D a ily W o rk er
HOW FREE IS A POUND? s e e p a g e tw o
(8480)
3d
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HY are the merchant bankers and investment trusts of the City of London so anxious that the British Alu minium Company should asso ciate with the powerful A luminum Corporation of America ? I n yesterday’s newspapers there is an appeal from most of the big firms in the City, advis ing shareholders in British Alum nium to a p p r o v e of association with the American super-firm. Lest some of the shareholders sell their shares at a high price to Tube Investments Ltd.,company
Castro marches on Havana
W
From LANCE SAMSON
G ENERAL BATISTA, pro-American dictator of Cuba, yesterday resigned and fled from the island with his chief henchmen after handing power over to a three-man military junta, which later ordered a cease-fire. They fled in Cuban planes while reports from New York said that the Opposition forces led by Fidel Castro were marching on Havana, Cuba’s capital, from Santa Clara, 190 miles to the east. Leader to the Victors The reports said that the Opposition forces had captured this key city in Central Cuba the v ic to rs previous evening after bloody fighting.
a house. The military junta appointed the oldest member of the Supreme Court, Senor Carlos Piedra, as provisional President; on being sworn in Piedra appointed Dr. Rubio his Prime Minister. This was “ completely unaccept able," said Senor Betancourt, the Washington representative of the Opposition forces. " The only solution we could accept is that the Government be delivered into the hands of our own provisional president Judge Emanuel Urrutia."
O N LY SOLUTION
F e v e r is h
But w hy ? h They have c o n t r i b u t e d nothing to make this gain possible. They have expended no| Rnental or physical energy. They have grown richer as they sleptJ • Another feature of the situation is that existing profits ,and dividends do not justify the ' prices which have been paid for Bjthose shares. jfr There will therefore be pressure for higher profits and dividends on the part of whichever [group controls British Alu minium in the future, in order [that the inflated share value ; now obtaining can be sustained. It will, of course, be the )workers in the employment of i the company who will be forced -to make the extra effort to producc these profits. In the meantime, will somerone tell us, without using the mystical jargon of the City, what the furore is really about? [^Keeping American interests "out of British Aluminium we ppan understand. But why this Ejnighty mobilisation to support gthe cause of one American cor poration against another ? If pritish capitalists dont want British Aluminium why not uiand it over to British workers?
s e e p a g e th r e e
Foot sees head of Church in Cyprus NICOSIA, Thursday.
6 T o m o r r o w ’s C i t i z e n s 9 i n h i g h h u m o u r
The “ Citizens of Tomorrow ” applaud a culture which has its roots in the distant past.
4RED STAR OVER ENTHRALS TEENAGERS
HPHE Governor of Cyprus, Sir Hugh Foot, drove to Larnaca today for his first meeting with the acting leader of the island’s Greek O r t h o d o x Daily Worker Reporter Batista was reported to have Church, Bishop Anthimos. I ’T^HE great competition be The Governor spent half an hour flown to the neighbouring the bishop, who is leading the tween the capitalist and Dominican Republic, ruled by with Church in the absence of the exiled Communist systems would be another dictator, G e n e r a l Archbishop Makarios, in the field of production, Dr. Trujillo. At the end of the meeting Sir Hugh Victor Purcell, British expert Most of Batista's family-and 16 top and Bishop Anthimos e m e r g e d on China, told 2,700 school officers were among 54 passengers who smiling and shook hands outside the boys and girls at the Central arrived in a Cuban plane in Jackson bishop's office. ville, Florida, near where Batista owns The bishop told reporters : “ The Hall, London, yesterday.
(Alcoa for short) for con t r o l of British Aluminium, the . big shots of the City have made • these shareholders an offer that | i s equally as good as that of Tube Investments. Their purpose, which is un mistakable, is to prevent Tube ^Investments from getting con trol of British Aluminium. The position is exceedingly Confusing. On the one hand the U.S. super firm Alcoa, the ^world's greatest aluminium pro ducer, is out to acquire an ^interest in British Aluminium, t hough it is alleged that this c o mpany would still remain u n d e r British control. ptOn the other hand Tube investments, backed by the American firm. Reynolds Metal ^Company, is seeking to acquire pfontrol of British Aluminium. The Alcoa is one of the |biggest companies in the sphere E l influence of the famous ;iyiellon financial group of Pittsburgh . £ Why should the big boys in the City prefer one arrangement |to the other ? F Why assist any American [Interests on any pretext whatjever to associate with British Aluminium ?
