ruge Four BiG 2) W2O ReKGE RSs | NEWS ‘e- t § November $, if” i B.C. Workers News Published Weekly by ; THE PROLETARIAN PUBLISHING ASSN Room 10. 163 West Hastings Street - Vancouver, B.C. & — Subscription Rates — One Year ______$1.80 altered = 1200 Three Months__3 .50 Single Copy —— -05 Make All Checks Payable to the B.C. WORKERS’ NEWS Send All Copy and Manuscript to the Chairman of the Editorial Board —— Send: All Montes and Letters Per- taining to Advertising and Circulation to the Business Manager. Vancouver, B.C., November 8, 1935 THE CONVICTION OF EMERY The conviction of Ivan Tmery, longshore- men’s leader, brings home to the workers once more the nature and function of capi- talist courts. The Shipping Federation has made full use of the courts, as they have made full use of the police and other instru- ments of the capitalist state to beat the waterfront workers into submission. The Shipping Federation knew that the original charge. “Inciting to riot,” was so completely without basis that they would have difficulty in getting even the most do- cile jury to bring ina conviction. So in order to befuddle the jury they added two more charges — “Counselling an unlawful assem- bly” in the hope that a multiplicity of charges would convince the jury that Emery must be guilty of something. And the plan worked. Acquitted of the most serious charge of “Inciting to riot,” he was found guilty of “counselling an unlawful assembly” with a strong recommendation for mercy. The Shipping Federation thus secured a legal fig-leaf for the police rioting at Ballan- tyne Pier when they attacked peaceful citi- zens, men, women and children, with tear gas, clubs and other weapons. The workers in their struggle for bread for their families and for the right to or- ganize, are showing up, clearer than ever, the role of the courts as agents of the boss class. But the conviction of Emery, like the sentence of three years and five lashes for Squires, will not have the effect sought by the Shipping Federation. The locked-out longshoremen and seamen will stiffen their resistance by closing their ranks, while their heroic struggle and splen- did sacrifices will bring greater support for their cause from all organized workers as well as from people outside organized labor who do not wish to see the Shipping Feder- ation win the first round in their fight to destroy trade unionism on the Pacific Coast. ABOLISH THE SLAVE CAMPS Latest advices from Ottawa disclose that MacKenzie King is going to keep the forced labor camps in operation. During the closing weeks of the federal election campaign the TLiberal candidates were promising the ABO- LITION of the slave camps. But now, all that King is prepared to do is to change the control and administration from one set of departmental bureaucrats to another, from the Department of Nationa] Defense to the Department of Labor. This will not do at all. The youth in these remote concentration camps will not be ap- peased by this trifling change. They want work and decent wages in places where they have an opportunity to live normal lives and enjoy the benefit of social contacts. This latest pronouncement of MacKenzie King on the Slave Camp question shows, if proof were needed, that no reliance can be placed on the promises of capitalist politicians. The inmates of the Slave Camps demonstrated on more than one occasion their ability to or- ganize and protest against the forced labor camps, and to hold up their stinking abomi- nations to the people of Canada. And they will do it again. The Slave Camps are a menace to the standard of living of every worker in the country, and a challenge to the organized labor movement. Greater organization in the camps throughout the whole of Canada and full support from the trade union movement will bring about their complete abolition in spite of the manoeuvering of the shifty Mac- Kenzie King. SMIELLS FISHY The capitalist judges who were appointed to “investigate” the attack by the police on a peaceful meeting of camp trekkers and citizens at Regina on Dominion Day are go- ing to follow the lead given by Judge Davis in his “probe” into the waterfront dispute in British Columbia. It will be remembered that Davis turned the probe into an attack upon the militant unions and their leaders, and thereby ob- secured the real issues involyed. And now, according to press reports, the Saskatchewan judges are coming to Vancouver to “investi- gate” what took place in Regina! Already the capitalist press is referring to the Vic- tory Square meeting as a riot, on the basis of Gerry McGeer’s trying to make it such by reading the Riot Act. And it appears that the judges are going to investigate that day’s occurrance too, as well as all that trans- oired during the time the camp strikers were in Vancouver. This is no way to investigate the Regina occurrance. The judges can find out all about the attack by the police at Regina without leaving Regina. The workers have nothing to hide in connection with the Slave Camp strike, in Vancouver or anywhere else, and they wel- come an exposure of the slave camps; but using a commission appointed for another job will not serve the purpose, and