Mt Lo (i CXe 1 il CG [ts IRB mg tl aap iu l SRB UINE PRIDAY, FEDRUARY 9, 195] CONTINUED FROM PAGE one POLICE STAT cause of political disagreements with pro- Liberal Party. : This is a threat to all Canadians wh views on how to preserve peace, who co ment’s subservience to the Truman who oppose the mad armaments ra¢e nov $5 billion three: "year war progiany independent the govern- »machine, or ship ad The D cadmene will give Viscount Alexander, who is not a Canadian citizen, the power of. deciding wheth- er a Canadian is loyal to his country! This is an example of the way the St. Laurent gov- ernment is establishing the police state—the arbitrary rule of a Canadian capitalist party over the lives and rights of Cankdians. It is doing the bidding of such warmongers as ‘Rhys Sale, president of the Ford Motor Co, of Canada, who in two recent speeches has called—in the name or the armaments profiteers—for the gagging of any Canadian who does not slavishly follow the government’s pro-Truman, pro-MacArthur line, Tf this amendment is passed, a Star Biangier a Liberal Inquisition will loom over your head if you so much as criticize the government’s policies. To fight for the letter and spirit of the UN ee would be’ sufficient grounds for declaring you “disloyal” t Canada. Loyalty and allegiance to « our country demand that the Liberal government's dictatorial threats be nipped in the bud. What Canadians need is not less democracy, but more —set forth in a Bill of Rights, Canadians, stand on guard for your right to speak your mind! As independent men and women, refuse to be bul- lied by the government, or placed at the mercy of the governor-general. Compel the government to be loyal to the’ profound desires of thé Canadian people for peace, for friendshig with other peoples, for democraty ! Tell your MP, by wire, letter and resolution, to vote against this fascist police -state legislation! HECK, HE’S NOT CRAZY Just typical U.S. politician - OLYMPIA, Wash.—State Sen. Don Miller was returned to ees State Mental Hospital for the third time in six years and the senate was faced with the problem of filling his vacant seat. The 39-year-old attorney was arrested early Thursday by Olympia police officers after two Canadian soldiers accused the senator of “pulling a knife’’ on them during an argument in a bus depot. : i Miller was taken into custody about five hours after he had appeared at a State Bar Association dinner where he made Goy. Arthur B. Langlie: “wince” and shouted ‘“‘call out the militia—i’s revolution!” Conscription vote ratlroade: rally at Victoria through VICTORL A, B.C. Their carefully planned attempt to represent Victoria public opinion as favoring _ conscription upset by strong opposition from young of the Canadian Legion here hastily adjourned a much meeting this week. The meeting, called by the Legion’s Victoria council to hear Alfred Watts, Do- people in the audience, top officials bally-hooed “preparedness” minion president, was part of the nation-wide campaign to mobilize support for con- scription and national registration. More steal than steel in bridge that collapsed Purpose of the meeting was to have the audience endorse a resolution support- ing the Legion’s war plan. No doubt Legion officials will’ try to convince MP’s that the meeting did endorse the resolution. The fact was that it was, railroaded through by a standing vote in which the nays were not call- ed. When the chairman, Major General W. W. Foster, tried to claim that the resolution had been unanimously en- dorsed, a young Second World War veteran rose to state that he was opposed to the resolution. Most of the young people in the meeting of 150 also stood up in opposition to the reso- lution. This so alarmed the chair- man that he adjourned the meeting after a few wild remarks about “Russian agents” and without allow- ing any discussion. Two young students who protested to him after the meeting, were told by Gen- eral Foster, “You've got nothing to say that’s worth listening to — you're too’ young to know anything.” (Though he didn’t- appar- ently consider them too young to fight.) Rank-and-file Legionaires were indignant about the treatment of the young peo- ple. Comments were heard on all sides as the audience filed out of the meeting. Said one old Legionaire, “That's the best piece of railroading I’ve seen in 26 years in the Legion. Mind you, I agree with the reso- lution, but it sure was done in a high-handed way.” A group of Second World War Legionaires observed sardonically to the youthful objectors, “These old fellows who voted for the resolution are’ all on pension anyhow, you're the ones who will have to go and do the fight- ing.’ CONTINUED RIGHTS or exercised by or under the domination or control of, any foreign government, foreign or- ganization or foreign . indivi- dual.” ; é Said LDR secretary Thomas Roberts: “We want a Canadian Declaration of Human _ Rights and a Bill of Rights, both pat- terned upon the Universal ‘De- claration of the United Nations.” Last week four spans of the lessis Bridge straddling the St. MONTREAL 2,000 foot, $4,000,000 Dup- lawrence iRiver at Three Rivers collapsed. Four people were killed as their cars plung- ‘ed 50 feet into the icy waters This was the famous bridge erected by the Duplessis govern- ~ ment as a lasting monument to the little Caesar of Quebec poli- tics. It is located in the Premier’s home bailiwick. Duplessis himself inaugurated the bridge in 1948. As he cut the tape, he declared ,with pride, “This bridge is as solid as the policy’ of the Union National government.” At that time rumors were cur- rent in Quebec political circles that “there’s more money than steel in the bridge.” Talk of wholesale graft and -corruption was vife. The bridge was built by Dufresne Construction Com- pany, favored recipient of most provincial governn:en: contracts. On the spot, Duplessis needed an explanation that would halt criticism of his regime. “Sabotage,” he‘ screamed in the Quebec legislature. . “T have the intimate convic- tion that sabotage is involved.” He spoke of “serious suspic- ions and presumptions” that “subversive elements” were at work who-are “interested to in- terrupt, the means of communi- cation ‘particularly between two main. centers.” ‘Confessing that he had only “incompleted information” as to the collapse, Duplessis said, “There is no other way to ex- plain the collapse of the bridge.” Fantastic ag the charges were, the big business press across the country (including the Vancou- ver Sun and the Vancouver Daily Province) blazoned the cry of “Sabotage” across its front pages. But the people of Guehec were not taken in. The Mayor of Three Rivers, at the scene of the tragedy, put his finger’ squarely on it. Said Mayor Mongrain, “No one in Three Rivers believes sabotage had any connection with the disaster. There is nothing to indicate it.” Earlier he had stated his belief that “this col- “lapse of the spans could surely have been avoided.” Maurice Boisvert, MP, who represents the south shore dis- trict served by the’ bridge, de- clared, “They have had trouble with that bridge and there have been charges made about it be- fore. Now the public of Que- bec will demand an_ investiga- tion, and a _ serious investiga- below. tion.” Gui Caron, provincial leader of the Labor-Progressive party; nailed the charges: Said he, “Every citizen of our province knows that scandalous corrup- tion and graft are responsible for the building of bridges which fall down and for the lives - which were lost. By the mon- strous lie which he uttered to- day in the legislature, Premier Duplessis has exposed the true purpose of his anti-communism, which is-to cover up his own misdeed and his crimes against the people of our province.” _At Ottawa Gona Arsenault, — Liberal MP, said that “political — bluffs laid down on sand always lead to collapse or disaster.” He was followed by Leopold Demers who said “There was more sil- ver than steel in the bridge.” CONTINUED BILL draw his Bill in favor of it, he told the Canadian Tribune last week. Interviewed by the Canadian’ Tribune, last week, LaCroix, Liberal MP for Quebec-Mont- morency, said he was ready to withdraw his Bill 8 because he © was convinced the St. Laurent government’s Citizenship Act amendments would serve the same purpose. A number of MPs told the Canadian Tribune that they could not commit themselves un- — til they had seen the govern- ment Bill. They doubted La- Croix’s statement and. felt the government is not prepared tO — “go that far at. this’ time.” H. W. Herridge, MP (CCF) opposed earlier editions of the LaCroix Bill, said that he would continue to do so. terviewed intimated that their attitude, toward the government Bill would be governed by public reaction to it. Some MPs told the Canadian Tribune the government will at- tempt to use the already un- _ democratic ‘Citizenship Act to. hinder and restrict the activities of individuals and organizations fighting for peace and Canadian independence. PACIFIC TRIBUNE — FEBRUARY 9, 1951 — PAGE 12 \ All MPs in-