Those thousands of Canadians

' who protested when the popula-

tion of Hanoi was being subject-
ed to U.S. carpet bombing on
Christmas 1972 — who influenc-
ed the Canadian House of Com-
mons to vote unanimously to
“deplore”. the inhuman United

- States acts — those Canadians

who spoke out for peace then
are urgently needed to speak up
now. :
True, the merciless blasting of
helpless human beings is easier
to define and to abhor; but the
methodical preparation of horror
weapons previously unheard of
must and will be stopped by the

peace forces and the millions in ~

the world whom they influence.
Dr. Richard Hammerschlag, a

neurologist at the City of Hope

Medical Centre, Los Angeles,
told a recent national meeting of
the American Chemical Society
that an “ethnic weapon’ for se-
lective killing might soon be
possible. It would be bacterio-
logical or chemical in nature and
deadly only to ethnic groups or
races with certain genetic cha-
racteristics,

When we heard of such a con-
cept in Tokyo last year, Dr.

In an intensified wave of ter-
ror, the Brazilian dictatorship
has arrested several dozen work-
ers, students and _ university
teachers, mainly in Sao Paulo
and Rio de Janeiro. Several of
the prisoners have been kept in-
communicado for more than two
months and, in reply to demands
of different judicial bodies con-
cerning habeas corpus, _ the
authorities deny any arrests.

Prisoners are subjected to
brutal tortures and, in addition,
the police torture the wives and
children in their presence to
break their firmness. Torture

- and political assassination prac-

ticed by the Geisel government
has been denounced many times
by international bodies.

The political’ and economic
situation in Brazil has giving
rise to increasing opposition by
the people. Living standards
have deteriorated in the first
four months of 1974 with prices
for basic commodities jumping
24%. Black marketeering is wide-
spread. Eight major labor strikes
have taken place this. year
involving thousands of workers.
Housewives have been demon-
strating against high prices. On
the campuses meetings are being

. held condemning ‘the’ political

terror and violence by the fas-

Terror weapons of destruction

Hammerschlag searched a list of
miiltary contracts and discover-
ed that the U.S. Army paid for a
Study of the -geographic distri-
bution of blood characteristics
and that the Defence Depart-
ment’s Advanced Research Pro-

ject Agency did blood proteins

of Asian peoples.

Stressing he has no proof of
intent, he adds that “we should
raise Our voices against the pos-
sibility of such weapons now.”

- The basis, for ethnic weapons
was explained by Carl. Larsen,
head of the Department of Hu-

man Genetics at the University -

of Lund, Sweden, in a 1970 ar-:
ticle in Military Review, a U.S.
army publication.

Proteins called “polymorph-
isms” exist in different frequen-
cies in different populations. The
most widely known are the blood

group substances A, B, O and:

Rh.

An illustration, Hammerschlag
said, would be blood type B
which is practically absent in

cist dictatorship. In April more
than 1,500 students met at the
University of Sao Paulo and
formed a Political Prisoners De-
fense Committee.

_ This year the direct Parlia-
mentary elections and the indir-
ect elections for the State gov-
ernors will be held. It is quite
evident that the elections are
severely restricted by the dic-
tatorship and consequently
many people are deprived of
their rights to freely express
their opinion. Nevertheless, even
under such a situation the gov-
ernment is afraid of the people’s
opposition, and takes measures
to prevent the coordination and
mobilization of the opposition

_ PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1974—PAGE 8 :

\
many American Indian tribes,
but appears in its highest fre-
quency, about 30 to 40%, in sev-
eral population groups in South-
east Asia and Southern India.

Hammerschlag said the Larsen
article implied development of

chemical agents to exploit poly- .

morphisms in the immediate fu-
TUreS : :
“There is no single gene that

.can divide any two populations

in an absolute sense,” he said.
“But there are a number of gene-
tic differences which do exist,

. Say, in 25 to 50% of one racial

population and zero to five per-
cent in another.
“Agents — chemical, bacterial

. Or viral — designed to harm

only persons with such a com-
bination of genetic factors, could
incapacitate. 25 to 30% of the
enemy population . . . and tie
up still more people taking care
of those you had incapacitated,”
he said.
* % *

Back in May in Geneva the

_ Wave of repression

by introducing terror and repres-
sion in order to suppress the
Brazilian Democratic Movement
(MDB), the only legally existing
Opposition party. The Federal
Deputy Francisco Pinto, one of
the most popular and militant
member of this party, was perse-
cuted by the government for his
speech in the Parliament against
the criminal general Pinochet,
president of the Chilean military
junta, who was present at Gei-
sel’s. inauguration. The fascists
are now attempting to deprive
him of his mandate to Parlia-
ment.

