Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - October 17, 1973, Winnipeg, Manitoba Printed and published daily except sunday by the Winnipeg free press company limited 300 Carllon Street Winnipeg Manitoba. R. S. Malone publisher and editor in chief Peter Mclintock Maurice Western executive. Editor Ottawa editor r. H. Shelford general manager Winnipeg free press Western Canada s National newspaper Winnipeg wednesday october 17, 1973 freed Opi of Trade Liberty of religion Equality of civil rights beggar thy neighbor in the on setting Oil crisis every european country has already ranged itself against the United states. Spain Italy and Austria have imposed a ban on exports which implies the immediate Cut off of the tons of heating fuel shipped each month from Italy to the United states. The German and dutch governments Are about to take similar measures again with detrimental consequences for the United states which buys substantial quantities of the refined product in Europe. Meanwhile All european countries Are ready to introduce Oil rationing that at the beginning at least will largely hit the private Motorist. Britain which obtains 66 per cent of her Oil from Middle East sources has Al ready printed ration cards and prepared regulations that will be implemented the moment. King Faisal decides to turn off the tap. Austria has banned Sale of Gas Oline into containers to prevent hoarding. Meanwhile in the United states the situation May be somewhat less critical in that Only a Small proportion of american Oil consumption now comes from Arab countries. The Arab Oil leverage on United states poli cies is therefore somewhat exaggerated but the arabs could bring Western Europe to a halt and thus gravely damage not Only Western cohesion but also the Ameri can Economy. This indeed May be the Long Range aim of soviet policy but to carry it through the soviets and their Arab co belligerents need the co operation of King Fai Sal and of the persian Gulf Emir All of whom a strongly developed sense of survival. They Are Well aware that any instability within their countries would Only serve Radical elements particularly in their armed forces. Moreover if the War lasts much longer the egyptians too will need a infusion of funds. The egyptian press has already called on the Oil Rich Arab countries to give Egypt a billion dollars. To do so the Oil has to continue to flow and there is thus a possibility that even if the arabs should decide to turn off the taps they will be forced to turn them on again. In Western Europe the Oil situation has been described As serious rather than critic an d the Industrial nations have sufficient reserves for up to three months. By a Quick introduction of Raj toning these reserves would be made to last longer and meanwhile supplies from Venezuela Iran Nigeria and Indonesia could be stepped up. Boycott is a double edged weapon and Oil producing countries know it. Its use will Only Spur on the Western countries to secure alternate supplies and to rely on other Energy sources Germany for instance recently closed a Deal with Iran for a pipeline that will carry iranian natural Gas direct to Germany by passing the soviet Union. Nonetheless popular pressures in the Arab coun tries might be hard to withstand even by the dour sheikhs an d there might not be much private motoring in the West next Winter while thermostats will have to be kept rigorously at a level that should the Winter be severe might be distinctly uncomfortable. Quid pro quo nato and Oil no need for embargo Canadian livestock producers Are apparently caught in a bind Between High feed grains prices a sudden influx of imported american cattle. The result has been a suggestion from a traditionally Independent gr6up that government step in with some controls. No complaints seem to be about higher costs of production through higher feed grains prices. The cattlemen appear willing to let the Grain producer have his Day of the Grain mar Ket. But they Are concerned that their higher production costs May make it impossible to Cope with cheaper american cattle coming on to the Canadian Market. Until september of this year. Imports of american cattle into Canada totalled animals. Last year the total was animals. But by the end of september this year animals had been shipped into Canada from the United states compared with a year earlier. The sudden influx of american animals coincides not surprisingly to the lifting of Price ceilings on beef in the . And the flow has gone on now for about a month. American feeders Are taking advantage of their Over Supply and of slightly higher five to six cents a Pound prices in Canada. The situation is a temporarily grave one for the Ca Nadian feeder who cannot compete on this basis. But outcries for an embargo on the import of . Animals May not be the answer. In times of Over Supply in Canada the Canadian feeder can ship South just As the american feeder is now doing in reverse. To place an embargo on american imports would open the door for the . To do the same thing in another situation and the . Seems of late to have become somewhat embargo Happy. It must also be asked How Long the present situation will last. Cattle do not exist in infinite numbers in the and cattle prices tend to fluctuate wildly. It May easily be that in two weeks time when the american consumer has used up the beef he hoarded a be months ago american prices will Rise to the level o Canadian ones and the Supply of american cattle int Canada will dwindle to former Levels. In the meantime if the Federal government has acceded to the panic in the livestock Industry a precedent