No justification for Cuf postal services POSTAL CLERK, Vancouver, B. C.: As a paper that expresses the hopes and desires of working .™men and women for security and Peace, I believe the Pacific Tri- bune is concerned with the an- nouncement by Ottawa that post- al services will be curtailed in the interests of economy, by laying off over a thousand postal clerks . 4nd carriers throughout Canada. This unwarranted act is of vital interest to all Canadian workers. First, because the postal services are not losing money, not dfrop- Ping business but increasing their’ Profits and turnover; and second- ly they are asking fewer men to - do this work. Many carriers, for instance, are now overburdened to the point that extra work will be detrimental to their health. The question arises: Why at this time? i There can only be one answer, that the danger of war is forcing the government to institute econ- _ omy measures so ag to leave more funds for war purposes. This brings up another question: What War? : . We are not at war with anyone at present, but according to the daily press we are about to face attack from the Soviet Union. All the American papers are scream- ing their heads off about this Coming war. Every country dom- inated by American finance and their propaganda follows suit, like a bunch ‘of parrots, some €ven believing that we are at war already, Is there need for this? I don’t believe there is, but firmly believe tht the whole war scare is simp-_ ly the ravings of a very few, Money-mad warmongers who again want to make millions out of war orders, millions out of the death of civilians, of old men and Women behind the lines, of death to new born babes and toddling kiddies killed by a $1000, $2000, $5000, $10,000 or $100,000 bomb. Or Perhaps a $10,000,000 atom bomb Produced by the madmen of Wall Street... .~ Wall Street must have friends ‘in our government to have con- Vinced them that we must curtail Cur postal services. At. this mo- Ment, the clerks are working an hour overtime every day to keep Up with the mails, thus making it a 50 to 52-hour work week. There is no need for this, especi- ally when men are laid off and hundreds are unemployed. | The news might read like this in reverse J. (NUTTALL, North Vancou- Ver, B. C.: Here’s a news story from the State of Reversia: PEKING, China/ Premier Chou En-lai said today that Chinese forces engaged in a war of libera- tion in Mexico had driven the. North Mexicans to the American ‘border and that he had had a Tequest from General Mah Gar ur, prominent Chinese general, for permission to bomb San Diego and possibly Los Angeles if neces- Sary. He said he was considering he request and that he may a8ree to have the Chinese air force drow atom bombs on the “Crowded cities of the U.S. West ty; ~Oast. | The premier also stated that the Chinese ‘Navy- had no inten- tion of giving up Vancouver Is- €8nd as it was being held in the interests of the safety of China (and that, anyway, it originally Ves ! belonged to the North American Indians). : Some senators in the Chinese House demanded that an atom bomb be dropped on London im- mediately as it was obvious that Whitehall was behind the attempt of the Americans to let volunteers go across the Mexican border to fight alongside the Mexicans against the glorious Chinese forces. Meanwhile, at Lake Soo Sess near Shanghai, the home of the United Nations, Chinese diplo- mats are busy organizing attempts to brand the USA as the aggres- sor in the Mexican war. India was threatened with a complete ban on future shipments of food unless Indian delegates voted with the ‘Chinese on this issue, and the smaller nations are being speedily brought into line. Wah Ren Aus- tin is pleased with the results. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Didn't get much ouf of meeting at Pender ‘SUBSCRIBER, Vancouver, B.C.: { read. an advertisement in the Pacific Tribune about a meeting “No War With China,” speaker, Nigel Morgan, LPP provincial. leader. I went to the Pender Au- ditorium on February 11, hoping to hear some things that I had not seen in the daily newspapers or the Pacific Tribune. But no, I did not hear anything that I did not know before. Apart from having a chance to vote for . resolutions of protest (which were very good, in my opinion) I didn’t get much out of the meeting. What YT expect to get at such meetings is more information than I have already gleaned out ,of. thewabor presser: yg oattac Asks labor's help in starting farm union JEANNE TEATHER, Enderby, B.C.: As you have probably no- ; ticed, there has been a sharp in- crease in the price of “farm pro- duce” and if the daily newspapers are handing city readers the kind of “baloney” that the farmers re- ceive in’ the farm papers, one would think that the farmer and | his family make enough to retire and spend the winter in Florida. Well, Mrs. Consumer, we