Workers Press no. 810

workers press

GOVERNMENT

INCORPORATING THE NEW

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL

BY PHILIP WADE

DOCKERS picketing a storage depot in East London were followed by private detectives, and their conversations were overheard and recorded. Pickets were also photographed, it was revealed in the National Industrial Rela- tions Court yesterday. Eurotec, a London firm of inquiry agents was hired by the Midland Cold Storage Company on June 26. They were instructed to find out the names and addresses of those regularly on the picket line to ascertain the affiliations of organization' and to such persons to any report fully on their activities at the picket line. A Mr Christopher Burch, who took part in the surveillance operation, told the court that on one occasion he had driven a lorry to the depot.

He was told by pickets the place was blacked.

While he was there he tape recorded a conversation he had with the dockers. The recording was played to the court yesterday. Burch, who today leaves for an army training said he took part the NIRC was told, also camp, in following dockers to a public house.

The dockers' conversation in the pub was over- heard and recorded although it didn't turn out to be satisfactory. When the case against seven Who knew what? London dockers, members of the shop stewards' committee, port opened Mr Alan Campbell, QC, counsel for asked to Midland, hear some of the evidence in pri- vate. The situation is such that it is call extremely difficult evi- before dence this court account of the intimidation,' he said. It is very difficult to get any- evidence one to come and give and you will hear in due course avail- that certain evidence is able only on the basis that it has been given to us in confidence.

During the lunch adjournment both Victor Feather of the TUC Jones of the Trans- and Jack port and General Workers' Union made attempts get the Case called off. One who knew what was Exactly going on: week ago USDA W's solicitor told the fateful words we reported the court that if the company with- of French Finance Minister, M drew its application, Jones and d'Estaing: "The Giscard scale of Feather had agreed to meet- speculative movements of capital ing of all parties. is such that they can in few had Mr Campbell said he days bring down a national cur- Feather saying rency.' Or message national government, sent to that the company must go ahead he could have added. unless undertakings about picket- One man who didn't know what ing were given to the court.

Yesterday at St was going I accept that they [the union James's Hotel, British ambassa- leaders] Paris Christopher Soames cannot, unfortunately dor in these There- lunching with diplomatic control activities. was fore I have to inform Mr Feather correspondents. The Chaban- Mr Delmas government, he said, was and Jones that until undertaking by the safe as houses. Courier interrupts IS given dockers] lunch respondents [the with cable announcing we cabinet's 'Are must continue. resignation. you sure this is right?' asks our man Paris with astonishment. • See Dockers shun NIRC on.

in p. 12. INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • THURSDAY JULY 6, 1972 • No. 810 • 4p DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

FRENCH

RESIGNS

Another sign giant cash crisis Pompidou, Brandt and Chaban-Delmas at the meeting on Tuesday

BY PETER JEFFRIES

THE FRENCH government resigned yesterday amid a wave of panic and anxiety over the economic crisis which is galloping through the capitalist world. The sud.

den departure of the three-year-old Chaban-Delmas administration follows top level talks in Bonn on Tuesday between the French and the Germans.

Those attending this secret

ALL TRADES UNIONS ALLIANCE

summit included Chancellor Brandt, his Economics Minis- ter, Dr Karl Schiller, Presi- URGENT-calling dent Pompidou, his Prime Minister Chaban-Delmas and all trade unionists Minister Giscard Finance d'Estaing. IN PARIS when the French met yesterday cabinet morning

LOBBY

Chaban-Delmas presented his along with the rest une covernmen It understood the resigna- tions were demanded by Pompi- Gou. Late yesterday the president TUC, Congress House, busy preparing until over government Lake Great Russell Street, WC1 legislative elections early The next year, The resignation was announced Wednesday July 12, 9.30 a.m.

TOllOWIng Ine weekly meeunt of the French irabine by M Denis director President

BREAK OFF ALL TALKS WITH HEATH!

rompiaous press service *The President of the Repub lic received the Prime Minister his presented

RECALL THE TUC!

TOllOWIng Une cabinet meeune. The chief of state accepted the and thanked 3 Chaban-Delmas for what he has the last three

FORCE THE TORIES TO RESIGN!

accomplished M Baudoin said. years, Turn to PAGE 12

workers press

GOVERNMENT

INCORPORATING THE NEW

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL

BY PHILIP WADE

DOCKERS picketing a storage depot in East London were followed by private detectives, and their conversations were overheard and recorded. Pickets were also photographed, it was revealed in the National Industrial Rela- tions Court yesterday. Eurotec, a London firm of inquiry agents was hired by the Midland Cold Storage Company on June 26. They were instructed to find out the names and addresses of those regularly on the picket line to 'ascertain the affiliations of organization' and such to to persons any report fully on their activities at the picket line. A Mr Christopher Burch, who took part in the surveillance operation, told the court that on one occasion he had driven a lorry to the depot.

The recording was played he had with the dockers. to the court yesterday. • Burch, who today leaves for an army training the NIRC was told, also said he took part camp, in following dockers to a public house.

The dockers' conversation in the pub heard and recorded although it didn't turn out to be satisfactory. When the against seven case Who knew what? London dockers, members of the port shop stewards' committee, opened Mr Alan Campbell, QC, counsel for Midland, asked to hear some of the evidence in pri- vate. 'The situation is such that it is difficult call evi- extremely to before this dence court account of the intimidation, he said. 'It is very difficult to get any- and give evidence one to and you will hear in due course that avail- certain evidence is able only on the basis that it has been given to us in confidence.'

During the lunch adjournment both Victor Feather of the TUC and Jack Jones of the Trans- port and General Workers' Union made attempts to get the case called off. One man who knew what was Exactly week USDA W's going on: ago solicitor told the words we reported the fateful court that if the company with- of French Finance Minister, M drew application, and its jones d'Estaing: Giscard "The scale of Feather had agreed speculative movements of capital ing of all parties. few such that they can in Mr Campbell said he had a days bring down a national cur- to Feather rency? Or national government, message sent sayıng that the company must go ahead he could have added. unless undertakings about picket- One man who didn't know what ing were given to the court.

St Yesterday was going on: at I accept that they [the union James's Hotel, British ambassa- Christopher Soames leaders] cannot, unfortunately dor in Paris these There- lunching with diplomatic control activities. was fore I have to inform Mr Feather correspondents. The Chaban- and Mr Jones that until Delmas government, he said, was an the Courier Interrupts undertaking is given by safe as houses. respondents [the dockers] lunch cable we with announcing 'Are must continue.' cabinet's resignation. you sure this is right?' asks our man • See Dockers shun NIRC on in Paris with astonishment.

p. 12. INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • THURSDAY JULY 6, 1972 • No. 810 • 4p DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

FRENCH

RESIGNS

Another sign giant cash crisis Pompidou, Brandt and Chaban-Delmas at the meeting on Tuesday

BY PETER JEFFRIES

THE FRENCH government resigned yesterday amid a wave of panic and anxiety over the economic crisis which is galloping through the capitalist world. The sud.

den departure of the three-year-old Chaban-Delmas administration follows top level talks in Bonn on Tuesday between the French and the Germans.

Those attending this secret

ALL TRADES UNIONS ALLIANCE

summit included Chancellor Brandt, his Economics Minis- ter, Dr Karl Schiller, Presi- URGENT-calling dent Pompidou, his Prime Minister Chaban-Delmas and all trade unionists Finance Minister Giscard d'Estaing. IN

PARIS

when the French Cabinet yesterday met morale

LOBBY

Chaban-Delmas presented his with along tne rest re covere It is understood the resigna- tions were demanded by Pompi- Late yesterday the president TUC, Congress House, was busy preparing over until Lake elections Great Russell Street, WC1 The legislative early next year. The resignation was announced Wednesday July 12, 9.30 a.m.

following une weekly the French cabinet by Baudoin, director President

BREAK OFF ALL TALKS WITH HEATH!

Pompidou's press service.

Repub. …ine rresiaent ot tne lic received the Prime Minister his presented resignation

RECALL THE TUC!

use cannel uncere. The chief of state accepted the and thanked M Chaban-Delmas for what he has

FORCE THE TORIES TO RESIGN!

accomplished The last inree years,' M Baudoin said. Turn to PAGE 12

3 'Yes' conspiracy in PAGE 2 Workers Press, Thursday July 6,

BY A FOREIGN

CORRESPONDENT

THE MOVES towards a peaceful reunification of Korea almost certainly stem from the talks US President Nixon had in Peking and Moscow. The Korean example is now being used to bait the North Vietnamese. South Vietnam's Foreign Minister Tran Van Lam yester- day openly urged Hanoi to follow the Korean example and take part in reunification talks.

He said a first step in joint between • discussions two Vietnams could be an agree- prisoners ment to exchange of war and to allow divided families to make visits across the fron- tier. • This could be followed by an exchange of economists and leading teachers to eventual talks about reunification.

This is without doubt a pattern favoured by the of events Kremlin dovetailing neatly with their world policy of collective security'. The Kremlin has wanted the North Vietnamese to show more flexibility in a search for a set- tlement. The continuation of the war embarrasses Soviet diplomacy the Stalinists are reported and Hanoi whether to wonder assesses accurately the effects of its attitude on international rela- tions generally. A film shown to journalists at the North Vietnamese Embassy in Moscow last week showed the Soviet flag torn by the explosion of American bombs. The commentary on the soli- darity of socialist countries which accompanied this film inevitably had a certain ambiguity. Moscow has made little secret of the fact that the prospects for "peace' in Indo-China would be much brighter if Hanoi would soften its all-or-nothing attitude and settle for National Libera- tion Front representation in a Saigon government. formula, avoiding Such a communist either coalition or government in South Vietnam, but at the same time offering NLF representation as a sop to Hanoi is likely to be acceptable to Nixon. The Soviet Stalinists remained silent once again this week while up its mine US stepped blockade of Haiphong and flew saturation numbers record bombings over North Vietnam and the oeeupied sout includ: ing Quang Tri. Yesterday two South Viet- namese divisions entered the near-deserted centre of Quang Tri city abandoned two months ago. The Thieu forces met next to no resistance from North Viet- who, short of namese troops munitions, have been forced back and severely limited mainly diversionary shelling of Hué and An Loc. the Indonesian Meanwhile in capital, Djakarta, Tory Foreign Secretary Sir Alec Douglas Home said that the centre of power politics had shifted from Europe to Asia. He said it was clear the USSR 'stabilize' the situa- wanted to tion in Europe but drew atten- to their naval build-up in tion the Indian ocean. The West should not panic over this but build up their own navies.

