The Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation's Vietnam Exhibition continued its nationwide tour with a visit to Hammersmith Town Hall last week, This was one of a series of events organised by the Hammersmith Vietnam Solidarity Committee. This Committee has received widespread Press publicity recently on account of the support given to it by local Labour Party councillors and officers who are said to be in trouble with the party establishment for lending their names to an organisation which is unambiguously committed to the support of victory for the National Liberation Front, The Exhibition takes no less firm a line, and it is interesting to note that in their publicised sponsorship of the Hammersmith event, the so-called "rebels" were joined by Frida Laski, and by three Labour Party M.P.s, Bill Molloy, John Ryan, and Hugh Jenkins. The response to the Exhibition was encouraging; one leading Town Hall official was heard to remark that it was attracting more visitors in half an hour than the Council's own Art Exhibition attracted in a week. Even the anger of one military-looking Tory councillor could be taken as a compliment to the manner in which the Exhibition's message was going home, His loudly expressed opinion that it was a disgrace for the Town Hall to be utilised for such "propaganda" was echoed by one or two notorious conservatives from the Labour Party, but such sentiments were quite outweighed by the willing help in staffing the exhibition, and in distributing leaflets in the main street, given by many of their colleagues, Donations were generously given - many of them in paper money - and there was a brisk trade at the literature stall. Perhaps the most valuable response of all were the firm proposals made by visiting Labour Party members from two other London Boroughs for the Exhibition to be shown in their own areas, There was also an approach from sympathisers in Plymouth who were visiting London for the weekend and has been attracted to the Exhibition by the Press advertising, In a subsequent issue of The Shepherds Bush Gazette, Councillor Chapman, leader of Hammersmith Council dismissed complaints at the use of the Town mer and ———_ the Council's policy of opening the Hall to all organisations. e e i i i
See a ve even let the Town Hall to the Conservatives, which is
The same paper carried on its front e a four-column i headline: "They're Sick of the Left". alleging that a ee Hammersmith Town Council's Labour Group were moving out "because they are sick and tired of left-wing domination." The article also quotes Tory Alderman Smith as saying, "One prominent member of the Labour Party has told me there are six Trotskyists on Hammersmith Council," The line is a continuation of the one followed by both local n many months, and it is healthy to see that Councillor Chapman age by attacking the Tories, It is a lead which should be followed by those who are obviously more interested in publicly, though usually anonymously attacking the left-wing policies which can give new life to the Party.
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