Murder of Malcolm X a Cruel Blow To the Cause of Black Emancipation By the Editors America’s racist rulers can breathe easier now that Malcolm X has been assassinated. For he was the most uncompromising, in­ corruptible and talented leader of this country’s 22 million op­ pressed, deprived and insulted black citizens. The white power structure’s M ILITANT lying newspapers portrayed Mal­ colm X — during his life and Published in the Interests of the Working People since his murder — as a danger­ ous and threatening figure. He was Vol. 29 - No. 9 Monday, March 1, 1965 P ric e 10c dangerous — to the whole bar­ baric and degenerate system of racial oppression, South and North. He was threatening — to those who uphold and profit from Johnson S till Maintains that system. He was a leader they feared because they knew his kind would never call a “moratorium” or “cooling-off” period in the Secrecy on Vietnam Plans struggle of the Afro-American masses short of complete and total By Fred Halstead v ic to ry . Malcolm wanted and strived to fenders have been indiscriminate­ FEB. 24 — Two weeks after he make what was being called — ly shelling the surrounding coun­ brought the world to the brink of exaggeratedly and wishfully — tryside. On Feb. 15 some 500 pea­ war with his bombings of North the “Negro revolution” into a real sants demonstrated at the village Vietnam, President Johnson still revolution, that is, total destruc­ of Thang-Binh demanding an end hasn’t seen fit to let the American tion of every form of racial injus­ to the shelling of their villages and people know what his policy is in tice which makes America the hell the demobilization of their men regard to escalating the Vietnam it is for black people. drafted by Saigon. Troops opened w a r. In his tragically short but bril­ fire on the demonstrators, killing Meanwhile, the thieving gang liant career, Malcolm showed him ­ at least 15 and possibly 40, accord­ of generals who make up the Sai­ ing to a Feb. 16 R euters dispatch self to be one of the most remark­ gon regime have engaged in an­ from Danang. Troops were also able figures of our times. In a few MARTYRED FIGHTER. The late Malcolm X and his daughter other free-for-all to see who w ill used against demonstrators at brief years he achieved not only Ilyasah at Kennedy International Airport upon his return from end up in charge of robbing the Tam-Ky, another town near Da­ national but international stature. Africa last Nov. 24. till for another few weeks or nang. Gen. Thi condemned to He was well on his way to ad­ months. This is the “free-world” vancing the relationship of Afro- death one of the arrested leaders newspapers, he spoke the un­ government for whose preserva­ Americans and Africans to the cause or were won over by his of the Thang-Binh demonstration. varnished truth about the mis­ tion hundreds of GIs have already level of meaningful mutual aid arguments. For there is a good treatment of his people in this been sent to their deaths and for Latest Coup and support in the struggle for number of unbrainwashed whites, country and told, with undiluted which Johnson now says we must The latest military coup is the freedom. A t this year’s Afro-Asian with socialist-minded people in bitterness, just what the victims their forefront, who do not regard all be willing to risk nuclear war. ninth such change in the regime Solidarity Conference, being held felt about it. Their breasts swelled black people as a th re a t; w h o do The latest coup, Feb. 21, ousted in Saigon in 15 months. The U.S. in Algiers, which he had planned w ith pride as their spokesman took General Nguyen Khanh as com­ — whose officials have become to attend, tie would undoubtedly not fear black people defending on hostile interviewers and debat­ themselves, attaining power, con­ mander in chief of the Saigon practiced dead-pan comedians with have played an important role. ers and, without ever losing his trolling their own organizations regime’s military forces — and their statements about U.S. forces Won Admiration dignity, proved more than a match therefore as head of the govern­ being in South Vietnam at the and communities and deciding fo r them . ment. He was replaced by Gen. request of a legitimate govern­ He won the admiration of the whether they prefer integration or separation. Tran Van Minh. The real new ment there — finds itself in the teeming black ghettos by his fear­ The whites, too, were startled power, however, appears to be position of being the laughing­ lessness and eloquence. It was as by