will have been be that cattlemen will have to Deal with from then on rather than tamper with the Market in an Effort t achieve some Short term function of ameliorating wha is a temporary situation the government might consider dealing with the problem at its source. The source is the Canadian cattleman himself. The government Steps in to a Market situation inevitable confusion reigns in the marketplace. But go Vernnen can and should if it becomes apparent that it is impossible for the Canadian feeder to ride out the Curren wave of imports step in with some Type of direct assistance to the cattlemen. Interest free Loans migh achieve some effective Aid to a cattleman who is currently producing beef with Only crossed fingers and sense of patriotism to keep him going. But it is equal possible that he May get through the current crisis with out the need for government Aid. Should it be found i the next few weeks that the panic has subsided an there w As no need for any government intervention All surely the traditionally Independent free Marke favouring cattlemen would find themselves regretting the Day they asked the government to step in. Once a Ern ment Steps in it is difficult to get it out again. Soviet designs in the Middle East the sudden and. Violent renewal of fighting in be Middle East which was ared in the private coun is of Many Western Capi tals for the past six months As raised matters of con Ern that touch Fai beyond be boundaries and s neighbouring Arab states. Unlike the 1967 conflict be present Campaign is not imply a blow of retaliation or is it designed to secure Uffer. Areas for Border pro Section. Far greater and lore significant objectives re considered to be in olved As the War escalates lore planes tanks and artillery Are being used and More Arab states Are be 0 m i n g involved largely Ith the encouragement and support of soviet arms nor an it be overlooked that the resent outbreak occurred Hen the United states was cing a temporary but critic Al period of Oil shortages. Concurrently the after math of the Vietnam War As in the ., seen a deep Public reaction against All 01 reign military involve ment. Headed by senator like Mansfield and other powerful politicians there is growing demand to bring forces Home from Europe. In recent months when leadership w a s desperately heeded in the the Western halons in matters of world Rade problems of the Mon Market nato plan Ning and currency Reform the tragedy of watergate api Robed the energies of Wash Rig ton and crippled the of fice of the presidency. In Light of these factors the Middle East conflict comes r was precipitated at a most unfortunate period for the Western world. Now that Moscow has Penly declared its support of the Arab states and begun a massive Airlift of military supplies the . Has been Oreed. Ito try to preserve some balance in the conflict y countering soviet ship ments with Large shipments of . Military supplies to Israel to prevent an Israel defeat. It is now Clear that any settlement or return to each will not be decided in irely by the countries directly engaged in the fight no. Obviously the super Powers will have a major o i c e in any cease fire agreement. Indeed they will Likely be the deciding voices f peace is to be restored Short of an East West show Down or confrontation. While the Western world including Japan cannot of Ord to be Cut off from. Mid dle East Oil and the Remote possibility exists that no Lear weapons might be pm in eyed in an act of Desperak Ion few would forecast that either the .s.r. Or the . Would allow the conflict o get entirely out of control and so precipitate another world War. On this Assumption one must ask what larger soviet motives could be served by heir present stance or what reasons the Kremlin would Lave for its systematic Arm ing of the Arab states in re tent months. From czarist Days on Russia has had ambitions to dominate the Middle East and since the world War has pursued a deliberate program of mra sment of the . Both in Europe and Asia. A More specific question is what particular s o y i e t purpose could be served at this Par ocular time As without rus Sian help Egypt and Syria could and would not have ventured on the present conflict. By r. S. Make As Early As last july political leaders and military men in Europe expressed to this writer the private View that in its Effort to secure concessions from the West reductions in nato forces in Europe some withdrawal of . Troops and a stronger hand in Western Europe Russia might be tempted to use the Middle East As bargaining cards. Publicly the preaching detente and arms limitations with the West which fitted exactly the mood and o the american Public. Pres id ent Nixon was under heavy pressure at Home politically. Voices in Congress called for troop pull outs in nato and from other Over seas bases. Many americans wished to see Washington abandon its role of world policeman. The time certainly was Ripe for some soviet Initia Tive to bring More pressure on the . And its Western allies to further the rus a sians program of detente and weakening of nato. In Short could the reduction of nato strength be the Price if settlement in the Middle East Many times during a european visit last july the Ivr iter was asked How will the . Act if War Breaks out in the Middle East and America s Middle East Oil supplies Are shut off to see this matter in wider one must re View recent soviet policies and strategy As Well As major political changes on the world scene As they affect the in Asia there is the continuing bitter rift Between Russia and China with the after growing in Industrial and military