His emphasis on prudence is security' "collective system given emerging in Europe will, time, characterize the politics of Asia as well. day July 6, 1872

BY A FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT

NEW PLANS for provincial government announced by the Rhodesian regime yester- day reveal that a majority of right - wing tribal chiefs agreed to the Smith-Home settlement terms. This comes hard on the heels of Home's that he statement would activate the agreement and responsible sanctions African leaders' said 'yes' to the terms 'publicly or privately.

'Smith plans to give the chiefs more power-at the expense of the African National Council which wants nothing less than black majority rule. Observers say that new legis- lation is expected to be rushed through parliament before the end of the year. Smith is clearly anxious to Rhodesia's relations normalize PRESENTING his law-and- order government to the Italian Chamber of Deputies Prime Minister Andreotti struck out at both the neo- fascists and the Communist Party. Before he spoke the Justice for per- Ministry had asked legal action mission take to against Giorgio Almirante, leader of the neo-fascist Italian Social Movement (MSI). He is accused REVOLUTIONARY students in Bangla Desh are giving the gov- ernment of Sheikh Mujibur Rah- man considerable trouble.

They played a leading role in throwing off the Pakistani yoke and do not take calmly to the reaction which has set in under the rule of the Awami League.

Many conserve the arms which they used against Yahya Khan's troops last year. Home during his talks with Smith with the rest of the world, but then deploy to a power will succeed is open to question. It is one thing for the chiefs to speak and another for them to be obeyed. While promoting the chiefs, Smith's police and troops are busy harassing both the border guerrillas and ANC leaders and members in the towns. African provincial government in Rhodesia at present rests on the twin assumptions that the chiefs are the African people's• true representatives while demo- cratically-elected tribal councils will be able to prepare their electors for an eventual pro- vincial system with wider re- sponsibilities. Having noted the discrepancy between the views of the chiefs and their followers, the Smith regime now intends to merge the two patriarchal and demo- Id- of attempting to revive the illegal fascist party of Mussolini.

involves a The charge also speech in which he called for preparations for 'a physical clash' with the communists. the Besides rejecting possi- bility of an alliance with the MSI, Andreotti also attacked the He reflected the communists. Italian middle classes' search for a middle way through the pro- found social and economic crisis in its which has the country grip. This is the reason for his emphasis on law-and-order.

large part of Andreotti's A opening speech was devoted to The universities and high having schools far from are returned normal and the to Sheikh has made a strong appeal to students to devote their ener- gies to 'constructive work'.

The student movement is split into various groups, one of which follows what is called 'Mujibism'.

Others call for the overthrow of the regime and its replacement cratic institutions into one using the chiefs and the tribal hierarchy as a bulwark against nationalism. The government is also con- sidering increasing the power of the chiefs in the electoral col- leges which elect the 16 African members of the 66-strong parlia- ment. The fusion of the chiefs with the elected councils will take the form of regional parliaments.

But the aim of these is very definitely to create the basis for: development a separate Rhodesia's population African along the lines of the African Bantustans. In other words the Tories are openly conniving with Smith to set up an apartheid regime in Rhodesia through the mechanism of the reactionary chiefs whose 'yes' will give the sell-out a final seal of democratic respectability.

economic problems. He called for the achievement of closer monetary integration European and criticized the present system under which, he said, European countries appeared ready absorb unlimited quantities of US dollars while reciprocal credits among themselves were restricted. It is likely that Italy will be plunged into turmoil after the summer period recalling the 'hot of 1969 when mass autumn strikes and demonstrations were only prevented by the Communist Party from becoming a bid for working-class power. by a revolutionary government.

pro-Moscow Students' The Union holds a majority at Dacca University and gives its full sup- port to the Sheikh, though call- ing on the government to take action against pronteers anc speculators. 'Condensed courses' are being put on to give students who took part in the fighting a chance to pass their examinations.

ZHORES

MEDVEDEV,

the Soviet geneticist, noted for his outspoken criticism of the bureaucracy, has been pre- vented from attending the Ninth International Congress of Gerontology (concerned with the ageing process) being held in Kiev. The authorities ordered him back to Moscow where he lives.

The star ballet dancer Valery Panov of the Kirov theatre in Leningrad who asked to be allowed to emigrate to Israel and was imprisoned for ten days is now likely to find himself back in jail. Not having been able to find a job he is likely to be accused of 'social parasitism'. He is rated the three male one top dancers in the Soviet Union.

PORTUGAL will not give up its overseas territories said : Prime Minister Marcello Caetano in a TV speech in Lisbon. Speaking of the liberation Portuguese colonies in Africa, he said that they would have been defeated long ago but for out- side assistance. He said that the only opposition came from bands of guerrillas. He claimed that China and the Soviet Union coveted Portuguese colonies and wanted take to them over because of their great strategic importance. JAPAN'S new prime minister, self-made millionaire Kakuei Tanaka, will fight hard to pre- revaluation of the yen, vent a which would hit the export trade. He also aims to improve rela- tions with China and to con- clude a peace treaty with the Soviet Union. Formerly Finance Minister, he has a keen eye for new trade prospects as the world market crumbles under the pressure of the monetary crisis. home he faces soaring prices, urban congestion and pol- lution and a chronic housing shortage. INDIAN police shot dead one man when they opened fire on demonstrating farmers armed with sticks at Manamadurai in the southern Tamil Nadu state yesterday. The farmers were try- ing forcibly to close shops whose owners had not responded to a strike call by the state Agricul- turalists Association. URUGUAY'S security forces continued a major round-up of Tupamaros guerrillas yesterday capturing 21 and wounding four.

CAR spares today cost 50 per cent more than they did a year ago, according to magazine Nearly half the 23,500 drivers who took part in a "Which?' reliability survey had difficulty in getting spares. Waits of months were common. The situ- ation is often worse with recent models, the magazine added. Reliability in modern cars 'more of a pious hope-and an often disappointed hope at that'.

They are prone to transmission and exhaust problems.

ERITH, Kent, district committee of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers has passed a resolution calling for the setting up of a Council of Action.

The resolution, passed at the quarterly shop stewards' meeting, states: Come on Vic, tr 'This AUEW stewards' shop meeting calls for the setting up Action Councils of the of in district to defend the working class against attacks by the Tory Councils government. These of would unite all political Action and trade union organizations within working class the to defend basic rights that 200 years have been of struggle. To these defend rights this government must be defeated and replaced with Labour one pledged to socialist policies.' The resolution will be taken up by joint meeting of the Orpington Labour Party and the trade union branches in the Proposals Orpington area. are build being drawn up to now Council of Action in the Orpington and Sidcup area.

Widgery with wig... The Huddersfield Polytechnic Students' Representative Council has passed calling resolution for Council of Action in which students will unite with workers. It says its executive should Trades approach Huddersfield obtain student repre- Council to the Council of sentation on Action. Building workers in Tooting,

UCATT

South London, branch overwhelmingly have passed resolution calling on

HOUSE

PRICES rose by Council Trades the Wandsworth to form a Council of Action.

almost 17 per cent in the first six months of this year, The discussion on the Council according to figures released of was preceded by Action heated debate on a proposed rule yesterday by the Nationwide to levy members. not on Building Society. change strike fl a week in support of This with a rise of compares the selective strikes policy on 12 per cent in the same period

UCATT

fighting which is now last year. for the building workers' pay At least part of the huge rise claim. was because of land in- price creche Society said that over the Delegates who proposed the Council of Action fought to five years of past prices new out that the only way point houses have risen on an building workers could win their average by 72 per cent, while those of 'mobilize the claim was 1300.000 modern have building existing houses strength of 74 per cent and of risen by workers nationally. older properties by 83 per cent.

The figures, compiled on series of index numbers the Society has been keeping since 1951, showed that prices of both modern and older existing pro- perties rose by about 18 per cent compared with rises of 12t per cent and 12 per cent respectively SUNDERLAND Trades Council in the preceding six months.

the local has called on can. federation of Shipbuilding and The average price new houses mortgaged to the Society Unions call Engineering to in the second quarter of of Wearside shop meeting was £6,919. stewards to warn of the dangers average ranged between UCS situation This of a developing, £11.531 in London and the South the particularly since recent £5,244 Northern Court of East. and in Line takeover local Ireland. shipyards. Over Britain as a whole, the They also want to discuss the estimated value of the average plot of land on which new houses unemployment situation on Wearside with Labour 25 per local were built was cent MPs. For a number of years un- In London the purchase price. the has and the South East it was more employment in area stood at over 10 per cent.

than a third. Come on Vic, try it, and if you don't like it then perhaps we'll change it.

Widgery praise for Donaldson LORD JUSTICE Widgery of Bloody Sunday inquiry fame has paid tribute to the work of Sir John Donaldson presi- dent National In- une dusirial Relations Court.

Whether one agreed with Sir John's decisions he had not, cane• our LasK great and enormous energy,' oulasc told a dinner to Her Maj esty's juages given une Lora Ivavol of London, Sir Edward Howard. He said that High Court judges snou oe credared to indertake inquiries outside the courts- provided they are judicial.

'I do not think that our hands Concern over Kitson SUNDERLAND Trades Council has expressed concern at the appointment of Brigadier Frank Kitson to the position or une School of Infantry at Warminster.

They were also concerned at held the prominent positions in those armea lorces WIlO subscribed to Kitson's political and philosophical views 222207 28 Charlotte St London W1 Workers Pross, ike it then perhaps we'll change it.

should be tied-provided the inquiry we are asked to engage in is really judicial. If all that is required is to listen to evidence and form a conclusion, no one is better suited than Her Majesty's judges. Even if there are heavy political overtones, we should not excuse ourselves.' Widgery said, however, that if a judge was asked 'to embark on inquiry he is being a political asked to stick his neck out in the direction and to the extent to which a judicial neck should not be stuck'. Judges were not 'poli- tical trouble-shooters', he added.

Lord Hailsham, the Lord Chancellor, spoke of the 'danger il book 'Low-Intensity Operations'.

The TUC has been asked to launch a public campaign to remove these people and a meet- ing with the northern group of Labour MPs is to be sought to discuss the whole issue. In the debate reference was made to the lessons of Greece in 1966 and the dangers of a mili- tary junta attitude amongst top army personnel.