■ I f British Aluminium wants [(Capital why should it go to pAlcoa for it ? ,.7'The City firms which are supsporting the Alcoa bid are power s'ful enough to raise all the yiponey that British Aluminium [needs without any U.S. assistance whatever. fC Indeed, when news of their ^intervention in the affair first [■became public, it was felt that [they were going to adopt this] impolicy. EvThe City, some p e o p l e [thought. was going to show the [world that it w a s British [through and through and that athe suspicions of its patriotism rcurrent at the time of the Bank trate Tribunal really did it wrong. For several days there has [been the most feverish activity fin the City. “ Investment trusts |and merchant banks unite" might have been the slogan. Yet the total result has Irrierely been to support the [group containing the m o s t [powerful American aluminium [interest that is bidding for i “ partnership ” with the British [.company. r There are two aspects of the [situation which are of more Direct interest. As a result of [this fight between two powerful ^groups of finance capitalists the [value of British Aluminium shares has sharplv increased. Individuals and financial insti tutions holding these shares k'have become richer overnight. If [they care to sell then shares to |one of the contending financial [groups they will make a considerablc financial gain which will not be taxed.
RISE MOVE
F R ID A Y J A N U A R Y 2 1959
BEATEN BATISTA FLEES CUBA W h a t ’s t h e C it y ’s g a m e ?
WAR PENSIONS
1HE DAILY PAPttf :FPR FACTORY A N D FA M ILY
rilH IS Is Fidel Castro, the 32-yearA old leader of the Opposition forces in Cuba, which have been fighting a guerilla war against the Batista regime for over two years. Castro's father was a wealthy landowner, Castro himself became a lawyer before being jailed for try-
Asked if it was probable that General Cantillo, reported to be lead ing the junta, might reach an accord with Castro, Senor Betancourt said it was “ altogether unlikely." “ Only a few weeks ago Fidel Castro made it clear that the only solution he would accept would be for the Batista regime to submit itself to trial for crimes against the people.” But friends in Cuba had told him by phone that the junta had “ appar ently allowed all the top criminals to leave the country." With Batista's fall, only two of the old-style American-backed dictators are si 1 11 in power in Latin America: Sompza in Nicaragua and Trujillo in the Dominican Republic. The A m e r i c a n Government officially ceased supplying Batista with arms some time ago—but he continued to get American arms through the Domiiiican Republic. The British Government let him have ing to organise resistance to Batista some Hawker Sea Furies and the over six years ago. rockets to arm them as late as last Amnestied, he lived in Mexico and November. | the U.S. for some time, then re turned with a few supporters to M A S S F L IG H T start the guerilla lighting which has now taken his forces more Except for a gap of eight years, than halfway to Havana. Batista has held power in Cuba for nearly 30 years, keeping Cuba safe for the American and smaller British interests. Cuba's sugar output is the highest in the world—and at least 40 per cent of it is American owned. In just seven weeks Batista was due to hand over to Senor Andres Aguero. his own candidate for the presidency. Yesterday Senor Agucro was reported to be one of the plane load which arrived in Florida from Cuba. Two generals, 14 other army
HEADS OF GOVTS GET NEWYEAR PEACE APPEAL ^ H E British Peace Committee yesterday sent Mr. Macmillan a selection from many thou sands of signatures supporting a peace appeal.
3,000 H ull dockers go on strike Daily Worker Reporter / “VVER 3,000 Hull dockers went on strike yesterday in solidarity with workers loading 3,000 tons of scrap iron on the s.s. Falkland, bound foi Sweden. The dockers—from both the Trans port and General Workers’ Union and the National Amalgamated Stevedores and Dockers' Union—arc jointly demanding higher piecework rates for the difficult work. A mass meeting of all dockers in the port has been called for 7.30 thi*morning, to be followed by a special meeting of the port piecework com mittee, representing dockers and employers.
