By GORDON MASSIE A note of high optimism for the future, buttressed by constructive criticism marked the 16th Congress of the Com- munist Party of Czechoslovakia (CPCz), held in Prague this April. Gustav Husak, party general secretary and president of the republic, led off the discussion with a report that covered all facets of Czechoslovak policy and life — internal and international. As he de- scribed the tasks that lay ahead, the theme that ran through all the foreign policy positions of the Czechoslovak Communists was the slogan of the great Communist and patriot of the country, Klement Gottwald: ‘‘ Together with the Soviet Union forever.’’ This slogan man- ifested itself in a rousing standing ovation for Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev whenever he entered the hall. In his speech to the Congress, Brezhnev elaborated Soviet proposals for negotiations for peace in Europe. Husak, noted that during the second half of the 70s there was a deliberate sharpening of the international situation by the most reactionary circles of im- perialism, notably’ U.S. imperialism, in an effort to reverse historically unavoid- able revolutionary transformation. Under the guise of combatting *‘inter- national terrorism’’, ruling circles in the USA and NA TO countries are seeking to upset, and change in their favor,, the military-strategic balance, which is the basis of the stability of the present-day world, Husak said. Praising the results of the 26th Con- gress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, he pledged that Czechos- lovakia, along with the Soviet Union and the other socialist countries, would con- tinue their vanguard work for peace and social progress. Neighbor of Poland In denouncing imperialist attempts to weaken the unity of the world socialist community, Husak spoke of the lessons of Czechoslovakia, the German Dem- ocratic Republic, and Hungary, and at- tempts by imperialism to subvert these countries. In Poland, he pointed out, the THOUSANDS MARCH FOR EL SALVADOR } WASHINGTON D.C. — In one of the largest protest marches since j the Vietnam war, tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered outside } the Pentagon May 3 to protest U.S. involvement in El Salvador and president Reagan’s proposed cuts in domestic and social spending. Speakers ranged from high school students to New York congress- | woman Bella Abzug. ‘‘ The real threat to our security comes from the | violence of the Pentagon, the Reagan government and their collabor- ators in Congress and co-conspirators in the Moral Majority’, Abzug told the crowd estimated at 100,000. ‘‘ The time to stop war is before it begins’’, she urged referring to U.S. involvement in El Salvador. JAPAN PROTESTS FREIGHTER SINKING TOKYO — The public outcry in Japan over the ‘‘hit and run” sinking of a Japanese freighter by the U.S. nuclear submarine George Washington is increasing. Ichio Asukata, chairman. of the powerful Socialist Party of Japan, demanded in his meeting with Premier Zenko Suzuki that all U.S. subs and other nuclear-powered U.S. naval craft be forbidden to enter Japan’s territorial waters. The Socialist Party has the leadership of the 4.5 million member Sohyo trade union federation, - the largest in Japan, and also has the second largest number of seats in the Japanese parliament. NICARAGUA’S LITERACY CAMPAIGN MANAGUA — Illiteracy in Nicaragua has been reduced from 50% to 12% in only the first five months of a year-long campaign initiated by the country’s provisional government. The National Literacy Crusade as it is called, has been nominated for a Wobel Peace Prize by 133 British parliamentarians. Last Sep- tember the newly liberated Central American country received a UN- ESCO award for its achievements on this front. PACIFIC TRIBUNE—MAY 15, 1981—Page 6 reactionary forces have now promoted these subversive actions to official state policy. ‘‘We are not hiding the fact that our people are following the events in Poland with disquiet. This is understandable. History has taught us what it means to have a good neighbor, a reliable ally,”’ Husak stated. ‘‘We belong to one politi- cal, economic and defence bond; we have common aims, we have common friends as well as enemies. We are linked by a thousand ties; we share the longest ‘common borders. That is why we have a profound interest in seeing Poland de- velop as a firm, orderly socialist state.”’ The CPCz, and the people of our coun- try — in common with the people of the other countries of the Warsaw treaty or- ganization —- support the Communists, the working class, all genuine followers of socialism, true Polish patriots in their endeavor to repel the onslaught of reac- tion, to solve the problems and to strengthen the socialist system, the Czechoslovak leader said. : Rising Standards Turning to domestic affairs, Husak pointed out that over the past 10 years the Czechoslovak economy has made tremendous strides. The people are ex- periencing steadily rising living, social and cultural standards. Wages have in- creased constantly; 1.2 million new houses and apartments have been built in this period; daycare and maternity coverage increased by 26.4% in the past five years. Despite this, the Czechoslovak Com- munists are not satisfied and are deter- mined to make qualitative changes in economic and social life. Pointing to problems of energy and raw materials supplies, the Congress pledged to in- crease the effectiveness and efficiency of production, to reduce and eliminate waste, and to make more effective use of capital investment. As the crisis in the capitalist world deepens, Czechoslovakia and other socialist countries face increasing dis- crimination and barriers to foreign trade at the hands of the capitalist countries. WORLD internationalism marks GUSTAV HUSAK ... republic president addresses earlier party congress. Soviet president Brezhnev is in background. The imperialist-imposed arms race di- verts funds from social needs as the socialist countries have to build up their defence capacity. Steps are being taken to improve the planning organizations and the system of management, to remove excessive paper work and bureaucratic methods. Scientific Revolution The 7th Five Year Plan will see an increase in the national income from 14 to 16%, an increase in production of 18% to 20% and an increase in agricultural production of 10%. The role of the scien- tific and technical revolution in Czechos- lovakia is central to intensifying produc- tion and, unlike its effect in capitalist countries, this does not mean un- employment. There is an actual shortage of workers in Czechoslovakia. Steps to improve the service and food sectors of the economy were elaborated. Czechoslovakia will seek to. become self-sufficient in foodstuffs’ that can be grown in the country itself. Retail ser- vices will be improved. Much stress was placed at the Con- gress on the improvement of cultural and ideological work. A vast network of cul- e meet tural facilities is being expanded. The ideological apparatus is being improved along with enhancement and improve- ment of the role of the media. The Congress reported that in the period between the previous congress and this one, Communist Party member- ship rose to 1.5 million, 27% of whom are women. Some 321,000 new’ candidate members joined in that period. Of new members, 61% are workers, 7.8% are farmers, and 22% are intelligentsia, technicians, etc. The average age of the membership is 44, while 90% of new members are under 35. Like Canada, Two Nations Czechoslovakia, like Canada, is a country made up of two basic nations plus other nationalities. Unlike Canada, Czechoslovakia has essentially solved the national question. Slovakia, which in pre-socialist days was a backward, poverty-stricken agricultural area, now - has a modem, diversified industry and agriculture. National culture is thriving - and the unity of the nations and national- ities is self-evident. This is a direct result of the conscious efforts of the Com- munist Party, guided by Leninist princi- ples on the national question. _ The 16th Congress, with more than 1,450 elected delegates from local and regional organizations of the Communist Party, marked a milestone in Czechos- lovak development, and was a great con- tribution to the international Communist and workers’ movement. The international prestige of the Con- gress was shown by the attendance of 114 fraternal delegations from foreign countries, including Communist and Workers’ parties, Revolutionary Dem- ocratic parties and National Liberation Movements, and Social Democratic par- ties. A delegation of two attended from the Communist Party of Canada. The delegation. from the Communist Party of Canada to the 16th Congress of the Communist Party of Czechos- lovakia, were Gordon Massie, Sas- katchewan provincial leader, and Maggie Bizzell, manager of Progress Books, To- ronto. While imperialist circles in the West are drumming up a “trial” of the Soviet Union for its assistance to Afghanistan against foreign interference, Soviet aid goes on in many fields. In our photo, an Afghan mother with her baby receives advice from the mother-and-child centre in Kabul, the capital. Afghan doctor, M. Isakzai, left, a graduate of Kabul University, received her practical training in Poland. Next to her is the centre’s head doctor, R. Gavrilova of Moscow.