farm- ers dé not receive the same price for our produce as you pay for them. By the time the railway companies, the wholesalers and the retailers deduct their percent+ age, the farmer receives barely enough to pay for the expense of production. | : Both the farmer and consumer are being cheated out of a decent standard of living by the same or ganizations and the only way ‘to fight them is by uniting our forces.. If the farmers can or- ‘ganize into a farm union this will 'be one step in the right direction, for they could then work with trade ‘unions in educating the _workers and farmers. At present the trade unions could help by giving advice and leadership to ‘farmerssin building a farm union in B.C. : Now, if all of our readers did this... J. 0. RIONDEL, B. C.: Find enclosed money order for renew- al.of my sub, and two subs. Wish- ing you every continued success in the publication of the Pacific Tribune, a truly splendid answer and guide to our international and daily problems. Thea 13 Your Dooarfinent Waite What You Pleate. Says U.S. ‘aid’ first mortgage on future D. F. SCOTT, Mitchell Island, B. C.: Allow me to have a little to say on the conduct of the Uni- ted States in Korea and Formosa. As we all know, the U.S, inter- ive sense for everything that is rotten and reactionary it cer- tainly is not being used in the sense that it is generally used. Baseball teams in the U.S. tall themselves Yankees ... are they being derisive? Movies are made about Yanks at Oxford, songs are written about Yanks that are coming, many members of the American public refer to them- selves and their fellow-citizens as Yanks and it is most certainly not meant to be derisive or to point to the rotteness in U. S. so- ciety. When Tom McEwen uses the word, it becomes an epithet. To some people all Italians are “Wops,” all Arabic people “Wogs,” ferred in the civil war in Korea © all Koreans “Gooks,” all English and then forced their satellites to vote their ticket in the United Na- tions. “Limies,” all Negroes “Niggers,” all East Europeans “Bohunks,” all ‘Chinese “Chinks” — and all Using: thelr riset. the U. gs, Americans “Yankees.” Some people “hravely” occupied the Chinese territory in Formosa, which is an act of war. When the Japanese invaded China they did not de- clare war; neither did the Yanks; neither did Hitler in Russia. But these were acts of war all the same. The Yanks also crossed the border of Manchuria and “brave- ly” bombed and killed men, wom- en and children. The ‘Chinese had no warships to hit the Yanks at Formosa, but they waited until the Yanks got hold with this, butwe of course do not. Therefore, when we use such terms as Yankee we must be sure that the meaning we in- tend is understood by. the person or persons to whom we are direct= ing our remarks. In reading Soviet publications I notice they are very _careful about the use of such terms and seldom if ever use them. went through the last New Times ma- gazine from cover to cover and I did not find the word “Yankee” near their border in Korea, then USed once in spite of the fact whipped them and chased them for their lives, in spite of all the powerful U.S. warships and war planes, and all their mass mur- der weapons and bombs. The Germans had the idea they were supermen, the Yanks now think they are super-supermen, but they ran fast when the Chin- ese, whom they looked down on, got after them. Two friends of mine visited me that American imperialism is mentioned in every article. It is interesting to note that in the same issue of the Pacific Tribune in which the column I am com- menting on-appeared, there is arn article on Viet-Nam written by Hong Ha, in which he mentions Americgn imperialism on a num- ber of occasions—but never use the term Yankee once. \ I write this not only because not long ago from Seattle. They 1 find the continual use of this could not understand why the Americans were so hated all over the world, “after giving them so much money.” TI told them that the common people did not re- ceive any benefit from that mo- ney; it was given to their rulers _...to. pay..for. armies and police to keep down the people of those countries. This money is a first mortgage on the countries receiv- ing it. Then these friends of mine saw the light, and they now see how the U.S. rules the United Nations. This reader protests. use of ferm ‘Yankee’ ANTI-IMPERIALIST, Vancou- ver, B. C.: I have been reading Pacific Tribune editor Tom Mc- Ewen’s column in the February 16 issue and I would like to com- ment on the use of the term “Yankee.” ¢ Many people, and quite honest people, complain of the fact that Marxists use terms loosely. We term in the obvious sense that it is being used disturbing, but also because I know that other people are jarred and disturbed by its use. Victoria needs more hospifals, not morgues UNEMPLOYED, Victoria, B.C.: I see by the