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‘Fight is in critical period’
Speaker outlines Ethiopian power struggle
By BILL LUTZ
Of the Emerald
Despite the media represen
tation of Ethiopia, citizens of
that country have entered "the
most critical period in its strug
gle for democracy," said Sol
omon Gebru, chairman of the
Ethiopian Students' Union in
North America.
Speaking on the present
situation in Ethiopia at an event
sponsored by the Oregon stu
dents' union and the Foreign
Students Organization, Sol
omon described the political
struggle now taking place bet
ween the Ethiopian people and
the military junta which seized
power in February 1974.
"Never before has there
been such an extensive and
V.
nationwide movement of mill
ions of workers, peasants and
students,” Solomon said.
The reasons for this mass
upsurge, he said, were the
conditions of famine, poor
health care, low life expec
tancy and lack of education
combined with the repressive
policies of the military junta.
Solomon outlined the events
of February 1974 when HaiHie
Sellassie's government,
paralyzed by the conditions in
Ethiopia, was toppled. A milit
ary junta then seized power.
Since that time conditions
have not changed for the bet
ter, he said.
Solomon said that while the
junta gave minimal signs of re
form, the peasants are still liv
ing under feudalists oppres
sion, workers in the cities still
face the same conditions of
poverty and the struggles for
independence are still heavily
repressed.
The junta is in close alliance
with U S. imperialism, said
Solomon, and for this reason it
was able to seize and hold
power.
“Ethiopia is essential to the
U.S. presence in the Middle
East and Africa," he said.
Communications bases in
Ethiopia are used to coordinate
the U.S. military in the Mediter
ranean and in the Indian
Ocean with events in the Mid
dle East and Africa.
Solomon also pointed out
that Eritrea and Ethiopia lie at
the southern end of the Red
Sea directly across from the
People’s Democratic Republic
of Yemen. This means
Ethiopia could close the south
ern entrance to the Suez canal.
According to Solomon, after
the junta seized power from the
Ethiopian government, the
Ethiopian People’s Revolutio
nary Party (E.P.R.P.) emerged
from clandestine activity to
lead the worker-peasant
movement.
Solomon said the Ethiopian
populace wholeheartedly ac
cept the leadership of E.P.R.P.
On September 30,1975, the
junta declared a state of
emergency in reaction to
strikes and demonstrations
and the heightening of the
armed struggle.
This emergency decree,
said Solomon, gives the re
gime open dictatorial power,
heightening the atrocities
against the Ethiopian people.
Solomon said the Ethiopian
revolution is not aimed only at
the national task of indepen
dence, but also the interna
tional task of helping defeat
neo-colonial domination in Af
rica and the Middle East.
“For this reason," said Sol
omon, “we are convinced our
struggle will receive resolute
support from progressive and
freedom-loving people the
world over.”
Groener expects trouble
from ‘no-growth policy’
The secretary of state should
play a leadership role in the state
governmental system, says State
Sen. Dick Groener, candidate for
the secretary's position.
Groener spoke at a fund-raising
function in the Eugene Hotel
Wednesday as a part of his cam
paign for the Secretary of State.
Groener, a Democrat who rep
resents Clackamas County in the
Oregon legislature, has served
eight years in the House and 10
years in the Senate
Groener feels me most impor
tant problem facing Oregonians in
the future will be a lack of jobs. He
believes that industry in the state
is "held up by well-meaning en
vironmentalists.” He adds that
some persons in Oregon pursue a
"no-growth policy," which he sees
as a danger to the future of the
state. Citing tourism as a clean
industry, Groener says there are
also some people who oppose
this as well as other "clean indus
tries.”
Groener stresses that he is an
environmentalist and adds that he
is against smokestacks." But he
says the 30,000 people who come
into the job market every year
need jobs in such occupations as
construction.
Groener favors land-use plan
ning. He does not favor "the sub
division of agricultural land."
"We should avoid urban
sprawl," says Groener "But at the
same time, we can't lock the doors
of the state." He also believes that
ciearcutting is the only practical
way to log.
He supports nuclear power and
also supports the research and
development of alternative
sources of power such as geo
thermal and solar energy.
Groener feels that he can serve
as a catalyst between labor and
management in the office and aid
in cooperation between the two for
the creation of more jobs in
Oregon.
Bomb threat empties courthouse
A bomb threat brought opera
tions at the county courthouse to a
virtual halt for two hours Wednes
day afternoon
At approximately 12:45 p.m. a
male caller told a receptionist at
the information counter that a
bomb was in the building set to go
off in two hours or less. He said it
had been planted because of al
leged "police brutality ." The caller
did not elaborate, according to the
receptionist.
ODE
!
The building was evacuated al
though some office workers re
mained inside and construction
workers in the Pearl Street addi
tion continued working while
members of the Sheriff’s Office
searched the building.
According to a sheriff's report,
"a complete search of the building
was negative before and during
the evacuation."
The incident is still under inves
tigation.
/Z
DOU3
_ for COUNTY COMMISSIONER ^
The
Steelmakers
plus
Committee lor Solidarity with
the Korean People
Frjday FREE!
7 P.M.
Wright enlists voters’ opinions
"I believe we must limit our ex
pectations of what our govern
ment can do for us," said Gary
Wright, Republican candidate for
District 39, speaking to the Rubi
con meeting Wednesday.
Wright said better use must be
made of public monies. "Too often
we support a group of bureaucrats
and the funds don’t get down to
the people."
He proposed better manage
ment of state revenues by stop
ping duplication of programs and
making programs more account
able for their goals.
Because he is not opposed in
the May primary, Wright said he
has not presented a strong plat
form on the issues He said in
stead, he has been spending most
I
of his time getting to know his con
stituency and their views of the
issues.
However, Wright does take a
strong position on education. He
believes basic school support
from the state should be raised
from 30 per cent to 35 per cent of
funding with 50 per cent as the
eventual goal.
Wright also said that higher
education tuition should remain
the same. He said the present rate
of tuition, which is 20 per cent of
the cost of education, is good but
that with inflation 20 per cent will
be too high.
Although Wright said he sup
ports greater public transporta
tion, he feels the Lane Transit Dis
trict is poorly managed and is not
getting to tne people who really
need it and has overextended it
self.
“We don't need to send a 40
passenger bus to McKenzie
Bridge empty and have it come
back empty.”
Wright also said that now is not
the time to develop mass transit
between Eugene and Portland.
According to Wright, the Land
Conservation and Development
Commission (LCDC) has over
stepped its authority and needs to
be reviewed by the legislature in
the next year.
Wright ended by saying that he
supports an open primary for it
would not favor either Republi
cans or Democrats.
OPENNESS IN GOVERNMENT: Pat Horton is accessible to all
citizens at all times. His attitudes of openness and candor are
unexcelled by other public officials.
RAPE: Pat has pioneered the reform of Oregon rape laws, and
continues to be the rape victim's advocate. He conceived of, and
implemented the Lane Interagency Rape Team.
CONSUMER PROTECTION: Pat is the only District Attorney in the
State to have an active Consumer Protection Division, handling
over 300 complaints per month.
MARIJUANA: Four years ago. Pat promised reform of marijuana
laws —he has kept that promise. Pat Horton's citation program
for incidental users of marijuana has served as a national model
for progressive law enforcement.
paid for by He Elect J PAT HORTON FOR DISTRICT ATTORNEY COMMITTEE
William Flmn Trees 777 High St Eugene Ore 97401
the Emerald