The present "crisis" over Rhodesia is nothing if not educational. The United Nations has deliberated on both: our Government is Qefy it on both issues. What is left now of the policy of "making the United Nation the cornerstone of British foreign policy"? Why are there two entirely different standards applied?- When a Prime Minister comes here and openly declares his intention of committing "treason" he is asked to change his mind. When the puppet Government of Aden refused to condernm "terrorists" it was dissolved, troops brought in, strikers threatened with imprisonm*nt and people gassed daily in the streets, One is tempted to say that it is merely a question of colour,but this is not the whole explanation. No doubt, if one acts like an imperialist one will have some of the idsological trimmings. Mr. Wilson almost certainly feels more at ease with white Mr. Smith than he would*Btown Mr. Mackawee. However, there is another factor: Mr. Smith is the custodian of up to £200 million of British investments in Rhodesia (Financial Times, October 9th, which says this: is "intertwined with South African and local capital); the poor of the Crater district of Aden have nothing and they might even be tempted to take over British assets to help repay British imperialism's debt to them, Thus we have the possibility of a British Labour Government being involved (and on the wrong side) in two Algeria-type colonial wavs, For let us not kid ourselves: if the Rhodesia crisis results in.war the logical conclusion of Mr, Wilson's position is that he will intervene ‘on the side of law and order to protect British interests." Added to the Malnysian fiasco this could only mern disaster. Disaster for the peoples of Aden and Rhodesia, disaster for the standards of living of the British people, disaster for Labour's image and conscience, and disaster for anyone who failed to fight this policy. Have we learnt nothing from the twenty years since the end of the second world war? The rot must be stopped - we must reverse these pena oes imperialism under the guise of Labour must be fought; the least we is to show in an unmistokable. way, to-thé world, that there is another
ve to British socialism. Labour must leave Aden and impose a one-man,
one-vote solution on Rhodesia: that is the only battle-cry we can have, CONGRATULATIONS ERNIE: Ernie Roberts, one of our original sponsors who is currently on a visit to China, has been re-elected Assistant General Secretary of the A.E.U. by a spanking majority (42,242 to 26,637). Ernie has won his inoreasing popularity with engineers by being a fearless and outspoken champion, under very difficult circumstances, of every progressive campaign in the British labour movement. He is a lesson to all: principles pay off!