INTERVIEW. WITH MARIE-CLAUDE VAILLANT-COUTURIER

Women throughout world prepare
for Copenhagen congress in June

ALREADY women from far-
distant parts of the earth have
left their homes to begin the
long journey to the World Con-
gress of Women, which is taking
place from June 5 to 10 in Cop-
enhagen.

This Congress of Women is be-
ing organized by the Wonten’s
International Democratic Feder-
ation, although very many dele-
gates are expected who have no
direct connection with it.

Recently Marie-Claude Vail-
lant-Couturier, general secretary
of the WIDF, which has its head-
quarters in Berlin since the
French government order it to
leave Paris, told me somethi
about the aims and support of
the congress. :

Marie-Claude Vaillant-Coutur-
ier, slim, pale, self-effacing, quiet-
spoken, is one of the great her-
oines of the French Resistance.

She was one of a group of 230
Frenchwomen handed over to the
Gestapo by Petain and sent to
Auschwitz concentration camp.

She was one of the 47 who
survived, and at the Nuremberg
trial of war criminals she de-
scribed how the others died, un-
der torture or ‘in the gas cham-
bers.

Yet today, Mme. Vaillant-
Couturier has chosen to live in
Berlin, devoting her life to the
international work of mobilising

the women of the world for peace
and the defense of their child-
ren.

I cannot help contrasting this

‘true spirit of internationalism

with the sort of bogus appeals
one hears from those who try
to cover up the rearming of the
Nazis with phrases about “ceas-
ing to hate the Germans.”
+ Keke :

OVER 70 countries -have al-
ready agreed to support the Co-
penhagen congress, said Mme.
Vaillant-Couturier.

“We are the largest and most
representative women’s organiz-

_ ation in the world.

“At Copenhagen the women
will discuss the defense of their
rights, as women, as mothers,
as workers and as citizens, the
four points of the Women’s Char-
ter which we celebrate on Inter-
national Women’s Day.

“But all these things are en-
tirely bound up with world
peace,” Mme. Vaillant-Couturier
pointed out. “Without peace, wo-
men’s rights in all sphere are
endangered.”

Growing unemployment in

many countries, she pointed out,
is making it more and more dif-
ficult for women to find work.
More and more married wo-
men who need to work to make

ends meet are now finding it
impossible to do so, through the
closing of day nurseries for their
little ones.

So far from equal pay coming
nearer, it is slipping farther
away with every increase in sal-
aries, which widens the gap be-
tween men’s and women’s wages.

This congress is to be a meet-
ing place for women from coun-
tries where they have complete
equality, and from those where
they have barely the right to
, breathe.

And Mme. Vaillant-Couturier
pointed out what tremendous de-
velopments there have been in
the last five years among the
women of some of these “back-
ward” countries.

She went on to speak of the
struggles for peace: “We know
that the peoples of the world,
both men and women, want
peace with all their hearts.”

“But I think mothers look up-
on war in a special way. They
cannot bear the cruel waste of
human life that war involves,
the senseless destruction. Wo-
men exist to give life, not to take
it away.” “

This World Congress of Wo-
men will express that feeling,

in every langauge.
—PHYLLIS ROSNER

PACIFIC TRIBUNE |
SMORGASBORD - DANCE

SATURDAY, MAY 16

_ HASTINGS AUDITORIUM
(828 E. HASTINGS ST. )

6:30 p.m.

First smorgasbord sitting will be
for Press Builders and Honor Press
Builders at 6.30 p.m. and Pacific
Tribune editor Tom McEwen will pres-
ent special awards to leading press
workers.

p. Mm. :

hall.

x

After the Press Builders have
eaten, the smorgasbord will continue
for four more hours, from 8 p.m. to
midnight, for all ticket holders. Simul-
taneously there will be dancing to .
Virgil Lane’s orchestra in an adjoining ;

Winners of Crossword Puzzle
Contest will be announced

4

a

Marciano putting Walcott to sleep in their first bout. —

THE

SPORTLIGHT

By BERT WHYTE

This column is written 48 hours before Rocky Marcial
Jersey Joe Walcott shake hands and come out fighting for the mat
weight boxing championship of the world. But by the tie af
readers receive their paper in the mails, the fight will be Me
we'll either have a new champ or else Walcott will have jom
ranks of forgotten men. te 50”

“Marciano will win by a kayo inside eight rounds,” I wt? - an
months ago, and see no reason on the eve of the big pattle to gh
my mind. Could be that Old Joe will change it for me,

ee deh oe ae

A heavyweight title fight is always (in prospect) a SPs Bt
affair, though the record books show some pretty dull fie ton)
when the big fellows clash, one punch can change riné ight 9
witness Walcott’s knockout of Charles, or Rocky’s short hea
stiffened Jersey Joe last time when the old man was well a
points and apparently coasting to victory. \ ful

There have been other occasions when a mighty wal Ay
the tide. Most famous was the time Ruby Bob Fitzsimmons :
James J. Corbett with a wicked left to the belly — the fam son
plexus” punch. That happened March 17, 1897, at ht
Nevada, and you can still see it in flickering newsreel §
was the first heavyweight title bout recorded on filrm boot

Big Jim Jeffries with his incomparable left (the “#
lop”) disposed of Fitzsimmons in 1899, retired undefe?
and returned to the ring July 4, 1910, in an attempt nite Jol
title from Jack Johnson. But he was too old and to0 72" qo
simply played with him, finally put him down for keer the
Jeff from being officially knocked out his seconds threw ©" f)
while he lay sprawled on the floor. : 15 {

Johnson met Jess Willard in Havana, Cuba, 1 19 7 26.10
broiling sun they punched and pummeleld each other xy ropes
At the end of the 25th frame Johnson leaned over * ckly
spoke to his wife who had a ringside seat. She got UP _ gank ©
left the arena. Then the champ took a right to the chins * pis’
floor and stretched out on his back, one hand thrown # aida J
head as if to shield his eyes from the sun’s glare. He do
until the referee reached “ten.” Was he really knock’
he sell the title to Willard? Perhaps we’ll never kno the i

Jack Dempsey, lean and hungry after years of riding nes ‘i
smashed the 245-pound Willard to the canvas seve™ bios I
opening round of their championship match at Toled’s d oper?
1919, but couldn’t put him away. As the second Ads oad |
battered, bleary-eyed champ almost tore Dempsey § which
terrific right uppercut, the same kind of a punch wi psey

ke

an unknown battler named Bull Young in 1914. D
and went on to win (Willard refused to come ¥
round) but he said years later that the uppercut
was the hardest blow he ever received in his life.

For sheer thrills, the Dempsey-Firpo battle
has never been topped. Coming off the floor after
downs, and seemingly a beaten fighter, the shag9Y
Pampas swung a right that lifted Dempsey clear”
Sports writers helped shove him back, but a good =i,
won title for Firpo, for Jack was out of action 4 fu
the next round the Manassa Mauler reduced the 9

Sloshing around in the rain at Philadelphia in 1 sf
outpointed Dempsey in 10 rounds. But the next ye
to regain the crown, Dempsey sat Tunney 0n
Field, Chicago, for 14 seconds. Because Jack re
farthest corner of the right when the count st
Barry picked up the timekeeper’s count at “five
“one” and Tunney was saved. He rose at Barry s
on his bicycle. Dempsey was too tired to ca

Jolting Joe Louis, one of the greatest hea )
reached his peak the night he pulverized Max SC”) that 0
Uhlan, in half a round. No ring fan will ever fo e
PACIFIC TRIBUNE — MAY 15 }

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