• PERIODICALS • NEWSPAPERS

13 Prose, Thuraday July в, 1872 AGE 2 Donaldson without one of popular pressures' endangering the 'administration of justice'.

'Mass opinion and group pres- be as cruel as sure can indi- vidual tyrants or Dukes or land- lords or oppressive employers.

It is the business of the judges to protect the legal right of the unpopular man and to defend the right of the nation against the splinter groups who defy the law? •Immediate dismissal of Sir John Donaldson was called for by a Labour MP in a Commons motion tabled yesterday. Hugh Jenkins (Putney) gave as one of the reasons the fact that Sir John is a Conservative poli- tical figure. He once opposed him in a local government election in 1949, and he had been a mem- ber of the Inns of Court Con- servative and Unionist Associa- tion. Jenkins's motion also said that Donaldson had 'played a leading role in selling the Tory Party the ludicrous proposals which form the Industrial Relations Act'.

NOW OPEN

Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs 9 а.т.- 6 р.т. Fri 9 a.m.-7.30 p.m. Sat 9 a.m.5 p.m.

PAGE & Workers Press, Thursday July 6

BY PETER JEFFRIES

The monetary crisis has always been seen as merely a 'technical' ques- tion by the reyisionists.

They have either ignored it, or suggested it could be resolved through the creation of some new means of exchange by the International Monetary Fund. Only the Socialist Labour League has understood the real nature of this crisis and warned the working class of its real implications. To understand the role of gold one must understand that capitalism is a system of but production not for use, for profit. The aim of capital- ism is to accumulate surplus from the value, extracted labour of the working class; in order to take part in the pro- cess of capital accumulation, the capitalist must be able to convert the surplus value con- tained in his final commodities some universally accept- into able form. The Ford Motor Corpora- tion is not interested in pro- ducing cars. It is interested in • of the surplus the realization values which its cars contain, back into the money form.

Historically, gold has filled the role as this money com- modity, the only form in surplus value can be which realized. After the financial collapse of 1931 this role, however, was supplemented by that of the dollar. And since the war, firms and govern- ments were willing to hold dollars instead of gold so long as they were confident that should the need arise, they could be re-converted into gold at some established and known rate. But it is only in a crisis that the demand for gold becomes insatiable. During a period of boom, or expansion, the capi- to hold talists spurn gold; their wealth in gold means that they are holding idle assets. It is only in a crisis, when there is a general lack of confidence, that gold becomes the only way in which wealth be held, as against "pro- can fane' commodities. March, 1968, the period of the general rush into gold, was a decisive turning point. It opened up a period in which it could no longer be merely the dollar which was in crisis but the entire currency system.

in the last As we saW article, this crisis was pre- ceded by a sterling crisis.

Barber's forced devaluation, on the other hand, followed a gold crisis, reflected in Nixon's measures. Here August 1971 alone is the indication of the profound international nature of the crisis facing the Tory government. The decision to float the £ was determined not merely by the lack of competi- of British industry, tiveness nor merely as a preparation for entry into Europe. It was a reflection of the lack of any confidence in the value of any currency in the world. In another respect, the latest, 1972, crisis was also a negation of the 1967 sterling crisis. The Callaghan devalua- tion was carried through with the knowledge of the Ameri- day uly 6, 1972 cans and only, as we have said, after a long struggle on their part to preserve the old parity against the dollar. On this occasion, it is the Euro- peans, not the Americans, who fought against sterling de- valuation and sacrificed their reserves in a vain attempt to prevent it. Here we also see a funda- mental and new feature of the crisis. The Tory decision has now thrown the entire mone- tary arrangements of Europe into disarray. After August 15 last year the Europeans spent weeks attempting to come to agree- ment about the ratios in which their currencies should ex- change after the link between gold and the dollars was broken. And by June this this agreement was year shattered. The efforts of the Com- Market countries to mon create a united monetary front against the Americans lines lies almost in ruins. The stage is once more being set for a decisive confrontation between European capital and American imperialism. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s any European country in financial and economic difficul- ties had turned to the Ameri- cans. Now both the major cur- rencies-sterling and the dol- lar-found themselves in crisis together. No help for the Tories was forthcoming from the Ameri- cans. In fact, the root of the inflation in Britain is not only the strengtn of the working class and its determination to force up its wage levels, but the continuing US balance-of- payments deficit. So the general, historical, decline of the capitalist system is revealed in this crisis. When the national government in England broke the link between sterling and gold in 1931 the Americans were even- tually, in 1943, able to assume their role. Under the 1943 gold-exchange standard the dollar was fixed in terms of gold at a fixed rate and from that point onwards the dollar was the world's leading cur- rency, with sterling reduced to very much a subordinate posi- tion. Today's crisis is quite diff- erent. With the dollar in crisis, there is no currency which can possibly replace it, now or in the future. The fact that the richest capitalist country in the world no longer provide the can basis for a stable world finan- cial system—as Britain was able to during the 19th century -is a measure of the decline of a system which has sus- tained grave losses in the form of the Russian and Chinese revolutions and the loss of ter- ritory in East Europe after the last war. With the dollar under con- siderable pressure, capitalism is rapidly reaching a point where there will be no suitable medium to carry out world trade, apart from gold. And when one considers that over two-thirds of com- mercial transactions are at the moment conducted in terms other than gold, one gets a glimpse of the extent of the crisis which is rapidly matur- ing. Top: unlike the devaluation of 1967, Chancellor Barber's forced devaluation followed a gold crisis, reflected in Nixon's measures of August 15, 1971 Above all, the capitalist system relies upon confidence.

Transactions are made and credits arranged on the basis about the of expectations future. That is why a cur- rency crisis must also be a credit crisis. All the leading multi- enterprises national conduct their business on the basis of long-term credits. With nearly every major currency threaten- to 'float' in retaliation against Barber's measures, the basis for any confidence in prices in the immediate future is quickly disappearing For example, now rumoured that the Americans may soon have to convert with a two-tier dollar system. This would mean that there would be one value for holders of dollars now, with a new rate fixed for future holders.

Not only would this mean that of the billions many holders of dollars now circulating in Europe would see the value of their assets-on which they have in many cases raised con- siderable loans-marked down overnight; the confidence of the capitalist class and its wil- lingness to hold dollars in the future would be fundamentally shaken. This would have European disastrous effect on Exports to the USA. It must be remembered that Marxists-if not for Mr. for Kidron and the state capitalist International imperialism is finance capital. The main levers of power are in the hands of the banks and other financial institutions. That is why cri- a monetary sis, far from being a 'technical' the crisis, highest ICL COCaLS point of the crisis. For future and stabi- involves the lity of the European and Ame- rican Hectoaks. And a series of bank crises would instantly reflect back on every major European industry which entirely dependent 1S these financial institu- tions. So the Tory devaluation is unlike any other previous ster- ling devaluation. In no sense it a question of giving Bri- tish exports some temporary the respite. was case recently the November 1967 devaluation. Anybody who bases his poli- ties on this conception is liv- ing in a world of illusions.

The devaluation was forced on Heath by the uncurable nature of the world economic and the strength and crisis determination of the working and extend class to preserve the gains which it has made over the last 25 years. This crisis cannot be patched up. For the capitalist class and "stability' in 'regulation' the financial system cannot to Bretton mean a return Woods. The Bretton Woods agreement is dead for all time.

Billions of dollars of paper are now circulating throughout Europe which nobody wants.

This is the meaning of the and Swiss West German attempts to curb the entry of dollars into their economies.

Order will only be restored if this mass of paper, claiming to represent value, is forcibly des- troyed. But such a destruction would mean chaos on every stock exchange and a crisis for monopolist and every major merchant banker. Above all, however, it would mean an all-out, imme- diate and vicious war against the working class. Barber's measures have therefore posed revolutionary tasks immediately before the working class. It is either capi- socialism. talist anarchy or This is the real, living, and urgent lesson which we must draw from the decision to float the f.

FRENCH STRANGLEHOLD

ON TUNISIAN ECONOMY

A personality cult boosts the rule of Pr The visit to France by President Bourguiba of Tunisia from June 28 to 30 bore witness to the continued domination of that country by French capital. Bourguiba has always stood for a policy of moderation, compromise and reconciliation with France since he came to power in 1956. This has not prevented conflicts breaking out as they did over the great base at Bizerta in 1961 and again when land belonging to French settlers was national- ized in 1964. The end of the Algerian war enabled the Bizerta question to be settled amicably with the withdrawal of French forces. The confiscation of land owned by French settlers, which was uncultivated or under-used, does not stand in the way of French investment in Tunisia, which Bourguiba is out to encourage in every way. During his visit there was an opportunity for a number rule of President Bourguiba of Tunisia who ar of matters of common interest between the two countries to be discussed. The Tunisian need for French aid and in- vestment was one of the major The country is still ones. highly dependent the on French market for her primary exports and needs capital for development. Tunisia also wants its status as one of the associated states of the Common Market im- proved and seeks French backing for this. Ruling a country where he is the subject of a nauseating personality cult, Bourguiba can can offer French and other capitalists attractive guarantees of good behaviour. Having won the right to represent his country in the struggle for national 'inde- pendence', he can now go back to the colonial power and offer his collaboration, on be- half of the national bour- geoisie, in exploiting the workers and peasants. The one-sided and under- developed Tunisian economy dependent remains upon French imperialism, despite a who appears in pubilcity posters with chars certain extension of contacts countries in with other the strained period following 1964.

The economy is kept going by French aid and France re- mains the country's principal client and source of supply.

Tunisia is dependent for solvency upon the sale of a few primary products in the highly world market under competitive conditions. Its balance of payments is in chronic deficit, which means Bourguiba's regime that kept going by aid and loans.

Still there is profit in it for French firms. Poverty and disease are widespread and incomes are low for the mass of the people. about There are 140,000 Tunisian workers in Europe because there are no jobs at home. French firms are encouraged to open branch plants in the country by low wages, the low rate of taxation and the benefits which the Bourguiba regime offers to foreign capital. One of the big French oil concerns is pros- pecting for petroleum and a Workars Pross, with characteristic smile and flowers small field is already in production. The regime suppresses strikes with a heavy hand and is facing a good deal of oppo- sition from the students. Many arrests were made during the student revolt of February and some 20 students are still in prison. There signs of are growing opposition both from the working class and the universities and schools.

In a recent move to split up the students, it was decided university be- to divide the tween the capital, Tunis, and the southern city of Sousse.

