The U.S. plans to shoot an earth-girdling satellite aloft by rocket sometime before December, 1958.

By JACK STACHEL

Reaching into the outer space

es last it has come. After cen-
turies of gazing longingly out
into space, man is now ready to
take the first step on the long,
hard path outward. And just as
the patriarch Noah sent out a
dove from his ark in search of
the land, so scientists are ready-
ing a “bird” to be the first’ mes-
-senger to report on the new world
of outer space.

For that is the nickname that
has been given to the artificial
satellite which is now being plan-
ned, a miniature moon which will
circle the earth, as part of Am-
erica’s. participation in the Inter-
national Geophysical Year of
1957-58.

And like the bird sent out by
Noah this “bird” will never re-
turn if it is successful; not be-
cause it has found land, but be-
cause it will be burnt up by the
frictional heat when it finally hits
the earth’s atmosphere on its way
down.

lf The imagination of millions has
been stirred by this prospect, and
indeed it is hard to restrain the
imagination in discussing it. a

The satellite is to be a rather
small object, perhaps the size of
a basketball, and weighing some-
where around 100 pounds accord-
ing to the scientists who made the
announcement at the White
House. Its composition, struc.
ture, and equipment have not
been decided upon yet, since the
whole. project is still in the plan-
ning stage.

. The satellite itself will have no
power supply, but will be taken
aloft somewhere between two and
three hundred miles by rocket,
and there shot off on its path
around the earth at the stagger-
ing speed of 18,000 miles per
hour — about ten times the speed
of fast jet planes.

* * *

If you want to understand how

~a rocket works, there is no bet-

ter way than by performing a
simple experiment that will cost
you no more than a nickel. Blow
up a toy balloon and then, in-

BILL KASHTAN‘S LABOR COMMENT

stead of tying the end, just let

go. You will see it take off, ca-
reen around the room crazily,
and finally settle to the ground.
Why does it do this? The gas you
have blown into the balloon is
compressed and as it rushes to
escape through the hole, there is
a kickback reaction on the bal-
loon that drives it in exactly the
opposite direction to that in
which the gas is escaping at any
moment.

A rocket is simply a device to
harness this kickback motion to
drive the gas container forward.

As far as is publicly known,
the top speed at which a rocket
has flown is about 6,000 m.p-h.
and the highest a single rocket
has gotten is about 150 miles up.

Both are still far from the goals:

for the satellite. But here Swift’s
jingle about the fleas with smal-

Jer fleas upon ’em comes to the

rescue. A smaller rocket can be
piled onto a large one, and a still
smaller one piled onto that one,
ete, each one being launched
when the last one nears the end
of its climb.

Climate warm on wage front:
workers in mood for battles

At FEW weeks ago I mentioned
in this column that the cli-
mate is likely to become rather
warm on the wage front. Events
seem to have borne this out. A
whole series of strikes broke out,
in the majority of cases for sub-
stantial wage increases. The
strike movement indicates the
temper of the workers. They are
definitely in a mood for battle.
Textile workers through strike
action were able, in the case of
the York Knitting Mills, to force
that company to hoist its wage-
ut proposal for a six-month per-
iod. In London, hosiery workers
are still on strike against wage-
cutting and, given the whole-
hearted backing of the trade
union movement, they are in a

position to force the company to

retreat as well.

In British Columbia the See
farers’ International Union went
on strike. Interestingly enough
the union they selected as their

target to destroy through raiding,

the United Fishermen and Allied
Workers, immediately informed
the SIU that it was prepared to
cooperate in every way to help
them win and in line with their
policy would not touch “hot car-
go” — prevent scabbing. This is
an object lesson in solidarity
which I am sure will not be lost
on the members of SIU and on

the entire trade union movement.
There was the 13-cent settle-
ment at Stelco and a new one-
year contract for 15,000 Inco
workers under Mine-Mill contract
spelling victory on pensions and
wages. Winning of the pensions
demand — voluntary retirement
at 60, rather than 65—is a break-
through for a major industry.
Embattled Quebec workers also
scored at Penman’s Ltd., Cana-
dian Industries Limited and at
Shawinigan’s Aluminum Co. and
Shawinigan Chemicals.

Steleo has already. indicated
that steel prices will go up. This
suggests another round of infla-
tion. Labor’s answer should be
“raise wages out of the huge pro-

fits of the corporations.”

In the 18,000-member GM
chain — Toronto, London, St.
Catharines, Oshawa and Windsor
—Canadian UA'W Director George
Burt’s demand for equality at the
bargaining table and rejection of
the company-biased labor rela-
tions boards is another sign of
how spirited the wage movement
- 48:
walkout of Sault Ste. Marie steel-
workers at Algoma .. . And now
as this goes to press. UAW leader

‘Burt led nine members of GM

negotiating team out of a concili-
ation board meeting, refusing to
go along with Judge Anderson’s

Again the spontaneous mass |

plan to stretch out the hearings
and hear a company. brief.
x x *

What gives the GM negotia-
tions a particular interest is the
fact that one of the demands put
forward is for the Guaranteed
Annual Wage. Apparently draw-
ing lessons from the settlements
in the US.,° the UAW and the
membership in Canada are press-
ing for a genuine GAW which is
not what the Ford and GM work-
ers won in the U.S.

However there appears to be a
strong feeling that major atten-
tion should be concentrated on
the elimination of wage inequali-
ties and substantial wage in-

creases as well as health and pen-

sions. This is understandable ‘be-
cause the five year
“froze” the wages of GM workers
so that today’ they are behind
Ford and Chrysler workers by as
much as 20 cents. In view of this
the workers give priority to
wages while not being indifferent
to GAW, provided it is a genuine
article.

