,

DMITRI POLYANSKY,
Soviet deputy premier
and leader of the 11-man
Parliamentary delegation
which this week ended

a 10-day visit to our
country, captured the
interest and imagination
of Canadians with his wit,
charm and his frank,
Straight-from-the shoulder
Comment on many topics.
Here he gives his views on
the purpose of the visit
and on some of today's
Problems of peace.

On the eve of the delegation’s
visit, Dmitri Polyansky, in an in-
terview given to the Soviet press
agency Novosti, was asked the
purpose of his visit, his views
on Canadian-Soviet relations
and what he expected of the
trip. The following is a digest of
his replies:

To establish and develop
friendly good-neighborly  rela-
tions with all countries has al-
ways been the aim of the Soviet
Union. Our policy is one of
peaceful coexistence of states
with different social systems, of
peaceful international coopera-
tion.

It is true that quite a number
of difficulties stand in the way
of achieving trust and good-
neighborly relations between
states. This holds also for the
USSR and Canada. But, along-
side the differences in their

DIMITRI POLYANSKY
On Canadian-Soviet relations

socio-political set-ups and in
their approach to world events,
our two countries have much in
common that brings them closer
together, and creates a good
basis on which to expand mut-
ually advantageous contacts in
economic, political and other
spheres.

The hard-working Soviet and
Canadian peoples have a vested
interest in averting a new world
war and in bringing about a
healthier international atmos-
phere as quickly as_ possible.
Many of our regions have a simi-
lar climate and soil and we have
vast natural resources. There is
no immediate clash of interests
between the USSR and Canada.

How far the existing opportu-
nities for developing cooperation
will be used is quite another
matter and depends on the ef-
fort exerted by both sides.

During the visit the Soviet
delegation hopes to get to know
more about Canada, its people,
economy and culture. We expect
to have interesting meetings
with rank-and-file Canadians,
Canadian MPs, political leaders
and members of the govern-
ment =. res

I would say that our ties and
contacts, particularly in trade,
cultural exchanges and -ex-
changes of experts have become
somewhat livelier of late.

The Soviet government has
decided to take part in “Expo-
67” which is being arranged in
Canada. A few months ago the
Leningrad-Montreal __ sea-route
was opened, and soon there will
be a direct Moscow-Montreal
airline. The protocol on an ex-
tension for another three years
of the 1956 Soviet-Canadian
trade agreement has just been

On today’s threat to

At the dinner given the dele-
gation by External Affairs Mini-
ster Paul Martin on June 28 at
the Rideau Club in Ottawa,
Polyansky made headlines with

these forthright comments on
the problems of war and peace:

It is unnecessary to say that
lately, as a result of the actions
of certain circles, which are
trying to take a “position of
strength” in international af
fairs, the situation in the world
has seriously deteriorated. All
those who cherish the interests
of the peoples cannot remain in-

different to the war in Vietnam.
One may have different views
on the causes and nature of that
war. But there are facts which
will remain indisputable despite
all this.

(Speaking of the situation in
Vietnam, Polyansky outlined the
position of the Soviet Union on
this question and denounced
the aggressive actions against
the Vietnamese people.)

It is the duty of all govern-
ments, parliamentarians and
public figures to see to it that
foreign interference in Vietnam

is halted, and that the Vietna-
mese people, like any other
people, are given an opportunity
to decide their domestic affairs
by themselves.

The situation in Europe, too,
is far from being a happy one.
Some may say that in that part
of the world the situation is al-
most tranquil—the soldiers are
in their barracks, not in the
trenches. But is everything
really as tranquil as some
people think? Is not this the
sort of tranquility behind which
the storm clouds are gathering?

signed. Last year we were
pleased to play host to Cana-
dian MPs who were able to ac-
quaint themselves with the life
of our people and with our
achievements in-economy, cul-
ture and science.

We believe that Soviet-Cana-
dian relations can be improved,
and are prepared to do every-
thing in our power to this end.
We hope to find a similar atti-
tude in parliamentary and gov-
ernmental circles in Canada...