Sections of the militant students are to be carted off nearly 100 miles to be taught in the hotels which abound in the growing tourist area.

Bourguiba's political moder- ation extends to the Palestine question. Advocate of an agreement with Israel, he tried to dissuade Nasser from war in 1967. He also fears the extension of Russian influence in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. He looks to a Mediterranean agreement, backed by the US, to oppose a barrier to the Soviet advance.

058 Press, Thursday July 6, 1972 PAGE 5 The Banzer regime in Bolivia which seized power last August is increasing the arma- ment of the army and air force to deal with any threatened popular uprising.

Five special units will be organized in different parts the country with equip- ment and jet planes provided out of US military aid funds.

The re-equipment programme includes modern equipment and takes account of lessons learned when the armed forces supporting Banzer took over in the face of popular resistance.

The Banzer regime also received military equipment from Brazil, including eight planes loaded with arms after last year's coup. Air force General Luis Adrizola parti- cularly wants more BT-21's, low-flying single-engined a plane especially suitable for repressing rural guerrillas.

The New York building in- dustry pays out at least $25m a year in bribes and pay-offs to city officials, inspectors and trade union representatives.

On any building job, from a small repair to the erection of a giant skyscraper, these are reckoned as a payments necessary item in costs. Firms described to investigators from 'The New York Times' the ways in which the bribes are paid. Sometimes a note is passed during a hand shake or a wad a plain envelope. comes Expensive jobs may be carried out free in an official's home and charged to the account.

Failure to pay bribes would result in harassment and delays in obtaining official permits. Union officials collect pay-offs on the understanding that they will prevent strikes.

Key officials employed by the City or the Federal Hous- ing Administration can add thousands of dollars to their incomes in bribes which are obviously not declared to the tax inspector, who is probably collecting bribes himself.

Construction contractors accept the bribes as the grease which keeps their business moving. Building regulations are so detailed and the opera- tions of construction so com- • that small delays in plex obtaining permits or getting work inspected would cost more than the bribes. Even reforming civic groups hesitate to expose practices which have now become standard procedure, accepted by all sides.

PAGE & Workers Prosa, Thursday Jady 6, 1972 On at least two occasions in the period 1917 to 1920 the Russian Revolution inspired British workers to form workers' committees as organs to defend their conditions and overthrow the capitalist order. This series by Alan Clinton and George Myers (reprinted from 'Fourth International', November 1967) examines the building of these committees, the 1917 'Councils of Workmen's and Soldiers' Delegates' and the 'Councils of Action' in 1920. Russian revolution has so far Already the overthrow of meant the defeat of the middle Tsardom and the events of class and the triumph of the early 1917 had prompted the workers'. The SLP was, how- forming of Councils of Work- ever, over-enthusiastic in men's and Soldiers' Delegates.

identifying itself with the Bol- The Leeds Convention of sheviks. "The theories as put these bodies in June ex- into operation by the Russian pressed the solidarity of Maximalists (i.e. Bolsheviks) British the workers with are similar to those advocated Russian Revolution and re- international Socialist by the Labour The BSP, in solved forward the Party. to carry the period before the October struggle for and the peace revolution, was closely follow- complete political and econo- the of in ing course events mic emancipation of inter- Russia. As early as the begin- national labour'. ning of October they called for the Soviets to take power be- cause 'the Soviets is the only body that can rally the people of Russia in the defence of the revolution'. Thus, the BSP saw the October revolution as The October revolution pro- necessary development. Within vided at the same time an in- of the revolution a week its spiration and an object lesson paper said: "The expected has for British revolutionaries. A happened, Kerensky and the leading figure in working-class provisional council have been struggles of the period later overthrown and the Soviet has described their hopes and Petrograd. taken control of fears: 'How we watched and The BSP's enthusiastic support waited in those days for every for the revolution was soon to scrap of news from the East!

drive a wedge between them Would hold the Bolsheviks and their erstwhile allies in the power? Lenin; Trotsky; Could

ILP.

they hold on?'2 As news of the actions of Only the sectarian, syndica- list-orientated

SLP

the Bolshevik government first at arrived—in particular the pub- understand the decisively October. lication different of of the secret treaties nature Within a month they said "The and the call for peace negotia- London Policemen on strike in August 1918.

tions-more and more workers rallied in support of the re- volution. At a meeting during the Labour Party Conference in January 1918 delegates gave a rousing reception to the Bol- shevik emissary Litvinov, the Red Flag was enthusiastically sung and there were cheers for the Russian Revolution and for Trotsky. On January 27 a massive pro-Bolshevik demon- stration was mounted in Glas- gow." While all this was hap- pening the ILP leaders refused to comment on the course of the revolution. Only in Feb- they express any ruary reaction, and their enthusiasm was somewhat muted. After this, members of the ILP sym- pathetic to the Bolsheviks had to wage an increasingly bitter struggle against the leadership.

From mid-1918 to the end of 1919 Britain saw numerous mass class actions and many isolated revolts of revolution- ary potential. In the months when the BSP, SLP and other organizations going were through their tortuous nego- tiations to form the Com- munist Party, the militancy of the British working class was 86:». at a high peak. At the same time, British armies were lead- ing imperialist offensive an against the new workers' state.

Opposition to this interven- tion, in which the revolution- ary groups played an essential role, of the most one glorious chapters in the inter- nationalist history of the British working class. In 1918, with big strikes threatening in every industry, Mrs. Webb, arch-Fabian and Stalinist later admirer of Russia, wrote: The leaders of the labour are distinctly un- easy about the spirit of revolt among the rank and file, which openly proclaims its sympathy with the lurid doings of Petro- grad." At the same time, growing unrest in the army in the police force was and causing increasing concern to the authorities who thought that the rank and file com- mittees being set up amongst policemen and soldiers repre- sented 'a determined effort to emulate the Russian Bolshe- viks in this country. 30 In August of 1918 there were extensive police strikes in many cities, and again in the July in Liverpool following combined with large scale riot- ing. In the summer of 1918 lower-deck committees were elected in south-coast naval bases and there was news of riots at base camps and the ot military police- revolt Shoreham in Sussex involved over 1,000 men. •An. officers' hannism. is listed as one of causes out said hat 'everywhere the feeling i the same: over, tha won ic group strike until two of who had number willing to fight hrea strike Russia, and also whether there sign of trade union was any organization or rank and file amongst committees the troops. The government was clearly worried.36 This unrest in the army was with often consciously linked the struggles of the working Britain. It was the class in materialize of 'the failure to expected general strike which Clyde' had begun in the on January 1919 which was 'largely responsible' for the failure to extend the Valdelure soldiers' strike. A leading participant in the engineering themselves later said strikes that 'a rising was expected. A should rising have taken place. The workers were ready and able to effect it: the lead- ership never thought of it' 38 It was in January that the coal miners decided to cam- and paign for nationalization improved conditions and in February the transport work- ers put in for a big wage rise.

The November national rail- way strike was one of the most class battles bitterly fought he country had ever seen, in foreshadowing aspects many the General Strike of 1926.

While all this was happen- the struggle against im- ing perialist intervention in the Union Soviet was rallying thousands of British workers to the defence of the Russian Revolution. At this high point of militant struggle it was said that there was 'no single issue that has ever within liv- ing amazingly memory SO moved imagination the heart of the working class as the intervention in Russia'.39 As soon as the intervention began in the middle of 1918 the ILP echoed the protests of the Bolsheviks. They did SO only while dissociating them- selves from the revolution it- self. Ramsay MacDonald took to advising the employers that 'intervention .. • even from a capitalist point of view ... is bad'. The BSP on the other hand called for the end of in- tervention on the grounds that 'the cause of the social revo- lution in Russia is the cause of the workers of the world'.

By November, the BSP was campaign inside centring its the Labour Party on opposi- tion to intervention. It issued an appeal to the Labour Party Conference which began 'Long Live the Socialist Republic!

No Intervention Anywhere! '1 By December even the Labour Party had issued a manifesto calling for the withdrawal of allied troops but the parlia- mentary party did nothing about it until the following July. During 1919, the revolution- ary groups were actively in- volved in the struggle against Tanks In the Saltmarket, Clyde. side in 1919 were sent to control to meet 'a rising strikers and that was expected'. intervention. On January : 18, in the week when Karl Lieb- knecht and Rosa Luxemburg were murdered, a conference mainly organized by the shop stewards in London set up a "Hands Russia' national committee. The five hundred delegates represented 350 or- ganizations including 48 from trade union branches and dis- trict committees, and leading figures from the shop steward movement and all the main revolutionary groups. Molions were passed at the conference during the day and at a mass meeting in the evening calling and other strikes synt- pathetic action to defeat not simply intervention in Russia but also the blockade of Germany. Mass meetings were held in early February at the Albert Hall and the Free Trade Hall, Manchester, which passed identical motions asserting 'intervention must that enforced by the unrestricted use of their political and in- dustrial power. Further eitorts national to co-ordinate the movement were made at a Manchester meeting in June, and in September Harry Pollitt became national organizer. On Workers Preca, Thea Koronsky: the Britian Socialist Party paper happened, Kerensky and the provisional coun and the Soviet has taken control of Petrograd.

October 26 the BSP was responsible for mainly the establishment of a London organization. On November 7 the national body was set up again 'representing the united forces of the political and in- dustrial working class move- distinction of ment without or tendencies."3 opinions By the end of the year the 'Hands Russia' Off movement was in running campaigns every major city every night of the usually These week. were Lieutenant- addressed Colonel Malone, Liberal MP, recent visitor to Russia_and recruit to the BSP, or by Prin- cipal Goode who had also been to Soviet Russia. These meet- during ings were continued 1920, and other activities of the campaign included the cir- culation of union branches and the leafleting of factories and dock gates. 1919 these During cam- paigns began to bear fruit.

British sailors refused to sail to Russia from Rosyth, Inver- Portsmouth gordon, a number of other At ports. Rosyth, dockers had supplied SLP pamphlets to the men who brought their cruiser back to port rather than go to Russia.

