Page Iwo B.C. WORKERS’ NEWS March 20, 1936 Guerilla Warfare Defeats _ liDuce’s Mechanized Army Italian Bombers Useless Against Ethiopia Mr. Holmes wrote the following despatch before the recent fierce fizhting on the Ethiopian northern front near the stratesic stronghold of Mount Alaji, south of Matkale. fonflicting reports tell both of Italian victory and Italian defeat, depending on the headquarters from which the report comes. The following report shows clearly that Ttalian advance before the rainy season would constitute a pyrric Victory, ‘doing the Italians more harm than good. On the southern front, where ad- yances for the Blackshirt forces is comparatively easy, extension of the lines of communications gives Ras Desta's guerilla troops a golden opportunity. With the rains due in June the Jialian military problem is now to establish themselves as strategically as possible for a long wait. This may mean giving up some of their hard-won ground and fighting for it all over again next October. The danger lies now in a possible air raid on Addis Ababa, the capital city, in an effort to destroy it and in the hope of demoraliing the Ethi- epian troops. Military observers point out, however, that even the eapture of Addis Ababa will not eonstitute final victory by any means. By WALTER HOLMES ETHIOPION HEADQUARTERS, Worthern Front, March 2.—({By cable end air mail to Nordpress and Associated Labor Press)—This has Deen a week of unusual quiet on the Morthern front. Neither side has attempted any large scale action, ut this is far from saying that the ¥thiopians have been inactive The ®Hmperor’s commanders have been anethodically following up the gains of their victory in the Tembian @lountains. An experienced military observer et Makale, now in Italian hands, geports that the Ethiopian troops ave mastered the art of guerilla warfare to such an extent that they have actually paralyzed the mechan- #zed Italian arms. During the day ¢hey conceal themselves in the dense bush and airplanes search for them Gn vain. . Artillery fire is of no yalue against them because, no mat- ter how expert a sunner may be, he is helpless without a target. On the other hand, the Italians find it impossible to conceal their forces and equipment and Ethiopian officers know where the enemy is at any and all times. Scouts who know the country thoroughly bring in detailed and complete reports on YVtalian strength and position. At night the scene changes and @ierce Etthiopian warriors, armed with long knives, descend upon the Jtalian posts with an effect so ter- riftying that the Italians frequently drop their ultra-modern arms and desert their machine guns and al- low themselves to be slaughtered Without resistance. Summing up the results of the recent operations on the northern front, an Ethiopian officer told me that “This proves the possibility of defending the north’ This modest view is probably the wisest. The effect of such victories as at Enda Selassi, Abi Addi and in the Tem- bien region, all just west of Maikale, might easily offer the temptation to Tush in and attempt to make a elean sweep of the Italians. The Bthiopian commanders remember the wise advice given by the Em- peror that day over four months ago when it became obvious that Ethiopia’s answer to the invader wrould be a great, long, slow trek northward. Haille Selassi pointed eut to his officers that a massed onslaught against the Italian ma- chine guns would be playing the enemies own game and would be in- vitine disaster. This stands just as true today. (It is this area west of Makale, Jess than a hundred miles from the Hiretrian border that the Italians now claim to oceupy. Italy's north- ern army on February 20 received erders to storm the Mount Alaji stronghold which is being held by Ras Mulugheta’s forces. This is eonsidered the principal obstacle on the road to Dessie and Addis Ababa. Ethiopians are carrying on a cease- Jess guerilla warfare in this sector and are holding their ground. in the Tembien Mountains the Italians have lost considerably in the fight- = and the skilled Ethiopian bush fighters are almost unseathed. A glance at any good map of this sector will reveal 11 Duce’s difficul- ties —ALP.) Slackness in the Italian northern advance may partly be laid to the transfer of troops and equipment to ¢he southern front. The prediction for the north seems to be a long drawn out saga of guerilla fighting syith the Ethiopians attempting: to wear out the Italians. Reearding.the southern situation, the Italians have apparently launch- ed a push towards the northwest from Dolo between the rivers Gan- ale Dorye and the Dawa, which miect at Dolo and flow to the sea through Italian Somaliland as the Juba