its mess- ing around in other matters is a device for covering up the Regina business. The Slave Camps stand exposed now. The Slave Camp strikes did that most effectively. And although the workers are not repre- sented on the commission, which fact de- stroys confidence in it, nevertheless they will strive to uncover all that has been hid- den in connection with the police attack in Regina and place the responsibility on the police authorities, where it properly belongs. Let the judges stay in Regina and do this job instead of junketting to Vancouver to escape it and palm off another Davis report. THE USE OF SANCTIGNS It is clear from the line of the National Government of Great Britain in the League of Nations and in their whole handling of the situation arising from the aggression of Italian fascism in Africa, that their calling of the elections is for the purpose of securing what they will interpret as a mandate for launching another world war. Fearing Italian expansion in Northern Africa as menacing British domination there they were forced to restrain Mussolini and support theoretically the application of sanc- tions, while negotiating behind the scenes for the partition of Ethiopia amongst the great imperialist powers, including Italy. and, of course, Britain. It is significant that the date set for ap- plying effective sanctions was set for Nov. 15th, twenty-four hours after the British elections. Meanwhile the government poses as striving for world peace, while making ex- tensive preparations for war. The conquest and rape of Ethiopia by Italy would be a victory for world facism. The use of sanctions against the Mussolini adventure is justified on every count, not the least of which is that a victory for Mussolini in Africa would so strengthen Fascism that Hitler would be encouraged to make his long- planned attack against the Soviet Union. The great danger is that under the pre- tense of restraining Mussolini, Britain will engage in an imperialist war of conquest and for a redivision of the colonial world. In such a situation the capitalists of Canada would seek to brings about Canadian partici- pation. And this is what all who are opposed to imperialist war must prevent. In the meantime every effort must be made to assist Ethiopia in her life and death struggle against the fascist hordes. Not a ship should be loaded in Canadian ports with material destined for Italy. Already such ships have been sent away empty from Se- attle and other American ports. The same must be done here. ARMISTICE DAY WAR-MORGERING Great preparations are being made for the annual mummeries around the cenotaphs that are scattered over the country. Under cover of mourning the soldier dead, the war- mongerers and their agents make use of Armistice Day to whip up war hysteria, jingoism, and te prepare the new generation for the war that is in the making. While the elaborate hypocrisy is going on, returned men who have been thrown on the industrial scrap heap and are clubbed, arrested and sent to prison because they do not quietly submit to starvation, will realize just how much those scoundrels who stage these shows care for those who died in the last great imperialist war. The striker, Bill Squires, who performed great deeds of valor on the field of battle, and who because of his loyalty to his fellow locked-out longshoremen was sentenced to three years and five lashes on his bare back, will know what it all means. And so will the scores of returned soldier workers who are rotting in the prisons of Canada because of their labor activities. The war-mongernig of “remembrance” day is an insult and a challenge to all people who are suffering from the lash of hunger and terror, and who are opposed to war; and the answre to it is to strengthen the anti- war, anti-fascism forces by building the or- ganization of all peace-loving people to frus- trate the plans of the oppressors of mankind to find a solution of the economic crisis in a welter of blood. BOYCOTT NAZI OLYMPIC GAMES By MAX ROWE The Olympic Games, scheduled to take place in Berlin, Germany, in 1936, has become an issue between progressive ideas on the one hand vs. Fascism, the murderous regime of finance-capital. which has brought extreme suffering, racial discrimina- tion and misery upon the German people; and which has smashed all of the workers’ unions. Olympic Games have been a great tradition through many decades, or- ganized by Baronet de Coubertin, for the purpose of furthering amateur sportsmanship and deyeloping inter- national friendship. Progressive people throughout the world have organized such a tre- mendous campaign for the removal of the games to a more democratic country (France, ete.) that Herr Hit- ler and his sane of Fascist cut- throats have been forced to run for cover. Hitler Covers Up Latest reports indicate that the “RMeuhrer’ has brought farword two Jewish girls to participate in the Olympics, and is proceeding to dec- orate his show windows with them in an attempt to thrwart the tre- mendous pressure that is being ex- erted by sportsmen and anti-fascists throughout the world. The recent stand of the Trades and Labor Council in Vancouver