him. Those who profit from the Such whites did not fear the things Malcolm was proposing. On Brig. Gen. Nguyen Chanh Thi, stock of the world. if he had taken for his guide the oppression of the Negro popula­ the contrary many of them look who emphasized that Minh’s ap­ But the world knows it is not m o tto o f The Liberator, the A b o ­ tion and those corrupted or ment­ forward to the day the Negro peo­ pointment was only temporary. really a laughing matter because litionist paper of a century before: ally poisoned by it were alarmed. ple of this country become a no one can be sure the U.S. won’t “I am in earnest, I w ill not equiv­ But more whites than was realized Bloody Tyrant great, organized power because escalate toward a war with China ocate; I w ill not excuse; I w ill not had mixed reactions — including Gen. Thi — as military com­ that can encourage the slower- and possible nuclear conflict. As retreat a single inch; and I w ill be a grudging respect and even ad­ mander of the northern part of moving white workers to do like­ long as the U.S. remains in Viet­ he a rd !” miration for his courage in fight­ South Vietnam — six days earlier wise and seek an alliance for nam, where it is not wanted by T hey listened eagerly as, on ing so for his people. Some others had ordered the bloody repres­ the population and where U.S. television and radio or in the felt outright sympathy for his (Continued on Page 4) sion of demonstrations by peasants GI’s are dying in vain, the Viet­ near the U.S. air base at Danang. nam situation w ill be a threat to This is the base from which planes AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT world peace. The only real solu­ took off to bomb North Vietnam. tion is U.S. withdrawal. It is guarded by Hawk missiles, Senator Wayne Morse, who has U.S. Marines and Saigon troops. been one of the few outspoken The demonstrations and the cir­ congressional critics of the U.S. cumstances surrounding them are Malcolm X's Last Meeting aggression in Vietnam, warned still further proof of the com­ Feb. 19 that the U.S. is “fast ap­ plete hostility between the ordin­ By David Herman the OAAU which Malcolm X was to find a stretcher. Others blocked proaching a massive conflict, a ary people in the country and the about to present. off the stage. By the time some holocaust” in Southeast Asia. He N E W Y O R K , Feb. 22 — I rushed U.S.-backed regime. Malcolm X came to the stage police arrived, the assassins ap­ said: “The Pentagon, the Depart­ to get to the meeting of the Or­ The Danang base has been ex­ just before Benjamin finished. parently had got out of the hall. ment of State, seem to want an ganization of Afro-American Uni­ pecting guerrilla attacks, so its de- ty at which Malcolm X was to The two shook hands, and Ben­ The men returned with a stretcher alibi and excuse for bombing jamin left the stage. and carried Malcolm out. nuclear installations in Red speak Sunday at 2:00. I was 15 Malcolm stepped to the podium Then the police came in force C h ina .” minutes late, and I didn’t want to miss any of what Malcolm X had and greeted the audience as he and wandered around the hall — DeBerry Sends T he Feb. 23 W a ll Street Journal customarily did. “As Salaam looking for the weapons, pre- says that “high officials” in Wash­ to say. He was scheduled to pre­ Alaikum” (Peace be with you), he sumably. Some of the audience Condolences to ington are predicting further air sent the long-awaited program of said. “Wa Alaikum Salaam” (And left immediately after the shooting strikes against North Vietnam pro­ the O A A U . Malcolm's Widow to you, peace), responded the au­ and the rest filtered out grad­ The front of the Audubon Ball­ vided there is “some measure of dience. ually. I did not see the police room was unusually quiet. The [The following is the text political stability after the latest Just then a man on the left side making any attempt to obtain w it­ usual contingent of cops wasn’t of a telegram sent to Betty coup in Saigon.” of the hall, seven or eight rows nesses. there — only a squad car with two Shabazz, widow of Malcolm Rebuff By Allies from the front, shouted: “Get your Many in the audience remained men inside, that I noticed. X, by Clifton DeBerry on be­ Meanwhile, Washington has had hand out of my pocket!” He outside, waiting to hear whether Representatives of the press half of the Socialist Workers its diplomats sounding out its al­ shouted again and scuffled with Malcolm X would live — and weren’t admitted, this time, but P a rty .] lies in Europe on Vietnam.