Nixon-Mao play cards close to chest

THE UNITED STATES affirmed in a joint communiqué at the end of the summit meeting between President Nixon and Chinese leaders that its ultimate objective was the withdrawal of all US forces and military installations from Taiwan.

The communiqué, issued on the eve of Nixon's departure for home, said the US would progressively reduce its forces and military installations on Taiwan as tensions in the area diminished.

The US defence treaty with the Chiang Kai-shek government PREMATURE POLL STRENGTHENS ITALY'S RIGHT THF ITALIAN government collapsed at the weekend after •AaM only nine days in office, precipitating the first premature General Election since the fall of fascism 26 years ago.

Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti presented the resignation of his minority Christian Democrat government after he was defeated 158-151 in a Senate vote of confidence.

President Giovanni Leone asked Andreotti to stay on as caretaker until the elections take place. The likely date for the elections is May 7.

This means the Christian Democrats have achieved what they wanted from the formation of a minority government-control of the 'levers of power' during the pre-election period.

The break-up of the previous centre-left coalition under Emilio Colombo was brought about when the right-wing Republicans withdrew their support, accusing the government of being too soft on the working class.

Waiting in the wings are the fascists of Italian Social Movement (MSI) whose position has been vastly strengthened by the reformist treachery of the labour leaders, particularly the Italian AMERICAN B52 bombers attacked alleged troop concentrations and base areas in S Vietnam close to the border with Cambodia and Laos, the US command reported yesterday.

The heavy bombers made five sorties against the National Liberation Front forces at the weekend, the command said. 4,000 S on Taiwan is to stay, however.

If the Chinese gave any concessions in return for the US pledge on • Taiwan, both sides are keeping them close to their chests.

On Vietnam, the otner key issue in the negotiations, the communiqué gives no indication of any narrowing in the gap between Chinese and American positions.

Nixon's adviser, Dr Henry Kissinger, said the war had been discussed during the talks and the Americans had expressed their concern over prisoners of Clashes in t le streets between workers and fascists are an almost daily occurrence as the crisis worsens.

There were nine arrests on Saturday in Rome and Milan where fighting broke out between left-wing students and fascists. In Milan, one of Italy's most industrialized cities, police used tear-gas grenades and repeated baton charges to disperse 200 youth from a local technical institute. They were holding meeting in defiance of a police There have been big demonstrations throughout the week against the frame-up trial of anarchist Pietro Valpreda, charged with a bomb outrage. • The crime attributed to Valpreda is widely thought to have been perpetrated by fascists in collusion with the police.

In his closing speech in Saturday's confidence debate, premier Andreotti again warned of the danger of a drift towards fascism, saying his party was determined to prevent a return to the "terrible times', of Mussolini.

But there are clear signs that many former big business backers of Christian Democracy are now turning rapidly to the right and throwing their support behind the MSI. Vietnamese troops are currently engaged in an operation across the border in S Cambodia.

The Saigon command also reported the use of huge 15,000-lb 'daisy cutter' bomb against NLF forces 40 miles east of Saigon. The bomb kills every living thing within a radius of half a mile from the centre of the explosion.

war held by China's position, stated in the communique, is that the Vietnam war should be settled under the seven-point proposals put forward by the provisional revolutionary government of S Vietnam.

Both sides agreed, however, in demanding that Indian troops withdraw behind their own frontiers or the ceasefire line with Pakistan. They both sided with dictator Yahya Khan in the recent war between India and Pakistan.

Both countries agreed to facilitate the •progressive development of mutual trade, but the communiqué does not mention the establishment of a permanent US trade mission in China—one of the points the Americans are believed to have wanted.

However, the communiqué does provide for further consultations, with a senior US representative visiting Peking from time to time to engage in 'concrete consultations to further the normalization of relations between the two countries and continue to exchange views on issues of mutual interest'.

today. Aberfan in W Virginia AT LEAST 37 people are known to have died when a coal-slag dam holding back 20-foot deep the SUL. water collapsed after heavy rains, flooding a remote mining valley in W Virginia. The death toll was feared to be as high as 100 in the disaster, authorities in the American state said yesterday.

Many victims were drowned follows: and others buried alive by the wall of mud and water which gushed from the collapsed dam.

The mining community of Laredo was virtually wiped out with only • a few houses left standing. About another ten hamlets in the valley, some 30 miles SW of the state capital of Charleston and in the centre of gentlemen? a major coal-mining area were badly battered.

But if a liberal 'left' blows his nose a university, noise tremors will prompt the press warn about danger of revolution'-(the safe kind).

Recently this technique has been ch anged. The new is active and has In the middle of the miners" strike, when the Tory group) as follows:

be the "best buy"?

of chaps why just pamphlets for IS?

Telegraph' further enlighten you. is a state capitalist country.

capitalism group of The 'IS as it is known' croons the 'has the deftest publicity machine'.

In the 'New Statesman' February 25, 1972 certain John Drake becomes so enthusiastic that he writes as "The IS weekly "Socialist Worker" has inc print order to 30,000 since the (miners) strike."

In the 'Socialist Worker' of February 26, one day later, the editor claims :

"Twenty seven thousand copies of "Socialist Worker" were printed and distributed last week."

Now just deft publicity your