River. Dolo is on the dis- muted border between Somaliland g@nd Hthiopia and is but a short @istance from Britain’s Kenya Col- geny. This strikes directly at the ®eart of Ras Desta’s rich province ef Sidamo and further aims at cap- @urine control of the motor road Funning between the new capital, Ababa, It still remains a mystery, even to Ethiapian commanders, just what forces the Italians have allo- eated for this enterprise and, from this distance, it cannot be stated with any precision what successes they have had. One this is perfectly clear, how- ever, on the southern front, that an advance from Dolo through to the sreat lakes presents fewer diffi- culties than an advance on the northern front. The terrain is much easier and the Italians can proceed relatively fast. But immediately the difficulty arises for the Italians in that their necessarily long out- stretched communication lines would be in constant danger. They would offer an excellent mark for Ras Desta’s light and mobile guerilla forees, In any case we have to reckon with the possibility of some fresh Italian adventure before the rains begin seriously. The desperation of the Italian financial and political position, plus failure of military ef- forts, would provoke Some more that cannot be foretold exactly in advance. The declarations of the Fascist press that the application of oil sanctions would be followed at once by the use of poison gas is an indication of this desperate mood. That does not make the application of oil sanetions less necessary nor less urgent. = Mike Gold On United Front The Communists actually believe in the United Front. The logic is simple and perhaps even an Abe Cahan can understand it; a socialist world is our geal, but in the battle between fascism and. bourgeois democracy, we are 100 per cent against fascism. We fight for bourgeois democracy, since it is bet- ter than fascism for the workers, just as historically wage slavery is beter than chattel slavery. This doesn’t mean that we like wage slavery or will stop fighting for socialism because, temporarily, it is necessary to fight chattel slavery. Marx taught us this when he threw all his splendid agitational powers into the work of rallying the social- ist workers of Europe into support of the North against the Southern slaveholders in the Civil War. Marx surely knew whut the Northern capitalism was like. Let this explanation, Mr. Cahan and Mr. Trotzky, also serve as ex- planation for the F'ranco-Soviet mili- tary pact against fascism, which both you “super-revolutionists” think such a disgrace. Let me also inform you that the French Communists have not given up the fight against militarism. Eyery day, in the Communist jour- nal, “Humanite,” appears a full column of news from all the differ- ent military barracks, telling of the strugeles of rank-and-file conseripts against their officers. Fascism is strongly present in the upper ranks of the army. If it is allowed to win the army, France will not fight for the Soviets, but with Hitler against them, The Wranco-Soviet pact can only be pre- served by defeating the Hreneh fasc- ists, outside the army and inside.— New. Masses. Malcolm Bruce. dollars and sent them along. to assist in keeping our Their action should serve as an example to our readers and radio audience. If we are compelled to discontinue our broadcasts we will do so reluctantly and with regret. But will we have to discontinue them? Not if there are even 2 few more of our radio audience who will express their appre- ciation in the way our Washington friends have done. Readers and radio audience: It is up to you. If you wish broadcasts going you can do so by sending contributions to the B.C. Workers’ News Radio Fund, care of J. K. Coe, Room 10, 163 W. Hastings Street, Vancouver. Will Broadcasts Continue ? “We heard Malcolm Bruce splendidly last night over the radio on the B.C. Workers’ News broadcast. His speech came over clear and plain and we certainly did enjoy every word. We only wished he could have talked for an hour instead of the meagre fifteen minutes, although we realize that financial support is hard to get under this depression. We are enclosing two dollars towards the broadcasting by Wish it were two hundred. We do hope that you can carry on with your good work.” The above is an excerpt from a letter received by the B.C. Workers’? News from \W. Benn, of Longbranch, Wash., U.S., and the two U.S. dollar bills were enclosed. Last week we were compelled to say over the air that the financial burden of carrying on the broadcasts was. more than our slender resources could bear unless more support was forthcoming. Our comrades across the line responded quickly and well, four of them