These sailors had to be demo- result." In March bilized as a Miners' Federation the Great Britain called for the withdrawal of British troops.* On April 16 this demand was Triple up by the taken though opposed by Alliance, the TUC. At the Labour Party Conference in early June the national executive was instruc- ted to consult with the TUC leaders 'with a view to effective action being taken to enforce these demands (i.e. the ending of intervention) by the un- of - their reserved use political power."6 Only the revolutionary groups fought to carry out these policies. On Sunday July 20 there were international demonstrations intervention. A joint against leaflet issued by the BSP, the SLP, the WSF and the South Wales Socialist Society called for support of the Sunday demonstration and the work- ers to 'Down Tools on Monday July 31!' This call was dis- owned by the Labour Party leaders, but received some response, notably from Lon- don dockers." By September the TUC Conference con- demned its Parliamentary Committee for failing to sup- Vorkars Preca, Theraday July 6, 1972 PAGE 7 clalist Party paper said: The expected has provisional council have been overthrown control of Petrograd.' port the direct action policies of the Triple Alliance earlier in the year. These _develop- working-class in the ments movement forced Churchill to withdraw troops promise to by the end of the year, a promise which was never car- ried out. Because of the failure of the Labour leaders to ex- tend the campaign Lloyd George could assert by the end of 1919 that 'there is no basis for peace with Russia'."

Labour's record had indeed been, as Snowden was forced to admit, 'a sordid story of apathy and indifference'."

CONTINUED TOMORROW

24 . T. Murphy New Horizons, 68. 25 The Socialist, January and February 1918. 26 The Call, October 4 and November 1 Leader, January 24 1917. 27 Labour . and 31, 1918. 28 Ibid., February 7, 1918. An article on March 7 entitled The ILP and the Bolsheviks is hostile to the Soviet government, largely on a pacifist basis. 29 B. Webb, Diaries 1917-1924, (1952), p. 106. 30 Davidson Papers, January 10, 1918: quoted in R K. Middle- The Clydesiders (1965), mas, p. 89. the British B2 T H. Wintringham, Mutiny (1936), pp. 305-328 gives an account of many of these events.

33 The Herald, January 11, 1919.

34 B. G. A. Connell, From Monk to Busman (1935), pp. 80-82.

35 R. Groves and A. Hodge, The Long Week End (1940), pp. 25-26.

36 W. Crook, The General Strike (1931), p. 240-243. 37 T. H. Wintringham, op. cit., 328. 38 W. Gallagher, Revolt on the Clyde (1936), p. 234. 39 The Call, December 11, 1919.

40 Labour Leader, July Il and August 1, 1918. 41 The Call, November 14, 1918.

42 The Call and Workers' Dread- naught during 1919 and 1920 make clear the extensiveness of the campaign. Harry See also Pollitt, Serving My Time (1940), ch. 6. 43 A. Hutt, op. cit., p. 36.

44 T. H. Wintringham, op. cit., 45 S. R. Graubard, British Labour Revolution and the kussian (1956), pp. 71-72. Annual Con- 46 Labour Party, ference Report (1919), p. 156.

Workers' Dreadnaught, July 19 and 26, 1919. 48 S. R. Graubard, op. cit., PP.

81 and 87. 49 Labour Leader, November 13, 1919.

PAGE 8 Workers Press, Thursday July 6,

BY DAVID SPOONER

Fleet Street is desperately trying to stir up some interest in the 'struggle' for Poet Laureateship, fallen vacant on Cecil Day Lewis's death. In the lead editorial on Thursday June 22- (the day before the floating of the pound!) "The Times' treated its readers to the following pro- nouncement, under the Merrie England title of 'Worthy of a Tun of Sack'. "The best argument for keeping the post of Poet Laure- ate going is the interest each appointment generates new among those who never read a line of poetry. This has become one of those periodic sporting tussles, like the Oxford and Cambridge boat race or the leadership of the Labour Party [sic], on the outcome of which everyone feels entitled to hold views.' Among those poets most widely canvassed for the post has been W. H. Auden, a fellow-traveller of the Com- munist Party from around 1934-1938 who left England in January 1939 and is now an American citizen. Having renounced Marxism, the press and literati are now pressuring him to capitulate 'come entirely and prodigally home'. Understandably, Auden has found this a little too de- manding and that doyen of suburban banality, Sir John Betjeman, is favourite for the sinecure. The poetical and political career of Wystan Hugh Auden in the 1930s. was shaped Auden was, like the majority of prominent left-wing writers a son of the of the 1930s, bourgeoisie who found that because of the economic crisis none of his placid expectations were realized-the unearned income or the academic post.

He was undoubtedly a poet of promise in the early 1930s, technically skilful though often facile; intellectually sharp, if somewhat brittle. The early tends to picture a poetry mythical communist party as group of conspiratorial a schoolboys, the cliquish 'gang' that Auden, Isherwood, Spender and their pals con- stituted at public school.

'We made all preparations, Drew up a list of firms, Constantly revised our calcu- lations, And alloted the farms? (Poems XII - 1930) By 1933 his poetry was generally characterized by a mixture of flippancy and philosophical eclecticism and banality, together with the hesitant beginnings of an attempt to incorporate into the poetry the conflict between idealism and materialism.

Auden was always But primarily concerned with re- maining an agnostic and even Stephen Spender, his artistic companion, has complained that Auden's work is marred ay July 6, 1972 by 'a guardedness about this • • perhaps because philosophy. Nonetheless, with collapse of the Liberal Party and reformist collaboration of Labour Party and the continu- ation of the crisis in the 1930s, he drifted closer to the Com- munist Party and did what he could to amalgamate Marxism and Freud. Unlike Spender he never joined the Communist Party, but went to Spain as an ambulance driver for the Republicans between January and March 1937. Poet of doggerel Roy Campbell sug- gested that Auden was playing ping-pong most of the time in is extremely Spain. Auden reticent about his activities in 1937. In interview with the an International Herald Tribune' in October 1971 he said: "There are certain things in my history that rather embarrass me. I don't withdraw them or deny them.' Auden's alleged embarrass- ment is caused by decades of evading the important role he played in the Popular Front covering the Moscow Trials and giving his artistic prestige to the Front. The left-wing intellectuals in Britain almost without excep- tion (Orwell was one) became willing accomplices of the Stalinist bureaucracy, often disguising the willingness with which they served their new masters by a studied political coyness and naïvete. Auden wrote in 1962: 'I did not wish to talk about Spain when I returned because I was upset by many things I saw or heard about. Some of them described better were than I could ever have done by George Orwell in "Homage to Catalonia"? But it is not a question of 'better than I could have done'.

He has never to my knowledge spoken explicitly of the whole- sale slaughter of anti-Stalinists and Trotskyists by the GPU which he came to know about and which were an integral part of the Popular Front of which he was perhaps the most famous and talented member in England. Over a year after his return from Spain where he was 'upset apparently many things', he was still faithfully pursuing the Stalinist line on the war, remarking in a review of Malraux's scintillating and novel Days of mendacious Hope' that Spain was a country where 'freedom has discovered virility' ('Town Crier': its October 14, 1938). Auden pedantically insisted, following the Menshevik line of the Stalinists, that the tasks of communists deter- were mined by the 'fact that: 'Democracy must continue to develop the bourgeois revolu- tion not only politically but also economically? Communist Party's The Top: W. H. Auden in his 20s. Right: toda Isherwood together on the island of Rue Popular Front was constructed around the deliberate political miseducation of a generation intellectuals, of workers and varying degrees, who, to wanted to be communists. So far as Auden was con- extremely cerned, he was sceptical about Marxism and of derisive towards the working class (see 'To a Writer on His Birthday'). Nonetheless no conflict was taken up with Auden, with the result that when radical middle-class opinion shifted against com- munism and the working class at the time of the impending defeat of the Spanish Revolu- tion in 1938 and the Ribben- trop-Molotov pact in August 1939, Auden shifted firmly with it. He himself fled the country Right: today. Above: Auden, Spender and is and of Rueden in 1932 for America in January 1939- and has been theoretically, artistically ponucany the run ever since. Writers like Auden became fellow-travellers with the Com- Party Popular munist in the Front period when the whole- of Marxism had sale revision reached an advanced stage and all theoretical disagree- the Party had been suppressed in the name of counter-revolutionary 'unity' with liberals, church- girl guides, bov scouts. men. Tories-anyone and anything but "Trotskyites'. What effect did this political degeneration have the on art of a writer like Auden? His poem 'Spain, published 'Medical gong Spain', is the most important that he and his gener- poem ation attempted. • And if we centre our comments upon it, it is because it sums up the artistic failures of a whole intellectuals generation of struggling, however hap- hazardly, and half-heartedly in the case of Auden, to come to terms with Marxism. He him- self excluded it from the 1967 edition of 'Collected Poems' In it, the Spanish war is seen in terms of Auden's 'mythology' of disease and fear.

The war is an idealist extern- alization of what he regards in liberal fashion as an internal, psychological disease. Auden believed, following the psycho- it was logist Groddeck, that through neurosis that individ- ual and political development takes place. 'On that arid square, that fragment nipped off from Africa, hot soldered SO crudely to inventive Europe; On that tableland scored by rivers, Our thoughts have bodies; the menacing shapes of our fever Are precise and alive. For the fears which made us respond To the medicine ad, and the brochure of winter cruises Have become invading battalions.' The abysmal and absurd incongruity between the sub- jective, psychological meander- Ings of the poet and the historical magnitude of the war and betrayal of the revclution which decided the fate of

millions cannot be bridged by technical adroitness and schem- atic patterns. The Oxfordian sceptic finds that all his reputed brilliance and panache count for nothing in the face of history. The rhetoric collapses into series of banalities that are, to say the very least, a gross and obscene insult to the thousands of workers who fought against fascism in Spain, and who found themselves at the same time in conflict with Stalinism.

The rhythmic failings of this and his other poems crystallize the artistic decline that inexorably coincided with the political accommodation to the Popular Front. Rhythm is not merely a technical question. It conveys the totality, or otherwise, of the writer's experiences and is the very pulse of the relationship between the poet and the objective world. Because Auden refused to with his to terms come rejection of the revolutionary role of the working class and of Marxism, he is left agnostic- ally aloof from the conflict. His poems have no inner dynamism since his conceptions do not flow from his participation in—or alternatively conscious alienation from-the struggle external to himself. The poetry is shapeless and, images, arresting except for lifeless. Its movement obeys the passionless rhythm of the poet's thinking and not the conscious grappling with the movement out there in history corresponds which never to the 'perfection' of the idealist's Under conceptions. pressure, the rhetoric collapses into the sheerest trivia. So Auden's scepticism with regard materia ism-the independent existence of the world- home externa -comes to roost, artistically speaking. The weaknesses of his poetry mid- 1930s the and late derive from hesitancies in his philosophy not which were consciously taken to the sharp, creative point of contradiction, but which remain on the leve of a shallow vagueness. However, if Auden did not to recognize religion, want religion had, by the 1940s, Auden. recognized But his adoration of kierkegaard has way to trivial obsession with intellect- ual bric-a-brac: aphorisms, His conundrums, marginalia. to construct aliciols Christian metaphvsic to answer Marxism has been ulteriy disintegrated by the economic and political developments of the 1960s. The concentric circles his thinking ot HaVe become progressively smaller.