strength. China s military strength is concentrated at the moment on her Border with the she is now Well advanced with a second generation of nuclear weapons known to have tested longer Range rockets. She is strengthening her ties with the Western nations and has been admitted to the in. Despite soviet negotiations supposedly designed to Lead o it is argued that Russia has not abandoned Are ambitions to Doni Europe but desperately needs a period of stability on her Western front in order to concentrate on her problems in Asia. She is also anxious to see the Suez canal reopened As Egypt has offered to do subject to conditions As this would give her a Shorter sea route to Asia. In a special report in the current Issue of the strategic review journal of the United states strategic Institute soviet objectives Are set out 1 they want to free their hands for the growing opportunities and difficulties that confront them throughout Asia. The soviet Economy finds it increasingly difficult to develop and assimilate the advanced technologies evolved in the West. 3 the soviet autocracy is experiencing increasing difficulty in dominating Eastern Europe control of which has major strategic economic and ideological in 4 most important the relaxation of tensions and of Western precautions in period of detente will enable the soviet authorities to make a major Advance to wards their Long term desire to extend their influence Over the Western half of the european continent. Their goal is to make use of West Ern Europe s great re sources in technology and skilled manpower and also o subtract this vital Indus rial area from the ranks o their potential enemies and rivals. Present conditions Are unfavourable to both spontaneous revolution and military Conquest. Ortance As repeated soviet military interventions there . In the present Middle was conflict it should be realize that neither soviet forces a such Are being risked he Are Russia s Borders Beta threatened whereas the of supplies of the West Are 1 serious jeopardy nato strength in the Pas has held Russia in Check in Western Europe for 25 year and has Given Protection to All nato members. Now when nato support is slip Ping away led by Canada two. Years one mus ask if its future effectiveness will be sacrificed As the Price of an in the Middle East. It May have been forgot ten but when nato a created Canada along wit our allies agreed to participate with the maximum Force it can provide in As Suring the continued Security territories covered b the North Atlantic Organiza Canada played a Leadin role in the creation of nato and Mike Pearson was on of the three Wise men who brought the Alliance into being. It was under the Trudeau government tha Canada failed in its full Obi gation to nato cd Back our military Cummi ment. It can Only be Hope that under the current pres sures of the Middle was president Nixon will not b obliged to follow our Rathe shameful Lead and that can Ada will reassess her pos Tion and responsibilities. T wards collective Security. Betrayal Here then is a postscript to the debate of soviet psychiatry in service of secret police the International psychiatric symposium held at Tbilisi in soviet Georgia ended last week without any of the Western psychiatrists As much As alluding to the behaviour of their soviet remembered words from the silent woman by Ben Jonson still to be neat still to be Dreat As you were going to a feast still to be powdered still perfume d lady it is to be or cum a though Art s hid causes arc not found All is not Sweet All is not sound. Hosts. No Westerner had the courage of a Solzhenitsyn Sakharov or Bukowsky to speak his mind in Public Al though it was stated some Western delegates approached their soviet col leagues in private. The russians then offered the Western delegates a tour of ser sky Institute in mos cow where political dissidents Are alleged to be held but the Western psychiatrists did not seem too keen to take part in this con ducted tour. It was a pretty dismal performance All around and those who once swore the hippocratic oath should consider whether shaking hands with col leagues who wilfully betray All we esteem was Worth the junket wonder if the. Arbs a tarted War this time Ftp Erica i d be preoccupied with no room for optimism a needed reappraisal by Bop ptas Hington late last v Friday night the israe ambassador Simca Dinitz delivered an almost despair g personal message from rime minister Golda Meir. Be message informed pres ent Nixon and Secretary of ate Henry a. Kissinger hat without immediate massive re Supply growing portages in critical military reas would end by driving Rael out of the War. The spectre of Israel s eventual defeat no less truth precipitated the Merican decision to Orga ize the Airlift to Israel an ounces at the state depart sent on monday it was a elated decision. Partly this As because of Overly High opes of diplomatic arrange cents with the soviet Union it above All the delay was aused by the frantic warn nos of the big Oil companies hat serious Aid for Israel Rould impair if not entirely top the flow of Arab Oil to he . The chances Are in truth hat the . Has a mighty old Winter ahead of it ears of a similar Winter Urther caused at least two Merican allies Britain Anc pain to deny the . Land no rights for planes pm 1 o y e d in the Airlift to Srael. Hence c-140 and c 5a transports Are having to go it with far less than Capac to loads because of the eed to carry extra gasoline n place of the ammunition and Many other things tha Srael needs so urgently. I s ironical but it is a fact Bat the Job really could no done in time without the luge