, Greater censorship is being
imposed on the press and mass
media to prevent any publication

- which could influence directly or

indirectly the political fermenta-
tion of the opposition to the
government. :

Faced with growing economic
and political difficulties and the
increasing resistance’of the peo-
ple, the dictatorship ‘is intensify-
ing its repressive and terroristic
activities, attacking mainly the
working class and its party, the
Brazilian Communist Pa rty.
Among the victims of the new
wave of terror are such revolu-
tionary leaders as David Capis-
trano de Costa, Joao Massena
Melo, Luiz Marahnao and Walter

Ribeiro, |

International Red Cross ponder-
ed a new report: Weapons That
May Cause, Unnecessary Suffer-

ing Or Have Indiscriminate Ef-:

fects. It spoke of: lasers, high
velocity ammuniton, flame wea-
pons and new type of projectiles.

Lasers can destroy the human
eye, or burn holes through their
targets. :
have already been used in small-
calibre rockets fired from porf-
able multi-barrelled launchers.
They have a longer range than
the standard flame thrower
which has cooked to death thou-
sands of victims in recent fight-
ing. ;

Another area of concern is
constantly “improving” high ve-
locity ammuniton for small arms.
Dreadful wounds, much in ex-
cess of what is needed to put a
soldier out of action, are the-re-
sult. The report is particularly
concerned with “overkill” and
“overinjury” and was the centre

. of discussion at an International

David Capistrano de Costa
has been active in the anti-
fascist struggle in Brazil since
1935, having spent many years in

‘prison. He fought in Spain with

the International Brigades and
in 1940 was arrested by the nazis
in France. He escaped and made
his way back to Brazil where he
was jailed for three years. Upon
his release in a general amnesty
in 1945 he became secretary of
the Brazilian Communist Party
in Pernambuco State. He was
elected as a Deputy in 1947 and,
following the outlawing of the
Communist Party his mandate
was cancelled. In 1964 after the
coup d’etat he was forced to
leave Brazil and, following his
return has been once again
arrested.

Joao Masonna’ Melo, an out-
standing trade-union leader, for-
mer president of the Metallur-
gic Trade Union in Rio de
Janeiro has for many years
participated in the revolutionary
Struggle of the Brazilian work-
ing class. He was a deputy to
the Legislative Assembly of
Guanabara State when the coup
d’etat took place in 1964. His
parliamentary mandate was can-
celled and he was deprived of
all political rights. He was
brought to the Court of Justice,
sentenced and brutally persecut-.

Incendiary chemicals |

- every decent Canadian i

ANG

Red Cross conference at I
in June. j

The other two items relate
weapons being produced
sent to Asia by Canada
USA. A $1-billion stockpile
weapons for Asian “frien
the USA has been surreptitio
built up, “typical of the way.
executive branch tries 0 ©
around congressional cuts, *
Senator Wm. Fulbright.

The Canadian governmen
mitted in June that it iS
tinuing to supply arms for
against Southeast Asians.

Is the peace movement
vant today? These chilling 1
and the knowledge that there
men in power. who have 0
intention of using such wea
to preserve their pos
( e enough tO p
power, ar g oe
tion to demand that the g0V"
ment of Canada take a. Mic
stand against such horrom
itself cease to participate " o
schemes for mass murder.

(Peace News)

aan

’ fn Jue
ed by the dictatorship- i pat
1970 he was arrested an rio
barously tortured whic a f
ly affected his health, é
prisoned. Last year ted of
released only to be arres
more. nS at

Luiz Marahnao took P i
the anti-fascist movement ibe”
was part of the Nations) wh
tion Alliance (1934-193
he was still a student. oft!
a journalist, a titular Be th
in Geography, History *racul!
a professor:in the Ley ae
He is also a member of ge
yers Body of Brazil xi
Press Association of i
1964 he was electe tative
president of the Legis do ‘No
sembly of Rio Grande a
State. After the militate
d’etat his deputy man sted
annuled, and he was i wind pV
brutally tortured. FolloY™ oy
release he moved to
east area of the coun
he worked in the um
movement.

in
Walter Ribeiro Wa" ing
army and, after re@ an
rank of first lieuten®
leave

try ©
derst? ‘

patriotic activities.
he was been consistet
cuted by the dictators™