Interest rates cripple British Rail

Davis defence expected to last a week FIRST defence ritnesses in California's Angela Davis trial have completely contradicted the prosecution allegations that she planned the abortive 1970 kidnap-ransom plot.

Mrs Susan Castro, executive director of a day-care centre, said she and Miss Davis were having lunch alone at the home of mutual friends on August 5, 1970 between noon and 3 p.m.

This testimony flatly contradicts the statements of two San Quentin prison guards who said Miss Davis visited George Jackson at the prison during That time. George's younger brother Tonathan was also supposed to be there.

Miss Davis is charged with plotting the kidnapping of five hostages at a courthouse two days after the alleged prison meeting.

One of the hostages (a judge) two black prisoners and Jonathan Jackson were killed when police opened fire. Miss Davis is also accused of supplying the guns for the kidnapping which was supposed to lead to George Jackson's release.

But second defence witness Mrs Valerie Mitchell, told the jury that Jonathan Jackson came to her. apartment where Miss Davis' guns were kept, on Saturday August 1, 1970, and remained when she left for the weekend A week later, Mrs Mitchell said, Miss Davis came to the house and asked whether the weapons were on the gunrack:. Miss Davis said 'Oh no' when she discovered on inspection that two carbines and a pistol were missing.

Yet another witness said Miss Davis was at his newspaper's office throughout most of the week immediately preceding the courthouse . battle and that he drove her to San Francisco airport on August 7 when she took a flight to Los Angeles.

This testimony completely conflicts With prosecution claims that Miss Davis and Jonathan were together throughout that week and that she drove herself to the airport in a borrowed sedan.

Throughout the case the prosecution has alleged that Miss Davis planned the whole operation in a bid to free George Jackson because of her love for him.

Miss Davis' lawyers have said they will present only an abbreviated defence • Se .•there could be a verdict from the all-white jury by June 1. Top army brass impatient IRREFUTABLE evi dence of mou ting military involven lent in 'domestic affairs' antairs' was published "The by "The Times' yesterday.

Reporte • Christopher Walker said: 'The evidence points growing consensus among senior ranks that the army will devote more attention towards countering subversion of one form and another.

'On this there is widespread agreement with the ideas of Brig Frank Kitson soon to take over as head of the influential School of Infantry at Warminster.' Agreement on Kitson's antisubversion theories is rife not only among top army brass at home and NATO, but is shared by right wingers in the Tory Party, and even Heath himself.

Walker goes on to quote Wilton's Maj-Gen, Administration, Ronald Buckland, as saying:

'The more discerning of us are extremely depressed about the way things are going. We seem nearer and nearer to anarchy all the time'.

Brian an arkadi, added We are worrying about society a hell of for British Rail's loss of £15.4m last This is the first time three years that the railways have plunged into the red and the Board's annual report, out today, warns that the outlook for 1972 is 'bleak'.

The report comes in the midst of the railwaymen's i ballot over further industrial action in support of their pay claim. But a Board spokesman denied yesterday that the timing of the report had anything to do with the The volume of freight, which is a barometer of industrial production, was sharply down. In the key iron and steel sector tonnage fell 16 per cent compared Coal was also hit and the carriage of other bulk loads like oil did not increase enough to wipe out the loss from these two basic commodities which account for 74 per cent of BR's total freight traffic.

Another direct effect of the slump was a fall in level of passenger traffic in areas with high unemployment.

The crippling debt burden also contributed to the loss. The railnext for Heath's civil war a lot more than we ever used to. This concern has escalated dramatically over the past three years and is likely to continue.' A large part of this concern has been generated by army's involvement in Ulster— only prevented from becoming an overt military dictatorship by the thin thread of parliamentary control.

Former NATO North C-in-C Gen Walter Walker left no doubts earlier this week in his views on Ulster's 'no-go' areas that it is a thread the army has been champing at the bit to break.

In an Evening Standard' report as early as April 18 an unnamed army commander said:

"The question we keep asking ourselves is why we should have to fight this whole battle with kid gloves on, handing every propaganda advantage to the IRA, suffering all the disadvantages of playing to rules and getting damned round the world for brutality anyway.' Said Christopher Walker yesterday: "The senior officers here retain a traditional disdain for politicians and among many a visit to the Department Defence is commonly referred to. as "popping up to throw a few'buns at the orangutans"? ways in fact made a substantial operating profit of £30.2m.

But this was eaten up by interest payments of £45.6m on a massive capital debt of £404m.

This sum is the result of accumulated borrowings at fixed rates of interest to pay for BR's modernization and expansion programme.

Cost-cutting saved £20m, but working expenses increased £46m, 'largely owing to increased costs of labour and supplies'.

The 1968 Transport Act Kings Cross halts over EASTERN REGION footplatemen were accused of launching 'unconstitutional industrial action' by their employers yesterday.

The row blew up over lightning strike over the one-day suspension of a driver. Services were disrupted throughout the region.

A spokesman for Eastern Region claimed: "The action by the footplatemen at King's Cross is quite unconstitutional and is unrelated to the current work-torule dispute.' He said the suspension of driver had followed normal disSmarting at being held back in Ulster and also at press criticism of what they see as their role in saving 'society' from anarchy, the army increasingly sees a link between those on the streets of Ulster, demonstrating in London, striking or criticizing them in the media.

Walker notes that one brigadier alleged that two-thirds of the BBC's graduate intake were 'known Marxists'.

During almost every major strike since the Tories came to power there has been widespread speculation about the use of the army and — expecting to be called-the military is preparing.

Brig Watkins told Walker: 'The whole period of the miners' strike made us realize that the present size of the police force Is too small.

It is based on the fundamental philosophy that we are a law-abiding country, but things have now got to the stage where there are not enough resources to deal with the increasing numrespect the law Mat prepared to bers who are prepared The military establishment is getting ready for the sort of civil war Heath predicted in his -speech to the. United. Nations. in 1970. duced under the Labour government, requires the Board to run as "commercial' operation. This means it has to break even at the expense of the rail workers and the public.

Railwaymen therefore • can expect a drive to cut down job and wage levels after these figures. However, there is unlikely to be a profit in 1972 and it is questionable whether the Board will be able to balance its budget over the five years 1969-1973.

suspension ciplinary procedure after a lision at the station.

The Kings Cross depot manager had written to the local union branch secretary warning that the action was an interference with the disciplinary procedure.

On BR's Southern Region, at least 125 trains were axed while management and drivers got together to discuss better means of communications to avoid future inconvenience to travellers.

The stage is being unobstr The stage is being unobstrusively set for the army and its intelligence services, the Special Branch and the police to assume a major role in domestic politics against the working class.

There is no doubt the military knows just how close the country is to open class war.

Said Watkins: 'While you may think we chaps at Wilton were just itching to go in and sort out the miners that is the last thing we wanted to do.

We know it would have pro voked a General Strike' But if the Tories were not ready tor a General strike, then the 'victory' of the miners now makes it inevitable.

Yesterday's disclosure of army readiness to deal with it must give top priority to the setting up of councils of action to force the Tories to resign and return a Labour government pledged to socialist policies.

And as we said only three days ago, one of the first acts of this Labour government must be to 'disband the standing army to prevent it from becoming the centre of an ultra-right, Francotype 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.'

Michael Banda replies to an article by Monty Johnstone in the 'Morning Star' of April 18, 1972. No. 12 Origin of Trotskyism-ll Background to-