IT WASN'T only on the industrial front that peaceful coexistence was offered as the main strategy at the TUC. Composite 19, debated on Thursday, concerned with peaceful coexistence worldwide.
Moved by Harry Smith on behalf of AUEW (TASS), it was one of the chief planks of the Communist Party's intervention. Now, everyone's in favour of peace, so the CP was onto a winner in this Congress unity TaS СОВsidered so highly.
The problem was in how comrades Smith and Gill thought that worldwide peace was to be achieved. What was really touching was their faith in American imperialism and particular in Carter's Salt 2 agreement with the Russian government.
This agreement is not concerned with the present Socialist Challenge arsenal of nuclear weapons assembled to date by the US war mongers.
supposed reduce the threat of war is clear. anything Salt by proposing development of nuclear firepower to tactical weapons likelihood of hawks in the US military mand being allowed to use them.
The only this is taking forward the International struggle for But thịs conNicts with peaceful coextet ence, so it must sacrificed by Russian bureaucrats...and by the British CP.
They did achieve their unity, though. Even Frank Chapple's EETPU- voted for the composite. We say 'even' after the anti-com munist tirade Eric Hammond, a member of 13 September 1279 Page 4. the EETPU executive, during the debate private medicince. In the true stule of his leader, Eric threatened to list the if names of trade unionists and politicians who went to the Eastern Bloc for medical treatment!
Congress loves to hate the electricians. During the debate on abortion, someone rose to oppose the motion. All around the hall, you could to hear delegates joking 'It's bound to be a member of the ETU!':
Not so. In fact, Frank Chapple signed the aborton petition circhthe lated successfully amongst delegates. Asked by petitioner if contingent along anti-Corrie demo, Chapple replied 'I doubt it.' 'Don't. you support policy then? petitioner questioned.
don't support TUC on most questions' Frank replied 'except on duclear energy."
Congress supported nuclear energy, needless to say.
The second most hated institution was the press. Well almost. After tub-thumping act NUPE general secretary Alan Fisher, who gated not only the barons but more loudiy the Journalists who had christened him, 'Hitler' during last winter, delegates then went on to thank the press for covering the • conferевсе.
be Well, are brotherly, aren't we? In fact, almost completely. the Out of the 1200 delegates, only 120 were women though apparently this was the highest proportion in history. «Dis casti. press very AFTER FRESULT OF ELABOUR.
The importance of unity — a cartoon from the TGWU's Record in the early '20s