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Woodwards and
the cold war

“John Doe,” Haney, B.C.
writes: According to the local
press of Thursday, June 2nd,
three Soviet girls from a visiting
research ship were caught shop-
lifting at Woodwards. Wood-
wards, according to the report,
did not charge them, but, some-
how, contrary to policy, the story
leaked out to the press, And,
although the Soviet girls were
not formally charged, the fact
that they were of a certain na-
tionality (again contrary to Wood-
wards’ policy) was published in
the papers,

We are not in full possession
of all the details, but the whole
story reeks distinctly of a “cold
war” anti-Soviet stunt with Wood-
wards retailing this poor and
shopworn merchandise.

It has been obvious for some
time that the present government
in Ottawa has become rather

’ frightened by the easing of ten-

Sion and the development of
friendly relationship between the
Canadian and Soviet people. Vis-
iting Soviet cultural groups who
have toured this country and the
benefit which Canada has derived
from wheat sales to the Soviet
Union, (Woodwards indirectly has
had a good share) have convinced
many Canadians that it is far
better for all of us to have
normal relations with the Soviet
People, Not so withour inspiring
government in Ottawa who have
decided to keep the cold war going
with anti-Soviet and phony spy
campaigns,

i According to the press story,
a Woodwards security branch
Spokesman refused to identify
the three women, but he said,
they walked through about four
departments picking up cheap

novelty items such as trinkets, |

costume jewellery and other
Small items that caught their
ye. There was one pair of ny-
lons taken, Then a store de-
tective stepped in and took the
three to the store security of-
fice.” The story. 48; of course,
full of holes,

First — according to law, no
Person may be referred to as
a shoplifter by the press, unless
he or she has been found guilty
by a court, According to the local
press, no charges were laid
against these Soviet girls.

Secondly — the alleged inci-
dent, according to thepress, took
Place on May 21, The story was
published on June 2nd, Why was
the story published 12 days
AFTER the alleged incident took
place? _

Thirdly — there are two types
of shoplifters, The spur-of-the-
moment shoplifters and pro-
fessional shoplifters, Profes-
Sional shoplifters steal alone and
In pairs, Spur-of-the-moment
Shoplifters will not steal in the
company of friends, The three
Soviet girls, according to the
press, were from a Soviet Scien-
tific Research Ship. They were
together and it is highly unlikely
that they were professional shop-
lifters,

Fourthly — a person will not
ordinarily be charged with shop-
lifting unless she has taken mer-
chandise, concealed it and at-
tempted to leave the store prem-
1ses without paying, Although the
store may, for its ownprotection
against professional shoplifters,
Pick up and apprehend a person

. people,

who has concealed merchandise
and left a department where the
merchandise was taken without
paying, There was nothing in the
press report which said that the
Soviet girls concealed the mer-
chandise and attempted to leave
the store premises,

Five — if a person who has no
shoplifting record is picked up by
store detectives after leaving
a department without having paid
for the merchandise he or she has

‘Ottawa must aid all Vietnam’

The Canadian Government was
urged last week to follow the
example of the Canadian Red
Cross Society and immediately
extend medical aid to all areas
of Vietnam, including North Viet-
nam and National Liberation
Front areas,

In a letter from the Canadian
Aid for Vietnam Civilians, signed
by Dr. A.M. Inglis, F.R.C.S. (C),
Chairman, and addressed to
Prime Minister Pearson, Dr.
Inglis says:

taken and is apprehended, such a —

person would not ordinarily be
turned over to the police. This
is especially true when visitors
are involved,

Visitors from other countries
may not be familiar with our

local shopping habits and the |
benefit of the doubt is usually |

extended especially if they have
not concealed the merchandise.

Such visitors may not be aware |

for instance, that they have to
pay in each department for mer-
chandise purchased there. They
may assume that, as long as they
are within the premises of the
store or at least on the same
floor, they can take any item and
pay wherever they want.

In any case, in a courtroom
the accusers might have looked
rather silly, and fair-minded
people in general will take a dim
view of Woodwards’ “new pol-
icy!”

Congratulations

William Stewart, Vancouver,
writes: The Vancouver City
Committee of the Communist
Party instructed me to write
this letter to your paper con-
gratulating you for the excellent
‘celebration concert’ staged by
the Pacific Tribune at the Queen
Elizabeth Theatre to conclude
your Financial Drive.

Members of our party who at-
tended the affair were thrilled
by the entertainment which in
the words of one member “made
you proud to be a Canadian and
part of the working class move-
ment which produces such gen-
uine talent.’’

We hope your paper continues
the tradition of such concerts
which add much to the cultural
life of our city and province,

Early lessons

G.I.C, Vancouver, writes: The
Vietnamese War, the Dominican

‘fracas, and the Bay of Pigs in-

vasion could all have been pre-
vented by a few lessons in breed-
ing given in childhood to the
arrogant sons of the rich back
of these tragedies,

If example and precept were
lacking, 2. strong hand on a bare
extremity in early childhood, ora
birch rod a little later on might
have sufficed to teach these in-
sufferables respect for other
But what can you expect
from parents who themselves
live off the wages they steal
from working men? All their
lives they have pushed honest
people about, and have taught
their children the same callous
disregard for others.

We have to hand it to the
people of the little countries they
are picking on for having more
gumption in fighting back than the
people in the States, who supinely
let themselves be used as slaves
to be sent out to kill and be kille4
at the behest of the arrogant rich,

» vite

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“In view of the recognition
by the Canadian Red Cross So-
ciety and the International Com-
mittee of the Red Cross in Gen-
eva, that medical aid is most
urgently needed in the NLF areas
and North Vietnam, as wellas the
areas under the control of the
Saigon Government, Canadian Aid
for Vietnam Civilians again urges
immediate consideration by the
Government of Canada of the pro-
posal made inour earlier letter.”

The Canadian Aid for Vietnam
Civilians wrote Prime Minister
Pearson May 19th, 1966, urging
that the Federal Government
double its appropriations for
medical aid to Vietnam and that
the aid be distributed “according
to population and need in the three
areas of Vietnam.” Dr. Inglis’

recent letter states that ‘‘silence
a 2

by the Government in face of the

growing needs of the people of

Vietnam cannot be condoned,”

The Canadian Aid for Vietnam
Civilians’ bulletin reports that
contributions are now over
$8,000. Of this amount, $3,000
in cash has been divided equally
between North Vietnam and the
N.L.F., $2,000 in drugs is now
on its way, and another $1,000
to each of these will be for-
warded shortly. The group has
also sent $200 to the International
Committee of the Red Cross in
Geneva for distribution in ham-
lets in areas held by the Saigon
government,

Contributions to the committee
should be sent to: Canadian Aid

for Vietnam Civilians, P.O. Box’

2543, Vancouver 3, B.C.

757 E. Hastings St.

Canada Day Greetings

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July 2, 1966—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 11

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