In 1966 he published About House, momentous ine sequence of poems about the various rooms of his house in Austria! In 'Academic Graffiti' (1971) find the following masterpiece: 'When Karl Marx the phrase "financial Found sharks" He sang a Te Deum In the British Museum.' He has come the full circle-from the radical 'left- wing' Oxford intellectual to a more sophisticated snob- and bish version of his rival for the Laureateship, John Betje- men-and he is still travelling.

It could well be that, not- withstanding the impossibility of Auden's becoming Laureate while remaining an American citizen, the ruling class teel that Auden is too sodden by 'the cigarette-alcohol culture' as he calls it, to act as a cultural rallying-point for the middle classes in this unprece- dented crisis. He is altogether too cynical, pessimistic and downright 'un- patriotic' for the job! The problem for 'The Times' and the Tory government, which makes the appointment, is that none of the competitors are on a level with the much- quoted Will Shakespeare, artistic harbinger of the 17th century bourgeois revolution, whom the British ruling class unjustifiably appropriate as their own, enforce on their schoolchildren and emasculate in their own interests. It is a powerful indication of the political desperation and intellectual and cultural decay of the British bourgeoisie that they have to make a mountain of the Poet Laureateship with the only contenders in sight a gang of artistic moles. Workers Pross, Poisoner Graham Frederick Young some curious friends. His idol was Hitler.

And when police went search his premises after his arrest they found his mem- bership card of the extreme right-wing National Front. He belonged to the Broadmoor branch. right-wing The extreme National Front has lost yet another chairman, the second in 18 months. John O'Brien, a former horti- culturalist in Shropshire, was the Front's only salaried offi- cial. He became chairman after the resignation of A. K. Chesterton. It seems that O'Brien, a former member of the Tory Party for 20 years, became a victim of the National Front's most extreme wing who did not like his 'moderation'.

They forced him out of his job as office manager and then he quit the chairmanship and the NF. Martha Mitchell, the talk- ative wife of President Nixon's ex-campaign boss, has always been on the side of the angels.

A life long communist-hater she had caught the Nixon administration bending over with its fingers in the till and her 'You're as bad as they are' squawk was soon being heard around the world. A graduation couplet about her notes: 'I love to wind my tongue up and I love to let it go." Last week she seems to have let it go once too often. She was roughed up by her hus- band's security men in her own home and when she threw a tantrum was thrown onto a bed and had a needle jabbed in her backside. Eluding her guards she blew 'captivity' to the lid off her New York political writer Helen Thomas. She said: 'It was a horrible experience.'

Whatever it was she was yelling about—which drew the ors Press, Thursday Juty 6, 1972 PAGE 9 wrath of her husband's 'Re- elect the President Committee' security guards-it came only days after five men, including the Committee's security co- ordinator, were arrested at gunpoint bugging the Demo- cratic Party's offices. Within hours of Mrs Mit- chell's phone call to Helen ex-Attorney-General Thomas John Mitchell had resigned his post. You can almost imagine the conversation up at the White House. 'John, I don't care what you you make sure and do but shut that goddam woman's mouth.' He did. He resigned.

Arkansas Martha—she water- skied her way through univer- sity at Miami, did her stuff in the war pen-pushing for a US general and ended up a re- spectable, moneyed, suburban American lawyer's wife—had discovered, rudely, that if it gets hot the angels' gilt begins to melt. I love my husband very much,' she said. 'But I'm not going to stand for all those dirty things that go on.'

Politics, she concluded, is nothing but a cops and robbers game and I'm trying to get my husband out of it'. She got her husband out of it. But that won't solve her problem or the crisis of the of rest the politics-weary bourgeoisie longing only for the time truth, dollars and when 'it never used to be like this' People like Martha Mitchell end up abandoning the angels and trying to get closer to God.

LEON TROTSKY:

Germany 1931/1932 Paperback £1.25-cloth £1.87} Where Is Britain Going ? Paperback 37}p Revolution Betrayed Paperback 62}p-cloth £1.05 Froblems of the Chinese Revolution Paperback £1.12g-cloth £1.872 Permanent Revolution: Results and Prospects Paperback 75p In Defence of Marxism Paperback 75p Lessons of October Paperback 60p Postage 10p per book, 3p per pamphlet. Order from :

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Our economics correspondent takes a look at the £ which has recently hit the headlines PAGE 10 Workara Prose, Theraday July 8, 1872

BOLTON TUESDAY

FROM STEPHEN

JOHNS

ON

THE

MANCHESTER - LIVER-

POOL MARCH

SUPPORT from trades unions political been the best of the march so far. Ken Abbott, divisional the of Amalga- organizer mated Union of Engineering Workers, gave us an imme- diate £5 donation and sent delegation to meet the march. Mr Mackiver of the General and Municipal Workers' Union arranged evening meal at Breightmet Labour Club the and Jack Brown, general the of the Bolton and secretary District Union of Textile and Allied Workers, also gave us financial help and encourage- ment. So despite the drizzle, which continues to fall without morale continues to pause, Our have improve. numbers been boosted as well by two youth from Bury. They joined the march after listening to speakers at our public meet- ing in the town. Bolton is like any other mill except that it's larger town and has the worst unemploy- ment rate of the three we have visited. With 5,000 on the dole the rate is 5 per cent-higher than North West average. To the this figure another 600 redun- added. dancies be On must Some of the marchers hold a meeting June 23 the textile combine P. Coats shut their Eagley j. policy has accelerated mill at Bolton. nomic In 1958 Bolton had 85 mills.

Brown this decline. Jack There are 12 now. Over 15,000 warned that the ingredients for have been lost the a slump equal to that of the Jobs in 1930s are all present today.

industry over the last decade and total employment in the In terms of employment we are not as bad as the 19sUs.

industry has shrunk to around 5,000. But economically we have the The Tory government's eco- conditions that produced the The daily paper that leads the fight against the Torles. £20.28 for 12 months (312 Issues) £10.14 for 6 months (156 issues) {5.07 for 3 months (78 issues) If you want to take Workers Press twice a week the rates are: £1.56 for 3 months (24 issues) 26.24 for 12 months (96 issues) Fill in the form below NOW and send to: Circulation Dept., Workers Press, 186a Clapham High St., London, SW4 7UG. I would like to take out a subscription to Workers Press.

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meeting from the Bolton town hall steps 1930s. Unless unemployment shows a sharp and prolonged decline, the situation could become very, very grave indeed, said Mr Brown. He said light industry had come into the area to replace textiles. 'But there is by no means Shaun McMahon JOHN THOMPSON, former editor of the right-wing Tory magazine 'Time and Tide' has been named as the head of commercial radio. He will take over as head of radio at the newly-created Inde- pendent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) which is to replace the Independent Television, Author- ity (ITA). For the 12 months past Thompson has been close adviser to the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications on com- mercial broadcasting. Apart from editing 'Time and Tide' ', Thompson has also been assistant editor of the 'Observer' and editor of its colour maga- zine; New York correspondent of the 'Daily Express'; and news- caster for ITN. When he first arrived in Fleet Street, however, Thompson was not a journalist. He was an advertising man. He will play a key role in handing out local radio licences, £ which has recently enough to absorb the labour thrown out of work. You must remember that many of the who used to work in women the mill are married and do not always register as unem- ployed. 'The situation is therefore far the figures worse than Frank Gordon

ALL TRADES UN

ALLIANCE MEET

The currency crisis and the working class PORT TALBOT: Thursday July 6, 7.30 p.m. Progressive Club (Band Club), Talbot Square.

HAVANT: Thursday July • 6, 7.30 p.m. Leigh Park Com- munity Centre. AYLESHAM: Thursday July 6, 8 p.m. The Legion, Burgess Road. LUTON: Thursday July в, 8 p.m. St John • Ambulance Brigade Hall, Lea Road. saow. There is also the loss in skills. Trained cotton opera- tives suffer a loss of job satis- faction and status if they are forced to work for the mail order firms for example.'

He admitted that the scale of the problem raised the issue of nationalization of the indus- try. 'We asked the Labour gov- ernment to nationalize in 1945 with the mines-but what was the answer? They told us the job was too complex. Every year our conference goes on record demanding nationaliza- tion. We passed it again last year, but what chance is there of achieving that with a Tory government in power? It is an indictment of this and that system Tory rule youth have to go to the lengths these marches have taken to bring publicity to their plight.

They should be backed.' The recession in Bolton has also hit the town's main source of employment-engineering.

Brian Northey, AUEW dis- trict committee member, who came out to greet the march, has escaped redundancy seven times over the past 12 months.

Redundancies declared over the last year include, 170 at Ryders, 300 when Lister engi- neering closed, 390 two nearby Hawker Siddeley plants, 90 at Edbro Tippers and a dozen smaller pay-offs. Brian is disgusted with the role of the TUC General Council: 'I went to the conference last September. I thought I was listening to a Tory Party gathering when some of them spoke.' Bolton youth are hard hit as well. Teenage unemployment is in excess of 200, but here, as in Bury, the number out of work is much greater. This figure does not account for those who do not register or are school leavers who do not qualify for unemployment benefit.

OUR last stop at Bury brought two recruits to the march, Shaun McMahon and Frank Gordon, both 18 years old.

Since he left school three years ago, Shaun has had a string bad jobs which offered low pay and no pro- spects. The official unemploy- ment statistics in Bury record 13 boys on the dole.. Shaun says this figure is ridiculous.

"When you go for your queue money the stretches right outside onto the pave- ment-there are about 50 to 100, he says. "My best job was my first one as a lab assistant at a paper mill. I liked the work, but I was getting nowhere, they were just keeping me at one level. It's hard to get any kind of job now. You can spend all week tramping around looking for one. Last week they sent me for one job and there were seven other boys in for it.?

I've always been against the Tories but I have never done anything political before. But when I came to the meeting in Bury I just agreed with everything that was said so I decided to come along.' Frank is working, but on holiday. Talking with the mar- chers at Bury so impressed him that he decided to join Shaun.