clubbing together to raise the two. By G. GARVIN Speaking in the debate on the speech from the throne a few days ago, one progressive member of the opposition in Victoria brought .up the question of the primitive meth- ods of fishing that are used in B.C., one of the largest fish-producing provinces in Canada. He pointed out that if traps were used, if placed in the proper places, it would be much to the advantage of con- servation and control of the catch. Must Efficient Way, But— This is quite true for, if fishing was done with the more scientific method of the trap, there would be a better quality of fish canned for they would get to the cannery in a fresher condition, with less effort and much less waste. Instead of the Use Of Traps In Fishing Would Benefit Bosses Only ‘ress in this day | Weir Health Insurance Bill and the break in the morning as it is the case with the trollers, or spending sleepless nights watching his net, as the gillmetters are forced to do in order to fet the maximum amount of fish, there would be less expense attached to the process and, if handled properly, would be the most efficient way of allowing the proper amount of fish to go up the rivers. As was pointed out in the house by the member, under our present system of capitalism, it is impos- sible to entertain any thought of allowing traps to be used by the canners. Who would get the benefit of the traps and why? Tt is obvious that the fishermen, instead of getting a higher living standard and more returns for his work and outlay of money, would be forced on to relief. Of course the cannery owners would get more fisherman having io go out at day- appearance in Vancotver. TN > 2 Scene from “Chapayev,’ the Red Commander, showing at the Royal Theatre for three days, March 30, 31 and April 1, its second TORONTO, Ont., March 12.— (ALP)—Calling upon the Canadian people to force the government to act through the League of Na- jicns with the peace bloc in sup- porting the Franco-Soviet agree ment and curbing Hitler’s aggres- sion, the Communist Party of Canada, through its Central Com- miitee, today issued a statement on the Buropean crisis as follows: “To all those who want peace: “Adolf Hitler is menacing world peace. He is attempting to mobilize a ring of bayonets around the Soviet Union and the smaller European yutions. His march into the Rhine- land and his proposals for 25 years’ agreements are obyious devices for War. He is attempting to destroy the Pranco-Soviet agreement and to win aliies for his black crusade against the world's workers. “The Canadian capitalist press has taken on a viciously anti- Soviet character. Because the U.S. S.R. rightly points to Hitler as the of world peace, and demands joint action by the nations to curb him, the Canadian press shouts: “Russia wants war!’ “This is a lie! The U.S.S.R. fights for peace. To secure peace, the IES: SR. proposes that international agreements to maintain peace be lived up to, that Hitler be compelled to withdraw from the Rhineland, {hai pressure be brought upon the fascists to abandon plans for war, “But the National Government of Britain, led by the Tory reaction- aries, are preparing asreement with Witlers anti-Soviet proposals. Just as Britain, step by step since 1933; has aided Hitler, assisted German re-armament, financed German war bucgets and re-established the Ger- man navy, so today she refuses to Brea Alem, near Allata, and Addis & 6-Tube Rogers, Table Model act to aid France; which at the 3 SALE PRICES SLASHED! 8-Tube Stewart-Warner Console 30% OFF NEW RADIOS MEIKLE ELECTRIC & RADIO SERVICE Phone SEYMOUR 9025 Ne ¢ set ine ee $12.50 eS eS $24.50 1010 DAVIE STREET RADIOS and TUBES TESTED FR ne GN Y Cs OUR HOME jnstizator of war and the destroyer | Communist Party Calls For Curb On Fascist Warmonger moment does not want war. “Tt is necessary that the peace- loving people of Canada join hands with the peace-loving people of Britain to compel the governments to set up a firm peace bloc against Hitler, the main instigator of war! “We must prevent Hitler march- ins upon peaceful Soviet territory by compelling the governments to jake all measures to destroy Hitler's threat to world peace. “Ts Germany to be allowed to run riot as Italy was? “Ts a ring of steel to be around the Soviet Union? “Ts another world slaughter to be forced upon the people? “Phese are world-shaking ques- tions, to which the masses of the people must give answer! built “Gommon people of Canada! Re- member that Bennett aided Britain to prevent an BHastern Locarno pact to step war. Remember the commit- ments of the Canadian government io Britain’s war policy. The Can- adian government undoubtedly has Lowar alliance with British imperial- ism. Under