Poland: Baiting the Soviet Bear

Solidarity calls for more union freedom around the bloc

It began innocuously enough with three days of mind-numbing procedural debates and dreary readings of committee reports, all about as interesting as the minutes of the last PTA meeting. But on its fourth day, the national congress of the in dependent Solidarity union federation suddenly erupted into a full-fledged political convention, complete with floor fights, rousing speeches and foot-stomping ovations. Before the 892 delegates had finished their work late last week, they fired off a volley of provocative resolutions that struck at the very heart of Communist authority— both at home...

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