UNIONS

IEETINGS

SOUTH EAST LONDON: Thurz.

day July 8 p.m. Deptford Engineers' Club (opposite New Cross Stn). ACTON: Monday July 10, 8 p.m. Co-op Hall, High Rd.

EAST LONDON: Tuesday July 11, 8 p.m. 'Aberfeldy', Aber- feldy Street, E.14. (nr Black- wall Tunnel). NORTH LONDON: Thursday July 13, 8 p.m. 'Bricklayers Arms', Tottenham High Rd, (nr White Hart Lane).

'British' computer firm eats

BY IAN YEATS

AS INTERNATIONAL Com- puters' half-yearly profits slumped this week from satisfied with what must be an £4.5m, to £l.5m the Tory gov- interim handout. ernment stepped in with aid Burrough's have ruthlessly pruned their adding machine and to the tune of £14m to cover business the mini-computer in the cost of research and de- UK, particularly Scotland, in a bid to relieve the pressure on velopment up to 1973. their own profit margins by step- efficiency. ping up The US Burroughs Corpora- bought up They have already tion-third in the world com- nearly 2 per cent of ICL's shares acquire puter league- -wants 1o a controlling interest in ICL.

and should their negotiations the Tory with the company and succeed, the Commenting on government pur- the rumours, chase will be used to Tory corner a Industrial Development bigger slice of the shrinking Minister Christopher Chataway world market. any possible computer said that associa- tion with an overseas firm should The would bode ill takeover for of provide maintenance for British workers in the indus- substantial research computer since there is considerable duplication in and development, manufacturing the middle ranges and d in thin uK. capability of Burrough's and ICL's pro- trolled in the ducts. A key point in the take- over would be to eliminate this.

ICL had asked for £107m over the next five years, but a spokes- Burrough's already have man claimed stronger world-wide sales organi- the company was

ABOUT

laboratory right back to 1969, says leading 120 steward Arthur Mason. workers at the CAV factory, It culminated in week's Acton, north London are con- strike in April 1970. And shortly after works conference con- tinuing to occupy their sec- ceded everything wanted. we tion. They claim the com- There were no strings and it was a good settlement. pany has gone back on an After the site deal reached agreement made with them.

the CAV factory. the last July company went back on the agree- Stewards say the original pay ment, said Mr Mason. settlement meant a differential of For nine months they argued £2 between the highest and low- for a restoration of the position. est paid in the laboratory.

An reached in agreement was March 1972. Now management wants to extend 'But when it was time to settle unilaterally the number of grades and lengthen they wanted to increase the diff- the diff- erential between the top and the erential to £6.80. bottom men • three times as by Although only 5 per cent of much as it is now. the laboratory workers, mostly 'What they are really after is AUEW members, will be worse to try and make sure workers in 95 per cent off, the other are other sections do not our see fully behind the occupation, and come after it. It is a rise which began on June 28. question of principle for us.'

'The history of this claim goes Meanwhile an attempt has been Queen Elizabeth (Glenda Jackson) addresses the troops before the defeat of the Spanish Armada-the fifth of the six Elizabeth R. series being repeated on BBC 1 tonight.

ITV

9.20 Along the River. 11.18 Schools. 12.55 Hen Allorau. 1.30 Zingalong. Haven. 2.30 Good Racing. 1.53 Wimbledon. 4.50 3.45 Welby. 4.40 Nuts Roundabout. 4.55 Boss Cat. 5.20 and Bones. 4.55 Atom Ant. 5.20 Barrier Reef. 5.44 Adventures of How. 5.50 News. Parsley. 5.50 News, weather.

AT DEAD

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Lieutenant 'Buster' 1941. and how hi

8.30 THE BURKE SPECIAL.

trained frogmen • sink ships. 9.00 NEWS, Weather.

9.00 NEAREST AND DEAREST.

9.20 ELIZABETH R. The Enter-

9.30 THIS WEEK.

prise of England.

0.00 NEWS

0.30 CINEMA

10.50 24 HOURS.

11.00 SOMETHING TO SAY

12.00 CAN BUSINESS AFFORD

11.35 WINDOWS OF THE BRAIN.

A CONSCIENCE?

Small Eyes. zation than ICL and once they stripped the combine of any surplus branches they stand to end up with the viable heart of ICL and a much-improved com- petitive position in world markets. The British government owns 10.49 per cent of ICL and GEC and Plessey a further 17.98 per cent. Any sale of ICL to Burrough's would require permission from Chataway. In line with their Common Market policy the Tories would prefer a European firm to take over ICL and talks have been with the German going made to pull the pay fight into some sort of order. A summoned meeting of shop stewards was told last week that the site was in chaos with groups taking individual action and others submitting pay claims.

A recommendation from the executive committee of the joint shop. stewards was passed by the meeting. It said: • All individual i.e. depart- mental, claims should be dropped.

• An all-round general increase should be sought and not one based on differentials like the Lucas offer at Birmingham.

POLICE and troops attacked thousands of demonstrators in Argentina's major cities yester.

day on the 12th day of a wave of anti-government unrest.

Regional TV All regions as BBC 1 except: Wales: 6.00 Wales today. 6.15 Tom and Jerry. 6.20 Heddiw.

6.40 Wimbledon. 8.00 Week in week out. 8.30 Goodies. 12.02 News. Scotland: 6.00 Reporting Scot- land. 12.02 News, weather.

N Ireland: 6.00 Scene Around Six. 12.02 News, weather.

England: 6.00 Look North, Mid- lands today, Look East, Points West, South today, Spotlight South West. Weather. 12.02 News, weather.

BBC 2

11.00 Play School. 4.30 Wimble- don. 7.30 NEWSROOM, Weather.

8.00 GREAT PARKS OF THE

WORLD.

3: The High Tatras-Czechoslovakia. 8.30 THE VISITORS. Part 4.

9.20 SHOW OF THE WEEK.

Morecambe and Wise. 10.05

MATCH OF THE DAY.

From Wimbledon. 10.55 NEWS, Weather.

11.00 WORLD CINEMA: "KAM-

ERADSCHAFT'.

A pas- sionate plea • for inter- national peace founded on working-class solidarity.

Workers Press, Thurs Nixdorf and AEG-Tele- groups funken, so far without success.

ICL shares on the stock ex- change, which have been slipping all year, rose at the news Bur- rough's were interested. The Tories have already given over £40m to ICL and although tain a considerable UK-controlled • computer operation the chances are slim. ICL was cobbled together by the Labour government in a des- perate bid to halt the computer into industry's slide extinction during the 'brain drain' years of the 1960s which precipitated a The eight-page youth • paper which loads the fight against the Tory goverment, for the right to work, in factories, schools and on the dole queues. Pleaso sand me 'Keep Left' for one 1 ancloso £2.86 Name Address CHANNEL: 1.45 Racing. Nuts and bones. 4.18 Puffin. 4.22 London. 6.00 News. 6.10 Hogan's heroes. 6.35 Crossroads. 7.00 Film: 'Dead of Night'. 9.00 Lon- don. 11.02 Marcus Welby.. 11.55 News, weather. WESTWARD. As Channel except: 3.55 Gus Honeybun. 4.18 News.

6.00 Diary. News. 11.55 10.59 Faith for life. SOUTHERN: 2.30 London. 3.45 Heckle and Jeckle. 4,00 House- party. 4.15 Dithers. 4.30 Cross- roads. 4.55 Lionheart. 5.20 Lon- don. 6.00 Day by day. 6.45 Dr Simon Locke. 7.15 Film: 'Mid- night Story'. 9.00 London. 11.00 News. 11.10 Film: 'House Dracula'. 12.20 Weather. Guide- line. HTV: 2.15 Racing. 3.20 Cook Book. 3.45 Dr Simon Locke. 4.15 Tinkertainment. 4.30 Crossroads.

4.55 Joe 90. 5.20 London. 6.01 Report West. 6.18 Report Wales.

6.35 Sky's the limit. 7.10 Film: 'Tiara Tahiti'. 9.00 London. 10.30 Once upon a story. 11.00 Spy- force. 12.00 Weather. HTV Wales and HTV Cymru/ Wales as above except: 4.15 Miri Mawr. 6.01 Y Dydd HTV West as above except: 6.18 Sport West. ANGLIA: 1.00 Royal show. 2.20 Racing. 4.10 News. 4.15 Jimmy Paulus. Stewart. 4.40 4.55 Skippy. 5.20 London. 6.00 About Anglia. 6.35 Crossroads. 7.00 THE Sale. 7.30 Film: The Little Red ligh Monkey'. 9.00 London. 11.00 Avengers. ATV MIDLANDS: 1.00 Royal show. 2.20 Racing. 3.35 Horo- scope. 3.40 Women. 4.10 Family affair. 4.35 Rupert bear. 4.50 Pre- tenders. 5.20 London. . 6.00 To- day. 7.00 Sky's the limit. 7.30 'Rogue's Regiment. Film: 9.00 11.00 O'Hara. London. 12.00 Epilogue. ter- YORKSHIRE: 1.45 Racing. 2.15 Under these roofs. 2.30 London.

3.40 Ugliest girl. 4.10 News. 4.15 288, Thursday July 6, 1972 PAGE 11 handful of American firms to the status of world giants. ICL has no chance of catching up or competing either with US or Japanese computer technology and the pretence that it has merely threatens to turn it into a bottomless well into which many more millions will have to be poured.

EDITORIAL

STATEMENT

IT HAS been brought to our notice by some of our subscribers in the Republican movement that tharphrsed a Workers Press used in a Workers Press Editorial (June 20, 1972) could be misconstrued as a chauvinist connotation, when in fact we were referring to the middle- class nationalist supporters of Republicanism. Planty of and nowa, features at 3p a copy. Order your regular copy now.

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6.00 News. Police file. 6.30 Smith family. 7.00 Sky's the limit.

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PAGE 12 Workers Press, Thursday July From page 1 The exit of the French government is the first glaring repercussion of the Tories' desperate decision to float, and in effect devalue, the pound.

Attention is now bound to on the Brandt coalition focus which is already threatened by a walk out of Karl Schiller, the chief economic adviser. Schiller's resignation is in pro- test against the exchange regula- tions introduced by the West Germans last week to stem he flood of unwanted dollars pour- ing into Europe. Schiller feels that such moves could undermine completely the free flow of capital and intensify a trade war. However it is clear that many sections of financial opinion in week's Frankfurt feel that last moves are totally inadequate.

