Vol. 81/No. 22      June 5, 2017

 

25, 50 and 75 Years Ago

 
June 5, 1992
The war between rival bureaucracies in Yugoslavia for control of land and resources has created the largest number of refugees in Europe since World War II. Since the start of the fighting 10 months ago, more than 1.3 million people have fled their homes. At least 700,000 people have become homeless in the last month alone.

Conservatives and liberals alike in the United States are trying to use the deepening conflict in Yugoslavia to push for U.S. economic sanctions and military intervention, while they say nothing about granting asylum to the war’s refugees.

One of the reasons Washington has been unable to act is because of the rivalries between imperialist governments. Forecasts of a “united” Western Europe have instead been replaced by the image of a hopelessly divided European Community.

June 5, 1967
UNITED NATIONS, May 22 — “Some representatives have asked what must be done to safeguard peace,” Alarcon de Quesada, Cuban ambassador to the UN, said.

“We would reply, ask the Vietnamese people. They have tenaciously resisted the ruthlessness of an active aggression.

“We would say, ask the peoples of Africa, Asia and Latin America who are fighting to conquer their independence. We would say, ask the people who have been fighting tooth and nail to put an end to the final strongholds of colonialism…

“It would try the patience of us to hear the representatives of the imperialist government of the United States who speak so pompously of peace while half a million Yankee aggressors are endeavoring to enslave the South Vietnamese people.”

June 6, 1942
War conditions — the speed-up, as well as the lengthened hours of work — have reversed the downward trend of the tuberculosis death rate.

United States Surgeon General Thomas Parran has issued a sharp warning about the seriousness of the workers’ health problems. Shifts should not be rotated more often than once every 2 or 3 months. At least one day in seven should be reserved for rest and recreation; organized rest periods during the work day should be introduced; paid vacations of at least one or two weeks a year should be given to workers; high standards of lighting and ventilation should be maintained.

Profit-hungry monopolists do not guard their workers effectively. Only the militant action of the trade unions can protect the health of industrial workers in this emergency.  
 
 
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