G
o o d n e s s T o p W o rld S ta r
Letters explaining the results of the appeal, which was direc ted to Mr. Macmillan, President Eisenhower and Mr. Khrush chov, were sent to all three national leaders. The appeal said: We. the undersigned, appeal to you to take immediate steps to end the nuclear peril threatening the world. We ask you, as Heads of Govern ment to use your personal authority to ai range an early meeting. At this meeting we beg you to agree: 1 To end all tests of nuclear weapons; •) To renounce the manufacture and use of nuclear weapons; To end the arms race and bring about a general reduction of Armaments of all kinds; To establish a nuclear-free zone B n Europe which could lead to an overall European Security System.
Public leaders In the letters the committee ex plained that no attempt was made to collect mass signatures, instead, in various localities public men and women were asked to give their support, and in specific areas the ex tent of public feeling was gauged by an appeal to the general public. The appeal was signed by 15 M.P.s, by the Bishops of Birmingham and Manchester, by Bertrand Russell, Sir Compton Mackenzie, Lord Strabolgi, Lord Boyd Orr, by distinguished scientists including a number of Fellows of the Royal Society, by aldermen, councillors and magis trates, by leading trade union officials, and others. The letters concluded by urging each of the Heads of Government, on the first day of the New Year, to take every possible step to ensure a meeting with an agenda aimed at securing agreement on the immediate dangers facing the world.
Alec Guinness who, as announ ced yesterday, is to receive a knighthood, is today named as the top star in the Motion Picture Herald’s poll of money-making stars. He leads not only in the exclus ively British field but in the inter national field also. In other words, Soviet President Voroshilov said Britain’s showmen name him the in a good-will message to Genera) de world’s greatest money-drawing Gaulle, published yesterday, that it star. Close behind him in both was vital for the Soviet and French fields are two other British stars, peoples to prevent the German mili Dirk Bogarde and Kenneth More. tarists from creating a new war. In his reply. General de Gaulle Out of the 14 top money-making films in the year to October 31, e essed the hope that existing rela 1958, 11 were British. These tions between the two countries British successes are without pre would be further extended, provided cedent since the inception of the Jthere was mutual respect for each other's'rights and dignity. poll 23 years ago.
Voroshilov’s call to de Gaulle
Governor came to convey seasonal Last year, “ by some miracle" greetings and good wishes." China had increased agricultural pro duction enormously, he said. She intended to industrialise with the Boycott plans Leaflets circulated here today by profits. Dr. Purcell, who is Lecturer in Far Eoka's political branch said the Cypriots' passive resistance cam Eastern History at Cambridge Uni paign, including a general boycott of versity, was talking to “ Tomorrow’s British goods, " will definitely be Citizens ” on Red Star over Asia. consolidated and intensified in The young people, throughout future." their conference on Asia Phoenix The leaflet said : “ No one can deny organised by the Council for Educa that this programme is a national tion in World Citizenship, have one and tallies with the interests of shown tremendous interest in China. the Cypriot people," but added that They greeted' his speech with stormy as a Christmas and New Year gesture applause and as question time ended, the names of 12 merchants who had queues of boys and girls were still been branded for contravening pas standing behind each of the four sive resistance instructions would be microphones. These were some of the subjects struck off the list of ’’ dishonest dealt with by Dr. Purcell in answer traders.” If they offended once more, it went to their eager questions : on, " we will not only reimpose a boy cott of their establishments but also FREEDOM will not allow them to live within “ How much has the freedom of our community." The leaflet urged observance of a the Chinese people been increased or curtailed by the substitution of a three-point programme : Show our abhorrence of every Communist regime for the rule of 1 "British product by refusing to the war lords and imperialists ? ” a import it, sell it, buy it, consume it, girl pupil had asked. Dr. Purcell replied : “ When we or even look at it.” talk about freedom we must consider what we mean. I