ruge Pour Ber WiOLRUK ERS @ NEWS Wovember 15, 1935 3 BC WorRKERS NEWS Published Weekly by THE PROLETARIAN PUBLISHING ASSN Room 10, 163 West Hastings Street - Vancouver, B.C. & — Subscription Rates — Half Year Single Copy ——_ Make All Checks Payable to the B.C. WORKERS’ NEws Send Ail Copy and Manuscript to the Chairman of the Editorial Board —— Send All Montes and Letters Per- taining to Advertising and Circulation to the Business One Year == $1330 Three Months__$ -50 Manager. sional people being driven onto the length- ening bread-lines. They do not see the gradual withdrawal of civil and democratic rights, the attempts to outlaw trade unions aS in the Regina trials, the enactment of laws of a fascist character and the steady growth of fascist organ- izations 1.00 League.” -O5 = Vancouver, B.C., November 15, 1935 THE UNITED FRONT In the “Commonwealth,” paper of last week’s issue there appeared on the back page three very interesting stories One told of great working class gains in the federal elections in Switzerland which were made possible by a united-front agreement between the Com- of political developments. munist and Socialist parties. Another told of a united front agreement between the Communist and Socialist parties in Austria, under which a common policy for fighting reaction was arrived at. The third story told of the new People’s Front in France, which is an extension of the great Socialist-Communist united front that successfully repelled the advance of fascism for nearly two years. These are examples of how to fight reaction and to advance the cause of the common people against the fas- cist plans of the financial oligarchy. But on the front page of the same issue of the “Commonwealth” there is a story under the headline, ‘“(Communistic Overtures Are Turned Down,’ which informs us that the proposal for unity with the C.C.F. put for- ward by Stewart Smith of the Communist Party of Canada during the course of his speech in Massey Hall, Toronto, on Nov. 3 was rejected by J. S. Woodsworth, national chairman of the C.C.F., with the curt state- ment: “The Communists can go their own way, we will go ours.” This is how the leader of the C.C.F. reacts to the advances made by the Communist Party in the present situation which is fraught with danger to the people of Canada. To the reactionary Woodsworths there has been no political changes in Canada in the last ten years. They do not see the falling standard of living of the workers, the deeper impoverishment of the farmers, the srowinge number of bankruptcies among the smaller business men, nor the number of profes- C.C.F. weekly such as the infamous “Citizens’ But the rank and file of the C.C.F. see these things, and many of them are suffering from them. And just as the rank and file of the Socialist parties and reformist-led trade unions of Switzerland, Austria and France compelled their leaders to cease their oppo- sition to unity or be removed, so do the rank and file of the C.C.F. see the need for and desire unity, stances made united front agreements with Communists, and will compel their leaders to form the united front, or will replace them with leaders who will. UNIONS IN DANGER Preparations for the prosecution of the leaders of the Slave Camp workers’ trek to Ottawa are going on despite the promises made during the recent federal election cam- paign by MacKenzie King to repeal Section 98 under which the attack is being made. Although King may give the excuse of not having had time’ to repeal the infamous Sec- tion of the Criminal Code, he has the power and authority to have the charges against the trek leaders dropped. The Regina trials, if proceeded with, mean more than an attack against leaders; they mean that the right to organize into trade unions is being attacked. That Section 98 would be used against trade unions and other organizations of the working class was pre- dicted long ago by Communists; and the great mass support given to the Communist Party in 1931 during the trial of its leaders, and after their conviction and in the great campaign for their release, was an expres- sion of the fear of the masses that Section 98 would be used against more working class organizations than the Communist Party. It is the duty of all who prize what civil and democratic rights we enjoy, including and have in many in- the right to organize into trade unions, to port. come to the support of the Relief Camp workers facing trial] at Regina. And the trade unions in particular, as a matter of self-interest alone, should come to their sup- Resolutions demanding the withdrawal of the charges against the camp Strike leaders at Regina should pour into the offices of MacKenzie King, Prime Minister, and Ernest Lapointe, Minister of Justice, as well as de- mands for