c-5a transports the air planes that have 3een somehow transformed into a scandal by the hyperactive anti defence lobby. Because of the c-5as, even skyhawk. Planes Are Bein airlifted to Israel along wit he More Normal Airlift cargo like ammunition of a yes already mentioned o Ivsich the israelis were ge1 ing horribly Short. Phantom fighters Are being flown t Israel direct with air refuelling and flown than god in consider Abl numbers. Tank replacement Are the great difficulty by Are going by sea fron Europe. At the moment when the . Decision was the israelis had in fact los about one third of their in ire inventory of 488 Militar aircraft. They had lost Ove i third of their tanks in certain ammunition Ca Gories Only a few Days o Supply were still in hand. In Short there was no Eagger a t i o n in prime minister Weir s message. All the foregoing fact Point to the inescapable con illusion that for several i e r e n t reasons including concealment in both Jerusa pm and Tel Aviv Jar too optimistic a View of the Ourse of the War has been propagated in the . This e p o r t e r was among the ver optimists. Now that the Eal situation has been in overed at last another Gen ral review of that situation s thus in order. The worst of Israel s sup ply problems will be eliminated by the crucial . De Ision taken in response to the Golda Meir message. But that does not insure Srael s eventual Success. In Tead it Only eliminates a actor that might soon have de to Israel s being literally overwhelmed by weight of. Soviet arms and Arab lumbers in the North the syrian army has been decisively Defeated. Yet As these words Are written for Israel in the North still re Mains to be solved. This is mainly because of the iraqis and the jordanians who ook like they re keeping the Northern front Active for a while when Israel really desperately needs to turn to wards the Sinai front. On the Sinai front mean while the need for military miracles by the israelis is even More pressing. They Piave already performed Oneto be sure. When the egyptians made their attempted break out aimed towards the strategically vital Mitra and other passes in the Sinai they had above men on the East Bank the canal with about 800 tanks. The israeli containing Force was no More than men with the rest in proportion. But the major egyptian break out attempt was brilliantly frustrated. For the israelis however going Over to the offensive on the Sinai front will be a far harsher problem. All along the canal the egyptians have organized them selves in phalanges the word used by the israeli staff for bristling mutually protective formations of in Fantry tanks and missiles. Along the canal moreover the egyptians Are also under the umbrella of the great numbers of soviet anti aircraft missiles on the Suez canal s West Bank. No one can course whether or not the israelis will manage to find another of their magnificently bold and original solutions for the problem of those Pha but despite the . Airlift it is still Early Days to allow optimism to set in. Costly Northern roads it should come As no sur failure to move essential prise to provincial govern ment officials that they have Nad to reissue tenders for Manitoba s Northern roads network this year. It should also come As no Surprise that the tenders which have been received Are substantially higher than expected. Last year the government e n t into the Northern Winter Road building Busi Ness. The government acted through the Manitoba Indian brotherhood but it also acted through various de apartments to Supply the orders the equipment and the Money for the new Enterprise. Last year the government made it quite Clear that it was through dealing with the firm it claimed had exercised a monopoly in the Field for too Long. The expense connected with this move has not yet been calculated. Throughout the summer aircraft have been required to Fly material that s h o u-1 d have been moved by tractor train last Winter. The government claims that the weather was against the new Road builders but ignores the fact that similar roads built into Northwestern Ontario by the former monopolistic free Enterprise were in use weeks after the government supervised Manitoba roads disappeared into the Muskeg. There Are Many ways of j hiding the expenditure of government Money. It s pretty certain that Manitoba Hydro and the Manitoba Telephone system Are not going to complain about the supplies into the North Dur ing the freeze up period. Now it would appear that the government is unhappy because the free Enterprise who was Frozen out completely last year has decided not to bid on this year s work. It is also displeased be cause its chosen agent wants More Money to build the network this year and so far has expressed no interest at All in building some parts of the network. When the free Enterprise tendered for Northern Hau Lage delivery was Guaran teed. It Cost More initially out if the weather turned bad or Good As one s occupation the free Enterprise bought or leased the aircraft at expense to deliver the goods. One of the blessings of government Enterprise i s it takes so Long for the accountants to catch up with the decisions. One May lose several million dollars on a decision but the accountants won t disclose the mistake for at least a year maybe two. Manitoban can be sure of one thing. They Are just be ginning to pay for the Deci Sion that put the government into Northern transportation. Today s scripture Render therefore unto cae Sar the things which be Caesars and unto god the things which be god s. Luke birthdays Ronald Tuckwell Winni Peg born ayes Biry Bucks England oct in 1889 ;