calling for the boycott of the sames, if held in Germany, iS very commendabie iS and should act as a stimulus to trade unionists, professional, middle-class and working people to follow their example. Leading sports figures, such Eva Dawes, Canadian women’s high jump champion; Hal Straight, sports writer of the Vancouver *‘Sun,’ and hundreds of others, have expressed themselves as against Canadian par- ticipation. as Transfer of the Olympic Games from Nazi Germany to a2 more demo- cratic country will be a tremendous vietory of the anti-fascist forces against the reactionary forces. The campaign must be inereased a hundred-fold. The World Olympic Games must not take place in Fasc- ist Germany. Send all protests to the Secretariat du GC.I0:., “Mon Repos,’’ Lausanne. Switzerland, Burope. GERR Y’S CRIME CLEAN-UP ——— x | t]]}}H=22ZZ-eA BY a = NE Vii VEL News item in Wancouver Press last week: “Police received re- ports of ten burglaries and twenty thefts last Monday night.” War Preparations And Armistice Day By F. BIGGS The approaching feneral election in Great Britain is definitely a war election. Prime Minister Baldwin has clearly stated he wants a mandate from the people to bring the Em - pire’s defences up-to-date. The British war machine was up- to-date in 1914, and it is today. It is always up-to-date. What Baldwin, agent of British Imperialism, wants is to be returned to power with so great a parliamentary majority that when the time comes to loose the Goes of war there will be little or no opposition in parliament, and on the surface, at least, the people will ap- pear to be united in support of war, And, as in 1914, an Empire war im- Glies Canadian participation. Ample Kunds for War August 4. 1914, found Canada in “ depression with unemployed de monstratine for relief in a number of industrial centres. The govern ment said it couldn’t afford relief and passed the buck to the munici- palities. Yet its first acts after Gritain declared war on Germany were to vote millions for war pur- poses and to buy from the rich mill- ine companies one million bags of flour, the bags being marked: “Can- ada’s 2ift to the Motherland.” In six weeks 35,000 men had been assembled at Valcartier camp, put through a course of training and transported to the war zone. There followed a prodigality of reckless spending by the government previ- eusly unequalled in the country’s history. There was a mad scramble by political heelers for war con- tracts for everything from baled hay for horses to munitions for guns. Use Found for Jobless The unemployed were eradually Put into uniforms or overalls, and the reformist labor leaders called for 4H suspension of the class struggle for the war period. Not only women but children were exploited in war industries. The only limit to the bours of the work day was a man’s endurance. Wages went up—so did the cost of living. Many workers thought that when the war prosperity ended it would be turned into a Ions period of steady work and wages in rebuilding the war devastation in other countries. but the capitalist government knew better, It knew that machinery had de- veloped so rapidly during the wa that never asain would so many workers be required to carry on capitalist production. To keep the demobilized soldiers quiet for awhile if Save them a cash post-war era- tuity, and started a campaign to “re-establish” them on farms far away from industrial centres. _ To keep unemployment from srow- ins _too-rapidly it advanced large Joams to Greece and Rumania to buy Canadian textiles. Post-War Repression These efforts were only partly successful, and when the great general strike occured in Winnipeg, July, 1919, the government Iost not a mioment in taking steps to defeat it. The greatest Canadian strike was met with the greatest severity, R-C.M.P.'s patrolled the streets, workers were shot, the Citizen's League was formed, and the in- famous Section 98 was rushed through parliament. The repressive measures used by the government reflected and cor- responded to the degree of fear the cupitalists had of united labor, right after the war. The ‘‘good old days” of peace and tranquility prior to 1914 have gone forever. In the years that have pass- ed since the armistice labor has been forced to conduct a sort of guerilla warfare against its intemal enemy for the right to organize unions, for decent wages and conditions. for un- employment relief. The strikes of the Nova Scotia coal miners, the coal miners of Mstevan, the factory work- ers of Stratford, the lumberjacks of Ontario and Quebec—all these struggles were met by armed forces of troops and police. by clubbings and beatings, by arrests and im- prisonments. New Terrors for Peonle In 1935 the threat of a new worid War is present, a war far more dead- ly than the last, a war when clouds of air machines will rain down fire. 2as and disease germs upon unpro- tected people. These air fleets will resemble inverted volcanoes in des- tructiveness. They will be worse. for a voleano is a blind force Whereas air raids are carefully premeditated and planned. Another world war will brine other terrors for the people. To carry on the war the capitalist Glass would