the repeal of Section 98. EUROPA . . . . ANOVEL A REVIEW Robert Briffault’s novel “Europa” is causing a great amount of com- ment on two continents. Critics are saying that it exposes the rotten- mess of pre-war European society. That is only part of the truth, It ex- poses the corruption, the vice, the sexual perversion, and the paralysis of mind, not only of pre-war Europe, but of the capitalist ruling class in general. Briffault. besides being a novelist, is a distinguished biologist and anthropologist. It is not in the least surprising, therefore that a man of such a rich mind, a2 man so deeply fjnterested in the development of society, should embrace the Marxist interpretation of history. It would be amazing if he did not. The sub-title of the book is: “The Days of Ignorance.” Briffault’s hero, Julian Bern, 2 member of the British ruling class, comes in contact with all strata of society, from Russian Grand-Dukes to striking English miners. His circumstances are such that it is the loftiest ranks of society that he sees most. Briffault records for us the vicious perversities, vanity, and senseless egoism of the European aristocrats; the soft, Uto- pian, spineless idealism of the Fa- pians; the German Social Democrats with their deluded trust in the power of the vote, and their loud assertions that no Socialist would ever vote war credits. Berm, half-hoping, half- believing that these brave words would hold good, stays in Berlin in July, 1914, ready to help the fight for Socialism if necessary. Then eomes the news like a thunder-clap: The Reichstag, including the Social Democrats, has voted the war credits to a man. We are given glimpses of Jaures, Rosa Luxembourg, Lieb- kmecht Tom Mann, also of Mussolini in his Socialist days. This is, in my opinion, the most prilliant novel that has appeared in Bnelish for many years. And it owes its brilliance, not only to the vast erudition of its author, but to his Marxist point of view. Yet this point of view, which permeates the whole work, is ignored completely by many bourgeois critics. One such bourgeois review appeared in the Province a short time ago. To read it, one would suppose Europa to be a mere best- seller, of the same brand of adoles- eent romanticism as Anthony Ad- Werse. Z believe HBuropa is the first Marxist novel that has appeared in Fnelish. It is a pity it costs three dollars—too high a price to reach many of those who are best equipped to appreciate its significance. How- ever, it is probable that it will be published in a cheaper edition later. The only criticism one might rea- sonably make of the novel is that too much space is devoted to the love affair of Julian Bern and the prin- cess, almost the only aristocrat in the book who is untouched by the general corruption. The chapter in which Bern takes part in a mining strike demonstration im Ene¢land, is excellent, and one wishes the book eontained more such scenes. How- “ ever, even that is enough to round out the canvas, and to throw into re- lief the perverted luxury and cor- rosive egoism of the ruling class. —M.P. CORRECTION. In our story in last week’s issue on the Italian language workers’ weekly paper, “ll Tavovatore” (The Worker), the subscription price for six months was given as $1.00, instead of $1.20, which is the eorrect figure. The other figures: $2.00 per year and 70 cents tor three months were correct. Greetings To Socialist Youth Convention A joint convention of the Co- operative Commonwealth Youth and the Young Socialist League (C.C.¥., Y¥.S.L.) will be held in Vancouver on Sunday, November 17. The convention will consider the question of merging the two Social- ist youth groups. This move must be hailed as a step towards the uni- fication and comsolidation of the youth movement in B.C. Great Possibilities for Youth. We hope that the convention will eonsider not only the question of the C.C_Y.-¥.S.L. merger, but will also discuss the possibilities of building an all-inclusive Federation of Youth in B.G., in order te be better able to cope with the serious problems that confront the Canadian youth in the present period of capi- talist development. It is our firm conviction, that if the Convention seriously considers the development and growth of the youth movement in B.C. and decides S upon a correct policy of approach- ing this problem, large numbers of youth ean be won into the progres- sive youth movement in this prov- ince. Great Tasks Lie Ahead. The convention must seriously consider the immediate dangers of war and fascism, and decide upon a policy of combatting these twin eyils of capitalism. Although individuals within the CGY. have stated that they favor war on the grounds that it will mean revolution, nevertheless, it cannot be said that this incorrect theory is the opinion