is heading for bloody defeat in Indochina At his San Thego press conference on the Indochinese debacle it is reporled that Ford's eyes moistened. But his tears were shed not for the American-butchered pour of Indochina but for the coming nemesis of: the corrupt hangers-on who lead the Saigon regime.
He maght well be upsct. Right along the South China Sea coasthne the maor cities of Thien's cowernment have tumbled over like houses of cards in a wind. The ARVN senerals have scurrien away, abandoning their commands and deserting their troops. The puppets have stapzered hack to Saigon, the strings on which their impopuiist masters made them dance having sapped.
In u list desperate throw Ford Las now called for almost 5 1,000 milBons for South Vietnam-bbcluding S 712 in omerponcy military aid. The other S 250 millions be says is neoded for 'humanitarian aid - This hutionary forces is tightening around Saigon. After three decades of bloody entanglement and unmitigated barbarism, imperialism Despair and pessimism is sweeping through the US administration. A bemused Vice President Rockefeller confessed to reporters: "It is really too late to do anything." As President Ford ran away from reportors it seemed as if he was carrying out a sick mimicry of the galloping retreat of his puppet-regime_ in and powerfal military intervention hy the U5 can delay that victory.
The world working class movement Routed 5. Vietnamese troops retreat befor must not permit that to happen. I would be the grossest betrayal if the structing South Vietnamt. Labour and Vietnam. Tony Henn, Secretary for ledustry, has taken up the cudgels for the social con tract whiere right-winger Reg Preatice and fellow "leff" Foot left oft. He has warned the Poet Office that state funds will not be used to subsidise the Corpora tion if it goes alesd with its present pay rise for 200,000 workers-which includes threshold paymments of one per cent for every one per cent increase in tie retail price indes if the cost of living rises by more than 10 per cent this yoar.
Even a suvage cut of 10 per cont in the real value of wages followed by a duesiokl agreement which in no way toweni the fall riso in the cost of living is not good enough fur the Labour Government No, the social contract mwans that Ene wving sandarus or the working people who elected the Lahour Goyernment must he cut even further. while hand-outs totalling thousands of millions of pounds ue given to bankrupt capitalist firme like Ferranti and British Leyland.
As il is, Post Office workers-who auffered a crushing defeat in their seven week strike in early 1971—are one of the most poorly puid groups of workers The increases in "new money" in the curent deal amount to only 90p to £3.10 a wock for postmen and postwomen: 83p to-£2.95 for telephonists; and between t52 and £172 a yoar for couster clerks Similar watnigs on wages and thresholds have heen issued to Beltish Rali, as well as Ascal authwities who will he lacing a demand from the local government workers union NALGO for threshold payments of 60p for every