PICKETS DEMONSTRATE AT U.S. CONSULATE
. The third federal convention of the New Democratic party, meeting in Toronto in mid July, passed resolutions condemning by an overwhelming vote the U.S. aggression in Vietnam and the Dominican Republic. On July 14, the same day that the resolutions were passed, some 150 delegates out of the 800 present marched from the hall through the ‘streets to the U.S. consulate,
They carried placards bearing such slogans as "Speak Out Against Napalm and Torture"; "Canada Must Cease Support of American War"; "T,C.Douglas [the party's leader] Calls for Right of Vietnam to Determine Its Own Future." A number of placards bore the slogan, "Withdraw U.S. Troops from Vietnam,"
The press noted that the marchers were mostly youth and that they were not accompanied by the party leaders.
At the U.S. consulate, H.W.Herridge, an apple grower who represents the British Columbia riding of Kootenay West, mounted the steps to state the reason for the demonstration, "We represent the wishes of mankind in being here this afternoon," he said,
Midway in his remarks a consular official poked his head out the door and complained to the police who were present that speeches were not permitted on the consulate property.
David Middleton, a former NDP candidate from York West and a_ member of a tendency in the NDP called the "Socialist Caucus," shouted back to the U.S. official: "This is Canada, you yardbird,".
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The elderly Herridge said, according to the press: "This is the first time I have learned that the public entrance to a U.S. consulate is not public." He went ahead and finished his remarks,
Middleton then asked if anyone had a resolution to offer, and someone in the crowd yelled: "I move we nationalize the American — consulate."
The pickets then marched ina circle, carrying their signs and chanting slogans like "Hands Off Viet Nam!
Middleton shouted towards the consulate: "Put your hands in your own pockets, you robbers." me
During the convention deliberations, the Socialist Caucus fought to have the New Democratjc party come out for nationalization of all Canadian industry, They demanded’that the NDP stand firmly on its working-class base and stop: expelling members who hold minority views. ‘
T.C.Douglas called the Socialist Caucus "a bunch of screwballs" whose proposals were not worth answering. He said he doubted that there were more than thirty delegates in the group.
John Steele, a 24-year- -old truck driver who is chairman ‘of the Socialist Caucus, conceded that only a small proportion of the delegates belonged to the group but said that it has strong support among the rank and file. A committee room was opened by the group in a nearby hotel where NDP delegates could come to discuss party questions, .
Despite the depreciation of the group voiced by Douglas, they offered the only effective socialist opposition to the views of. the reformist leadership.
INSECTICIDES