find that a good The year’s toll deal of the criticism of the lack of r t “ Support local produce even freedom in China comes from forces ■»-' though it may be of inferior which wish to suppress freedom in the West. quality.” “ They say, *What about Tibet ? ’ O " Where Cyprus produce is insuf- and by the same procedure, the *3 ficicnt to meet demand, import Chinese say, ‘ What about Cyprus ? ' from Greece or from friendly coun We should consider how free wc are tries outside the Commonwealth.” ourselves before we talk about free The year 1958 was the blackest for dom in Chipa. Cyprus since the state of emergency “ Freedom is restricted in the West was first declared in November 1955. to a bigger extent than we are will No fewer than 313 people were ing to allow. The Chinese are not killed (40 of them Britons) and 992 free in the sense we understand it, injured—almost as many as the total but they consider that as a nation casualty figures for the previous two they are free to do what they want and a half years. to do.” Since the emergency began 663 people have been killed and 2,100 THE FUTURE have been injured.—Reuter. “ Under the Communist regime there is a rigid Communist pro gramme and the objective is to make up 300 years of time-lag due to the Mr. David Ormsby-Gore, Minister fact that China did not have a scien of State for Foreign Affairs, will tific renaissance. “ They feel that in order to keep again lead the British delegation at next week’s Geneva talks on nuclear the population alive, they have to tests. He will leave London on modernise in a short space of time, and they have found that a Com Sunday. munist system suits that end.” A girl had asked if there was still a “ yellow peril,” if China was likely to become imperialist. *’ China is in no position to under take any adventure of imperialism. She has enough on her own plate for a generation or two,” said Dr. Purcell. ” 1 don't think cither that the intention of the Chinese is to dominate Asia by over-producing or under-selling. Her programme means she will devote herself to her own country. She has room to move in it.” He referred to the threefold system under which China plans for a third of the land to lie fallow, a third to be afforested and a third to be intensively cultivated. "These are the internal problems and they will keep China occupied for a long time to come,” he said.
H-talks again
W O M EN
officers, and members of Batista's family were on the plane. Rubin Batista, his 25-year-old son, said ” one must bow before reality.” He was accompanied by his wife, two sisters and daughters. Others on board were General Francisco Tabcrnilla, Chief of Staff; his son. General Francisco Tabernilla, Jr., Infantry Chief of Staff; Brig.- T O be £500 in advance of this General Carlos Tabernilla, head of 1 time last month in your drive the Air Force; Brig.-Gencral Pilar to win the end of-year-target Garcia, Cuba's police chief, and his son Irinaldo Garcia, chief of the is something to be proud of. Intelligence Service. Another plane carrying 54 more But it’s £277 B E H IN D this time fleeing Batista men arrived at New last year, nevertheless. Orleans. To catch up quick and get ahead to the full £3,750 you've two lots of GENERAL STRIKE? paydays—just; one more full week end—this coming one; one more Between 50 and 75 smallarms, handed over to immigration officials full week. by the Cubans, were placed on a table while the “ immigrants ” were being MONDAY, JANUARY 12, IS CLOS ING DAY. examined. General Cantillo, reported to be Tranent (Lothian) miners offer all head of the junta in Havana, is a militant trade unionists one of the regular army officer who was a biggest spurs. Yesterday we’d £4 prominent member of the General from them with this message : Staff, and was present at the meeting of army officers late on Wednesday “ Our Scots New Year present to night when Batista announced his you and all who work. We wish resignation. you strength for the continued Some reports said that the junta struggle and offer some.” dissolved itself after naming Senor This followed close upon their Piedra as President. Christmas present of £1 10s " to One report quoted a Fidel Castro the only paper fighting against the broadcast as saying there would be pit closures.” a general strike in 24 hours if Judge Urrutia was not made Presi Spur it on I We beg better-off dent. The illegal Marxist Party, the friends to add their New Year People's Socialist Party, backs the gifts. Yesterday we had £203 3s 5d. movement to establish democracy in O A D O A D A k llV C M Cuba.