local papers that Victoria undertakers are “taking their place in the civil defense picture.” ‘ » The story says: “They (the un- dertakers) have arranged to pool funeral coaches, and are making @ survey of other vehicles which could be used for the same pur- pose should the need arise. .. A survey has been completed of buildings that could be used as emergency morgues . Their work is essential in the event of a major bombing attack.” ‘What a bright outlook for the people of Victoria! What we need here is more hospitals and doctors, not morgues and under- are accused of using terms which takers. : é ; to us have one meaning and to many others these same words have a somewhat different mean- ing. In some cases there is some justice in these complaints. In McEwen’'s column he men- tions the fact that at the national _ convention of the Labor-Progress- Spring must be near - our poets are here _ G. N., Vancouver: I hope you can use the enclosed ditty in the ive party, criticism was brought Pacific Tribune press drive: to the delegates’ attention con- cerning the use of the word “Yan- kee.” (He put “criticism” in quotes, which I assume denotes sarcasm). If he read the state- ment in National Affairs Month- ly on this subject from a Vancou- ver professional group, he will find that they are merely asking _ that consideration be given as ‘to whether the of such terms . should be delib@ately fostered. The meaning which the PT .edi- The night is dark and dreary and the hour eight o‘clock And we are out to canvass every house within the block; _ One hand its PT bundle holds, and one a little list (Descendant of the other one, that . never has been missed). “Yours is this side, mine is that,” my quaking partner said, “Pll bet a dime that when we're finished I’ll be way ahead.” tor gives to the term Yankee may' Her confidence rang hollow, and or may not be correct but I do — hold that the meaning given is not so clearly defined and under- stood by the public that we can “use it indiscriminately and expect people to understand our mean- ing. When it is used in a deris- then suddenly I knew That we'd be different people by the time the night was through! The first house loomed in dark- ness and the gate was shuttered fast, ; ‘ ai The bushes reached their branches out to touch me as I passed, A giant dog rose slowly up to greet me, hackles high, I rang the doorbell as he watched with red, suspicious eye. ‘Twas here I got a big surprise; an old man,tottered out Put out his hand to welcome me, his gladness showed no doubt, My explanation was enough, he _ bought a PT straight, He wished me luck upon my way, and left me feeling great! Well, after that, my confidence rose to a dizzy height I finished, all that block, and more before I. quit that night; My partner said that she had a feeling much the same, Our PT’s sold, our lists filled out when checking hour came. That’s how it goes — of unknown things One always fears the worst, It makes me proud to tell you that ‘ The hardest house is first! Things like this give him new lease on life IVAR GUSTAVSON, Cloverdale, B. C.,: Being one of the slaves (workers, farmers, producers) and also one of those so-called “senti- mental old fools,” I feel that I must tell Pacific Tribune editor Tom McEwen now, while he is here with us, that I appreciate his efforts in turning out such an excellent paper. I think Tom’s column just simply great! I hope this little “bouquet” will counter- act some of the “brickbats” com- ing your way. Cash or compliment - we appreciate both F. G. W., Squamish, B. C.: I am very sorry to say.that my sub- scription to our fine paper, the Pacific Tribune, has run out, and left me with no contact with the only paper in B.C. worth reading. Due to being unemployed and other difficulties I can’t enclose my renewal amount. So I hope I wouldn’t be asking too much if you mailed me the PT as usual until next month, when I could bring my renewal money up to date. lies and half-truths about Soviet forces ARTHUR STRATTON, Vancou- ver, B.C.: Among the conglomera- .tion of lies and half-truths and false insinuations against the USSR in Attlee’s note to the Kremlin, is the statement that - Great Britain is forced to re- arm because the USSR maintains huge forces under arms, As of May, 1950, according to E. Shinwell, British minister of war, Russia had 2,800,000 men under arms, or 1.4 percent of ‘the popu- lation. “At the same time Great Britain had 688,000 men under ‘arms, also 1.4 percent of the popu- ; lation, and I believe the number has been increased since then. If” we remember that no one is ‘threatening to start a war against” Great Britain, like the USA is doing against the USSR, and if we consider the huge number of men being called into military ser- wice in the United States, then . the truth ‘begins to emerge. EAST END UT PACIFIC TRIBUNE — MARCH 2, 1951 — PAGE 15