Asian-African Conference Seen /momentous Event By Art Preis A momentous event is scheduled fo r the last week in A pril at Bandung, Indonesia — an Asia-Africa Conference to which 30 nations of the two largest continents have been invited. This conference, which will be the greatest of its kind Central African Federation (the ever held, will be attended by Rhodesias and Nyas aland), government leaders ■ of countries Egypt, Ethiopia, the Gold Coast, Labor-Haters, Racists Take inhabited by more than half the Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Laos, world’s people. Most of them Lebanon, Liberia, Lybia, Nepal, have been freed only recently the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, from, dii-cct western imperialist the Sudan, Syria, Thailand, South rule or exploitation. Vietnam and Yemen. The Prime Ministers of India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Burma and CONSPICUOUSLY ABSENT Over Posts in Congress Conspicuously absent from the Key Ceylon — known as the Colombo powers because their original invitation list are Australia and meeting took place in Colombo, New- Zealand, two of the eight Ceylon — announced plans for countries, including the United Blaekòut on Progress the conference on Dec. 29 after States, England and France, Govt. Official their meeting at Bogor, Indone­ which make up the so-called All Progressive Bills sia. South East Asia Treaty Organ­ Among the countries invited ization organized by the western Sees Chronic are new China and North Viet- imperialists last September in nam, which has just been won Manila. South Africa, dominated To Come under Axe from imperialist France through by white racists, was also not a revolutionary independence invited. Joblessness struggle. Also invited are Tur­ Several of the invited countries A decline in the number of key, Afghanistan, Cambodia, the especially influenced by the Un­ Of Southern Democrats ited States and its dollar appeal persons drawing unemployment are not expected to attend. These compensation does not necessari­ By George Lavan include Turkey, Thailand and the ly mean a decline in the number As the 84th Congress opened, the onlooker had the of unemployed. This is indicated U.S. State Dept. Philippines. The latter two are uncanny feeling that history had been turned back and signatories to the Manila Pact. by the figures on workers who But Sir John Kotelarvala, Prime had exhausted their allowable un­ reversed — that General Robert E. Lee and the Con­ Seeks to Counter 'Ministea- of Ceylon, has ssaid that employment insurance benefits in federate Army had finally cap­ not less than 22 countries will the first nine months of 1954. tured Washington and was en- participate, including the four According to Undersecretary camped on Capitol H ill. Southern Asia Conference giants, India, China, Pakistan of Labor Larson, in a Christmas- Democrats were busy taking over The U.S. State Department and Indonesia, which total more week address before the Indus­ practically every important post, announced on Jan. 3 that the than a billion population. trial Relations Research Assn, in in the Senate and House of eight signatories of the Manila Detroit, nearly 1,500,000 workers Representatives. Pact will meet in Bangkok, SYMBOLIC SIGNIFICANCE nationally used up all their un­ The job of Speaker of the Thailand, on Feb. 23 to implement Whatever the deliberations and employment payments within the House — second in power only the military alliance drafted last decisions of the conference, the first three quarters of the year. to the presidency — went to Sam September on the initiative of mere fact that it is held will be In Pennsylvania they numbered Rayburn of Texas. Lyndon B. the western imperialist powers. of the greatest historic signifi­ 200,000; in Michigan, 100,000; Johnson, also of Texas, took over Although labelled the South cance. It will be a visible symbol and sin five other states over the most important position in East Asia Treaty Organization, of a titanic revolutionary trans­ 75,000. the Senate — majority leader. formation that has taken place the alliance is' headed by three CHRONIC UNEMPLOYMENT KEY POSITIONS non-Asian nations, the United in the world within the past 15 Larsen called this condition States, Britain and France. Out­ years ^ the crumbling of the The all - important chairman­ “chronic unemployment” and de­ ships of committees in both side of these big capitalist vast colonial empires controlled and exploited by the advanced scribed it as “the situation of Houses went almost exclusively powers, only Pakistan, Thailand, those people who exhaust the full the Philippines, Australia and capitalist nations and the emer­ to Deep South and border state gence of great new independent duration of unemployment insur­ Democrats. In the House of Rep­ New Zealand — the latter three ance benefits and still go on un­ not parts of the