Potsdam carve-up ghost revived

Build councils of action the urgent situation.

The decision of Jones and the T&GWU officials to obey the Court and discipline shop stewards holds out the gravest dangers and must be completely opposed by workers everywhere. THIRD. The Councils of Action must have a political programme against the Tory government and to answer the crisis.

This programme is to make Tories resign and elect Labour government pledged socialist policies.

The working class will. not tolerate a labour government like that of Wilson which served the employers. The Labour government must nationalize the banks, the building societies and insurance companies and all major industries, without compensation and under workers' It must withdraw all troops from overseas, release all political prisoners and internees in every part of the world • under its influence.

It must disband PRESIDENT Nixon is assured of a fulsome welcome when he lands in Moscow on Monday, despite the provocative US blockade of Haiphong and the escalation of the According to Moscow Radio, he will find a 'sincere negotiating partner' in the Soviet Union. The radio said the Soviet leaders were 'striving to give the idea of co-operation between states and peoples real substance and help towards a practical settlement of real problems.

'Despite the current turbulent international events and sharp turns in the international situation, the radio said, 'our country fundamentally observes in its foreign policy the Leninist principles peaceful co-existence and favours settling international problems at the negotiating table' A particularly ominous passage in the Radio's broadcasts on May 18 implied that Nixon's visit could produce Soviet-US relations comparable with the wartime alliance between Stalin and Roosevelt.

Dr Petr Shishkin, described as a prominent Soviet historian, said: "The principles of peaceful co-existence manifested themselves most fully in these periods of American-Soviet relations when realism dominated in the policy of American statesmen.

'We might mention President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in this respect. During his term of office diplomatic relations were established and economic and trade ties developed successfully.' An even more important feature of Soviet-American relations during this period was the conclusion of the Yalta and Potsdam agreement which cynically divided Europe into spheres of influence and under which Stalin agreed to co-operate in restoring capitalism in West Germany, Italy Greece and France.

The secret diplomatic dealing behind the backs of the working class embodied in Yalta and Potsdam is the essence of the existence Policy of 'peaceful coexstece r The Soviet leaders cynically misrepresent this policy as 'Leninist'.

But In practice they subordinate the revolutionary struggle of the international working class to the diplomatic requirements of their own bureaucratic rule. As Shishkin puts it: The element of mutual benefit is a distinguishing feature of peaceful co-existence.' army to prevent it from becoming the centre of an ultra-right Franco-type conspiracy. It must replace it with a workers' militia, with democratically elected officers and subject to the control of the working class through the trade unions and Councils of Action.

It must enter into reciprocal trading relations with the Soviet Union, China, Eastern Europe and all countries who are willing to trade without political ties.

In conjunction with such a trading policy the Labour government must take immediate steps to prevent devaluation and another balance of payments crisis by a) Confiscating the immense investments held overseas by British banks, insurance houses, big corporations and wealthy individuals. b) Repudiating all short-term debts. c) Establishing a state monopoly of foreign trade. d) Withdrawing from IMF and other imperialist bodies.

It must end secret diplomacy,

JOHN SPENCER

He adds: 'The principles of peaceful co-existence also [sic] tally with the interests of the peoples of the capitalist states.' The implication is that what is good for the capitalist rulers of the West is also good for the working class.

The biggest danger of all is to the Vietnamese revolution. What kind of concessions are the Soviet leaders planning to offer Nixon in the privacy of the Kremlin?

AROUND THE-WORLD Election likely over German treaties THE TREATIES with Poland and the Soviet Union, which accept existing frontiers, were passed yesterday by the upper house of the West German parliament. They will become when President Gustav Heinemann signs the ratifying Bill next week.

As in the lower house, the Christian Democrats, who have a majority in the upper house, abstained from voting.

But both houses passed unanimously an all-party resolution which claims that the pacts only establish a modus vivendi and do not create a permanent legal basis for the existing German frontiers.

The Polish government NLF claims to have GI prisoners AMERICAN GIs have been captured in recent fighting in Vietnam, according to Nguyen Huu Tho, President of the National Liberation Front. The claim was made in an interview published in the French Communist daily, 'L'Humanité'.

South Vietnamese forces are making desperate attempts to prepare for the expected onslaught on Hué by making sorties to disrupt enemy positions and regain lost territory.

Buddhist monks and supporters the Cao Dai sect have called publish all secret agreements, including all Cabinet minutes dn to the present day.

The Industrial Relations. Act must be repealed forthwith, the NIRC disbanded and its officials sacked. The right to strike and organize freely in trade unions must be legislated.

On this basis, full employment, rising living standards, decent housing at fair rents and the restoration of all welfare, health and education benefits must proceed.

There is no time to lose! The working class will fight every inch of the way to stop the Tory attack, but it must not fight with one hand tied behind its back. The trade union leaders will either become policemen • patrolling their unions on behalf of the Industrial Court, cr they will become the democratically elected representatives of the rank and file. There is no middle road. All those leaders who collaborate with the Tory Court must be replaced by leaders who will be subject to the, decisions of the members.

By their refusal to cancel Nixon's visit, despite the mining of the North Vietnamese coast, the Soviet leaders have already signalled that they consider Vietnam to be : subordinate, to their desire for a European security conference and for trade terms with the US.

The international working class must be on its guard against a new Geneva sell-out of the Vietnamese struggle. The Kremlin's secret diplomacy places the long struggle of the Vietnamese workers and peasants in the greatest danger. the Kremlin is prepared to go too far in making concessions to Bonn.

Poland acquired territory from Germany at the end of World War II and wants a definite guarantee of its present frontiers.

Chancellor Willy Brandt's government nearly fell on the ratification issue, while the Christian Democrats, although force Brandt to callosition to LOICC an early General Election in • which the treaties will be a major factor.

This comes in the midst of growing economic depression when the working class coming onto- . the scene with demands own the Brandt government. for a permanent c easefire and the withdrawal of all foreign military aid from Vietnam within six months.. They offered to act as go-between to bring about a peace settlement.

A statement by the Foreign Ministry of North Vietnam says that 'the Vietnam problem must be solved by Vietnam and the United States at the Paris conference on the basis of respect for Vietnam's independence, unification and territorial integrity and for the South Vietnamese people's right to self-determination'.

It is through this political struggle that the unions become fighting instruments, enabling the workers going beyond the election of a Labour government to the actual wresting of power and property from the capitalist class. It is in this struggle that the revolutionary leadership will be built.

Without these Councils of Action, without the programme outlined here, the working class will be left defenceless in face of the Tory plans to provoke a General Strike, Emergency Powers, arrests and jailings.

When Heath said to the United Nations in 1970 that we faced a decade of civil wars, this is what he meant. It is for this, and not for 'conciliation', that the Tories are preparing.

Victory to the railwaymen!

No retreat before the NIRC!

Victory to the dockers!

The trade unions must set up Councils of Action in every area!

General Strike!

We appeal to all workers to support this policy and immediately apply to join the Socialist Labour League, working with us to transform it into a revolutionary party.

May 19,