Whether GM and others facing
union demands come up with a
decent offer remains to be seen.
The acid test will lie in the milit-
ancy and solidarity of the work-
ers and the backing they receive
by the rest of the labor move-
ment.

contract ©

By JOHN STEWART

| sat in on a session
of Soviet parliament

MOSCOW

FE was a historic happy occasion

in the long dazzling white and

cream hall of the Supreme So-
viet.

From every corner of this vast
country came the deputies of the
Supreme Soviet and of the So-
viet Nationalities gathered to-
gether in special joint session to
discuss the re-
ports of the
Council of
Ministers on
the Geneva
Conference.

I sat in the
crowded  gal-
lery among
visitors from
many coun-
tries of the
world.

The eeclamane: boxes

along
one side of the hall were packed
to hear what the Soviet govern-
ment would ask its parliament to

ratify. And there could be no
doubt in their minds after Pre-
mier Nikolai Bulganin’s speech

_ that every one of the many steps

the Soviet government has taken
for peace in the past period—
steps designed to end the cold
war and usher in a period of
peaceful coexistence — had the
unanimous approval of the So-
viet peoples, whether they came
from Arctic lands, Far Eastern
republics or from the heart of
Moscow. And seeing these So-
viet peoples building a new so-
ciety, it is not hard to under-
stand why.

The great hall of the Supreme
Soviet is long and narrow. Its
ceiling is gleaming white, walls
cream colored and windows over-
looking Moscow River are yellow
curtained.

Behind the simple unpreten-
tious platform on which sit the
praesidium and ministers, there
stands a single statue of Lenin,
about twice life size—upon whose
policy of peaceful coexistence
of capitalist and socialist nations
Soviet policy is based, and to
which Bulganin referred in the
opening peteerephs of his ad-
dress.

: ore cae

‘The special session had been
called for 3 o’clock on that ‘after-
noon of August 4.

At 10 minutes to the hour, the
first set of lights came on and
some ministers began taking their
places on the platform. Five
minutes later more lights and
‘more ministers.

At two minutes to three great.

spotlights for motion pictures
came on (they are designed so
as not to glare or blind) and on-
to the platform came the leaders
of the Soviet government—Bul-
ganin, Molotov, Khrushchev, Vo-
roshilov, Kaganovich, Mikoyan,
Malenkov and others I could not
‘recognize from the distance.
The deputies and visitors rose

4

- Soviet people, hear of '

and applauded. At exactly one

minute past three Chairman

Volkov of the Supreme Council |

opened the meeting—to the ring-
ing applause of the entire as-
semblage—by welcoming to the
session the visiting parliamen-
tary delegation of Yugoslavia.
He proposed that the agenda

“be one point, the report of ‘the

Council of Ministers on the Gen-
eva Conference. His proposal
was seconded by a member of
Council Elders and was unani-
mously approved by the depu-
ties.
Sete swear eee

Then the dramatic moment
came when Premier Bulganin
came to the front desk to deliver
the report. White-haired, aver-

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — AUGUST 19, 1955 -

“delegation didn’t initiate #® Ae

age height, dressed in sey suit
with small medal on left :
he appeared and spoke. as

modest, dignified, friendly Be

son he is. He spoke ton a

deivarine a lecture.
times he was interrupted by
plause.

He was applauded a
relating all recent Soviet moe
to bring about an end ie
cold war, he spoke of 2 norma ;
ing relations with Yugoslavl# oslav
the members of ‘the Yuelu

plause they certainly joined to
heartily. And his reference co
India’s Prime Minister nents

also warmly greeted. :
There was applause wae? y

told how personal contac! ct
Geneva had made better aly
griendl

standing possible in a !
atmosphere in which ®
side accused or Sane
other. And again when
clared that policies of posh a
of strength and use of
settle international disputes
been put off as a res :
Geneva conference. We cal more
welcome this, he added, the po ae
a sthe constructive spirit 5 at
Geneva negotiations continu.
the present time to &' nati
fruitful influence on inter
al relations.

And there was cen
plause when he ask :
ties to endorse his se
of the invitation of prime
ister Eden to visit ae ge
when he said) he had on
Prime Minister ae a
foreign minister of ¥ -
visit the USSR at their sae
ence. a to
His’ whole speech pointed oy
the new happier situation ee
has come about in world é
as the result of Geneva. :

It was proof positive, Be
of correctness of Soviet
policy which thad for so I +
urged negotiated settleme?” Be
end the cold war. Bu
concluded he warned the 7 set
ties that they shouldn't |
that there are forces W™
to block further 2s i
wards such scitleney ati es
there were many difficu
to be overcome. i

Then to resounding @P
all he concluded with #
“to fight for lasting peace’
‘left the platform bein
tov and Khrushchev-
ing of the special sé

over. : . ¥
502 ea eee
Anyone who thinks

eva was not receiv

sh ee te
joy in this country thei

re ie

for peaceful — construclv® = yo
see it in life “everywhere exe
look. ‘What is happemivs
is still the biggest DEN
world. ’ 2
On Friday lead af
was unanimously appro
all-day discussion. ‘gore
Later, in comment on i
press reports that he w
ing President ‘Bisenhows
posals, he told cor
these reports were t
Soviet government “nou
own plan best, but sould ei
reject any plan that of 2
to reduction of eee
aments on people of | “sai
On the contrary, ee -
Soviet governmony
studying and will
study all proposals i
President Bisenhowe!.
viet aim is to bring |
of Washington and M
together and to achi€
standing,