Action on `treaty' front
As the struggle in Spain heats up,
the danger of U.S. intervention,
overt or covert, becomes more acute.
While the "Junta Democratica"
reaches out to the "Plataforma" to
create a solid front against the
rightist terror and for a democratic
Spain, certain foreign forces usually
identified with the CIA are busily
engaged in labeling the "Junta"
communist, and the "Plataforma"
socialist or democratic. Though such
descriptions are by themselves of no
importance inside Spain, they
usually presage a course of active
intervention and the descriptions are
made in order to prepare our
population to accept still another
interference in a "sovereign"
country.
People in this country are dis-
gusted with such acts, not only be-
cause they cost the U.S. taxpayers
hundreds of millions of dollars, but
because our government always
winds up supporting the most
reactionary regimes.
It is against this background that
vets throughout the country together
with those opposed to a continuation
of Francoism without Franco, have
been organizing meetings, speaking
on radio and TV being interviewed,
issuing news releases - in a general
effort to reverse U.S. policy in
Spain. In addition, some vets have
carried out an effective lobby in
Washington.
Here are some of the details:
Saul Wellman organized a series of
meetings in the Detroit area attended
by hundreds of people. He has been
interviewed extensively by the
Detroit Free Press. He has set up a
committee which is prepared to
supply speakers, design and publish
material, distribute the material and
pay for it! They have purchased a
print of "Dreams and Nightmares"
for widespread distribution.
Chicago, too, has its own print in
circulation.
Morris Stamm in Cleveland has
been distributing copies of the
"Spain Transcript" to key people
(see review elsewhere in this issue).
The Boston Globe ran a feature
article on Juan Carlos by Prof.
William Braacch Watson of M.I.T.
The West Coast's activities are
reported elsewhere but their lob-
bying successes are not. "Gabby"
Abe Osheroff and Frieda Wolff have
kept constant pressure on Sen.
Tunney and as a result he introduced
Resolution 295 (now referred to
committee) which demands that any
agreement with Spain be presented
to the Senate for ratification as a
treaty. This would require a two-
thirds vote and extensive hearings.
Further, Sen. Cranston, Sen. Dick
Clark (Iowa) and Sen. Abourezk
(So. Dakota) co-sponsored the
resolution.
Professor William Watson of
M.I.T. and Bill Susman went to the
Capitol on various occasions
speaking with almost every Senator
on the Foreign Affairs Committee or
their administrative assistants. They
were promised support for the treaty
fight by many on the committee.
In New York, Erich Schmidt and
Bill Susman had an hour on WBAI.
Milt Wolf was heard on WNYC.
Newsday carried an interview with
Johnny Gates, Larry Cane and Bill
Susman. Bill also appeared on
NBC's coast-to-coast special on
Spain where he was interviewed by
Edwin Newman.
Congressmen
throughout
the
country are being visited and asked
to vote against any appropriations
for bases in Spain. Senators are
being asked to vote for the
submission of the executive
agreements as a treaty and then to
vote against the treaty.
CALL FOR
JOINT ACTION
A call for joint action by the
Democratic Junta and the Platform
for Democratic Convergence was
addressed to the people of Spain on
Oct. 30. It came as the result of
lengthy negotiations between the
two organizations.
The statement called for "peaceful
political action" designed to bring
about a "Spanish State of a
democratic pluralist character based
on the people's sovereignty."
Categorically rejecting the Juan
Carlos succession as the continua-
tion of the Franco regime, the two
coalitions agreed to take the
necessary political steps to reach the
following objectives:
"1. Immediate release of all
political and labor prisoners and the
return of all exiles.
"2. Recognition. . . of all indi-
vidual rights and political freedoms
in accordance with established
international law, particularly as
regards labor and all political parties
without exception.
"3. Immediate granting of effective
rights and liberties to the various
regions and nationalities and the
establishment of their legitimate
autonomies.
"4. Implementation of a demo-
cratic breakthrough by setting aside
a period for popular consultation
based on universal suffrage to reach
a definitive decision on the form of
the State and the Government."
The proclamation ended by ex-
pressing the "hope that the various
sectors in the country will realize the
importance and urgency of a
democratic alternative and will
cooperate, each in its own way, to
assure the peaceful coexistence and
progress of all citizens and people of
Spain
"To this end the Junta and
Plataforma will maintain continuous
contact to coordinate their efforts."