S p a r fo r
£ 2,385
China is making a great feature of the women's contribution to the re volution, said Dr. Purcell. Under the old patriarchal system the women were kept in their place, but today they were very much to the fore in everything. All public relations, for example, were done by women and they were working in the factories. Under the old regime, women were freed on paper but not in fact. Laws were passed doing away with con cubinage, for example, but it had still continued until the Revolution. Under the Communists women really had been freed.
THE F A M ILY Asked how it was that Commun ism had broken up the Chinese family, Dr. Purcell said that in Com munist China, the family would con tinue to exist in the modified way we understand it in the West. What had broken up was the old family system, with its vast ramifica tions. “ I don’t think that Commun ism and the family arc in opposition,” he said.
FOOD A girl asked about reports that ” thousands of Chinese were starving because the Soviet Union was sending their food away.” Dr. Purcell re lied : '“ I don't know any facts that Je ar any resemblance to that." The Chinese had doubled their cereals crop last year and were now exporting food, he said. *’ Where could the Russians take the food to ? ” he asked. “ The population of Siberia is very small and there arc 600 million people in China.”
COAL DECLINE Coal output last year dropped by 7,848.700 tons. The total was 215,779.200 tons, compared with 223,627,900 tons in 1957. Output of deep-mined coal was 201.440,600 tons (210,058.900 tons in 1957). WEATHER : Some sleet; rather cold. Lighting-up tim e: 4.32 p.ra.
These young people applaud a dancer illustrating a lecture on Asian Music and Dancing under the direction of Ayana Deva Angadi, founder of the Asian Music Circle. They are attending the Christmas lectures at Central Hall, London, organised by the Council for Education in World Citizen ship which this year has as its theme “ Asia Phoenix."
Pikem en call a m o n th ’s truce UNION’S THEIR NEW WEAPON Daily Worker Reporter
^ H I S is the 20th century, the War Office has been reminded by the Yeomen of the Guard—instituted in 1485 (when there were no trade unions). They are no longer serving soldiers of the Queen, but “ non-industrial Civil servants ” entitled to trade union agreements. The claim is made in the latest details released yesterday by the Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London (" Beefeaters ") branch of the Civil Service Union about the dispute over rent rises and extra duties. The branch has agreed to call a truce in the " no pay—no duties" encounicr vmiK the War Office to allow parleys to continue.
Pit closures threaten a grim return of mass uncmplo> ment to the Welsh mining \allc\s. Just what it may mean will be told in a special series by Daily Worker reporter
Time limit
A la n B r o w n
But the union has fixed a time limit to the truce. If there is no satisfactory settlement by the end of January, " the Yeomen Warders’ branch will be compelled to review its position,” according to assistant secretary L. H. Moody. Hostilities opened when the Minis try of Works decided to raise rents by more than four times, under the Rent Act, for the Beefeaters’ 13th c 3 n t u r y accommodation in the Tower. The Beefeaters replied, through their union, that the extra duties which they performed for the War Office—unpaid, and in “ good w ill” for their nominal 5s rents — would have to be paid for henceforth. The War Office demurred—hence the “ no pay, no duties ” threat. “ If rents are raised even a nominal figure, the duties in ques tion can no longer be said to be
who is now in South Wales meet ing the miners and their leaders. Alan Brown's on-the-spot reports of the rising opposition to the Coal Board’s policy will be of major interest to every mining area. Don’t miss them. Order your Daily Worker—from your news agent or station bookstall—with out delay.
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co n tin u ed on p . 4
1959
HOW GRIM IS MY VALLEY
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FIRE SERVICES COST £22,493,122 Fire services in England and Wales in the 1957-8 year cost ratepayers £16,887,025—equivalent to an average rate for all authorities of 6.98d. Addi tion grants brought total expenditure to £22,493,122, compared with £20,748,321 in the previous year.
A Happy New Year or a year of sackings! The Tories’ aim is for more unem ploym ent, j The aim of this year’s j D a ily W o r k e r R a lly j is to end the sackings j and defeat the Tories.
Royal Albert Hall Sunday. 15th February, 7.30-10 p.m. I/-, 2/-, 3/- tickets now single or block bookings
available, write to
D .W . R A L L Y , 75 F a r r i n g d o n R o a d , L o n d o n , E.C.I