We feel that it will be very
useful to learn something of the
agricultural enterprises and
achievements of Canadian far-
mers. But that’s only one aspect
that interests us: Our main
task, we consider, is to help
improve relations between the
USSR and Canada, to strengthen
all-round contacts and friend-
ship between our two peoples,

eace

Today, our governments offer
different replies to this question.
But they also offered different
replies to it a quarter of a cen-
tury ago, when the Soviet Union
spoke of the danger of a World
War and pointed out that the
war was on the threshold. In
the West our call for stronger
security was then termed noth-
ing more than Communist pro-
paganda. History has shown
who was right. Do we now once
again have to plunge ourselves
into the abyss of the suffering
which war brings upon the
peoples?

Facing up to problems of automation

ike HAS long been customary
among big business tycoons

in this country, whenever

there is 3 gathering of the clan,
‘Oo make after-dinner speeches
about the state of labor-manage-
Ment relations.

Recently, however, there has
pee! relative silence on this cru-
lal question. Instead, judges

ae other sundry elements of
a pve part of the capital-
5

Pe ate are being used to har-
tha ltions and put workers and
‘ew leaders in jail.

lhe tight to peaceful picket-
i 8 's being challenged through
unctions (whether ex-parte
°r not makes little difference)
sranted freely to any anti-labor
“"ployer who happens to re-
auest such use of the law to en-

force v¢ E
rce corporate power over his
eMployers.

This procedure has made it

a

ree clear to anyone who

akes ave ;

ano €ven a cursory interest in
3)

* sl questions, that our eco-
Ome life is duminated by the

'
toa. a < -
eset ever-growing, private-

ly-owned and controlled corpo-
rate structure which makes use
of rationalization, mechaniza-
tion and automation for the
sole purpose of increasing pri-
vate profit.

To the limited extent that our
public authorities enter into the
field of so-called economic plan-
ning, they do so with the deli-
berate intent of commandeering
both resources and social capi-
tal to serve this corporate struc--
ture at the expense of labor,
working farmers, small busi-
nessmen and even independent
Canadian manufacturers.

Growing foreign ownership
and control has greatly aggra-
vated the problem. As one Can-
adian company president has
put it:

“The main benefits of indus-
trialization flow to the owners
of the machines of production
and not to labor that operates
them. And a country whose Ci-
tizens do not own its tools of
production is not a nation but
merely a colony.”

technological revolu-

If the

tion is to assure an all-perva-
sive rise of living standards
and benefit the entire popula-
tion, democratic public controls
are essential. The battle to win
such control must be waged
now, not after automation has
developed.

LABOR SCENE
by
BRUCE MAGNUSON

Two aims stand out in the
current labor struggles. To have
a life of security and dignity,
workers are fighting to win (1)
A more just share in what they
produce; (2) Protection for
themselves against the economic
and social consequences of au-
tomation.

For this purpose it is essen-
tial, not to restrict the scope of
collective bargaining, but to en-
large its scope to include ques-

tions which hitherto have been
the sole perogative of manage-
ment.

The recent strike of Quebec
longshoremen has exposed the
ineptitude of the federal gov-
ernment, which so far has failed
completely to adopt a construc-
tive policy to meet the chal-
lenge of technological change
and automation. It has not even
acted on the Freedman Com-
mission recomendations.

On compulsory arbitration
Mr. Justice Samuel Freedman
said: “The very existence of ar-
bitration as the ultimate solv-
ent tends to impair the bargain-
ing process itself and rob of .-its
ing process itself and rob it of
its meaning.” He also empha-
sized the practical objection:
“It does not always succeed in
doing away with strikes; it
merely makes them illegal.”

Mr. Justice Freedman states
specifically “the old concept of
labor as a commodity will not
suffice’; that in view of techno-
logical change “it is at once
wrong and _ dangerous.” He
therefore goes on to say that

“there is a responsibility upon
the enterpreneur who introdu-
ces change to see that it is not
effected at the expense of the
working force.” This is the .hu-
man aspect of the problem.

He also stated: “It is proper
that the cost of protective
measures for employees
should be charged against the
savings resulting from it” .. .
meaning technological changes
and rationalization.

The Freedman recommenda-
tions at least provide a basis for
assuring that workers will not
be the victims of such changes,
and also that they will have a
say in how changes are to be
applied.

There ought to be increasing
pressure on the federal minister
of labor to act immediately and
implement the recommenda-
tions of the Freedman Report
by amending the Industrial Re-
lations and Disputes Investigat-
ing Act, thus making its prin-
ciples applicable not only on
the railways but to all industry.
and urging similar action at the
provincial levels of government.

July 15, 1966—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 5