Asian mainland nations hostile to western imper­ resentatives, where committee ialism. It will be a graphic de­ able to get work, either because chairmen wield even more power — are associated in the alliance. of the locality or of the industry.” monstration that the western than in the Senate, 13 of the 19 PRETENSE EXPLODED powers do not speak for the He added that “as to him (the committees are headed by South­ worker who has exhausted his Announcement of the Manila Asian and African people and ern Democrats. O f the 12 most benefits but remains without a Pact conference was intended to can make no claim to their un­ Bosses Set up Secret important .committees South­ job) our available insurance and counter the effect of the cafll by questioning support. erners wield the gavels in ten. REP. RAYBURN services have broken down.” He India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Burma In their call to the conference, Rules Committee chairman is then asks: and Ceylon for a 30-nation Asia- the five Colombo powers include labor-hating banker, Howard W. years on labor and civil rights “But is it possible that the Africa conference next April to among its purposes, “to consider “Right-to-Scab” Groups Smith of Virginia. Jere Cooper legislation. When it was announc­ matter could be approached by which China and North Vietnam problems of special interest to of Tennessee heads the Ways and ed that Eisenhower’« State of the means of a combination of some have been invited. This confer­ Asian and African people, for Secret national and state or­ Legislaiture . to enact such a argument is especially prominent. Means Committee. Other chair­ Union address would recommend extension of benefits . coupled ence will encompass countries example, problems affecting na­ ganizations of employers are law. The fight will mirror It is claimed the laws help at­ men are: Clarence Cannon of an increase in the minimum wage with an entire new special pro­ tional sovereignty and of racial­ being formed to push through so- coming strife in more than a tract Northern industry. Mayor Missouri, Carl Vinson of Georgia, from the present 75 cents to 90 totalling more than half the gram aimed at removing the in­ ism and colonialism.” called “right-to-work” laws in the dozen other state legislatures and H. C. Rhodes of Pelalhatchie, James P. Richards of South cents per hour Northern liberal world’s population. dividual’s cause- of unemploy­ The five Prime ‘Ministers state 31 states still free of such anti- in the U.S. Congress.as well.” Miss., for instance, used his Carolina, Harold D. Cooley of Senator James Murray (D-Mont.) The call for the Asia-Africa ment?” Conference exploded the pretense their support of Indonesia union legislation. The existence The state organizations of both state’s adoption of a ‘right-to- North Carolina, Brent Spence of declared for $1.00 per hour. This of the Manila Pact group that it against Holland in the conflict SCOPE OF LAYOFFS of these secret organizations to the A FL and CIO in Maryland work’ law last year as an argu­ Kentucky, Graham A. Barden of was already giving awiry 25 cents railroad through laws to prohibit are lining up their forces and ment to encourage a Connecticut North Carolina, Olm E. Teague of the $1.25 which the labor move­ spoke for the people of South over New' Guinea. They especial­ A better idea of the real scope union security contracts was preparing for a battle. The manufacturer to move to his of Texas and Tom Murray of ment has been demanding and East Asia or any other part of ly stress their “continued sup­ of unemployment during the past revealed in the Jan. 4 Wall Street Legislature convenes Jan. 5. Tennessee. which Murray and other Darno- the colonial world. In fact, there port to the demands of the peo­ year was given on Jan. 1 by ‘veritable industrial paradise’ ” — Journal. a “paradise” of low-pay, unor­ As if to show that there were ci'aitic liberals had agreed to. But was speculation that the Bangkok ple of Tunisia and Morocco for Secretary of Labor James P. “Businessmen backing the laws ‘‘NATIONAL SCRAP” ganized, race-divided wage slaves. other .parts of the U.S. than the then Senator Russell of Georgia, conference .might have to be their national independence and Mitchell. He reported that alto­ But this ¡is a “national scrap," .South — two chairmanships of the real power in the Senate postponed to save face for the their legitimate right to self- gether 6,600,000 workers received are forming a so-far-secret na­ states the -Wall Street Journal, the 1'2 most important House Democratic majority, spoke out western powers. “ We’re in new determination.” one or more unemployment ben­ tional organization and several state organizations to promote and “similar fights arc in pros­ committees went to non - South­ saying that there should be no trouble in Asia,“ wrote the Wash­ In addition, they expressed efit checks.