There considerable is now speculation that the mark may soon be allowed to 'float' in re- against the Tories' taliation decision. IN FRANKFURT the West German banking authorities had to intervene further in support of the tottering dollar. During the past two days the Central Bank has had to buy an esti- mated $550m to $600m to pre- vent the dollar value falling be- low the fixed minimum level of DM 3.15. The Central Bank said earlier it spent about £1,000m last month buying unwanted dollars and pounds on the foreign ex- change markets. IN TOKYO yesterday the foreign exchange market was swamped by a rush to sell US dollars. The volume of trading was estimated at $175m of which the Japanese

WEATHER

ALL DISTRICTS of the British Isles will have sunny periods, and there will be scattered chiefly over showers western Scotland. Over eastern Scotland, Ireland, England and Northern Wales all showers will die out during the afternoon and even- ing and many places will escape them completely. Temperatures will be near or the seasonal little below normal. Outlook for Friday and Saturday: Mainly dry at first with sunny periods. Some rain later. Rather cool.

JULY FUND

£178.12-

KEEP UP

THE FIGHT

AS THE pound sinks even lower, the reformist union leaders re main down on their knees before Heath. But the results of such rapid devaluation must force millions of workers into action against the Tories. Workers Press is the only daily • to expose the treachery paper of this leadership. Each day it fights to build a revolutionary alternative. This is the only way the great strength of the working class will be mobilized to make this Tory government resign.

We appeal therefore to every- one of you-make a very special effort for our Fund this month.

We are trying to raise £1,750 by July 22-before our Summer Camp. We are relying on you to do everything you can. We know you will. So let's go into action today. Collect as much as you can and post immediately to: Workers Press July Appeal Fund, 186a Clapham High St, London, SW4 7UG.

MIIII

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raday July 6, 1972 believed to This follows purchases of dol- lars by the bank on Tuesday amounting to $80m to prevent the dollar collapsing below its floor level against the yen.

'We might have a very bad situation coming up; said one leading dealer. 'No one has any faith in the dollar.' Behind this turmoil in Europe stands American capitalism. As Workers Press alone has , reformist, sisted-against every Stalinist and revisionist-this is a world crisis. There can be no reformist solutions to it.

Nixon and the American ruling class deliberately allow inflation to rip, knowing that it must bring the ruin of large sec- tors of European capitalism. *t is now all-out war between American capitalism and its weaker European rivals. Poured The American monopolies con- tinue to pour unwanted dollars into Europe. The Germans, French and Swiss reply with ex- change restrictions in a hopeless attempt to arrest the flow.

As the American balance of goes from to payments worse, so the crisis in Europe intensify in the same must degree. For an American pay- ments deficit means more dollars for Europe, dollars which are totally unbacked by gold.

The August 15 measures of last year, in which this rupture between gold and the dollar was finally made was provoked

BY DAVID MAUDE

'TRADE UNIONISTS could not afford to wait three months, let alone three years, to get the Tories out of miners' leaders were office, told yesterday. But in resolving to fight the Tory government pay and rents policies, the Mineworkers National Union of conference drew back from declaring itself for action to force the concrete Tories to resign. They went on to support a call for a European 'collective security pact. The union's Midlands area received unanimous backing for its resolution that 'whatever action is necessary' to defeat the Tories wage norm policy should be taken. Kent Holmes delegate Joe sought guidance from the mover, Arthur Pratt, on what sort of action he had in mind. The ambiguous reply was: 'It may be another Saltley, it may be something else.' (Saltley coke depot closed during was the miners' strike when thou- sands of engineers joined miners on the picket.) president Joe Gormley,

NUM

however, made it clear that the motion worded that it was the executive put to was to decide what was done about it.

It was Emlyn Williams from South Wales who warned that unionists could not afford to wait for the Tory government to complete its allotted term of office. His area's resolution declared complete opposition to the Hous- ing Finance Bill and called on the union executive to con- sult the TUC, National Council of Labour and Parliamentary Labour Party about organizing a protest demonstration through- out the country to demand the Bill be withdrawn. Calling councillors to on refuse to implement the Bill, Williams said: "The Tories cannot send us all to jail, but the Labour movement can send the Tories to hell if we stand together? However, he thanked the Kent withdrawing their area largely by the announcement at the very end of July of an Ameri- can trade deficit which was the biggest of the century. This was closely followed by news of a record American budget de- ficit. The depth of the crisis was revealed in the lame statement of the International Monetary Fund's director general, M Pierre- Paul Schweitzer on Tuesday.

Announcing that the Group of Twenty's report outlining pos- plans for the solution of sible international money crisis the will be published in August, he said that he very much hoped that the role of the dollar would be "significantly reduced' in any future arrangements. Gold would continue to play important role, said, an although he thought that an increase in its price would solve nothing. Yet as every financier knows, there is nothing which can re- place the dollar. The source of stability for the last 25 years, the dollar, is now the source of acute crisis and instability. r Capitalism has no solution to this crisis. A return to 'regulated' capitalism of the type established as a result of the 1944 Bretton Woods talks now means the "regulation' of the class struggle through the most brutal dic- tatorship. This can be the only direction of Tory policy in Britain. The decision of the TUC leaders to continue their dealing with the working class only underlines the enormous dangers which the reformists now open up to the working class in this time of crisis. amendment that the proposed protest should be supported by industrial action. Jack Collins, Kent's member on the NUM national executive, justified . the withdrawal on the grounds that it had been done to 'get some unity'. In this atmosphere the right wing eageriy supported the South Wales motion calling for a European Security Pact, and the disbandment of the NATO and Warsaw alliances. The executive's report on the Industrial Relations Act brought no comment from any section of the conference and was adopted without dissent. The conference therefore moves to a close to- day with no discussion on the latest moves under the legisla- tion - for instance the Indus- trial Court's decision to debate the law on picketing. THE NATIONAL Union of Mineworkers' conference is ex- pected to end today with de- mands for an integrated national fuel policy and for a complete change in the financial structure of the National Coal Board.

Earlier this week, the con- ference decided Hexible wages policy which it determindedly pursued would bring rises of £5.50 to £7 next year. It did so however, in a context of falling demand and increasing stocks which will certainly stiffen the Tories' resistance to their claims. The miners are confident in their strength, having trounced Heath government in the confrontation it forced with them earlier this year. But the Tories are desperate in their weakness to fight be expected can to a finish next time. Jenkins, a I talked to Emlyn member of the South Wales area executive of the NUM, about what he thought the conference had achieved. disappointed, he said. I'm 'During the strike the members Proc

BY PHILIP WADE

IT WAS an unfair industrial as threatening and intimidatory cold store depot, it was alleg dustrial Relations Court yeste Midland Cold Storage Ltd of East London were seeking restraining orders under the Relations Industrial Act against seven London dockers and the London docks joint shop stewards' committee.

None of the dockers, who in- Steer and Vic clude Bernie Turner-both of whom narrowly escaped arrest last month over Chobham Farm-was in court for the hearing, which could last for three days. Three unions were joined by the NIRC to the action. They the shopworkers' union are National Amalga- USDAW, the mated Stevedores and Dockers and the Transport and General Workers' Union. A solicitor was in court with a 'watching brief' for USDAW.

The other two unions were not represented. Official Solicitor Norman Turner was present to assist the court on the law of picketing.

He had instructed • two counsels, None of the dockers named in the application appeared in court. Official Solicitor Nor- man Turner appeared on their behalf without their knowledge and without their consent. This is the second time Mr Turner has stepped forward to appear for Lon- dockers in cases with which they are refusing to co- operate. Mr John Vinelott and Mr Robert Alexander. For the company, Mr. Alan Campbell QC said that picketing by dockers of the depot was costing the company upwards of £2,000 a week and would force them to close. He said his application was not to restrain picketing as such.

It was perfectly in order for dockers to seek work which is dock work under the not National Labour Board Dock scheme. 'But it is the means by which make this they request which both unlawful are at common law and also constitute unfair industrial practices under the Act. 'They are intimidatory both in a direct and indirect sense.'

Pickets had said to his clients' drivers that if they crossed the picket lines they would be blacked nationally. This threat was carried out unless the companies concerned find an agreement not to deliver to Midland Cold Storage. made clear they wanted a break from the bad old traditions of the union that never again must miners be allowed to fall so far behind in the wages league.

'But what we've carried in effect is two resolutions on pay.

The danger is that the executive will play one against the other and do nothing. 'While the right wing couldn't get away wholesale with the philosophy that we've had our victory and shouldn't push the Tories too hard this time, I'm convinced we shall have a hard battle to get our target figures implemented. There's a danger of people being lulled by tactical retreats by the Tories. What the right wing argued for at Morecambe this week, put bluntly, was out-and-out col- laboration with the NCB, of a type which has already helped slash the labour force in the pits from 700,000 to 280,000 since nationalization. ers Productivity has more thar. strial action for dockers to use datory methods in picketing a as alleged in the National In- rt yesterday. Norman Turner Dockers, alleged Mr Campbell, they would withdraw also said their labour in support of such action. This was a of • breach their statutory obligation under the NDLB scheme and also was an unfair action. At present the depot employed 28 USDAW members to handle cargo. It was direct intimidation to say to the firm that unless they dismissed the USDAW men 'we shall kick you out of business'.

Mr Campbell said he wanted the court to sit in camera to hear certain witnesses because of the situation. At the same time proceedings been initiated against had the dockers in the Chancery Division I in of the High Court. was gained If no satisfaction nts' in the NIRC he would move his case to that court. also said Mr Campbell an application had been made under the Act to have the Commission on Industrial Relations determine that USDAW had sole bargain- ing rights at the depot. doubled over the same period: 21.5 ewts per manshift in 1947, 46 now. In his speech on Monday, NUM president Joe Gormley talked of ways of whipping his members even further into line with the requirements of the NCB and its big-combine customers.

The danger of conferences such as the miners' is that the left wing replies in the tones of pure militancy alone, leaving the rank and file disarmed in front of the real implications ef the struggle. And for this the Communist Party must bear chief responsibility. It was the CP which provided the political cover up and down the country this year when the NUM executive decided not to press ahead and force the Tories out of office, but settle for the Wilberforce-plus award. At Morecambe this week, the miners showed themselves once again prepared for struggle. That fact gives added urgency to the struggle for an alternative re- volutionary leadership with which they can win through.