of the membership. We greet the convention of our So- cialist brothers as an important fac- tor in the development of the pro- eressive youth movement in British Columbia and towards forging closer unity of the youth against ecapital- ism and its many evils. Distict Committee, Young Communist League, (B.C. Section). Youth Born In 1917 Celebrate In Moscow MOSCOW, Nov. 7—Tens of thou- sands of Moscow youth told the world last night their story of hap- py and full life in one of the gayest and most colorful parades which the Red Capital has ever seen. Holiday crowds of workers who were themselves preparing for their own tremendous demonstration, en- thusiastically cheered the march of these young men and women, all born in the year of the proletarian revolution and celebrating its eighteenth anniversary along with their own coming of age. Under the laws of the Soviet Union, eighteen is the age of majority, of the granting of the right to vote and hold office and full citizenship rights and duties generally. The youth told it with floats, pla- cards, music, sone and dance. Where Youth Can Be Happy The keynote of the decorations and floats was the happy life of Soviet youth and their determina- tion to become well rounded Soviet citizens, mastering all difficulties and in their turn carrying the coun- try to new triumphs of socialism. A spirit of buoyant confidence pre- yvailed. in Hundreds of electrified floats the parade depicted the magnificent opportunities for youth in the U.S. SR. as contrasted with the hope- lessness of youth under capitalism- Seores of caricatures of Capitalists and landlords bore inscriptions such “We were born too late to see such things !”’ Old Reyolutionists Proud Many of the thousands of Moscow citizens who crowded the sidewalks of the main streets to view tne youth parade were participants in the Revolution eighteen years ago- The pride and enthusiasm of these fizhters, who caught up the won- derful spiriti of the youth demon- strators, was a clear indication that the veterans of the Revolution and of the Civil War saw in last night's events the fulfillment of their own hopes and aspirations as they fought on the barricades years ago. Pledge to Future The youth themselves realized this. One of the most prominent banners in the procession was em- blazoned with the words, “We are the children of those who fought on the barricades.”’ Immediately be- hind this banner, and showing that their fathers’ fight was not in vain, came other groups of young workers carrying declarations: ““We will be engfineers, teachers, Scientists, doc- tors, aviators.”’ as, The following is a condensation of an article addressed to Amier- ican workers by Walter Citrine, general secretary of the Sritish Trades Union Congress, and presi- dent of the Intermational Federa- tion of Trade Unions. One of the difficulties of dealing with a subject like the Fascist terror is that the plain facts of the case seem almost incredible to people without first-hand knowledge of what is taking place. Most of the examples of Fascist terrorism revealed to us in our own press are, though illuminating, mere- Ix symptomatic of the deranged mentality by which they are inspired. We read of a British subject, thrown | into prison because he remarked, in a private conversation. that one of his best friends was a Jew. We hear of the kidnapping of a two-year-old boy in the hope of luring his parents to torture and death — a strategy which the lowest type of American eangsters probably noted with inter- est We hear a little less, perhaps, nowadays, of the beatings up, shoot- ines, and tortures of individual Ger- mans and italians, and Austrians, largely because (apart from the asc- ist censorship) such occurrences have become as much of a common- place under Fascist rule as road deaths are elsewhere. Over a large part of Europe to- day it is, in effect, a crime to be a Jew. a Roman CGatholie (or, indeed, a votary of any religion worthy of the name), a Freemason, a Socialist, or a Trade Unionist; a word, or even a glanee, may earn a fate in com- parison with which the life of the convicted malefactor in other climes is happy and rational. Trade Unions Are Vitally Interested. The Trade Union and Labor Move- ment throughout the world has a special and tragic interest in the fate of all those victims of our mod- ern Neros. It has seen its chani- pions in ascist states singled out for specially virulent forms of persecu- Wire tion. | shooting of prisoners is one of the Help the ‘Victims of Fascism In Italy, in Germany and in Austria the robber bands of the Fascist dictators have directed the full force of their attack on the Workers’ orgzanizationss. Wundreds of Trade Union leaders have been murdered offhand. Thousands more, in prisons and