Trade war battle lines

SIR JOHN FOSTER, Tory MP for Northwich, has recommended in a White Paper that government bans on the cult of scientology be lifted.

Foster has just completed a two-year inquiry into the cult, which was started by American science fiction writer Lafayette Ron Hubbard.

In scientology literature Hubbard is elevated to almost god-like status.

It is said that he has already died on at least one occasion and returned to life.

His followers also claim he has visited other planets.

In his report Foster says:

•Put bluntly, what is often said against the scientology leadership is that they are quacks, dishonestly exploiting for their own financial gain the hopes of betterment or cure which they hold out to the anxious, the lonely, the inadequate, the credulous and the deluded, but in which they do not themselves believe.' Foster said he had not come to any conclusion on the substance of these charges. They were, in any case, notoriously difficult to prove, he said.

He calls for sanctions against a number of scientology companies to file accounts and annual returns within the prescribed time.

He concluded that measures against scientology imposed by the Labour government were not justined. . He said the ban on foreign scientologists entering Britain should be removed.

When Labour introduced PRESIDENT NIXON'S special trade envoy William Eberle has condemned as unsatisfactory the minor concessions offered by Common Market negotiators in Brussels.

Eberle wants immediate concessions for American grain, tobacco and citrus fruit exports to Europe. He is also asking for fundamental changes in the Common Market's agricultural policies and the dismantling of the EEC's protective trade deals with other European countries.

Earlier this month Common Market commission mandated its negotiators to resist the main US demands.

Eberle hopes to have a deal sewn up by January 18, to be put to Congress as part of a dollar devaluation package.

He made clear when the talks opened on Tuesday that while the discussions were on the basis of 'reciprocal good faith', there would be no reciprocal concessions from the US to balance what they are demanding from Europe. CHILE'S right wing is losing no opportunity to It is clear from the mobilize its forces and probe out the weak. Brussels talks that the renesses of President Salvador Allende's Popular cent Washington agreement on currency realign- Unity government.

ment has only opened up a new stage of trade war In preparation for the between the major capi- election of a Senator and a talist nations. Deputy in the country's This was also shown by southern region on January the Heath-Nixon summit in Bermuda, which ended yes- 16, an alliance has been terday. made between the Christian Democrats and the right.. Antagonism wing National Party.

the platitudes of the joint is played by a reactionary offthe end of the talks did communiqué which marked shoot of the Radical Party. nothing to hide the antag- have been set up in many onism between British and places to re-group right-wing American capitalism. forces. The pro-government With the Tory decision ress alleges that these comto enter the Common Mar- mittees have the active sup'ket, the two countries' so- port of the many CIA agents called 'special relationship' in the country. is a thing of the past. Meanwhile right-wing vioBritain and the United lence continues in Santiago States are now aligned on university. Police claim to opposite sides of the trade have unearthed a fascist plot war battle-lines. to carry out attacks which would then 'be blamed on the left. At the same time a rightwing newspaper came out with a scare story that the left was planning an attack on the city's wealthy suburbs.

PLOTTING In the face of so much plotting and which anti-government coup - the BY JOHN SPENCER Chilean by-elections could show right's strength The role of marriage broker So-called 'Civic Fronts' FIDEL CASTRO has been taking advice from the Soviet bureaucracy on how to improve the Cuban economy. He has called on workers to keep a stricter watch on costs and on quality control in order to is leading orato an increase productivity.

Speaking to the closing session of a conference on the building industry, Castro said that cost analysis was an 'indispensable element of It confines itself mainly to the socialist economy'.

What has been described as a return to realism has been apparent in Cuba for some time.

Much of the equipment bought in the years 1967-1970 has been under-employed. It is claimed that this year plans are being fulfilled, in contrast Army build-u ASSURED of full US support, the Brazilian military dictatorship is strengthening its repressive forces.

Army Chief-of-Staff Gen Alfredo Souto Malan has boasted that they had been re-equipped and re-organized as 'our first line of defence against the attacks of the international communist moveHeadded: 'We can see the moment when the existence of only sufficiently large, diversified and well-trained civilian groups will allow the milita,y to concentrate on the exercise of a Many of the Popular Unity ALL TRADES U MEE the Tory government resign! the waknesses Return a Labour government pledged to restore full employment and repeal all It accused Allende of fail- laws against the unions!

COVENTRY: Thursday December 23, 2 p.m.-5 p.m. as the lira was devalued by ] per cent against the preAugust 15 dollar parity.

But the slight edge this will allow to Italian goods within the Common Market is more than counter-balanced by the increase in export prices the US, which takes a major slice of Italian export production.

The political crisis is underlined by the inability of the parliament to find a successor to President Giuseppe Saragat.

Amintore Fanfani, a staunch right-wing Catholic who held an important post as professor of economic history under Mussolini's fascist regime, has now been dropped as candidate by the Christian Democrats.

Nineteen ballots have so far failed to produce a majority for any single candidate. The new Christian Democrat nominee is Giovanni Leone, a lawyer from Naples.

Castro

to the disasters of 1970.

Castro said that Cubans should use the equipment they have and not dream of 'applying the criteria of millionaires in a poor country'.

other words Castro wants more hard work and better use of the often old-fashioned equipment already installed.

This trend has probably been insisted upon by the Soviet Union as a condition for more aid. President Dorticos is at present - in Moscow to discuss further aid for the shaky Cuban economy.

• in Brazil profession which nobody can substitute for: that of a soldier.' In other words the regime wants to build up fascist bands to deal with the working class while it concentrates on fighting guerrilla forces in Brazil and perhaps in other Latin American countries as well.

Some of the openly fascist members of his regime are causing some embarrassment to President Emilio Garrastazu, who wants to keep on good terms with the US, which has been promoting the so-called 'economic miracle' in Brazil.

ONS ALLIANCE NGS LUTON: Thursday December 30, 8 p.m. Recreation Centre, Old Bedford Rd.

The fight against Stalinism in the trade unions.

READING: Monday January 3, 8 p.m. Trades and Labour Hall, Minster St. Discuss ATUA Manifesto.

BRACKNELL : Tuesday January 11, 7.30 p.m. 'Red Lion', High St. Discuss ATUA Manifesto.

BEXLEYHEATH: Tuesday January 11, 8 p.m. 'The Upton'. ,. Crook Log. Trade unions and basic rights.

Special Course of lectures National Conference decision to prepare bullding of the Party SUNDAY JANUARY 2 Historical Materialism today BEAVER HALL, GARLICK HILL (Nr Mansion House tube) 7 p.m given by (SLL national secretary)