Bulwark of peace and firm friend

of all who fight to win freedom

(UUEEURUUEEOUEQEGUUUUERUDUECUUUUGUEEUEERLETEEETTEEEEE EET

“Peace, bread and land!” That was the battle-cry of the workers of Russia led by the Communist party when 52 years ago, on November 7, 1917, they overthrew the regime of the capitalists and landlords in the midst of World War I and established the Soviet Re- public, the first state of the working people in the world.

The first act of the new government headed by V. I. Lenin was the Decree on Peace. Addressed to the govern- ments and peoples of all the belligerent countries, it called for an immediate cease-fire on all fronts, withdrawal of troops from occupied territories, and the enactment of a just peace without _annexations or indemnity.

The imperialist powers, although for

a year yet they were at war among —

themselves, replied by military interven- tion and aid to the old ruling classes of Russia in an attempt to restore the previous regime. Both the German- Austrian armies and those of the British-French-U.S. bloc ‘occupied vast parts of the country, massacred revolu- tionary workers, looted and devastated the land.

The imperialists were defeated by the unprecedented heroism and sacrifice of the Soviet people, whose struggle was aided by actions of international soli- darity, such as the British dock work- ers’ strike to prevent loading of arms and the mutiny of the French sailors at Odessa.

From the very first Lenin, the Com- munist Party and the Soviet govern- ment proclaimed and firmly held to the policy of the peaceful co-existence of states with different economic and poli- tical systems, the settlement of all conflicts between nations through nego- tiations-and support to all peoples fight- ing for their national independence and social progress.

When finally the main powers in the League of Nations were compelled to permit U.S.S.R. entry, Soviet repre- sentatives sought to make that inter- national body actually serve peace, urging universal disarmament, propos- ing collective security against” the ris- ing danger of a second. world war be- ing precipitated by fascist Germany and Italy, urging sanctions against ag- gressors.

The Soviet Union in every way pos- sible assisted the Chinese people against the Japanese militarists, the Ethiopian people whose country was overrun by fascist Italy’s forces, the Spanish people in their valiant struggle to defend themselves against the Mus- solini-Hitler-General Franco onslaught, all the targets of Hitlerite aggression, shielded and abeted by the multi- millionaires and the governments of Britain, France and the U.S.A.

Britain surrendered Czechoslovakia to

Hitler with the Munich Pact and France

réneged on its commitments to defend her, but the U.S.S.R. was prepared alone to provide military protection to the Czechoslovakian people. The capi- talist chiefs of that country spurned Soviet aid, however.

Poland was next. The Soviet Union appealed for the final joint effort that would have prevented Hitler Germany from conquering that country and launching World War II. Britain and France refused to undertake collective action, while the reactionary clique that ruled Poland forbade Soviet troops to enter Polish territory to repel the invader. The U.S.S.R. then refused to walk into a global anti-Soviet trap, and took measures for its own defense to stop the war.

On June 22, 1941, Hitler launched his “blitzkrieg” against the U.S.S.R. with the resources of practically all Europe and the absence of a second front for a long time in Europe to help him. In that epic struggle the Soviet Union suf- fered the greatest sacrifices and made the greatest contribution to the com- mon cause, drove the nazi armies from Soviet territory, helped to liberate the countries of Central Europe and the Balkans and the German people them- selves from the yoke of fascism, then smashed the Japanese occupation troops in North China. One-third of humanity, from the Adriatic to the South Pacific, later joined by Cuba in the Western Hemisphere, took the road to socialism, the great tidal wave of colonial liberation struggle swept over Africa, Asia, Latin America.

The U.S.S.R. helped to found the United Nations on the principle of the right of every people to decide its own social and political fate without out- side interference, and the unanimity of the great powers and their special re- sponsibility for maintenance of world

:peace through the Security Council.

The Western powers, however, launch- ed the “cold war” in an effort to turn the clock of history back. Using atom- ic blackmail, the U.S. took on the role of world policeman, fashioned NATO and similar alliances and engineered the re- militarization of Western Germany.

While continuing to fight for peace in the United Nations, the Soviet Union joined with socialist Poland, G.D.R., Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria in the mutual defence Warsaw Pact, together to protect the socialist commonwealth of nations from outside or internal attack. The parties to the Warsaw Pact declared they would dis- continue if NATO were disbanded, urged a non-aggression pact between the two blocs as a preliminary step.