cover of phrases about “parliament eiding que of war and peace,” the Canadian gov- ernment stands at the moment with the British Tories and their ant- Soviet, pro-Hitler policy. “Remember Stalin’s statement just week: ‘Wars are not so much declared as they simply start, even though the people do not want wars” “We must compel the Canadian envernment by pressure of the peo- nle to ally itself in the League of Wations with the peace bloc, in sup- port of the Franco-Soviet agree- ment and against Hitler's ageres- sion, and to break off support to the present British foreign policy. ‘“Proclaim your opinion in mass micetings and demonstrations de- manding that Hitler be curbed! De- mand that the Canadian sgoyverm- ment break its war alliance with Britain and instead, fight for world peace! Denounce the vicious anti- Soviet propaganda in the daily press! Let the representatives in Ganada of German fascism feel the unqualified opposition of the Can- adian people to the madman of Burope! Defend world peace by curbing fascist Germany.” ANNOUNCEMENTS Arthur Evans and Malcolm Bruce will be the speakers at a mass meet- ing, in commemoration of the 65th anniversary of the Paris Commune, in the Royal Theatre, on Sunday, March 22nd at 8 p.m. South Hill C.C.F. Open Forum at 47th and Fraser, Sunday, March 22 at 3 pm. Speaker, Don Smith; sub- ject, “Problems Before B.C.” Whist and pal dance, Ash Hall, Fraser and i9th Avenue, Tuesday, March 31 at 8 pm. Music by the Rocky Mountain Railroaders. SPORTS PROGRAM A program of amateur wrestling and boxing bouts is being sponsored by the Single Unemployed Protec- tive Association in the Zabor Temple, 805 Hast Pender Street, on March 26th, in aid of their sports club. Judging by the card, it promises to be an evening and money well spent for those who attend. Kid Burns, former lightweight champ of Bastern Canada, will be referee, and separate the boys when they hug each other too long. We haven’t space to tell you all about it—go and see for yourself! And don’t forget the Saturday night affairs at 61 West Cordova Street. LONDON, Eng. —(ALP)—Follow- ing up its reyelation of a gantic re-armament plan, the gov- ernment has submitted naval esti- mates calling for $349,650,000 ex- penditures, an increase of about $50,000,000, with the added empha- sis of Lord Monsell, first lord of the admiralty, that these estimates were only the beginning. si Protest against Ontario legislation which bars relief recipients, or persons who are behind in their rent, from holding municipal office will be expressed by the Toronto Trades and Labor Council to the Hepburn government. In conjunc- tion with the Hamilton Trades Council a delegation is to inter- view the government on the ques- tion. Tf you don’t subscribe to this prefit, but the workers who are vitally necessary to the industry (we could get alone very well with- out the cannery owners), would be forced out of the industry and would have to compete on the labor market with the workers of other industries or accept the meagre pit- tance that would be allowed them on relief. In other words, the fisherman is foreed to fight against any new and f better method of fishing that will endanger his livelihood and force him on relief permanently. In order to ave the privilese of getting up at daylight to so out trolling, or to spend many weary lhours watching his gillnet, he must hold back prog- and age when |} progress is supposed to be a benefit in mankind as a whole, im order that he will be able to support him- self and his family im the best way possible. THE WEIR HEALTH INSURANCE BILL} Editor, B.C. Workers’ News: Gear Sir,— With reference to the article in the Daily March 10, entitled, “When Sickness ecmes to the Home,” the conclu- sions reached by the writer, as to the benefits obtained from the In- surenee Bill when applied to fam- ilies living on incomes of $700 to $1,000 appear absolutely satisfac- tory. May 1 suggest that the principle of Heaith Insurance in SGritish Columbia might he applied with equal bemefit to families living on incomes of $1,800 and upwards. Only in this way can an adequate fund for insurance benefits be obtained, sufficient to give really satisfactory medical attention and hospitaliza- tion to the majority of the people. The present Weir Health Insurance Bill, is modelled on Lloyd George's Insurance bill, put into effect in Eneland before 1913 and copied from a similar German Insurance bill sponsored by Bismarck. The Einglish panel System has never been satisfactory to those workers, who came under its legislation. Like all Lloyd George’s supposed— ly socialistic measures, in which I include the @ld Age Pension, the benefits derived therefrom were