concentration camps, have expiated, in their endurance of | jmitation of the Italian model? It is unmentionable tortures, the crime of perhaps enough to say that here having devoted their lives to the] se;jn Fascism is runnine ete service of their fellow workers. form. Starvation wages, overflow- Successive waves of terrorism have] jn- prisons, incessant persecutions swept more than 100,000 people into the concentration camps, where the cherished pastimes of the suards. Hundreds of thousands of depend- ents, women and little children, have had to mourn (in secret, for fear of reprisals) the plight of husbands. fathers, brothers and sons, whose ultimate fate has only been revealed by the discovery of their mutilated corpses in the morttaries. Low Wages and Terror Cause Uprisings. It is a fact that the wages of the fully employed workmen in Germany today are little hihger than the seanty benefit paid in Great Britain to the unemployed worker. And yet the cost of living iS rising. It is not surprising that, despite the savage repressive measures of the government, there shoula be up- risings among the workers. In a number of industries there have been strikes against the ruthless cutting of wages in the interests of the Nazi exploiters. Not a single German newspaper dared to say a word about those strikes, but knowledge of them is spreading amons the workers of Germany, whose spirit of resistance is mounting daily. Boycott Is Effective Weapon. An effective weapon against Hit- lerism is the boycott of German cending to heaven in a fiery chario They listened till he was finished but the ox-like countenances Showed hing that he had not worked up enough emotion to take up the collection: Turning to one of his hearers he ‘| Said, Don’t you believe it?” “Yes,” replied the peasant but without enthusiasm, “I do.” “Why do you be- lieve it?” asked the priest. ““Becauss I saw it myself,’’ was the unexpect- ed answer. ‘You saw it yourself,” | asked the man of God; ““what de you mean?” ‘Well,” answered the pea- sant, “I was ploushing in a field and in another field I saw another pea- sant working with an ox and 2 plough and all of a sudden he went up to heaven, ox, plough and every- thing, but he wasn’t on fire.” “Why,” said the priest, “‘vou' re erazy, you never saw anything of the kind.” “Don’t you believe me?’ ask: ed Ivan. “No,” said the priest ‘Well,’ answered the illiterate, ig. norant, intensely religious mujik “hy do you expect me to believs you?” = = = > Another one. In the early years 9 the Soviet Republic, while they wen still fighting the imperialist inter ventionists, a great deal of propa ganda was carried out amons thi Oriental peoples living between Rus sia proper and India. At one plac one of the Bolshevik ‘workers hai gathered around him a group ce Turkomans, Persians and Afshans Fis task was to show them what th Revolution meant to the peoples wh suffered under the jackboot of im perialism. He was explaining to the! what a capitalist is. He said, “yo know, a2 man who seizes everythin for himself, who is so greedy that It does not care who starves so long é he gets wealthy, who takes from tt farmer his corn and from the wor ers everything.they produce, om jeaving them enough to keep thei from starving. He oppresses ever body that does not belong to his o¥ class, makes them all into slaves. T you understand?” “Yes,” said one™ his hearers, “Englishman.” = * * * And here is one from Victor! Our business manager was oV there a couple of weeks ago. He as ed a storekeeper how business Ww and she replied, ‘‘well, I don’t belie it is a bit better that when the ¢ pression was on.” The passing of the one-time reli; ous Barnum, Billy Sunday, who di last week, has excited little co ment. Billy Sunday, who in the int lectual world had a better repu tion as a clown than Iron Man 3 MecGinnity had in the baseb world, is said to have exhorted million of God’s erring children hit the sawdust trail and lay th sin-encrusted hearts on the penite bench. Whether the number is rig or not does not matter but there no doubt that the industrial bos in the U.S. paid him well for del ing their workers into believing u prayer was a better way aft bett ing their conditions than striki They still want us to swallow t dope. The 205 page report on une ployment of Tucker, one of Ge McGeer’s hireling specialists, D poses that the relief problem sito be made a matter of prayer. Tl have made no advance on Willi Avoirdupois Tait, who, twenty ye ago, when asked what should done about the unemployed, ansy ed, “God knows "’ The working el could solve this question in 15 m utes, without prayer. if they had state machinery that the capital have. They would put everybody work,—everybody. * = * Get a subscription from y neishor or shop mate fer the Ef Workers News.