The U.S.S.R. has honorably lived up to its internationalist obligations, help- ing to preserve Hungary and recently Czechoslovakia from counter-revolu- tionary onslaught, providing diplomatic and material aid to peoples fighting against imperialism, and helping the newly freed underdeveloped countries.

Notable victories have been won. It was in Moscow that the agreement to cease testing nuclear weapons was signed (although the U.S. held out to retain underground tests). It was in Tashkent that India and Pakistan peacefully resolved their conflict. ‘The U.S.S.R. was instrumental in halting British-French-Israeli aggression on the

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—NOVEMBER 7, 1969—PAGE 6.

sulk

SOVIET UNI

TOWARDS

“They broke the spears Upon their brék

Suez Canal in 1956 and is today in the forefront of the UN effort to com- pel Israel to give up its policy of ag- gression and annexation of Arab terri- tory. The Soviet Union projects and supports proposals by other states that go to ease tensions and guarantee peace in various parts of the globe. It gives full support to the Vietnamese people in their heroic resistance to U.S. aggression, ensuring their inevit- able victory.

The U.S.S.R. proposal for complete universal disarmament stands as a prac- tical task on the agenda of the UN, while it seeks every avenue to achieve partial disarmament in the meantime.

In the 52 years since it was founded the Soviet Union has proved to be a firm bastion of peace, a reliable sup- port of the socialist countries and all peoples fighting for freedom, the van- guard fighter to prevent a world nuclear holocaust.

If this generation of Canadians is spared the horrors of World War Ill and if the possibility to end war for all time is realized in practise, it will be due first of all to the Leninist peace policy firmly followed throughout the years by the U.S.S.R .

Mighty economy

benefits people and lays basis

for grand future

The economic achievements of the Soviet people belong to the “jet age.” Anti-communist propagandists spread the myth that the daring changes and innovations made in the Soviet econ- omy were made necessary because of errors and mistakes because “socialism doesn’t work.”

Giving them the lie, is the construc- tion of a modern and mighty industrial giant which, in the brief span of 52 years is second only to, and peacefully challenging the more-than-300-year old United States.

Errors and mistakes there have been, but they are not the history of the construction of socialism. The triumph- ant building of socialism and, now, the construction of the base for commun- ism, is the true history of the Soviet peoples in this past half century.

The Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the Soviet peoples take an open, critical look at all their works, and have turned this period into the U.S.S.R.’s most interesting and inspir- ing era.

The state of the economy of the Soviet Union is a monument to the vitality of socialism, and the brilliant success of socialist planning, as well as to the creative labors of the Soviet peoples.

As the Soviet economy progressed from backward to highly developed, new problems arose, which the Soviet Communist Party tackled in a straight-

- ing standards, the Soviet wol

; children.

forward way. Proven by life, the se

of the Soviet people to critically th ol ine all their works was the strene socialism, and the basis of con 4 triumphant progress. oe the In contrast to the celebration 2 viet October Revolution by the "in peoples, is the monopoly onslaue Canada against the people’s living § liv: ards. In sharp contrast to dec i rs and | ioe farmers are making phenomen™ aif vances, The real incomes of W4B" jan salary earners increased by more 66. 50 per cent between 1950 1. cong | Bonuses and other types of add

tia pay for good work present a sustte

addition to wages and salatii™ jin wages and salaries of almost eats people were raised in the last ten se

In addition, under socialism, wo" od receive sick pay, pensions, rer es fo! cal services, education and nurse?”

The scale of the projects under of today are breath-taking and unhe? in scope and innovation.

In contrast to the serious ec0P a crisis plaguing Canadian farmer: ao is a substantial rise in the Sta ms living and wealth of the soviet isto And, in a period of Canadian niné when taxes have become 4 cnt burden on working people, 1” “det i

only one-tenth of the Soviet yl”

made up of money paid by the F”

tion out of their incomes. jaw In accordance with the 1959 “cot

the partial abolition of taxatiOliyy 20 million Soviet people were 4 fou! lieved from the income ta% amet million people now pay cons! yg 1? smaller taxes — all of which ha®

a growth of real income. —

ee These new economic process on reflection of the considerable & ooh and social advances made in a wet? ist countries. At one time a a absolute shortages, particula? Y gat result of war. It meant the uti vel of all productive capacity, 4” og aff obsolete and outdated technol methods.

ea The successes of those early ful have made it possible to allow ‘pill play of the law of value, PfO to assert itself. There is nO i to the profit system of capital it opens the door to the rat ned use of technology and aU" Technological progress is 48 place of its own as the prince of setting up a national econom? will be the most advanced in '®”—