in- adequate. The measures were ges- tures to satisfy demands for re- forms and were hotly opposed by the Conservative elements in Great Britain at the time. The same criticism: can be applied to the present Health Insurance Bill. Employers oppose it on ac- coun of the additional tax on wage payments and suggest that the treasury contribute the 1 per cent tax rather than themselves. Doctors already overburdened by xyvork in clinics for which they re- eeive no payment are opposed in many cases to undertaking ad- ditional work of the same nature. Unless this Health Insurance can pe equally applied to families, liv- ing on higher incomes (whether em- ployeu or unemployed) the benefits to be derived from the scheme, wiil be totally inadequate to meet the requirements of families on small jncomes. The Insurance companies, whose premiums for the same bene- fits are practically double base their calculations on 2 System of returns equal to cash invested. They expece to make profits. Hence their op- position to a plan for Universal Wealth Insurance on the lines of the Weir Bill woutd be inévitable. TIT doubt whether the present govern- ment weuld ever aitempt to put info force effective legislation which would put companies out of business and these companies are not con- trolled by the government but consti- tutes one of the forees which control the governments of Canada and of British Columbia. Yours truly, “Taxpayer,” Province of LONDON.— (ALP) —Twenty-tive million dollars is the cost of Great Britain monthly to continue naval, military and air precautions in the Mediterranean, the government dis- closed in reply to a question in the House of Commons. The cost to date has been about $35,000,000. LONDON, Eng.— (ALP) —Action brought by a Newcastle-under-Lyme elector to unseat a Communist Borough Councillor, Mrs. Fanny Deakin, on grounds that she had served a term of nine months’ im- prisonment, failed in the Chancery Division. Tom Ewen at the MOOSE TEMPLE 636 Burrard Street Sunday, March 29th at 8 p.m. Ewen will also speak over CJOR Friday, Mar. 27, 8:15 to 3:45 p.m. Yaa Sa RABABRARAABRBEBBEBEEE MUaABRUBABBABABABEBSEE Hastings Steam Baths Always Open Expert Masseurs in Attendance Laugh. 240 764 E. Hastings an a-a-S) NORDIC CAFE 122 W. HASTINGS ST. . . » CABARET .. = ENTERTAINMENT Emile Kinnon’s Novelty Orchestra Modern & Scandinavian Music Pat MecGolloch Premier Tap Dancer Frank Wilson — Noted Chef — NO COVER CHARGE — en a paper, send in a sub now. tata ata aaa aaa a The Ruling Clawss Smith.” By REDFIELD .“You may have the rest of the day off, Miss On the Agenda LONDON, Eng. (@y Mail) —When parliament debates the re- armament plan next week, it will be presented with a motion of cen- sure backed by the combined forces of the Labor Party and the Trades Wanion Couneil with the aid of some Liberals. The motion will condemn the government policy which, by intensi- fying the arms race “will inevitably lead to war’ and it views with alarm proposals to reorganize indus- try on a war basis aS creating 2 serious menace to organized tabor and trade union standards. Menace to Labor. Until now the trade unions have been welcoming the idea of in- ereased munitions production on the ground that it would make employ- ment. of the trade unions for rearmament has been checked by the sgovern- ment’s proposed industrial methods, which are part of its rearmament policy. The workers see in them a menace to organized labor. A further objection to this policy THE ALWAYS OPEN s BAY. 9274 — 1235 | Private Baths, 50c ee ee Se ee Something Different - - Progressive Forces Will Condemn British Gov't But this potential support- Censure of War Policies | of rearmament lies in the fact that parliament and the country are be- ing asked to accept the sweeping measures without knowing the cost. Neville Chamberlain, chancellor of the exchequer, bluntly told the House of Commons today it would have to debate the question next week without any information what- ever concerning the financial ques- tions involved. The Labor Motion. The text of the Labor motion against the government White Paper will be: “As the safety of this country and the peace of the world cannot be secured by raliance on arma- ments, but only by resolute persuit of a policy of international under- standing, adherence te the Covenant of the League of Nations, general disarmament, the progressive im- provement of international labor standards and economic co-opera- tion, so as to remove the causes of war, this House cannot agree to a policy which in fact seeks security in national armaments alone and intensifies the ruinous race between nations, inevitably leading to war. 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