the peneral attitude of the Chilcan poople. and an a symbol and inspiration for the Even though they regarded themselves only as constitutionalists -defending the constitutionally established Government men inan certain pouncians wiso talkoo a Jot about acvolution" but have now run for cover.
Theit case has also been vory usoful in showing the possibility that existed for work in the armed fonces by the left to win Stop brass It has highlighted the serious mis take made by the Popular Unity Govern with kid gloves eventually brought about its own downfall. This is a lesson that must - Finally, what can we do here to affect their fate?
All the sailors are very aware that it is only because of international pressure that they have not been plysically liquidated by the junta. The junta hat been continBally playing for time in the hope that the publicity will die down and leave thee free to act against the sailors.
But as Cardenas once said to me We are not afraid of death after all we have gone through, hut we don't want to die go through it all again if only it was useful to the people When they knew 1 was going to be soleased they asked me to tell the world about what was happening They have mcal connuches that the workers of the world won't be indifferent to their fate. Even token gestures like the sending of trade union or Government delepations to Chile are important -indeed, I myself was released thanks to one of these. And in Britain It will be particularly important to mobilise in their defence for the actions • we understand are Doine plannea Tor Chilean Naval Day on 31 May.
CHILE SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION - LIVERPOOL Saturday, March 15 Assemble Islington Square 12.30 p.m. Speakers:
JIMMY SYMES JOAN JARA Tickets: E4 from CSC, 129 Seven Sisters Rd.. London, N7. 01.272 4298. ority. RHODESIA'S WHITE RACIST leader lan Smith appears to have fouled his own nest in a desperate attempt to split the nationalist movements that represent Rhodesia's black maj • Last week he had the Rev. Ndabaningi Sithole, leader of the most militant of the nationalist groups, the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), arrested on an absurd charge of plotting the assassination of fellow nationalist leaders.
This step was taken as the whole scheme for 'settlement' in Rhodesia was beginning to come apart at the seams, with the white rucists making it clear that they were not prepared to accept the principle of majority rule within the foresecable future. This has made it more and more clear that the only termis on which a secticucut can be reached would be a total sell-out of the black Rhodesian majority. An a result, important sect ions of the nationalist movement are beginning to speak out ugainst the whole ides of 'detente" in southern Africa, and in the field ZANU's guerilla forces have refused to po Smith clearly calculated that ZANU was his biggest enemy at the moment, and had to be got out of the way so that a sell-out could be engineered with the more 'moderate nationalists. However it would not do to simply imprison Sithole -it ZANU loader, Ndabaningi Sithole was also necessary to smear hit polItically. Smith figured that the other nationalist leaders wore a hit fed-up with having the ZANU militants breathing down their necks, and would jump at this chance of petting Sithole out of the way.
What he failed to take inte account se the orate hau so often in tha past- was the political awareness of the Rhodesian blacks. There was no chance of their buying Smith's phony tale, and the other nationalist leaders knew it The only result of their cooperation with Smith's plot would have been to destroy their influenc and strengthen the popularity of ZANU.
All the bluck leaders have so far refused to continue discusions with the Goverment until Sithole is released, leaving Smith with a very em barrassing mess on his hands. He can either back off and release Sithole, in which case he openly anuts that the whole thing was a frume-up, or he can continue with the charace, in which cuse the whole "detente" scheme will collapse. In any event the position of ZANU and the militants will be considerably stren sthened.
Ibis latest episode underlines the complete imposibility of the Rhodcaian blacks winning any real gains through detente" and talks with the white racists. The liberation of the black majority of southern Africa from racisn. and imperialism can only come from the struggle of the black masses themselves - including
But how social are Harold's sucial wagest Firstly, we should remember that British industry was in favour of the welfare state in the post war period. Its maintenance at a minimal level is also in their interests, They need workers who are healthy and with the right level of education. British bosses also want to see the police, the army and other defenders of the social order and their profits maintained.
You would think that health and hospital building would be a top priority in any notion of social wages'. Not so. While the whole of the public sector over the next five years is to expand, in real terios, at a rate of 2,85, the health services will grow at only 2.7% This will resuit in cap ital expenditure on hospital building. between this year and 1979 dropping by a staggering 22%. The figures of 2.7. and 2.8% also represent a drop on the targets of previous years IT