one of a battery of six law­ July 26, 1970. A mistrial was declared clearlv directed against the Syrian, yers constituting the Davis defense, and a new trial set for Nov. 29. Iraqi, and Egyptian regimes, all of who requested separate trials because The shoot-out last summer occurred which share borders with the Palestin­ Davis and Magee have conflicting de­ following a tense week of poli.tical ha­ ian-Jordanian front. Their inaction at fense strategies. Earlier, Magee had rassment and intimidation against this crucial stage of the struggle has also recommended severance, stating, Blacks in Houston. Carl A. Hampton, proved them to be tacit partners in "Miss Davis wants the case heard by chairman of People's Party II, was the genocide conducted by the Jordan­ Judge Arnason, and I do not." killed by a police sniper stationed on ian regime against the Palestinian-Jar­ Arnason's decision allows prosecut­ a nearby church when he left the party danian masses. Therefore, we strong­ ing attorney Albert Harris to move headquarters to investigate shots ly demand the following: 1) immediate at a later date to rejoin the two cases heard outsi~e. Eight others, including intervention against Hussein and his if the state should wish. A separate Haile, were wounded. None of the imperialist-financed mercenary forces; hearing for Davis resumed promptly wounded were policemen. 2) effective military support for the today when another Davis defense The cops, who entered the church Palestinian movement against the re­ counsel, Dennis Roberts, requested an without permission, arrived in un­ gime and against the racist Zionist investigation into the selection of the marked cars and wore plain clothing. state; 3) unequivocal denial of the grand jury which had indicted Davis. An officer in charge of the police snip­ regime's legitimacy over the Jordan­ Roberts claimed that the grand jury ers admitted they never identified ian-Palestinian masses and its expul­ was unrepresentative of the popula­ themselves as policemen nor gave any sion from the Arab League; 4) im­ tion of Marin County in age, sex, warning to people on the street to mediate cessation of the negotiations wealth, and race. clear the area. with imperialism that are being con­ Of 19 members of the grand jury, More than 100 cops descended on ducted at the expense of the fights of only one was Black. Their average People's Party II headquarters mo­ the Palestinian people and their rev­ income was $20,900 a year. And one ments after the shooting. Office equip­ olution. of the grand jurors was a personal ment was damaged and slogans such Until these demands are met, the (riend of Judge Harold Haley, whose Rev. Charles Koen as "Pig power" and "Wallace in '72" Arab masses will consider all Arab death during the attempted Aug. 7 were written on the walls. prisoner escape last year is a central Rev. Charles Koen, one of the leaders regimes, without exceotion, among At a news conference July 12, the feature of the indictments against Da­ of the United Front of Cairo, ill., was the ranks ot me imperialist lackeys eve of the trial, Houston Mayor Louie vis and Magee. jailed July 19 on frame-up charges led by Hussein. The Arab masses will Welch stated that surveillance of rev­ Clifford Thompson, a deputy prose­ of assaulting policemen in St. Louis no longer tolerate this treason. Vic­ olutionary groups, "right or left," with cuting attorney, admitted to the court several years ago. These charges stem tory to the Palestinian revolution!" special attention to People's Party II, that the grand jury "may seem an from Koen's activities organizing the A special telegram was sent to the will continue until "we get them in aristocratic body." But its aristocratic Mrican-American community of St. PLO containing a message of support jail or they cease to be revolution­ character was necessary, he said, to Louis. and solidarity to the fighters in the aries." Police chief Herman Short has gain the expertise needed in order to The Cairo United Front. a Black name of the Palestinians in exile and stated that this surveillance policy has perform grand jury functions such as community organization that is lead­ supporters of the Palestinian revolu­ been in effect for years. reviewing both the performance of ing a boycott against racist hiring tion. From an office in Beirut, news These statements are esneciali" hyp­ county government and the salaries practices and has organized political was received that although the situa­ ocritical in light of the fact that right­ of the state legislators. and armed self-defense against racist tion was severe, morale remained wing terrorists have operated with im­ high. The barbarity of the Hussein At this point, Howard Moore, chief police and vigilante attacks, issued the punity here for years. The Houston Davis defense counsel, asked to be following statement July 19: regime has been demonstrated by a police, ·which has well-known ties with campaign of wanton murder, includ­ excused from the courtroom ''because "The United Front of Cairo has an­ the Ku Klux Klan, did not indict any ing the burying alive of wounded this kind of racism is very upsetting." nounced today that the Rev. Charles of these terrorists until a national out­ fighters. The Jordanian regime has When Judge Arnason asked Davis if Koen has been taken into custody cry forced them to do so. she objected to her counsel's leaving, at the St. Louis workhouse, for a succeeded in driving many fighters Debby Leonard, Socialist Workers she replied, "I'd like to leave myself," period of approximately six months. to the Israeli border by this vicious Party candidate for mayor of campaign. and both she and Moore walked out. Rev. Koen is charged with assault Houston, stated at a recent City Coun­ After the spectators were brought against police officers, stemming from cil meeting that "the views advocated back to order, an exchange of re­ a 1968 case. The Supreme Court of by the mayor and police chief are marks occurred between deputy pros­ Missouri has decided at this point to reminiscent of Nazi Germany. ecutor Thompson and defense attor­ uphold the decision of the lower court. "If they had been alive 200 years neys Roberts and Otis. "As it stands now, Rev. Koen will Thompson repeated an earlier state­ be launching a liquid fast to protest ago," Leonard said, "they would have ment that the grand jury did not have his arrest. We would like supporters arrested the leaders of the American revolution." a youthful composition because young of Cairo to send protests to Missouri men were either in school or in the Governor Warren Hearnes and to Army. And young women were either U. S. Representative William Clay. in school or at aome taking care of Representative Clay is from the dis­ children. "If thib statement is male trict where Rev. Koen ·is being held, D.C. Arab chauvinist," he replied to charges by and is a Black representative whom the defense, "then I guess I am a male Rev. Koen helped to get elected. The chauvinist." leadership of the United Front will office "Right on!" remarked Otis. Judge now be controlled on a collective basis Arnason, who had been strugglfng until Rev. Koen is set free. The need against sleep at the bench, awoke at for money and support for Cairo is occupied this remark and rebuked the person very great because a lot funds in the audience he thought had made raised by the Front were based on By ELOISE LINGER it. Otis then informed the judge that Rev. Koen's speaking engagements. WASHINGTON, D. C., July 21- he and not a spectator had shouted We see this as harassment to try to Around 70 Palestinians and support­ "Right On!" break the back of the United Front." ers of the Palestinian revolution oc­ Continuing his remarks, Roberts Contributions can be sent to United cupied the Arab Information Center j Yasir Arafat

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