The Militant(logo) 
    Vol.59/No.25           June 26, 1995 
 
 
25 And 50 Years Ago  
June 26, 1970
JUNE 15 - When President Nixon ordered the U.S. invasion of Cambodia April 30, he maintained that its purpose was to "destroy North Vietnamese sanctuaries." Two weeks later, Nixon told the American people that goal had been largely accomplished.

Nixon promised to withdraw all U.S. forces from Cambodia by June 30, if not before. A resolution is being considered by the U.S. Senate - the Cooper-Church amendment - which is supposed to tie Nixon to this withdrawal promise.

But it is now evident that neither Nixon's promises nor Senate bills can prevent the war in Cambodia from developing into a full-scale civil war with Washington tied to the defense of another military regime.

And, as the civil war is deepening in Cambodia, student and worker protests in Saigon are manifesting a new wave of popular hatred of the Thieu-Ky regime.

On June 15, the New York Times reported that more than 60 of Saigon's 124 unions began a 24-hour strike in sympathy with government workers who have been fired. The striking workers were supported by student demonstrators.

"For the second time in three days, there was a decidedly anti-American flavor to the demonstrations staged today by students protesting against the Thieu government."

Students demonstrating in front of the U.S. Embassy "were turned back by policemen wearing helmets, carrying wicker shields and shooting teargas grenades."

June 23, 1945
During the past three years, the Militant has published a number of exposures of the scandalous profiteering deals between the Maritime Commission and the big shipowners. The Maritime Commission is headed by Admiral Emory Land, who a couple of years ago proposed that all union organizers should be "shot at sunrise."

It is reported that Senator Aiken, of Vermont, who uncovered many of the facts the Militant has published, is planning to point out the Maritime Commission's record when the question of elevating Land to a full admiral comes up in the Senate.

Aiken has already made public the fact that the Commission insured at government expense hundreds of rotten vessels at values far in excess of their real worth. Many of these vessels were sent out to be sunk, and the shipowners collected millions, while hundreds of seamen died.

One ship, The Nebraskan, built in 1912 for $713,000, valued five years ago by Land at $110,000, valued by its own owners at $5,276, was insured by the Maritime Commission for $1,019,320. Another, the Nevadan, also built in 1912 and valued by its owners at $3,457, was insured for $806,000.

 
 
 
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