Page Four B.C. WORKEES’” NEws July 24, 1936 B.C. WorkKEerRS NEWS Published Weekly by THE PROLETARIAN PUBLISHING ASS’ Room 10, 163 West piacears Street - Vancouver, B.C. — Subscription Rates — One Year ____ $1.80 Half Year ____—. 1.00 Three Months _$ .50 Single Copy _— .05 Make All Checks Payable to the B.C. WORKERS’ NEWS Send All Copy and Manuscript to the Chaitman of the Editorial Board — Send All Montes and Letters Per- taining to Advertising and Circulation to the Bustness Manager. Vancouver, B.C., July 24, 1936 _ Fascist Rebellion in Spain EFEATED in a democratic election, upon the authority of which a government of the common people was set up, the capitalists of Spain, like every other ruling elass in history, has flaunted constituted authority and resorted to fascism with its bloody use of foree and vio- lence against the government and the people im order to preserve their class privileges and the “right” to oppress the toiling population. The “sacred rights of property” which eapi- talists rave so much about is cynically violated when it suits their purpose. Cites and towns are bombarded, and bombs dropped from the air on men, women and children by the class which now seeks by civil war to regain that which they could not retain by democratic means. The bloody ciyil strife begun by the fascists of Spain, backed by Hitler and Mussolini, to defeat the democratically expressed will of the people was well planned. Resort to open treason and actual armed rebellion was preceded by a period of fascist murder and incendiarism. The attempt on the life of Largo Caballero, Socialist Jeader, and the murder of Gisbert are cases in _ point. : : Characteristic of the magnanimity of the workers toward a defeated foe, the People’s _ Front goyernment of Spain showed too much Jeniency to the fascists and too much passivity _in face of their illegal activities. This lack of a firm policy of suppression of the subversive ele- ments only encouraged them to go further, to the open civil war which they have Jaunched. Over and over again the Communist Party of Spam, through its press, at meetings and in parliament, urged the government to take those steps which the protection of the working people, of the People’s Front, and even of the govern- ment’s own regime, imperatively demanded, for it was evident to the Communists that all these acts of provocation and violence were preparing the ground for a fascist coup détat. Tn the events in Spain there is a stern lesson for the Blum government of France. The Popu- lar Front government and the great Popular Front organization throughout France must see to it that all fascist organization is stamped out of existence, that a thorough cleaning out of anti- democratic officers of the army, police and civil service be carried out, so that the treasonable refusal of army and navy officers to obey the orders of the eovernment, and their taking orders from ille@al fascist leaders will not be possible in France. There is a grim warning, too, for the people of Canada in the bloodletting activities of the Spanish fascists. For there is in Canada, and right here in Vancouver, writhing nests of Fas- cists, one of whose mouthpieces is the unspeak- able Tom MacInnes. These antitabor, anti- democratic potential Hitlers are organizing and only waiting to be strong enough to do as Hitler has done and as the Spanish fascists are trying to do. At present their chief method is imoculating the people with poisonous lying propaganda. MaclInnes a few weeks ago, frothing at the mouth over the People’s Front electoral victories in France predicted that those successes would be followed by the People’s Front launching civil war. The civil war started by his fellow fascists in Spain has made a fool of him, and last Wednes- day night he tried, in characteristic fascist dema- gogic fashion, to justify it by saying that the Spanish rebels were “provoked” into it by the burning of churches by the government or their condoning of the burning of them by others. This brazen and impudent falsehood, by which the radio ranter of the Nazi Party of Canada tries to pose as the defender of religion, is on a par with the propaganda of Hitler before he ewained power. But since gaining power Hitler has ruthlessly crushed independent ehureh or- ganizations and has given the unfortunate people of Germany a Nazi bible and a Nordie Christ with a toothbrush moustache. The Nationalist Party of Canada, the Citi- zens’ League, and the MacInneses who today hypoeritically pose as friends of the people, as their saviors from the “Red Menace,” will, un- less their desions are frustrated, be the Francos and Hitlers of tomorrow. Tf Canada is to be spared the horrors of Ger- many and the terrible suffering of Spain, the Canadian fascists must be crushed by the iron heel of the United Front of all who wish to pre- serve existing democratic rights and privileges against the dark forces of reaction. From Bad to Worse ESPITE the improvement in the collections of taxes and water rates in Vancouver, the fmancial condition of the city is steadily getting syorse. The Jubilee ballyhoo cannot hide this, much as Jubilee Gerry and his satelites would like to. The statement “of the Associated Property Owners of Vancouver asserts that the close of the year 1935 marked the lowest point in eity finan- cial affairs for the past four years. Improvement in collections was very noticeable, but the col- lection of taxes in arrears has not shown the slightest improvement. In four of the major tax revenues the city only managed to collect 56 cents on the dollar: the remaining 44 cents being uneollectable. During 1935 there was an merease in bank loans of $367,287. The statement concludes with the following significant remark: ‘In view of earefully verified information, any statements emanating from city authorities or elsewhere to the effect that Vancouver’s corporate financial position is -improying should not be given eredence.” Who is soing to pay for the wild jubilee ex- travaganees? This is a question that small property owners and unemployed on relief can- not afford to ienore. MecGeer is appealing over the air for financial grants to pay for the jubilee, thus already admitting that there is going to be a serious deficit. His romantic talks about the ad- ventures of Captain Wancouver in these paris, his efforts to whip up enthusiasm by deseribing what a wonderful event the coming of the Lord Mavor of London will be, are but feeble attempts _to bilk the people into contributing cash to help the city out of its financial slough. The jubilee “spirit” is the spirit of ereed im which every effort is being made to fileh from the people of Vancouver every nickel that they can be deprived of. After the jubilee is over, what then? The small property owners and relief recipients will be the object of a grand attack this autumn and winter. Against the orgy of extraeavange and waste indulged in by MeGeer and his council of knee- trembling yes-men, which is rnininge the aity, the workers, employed and unemployed, to- gether with the small property owmers, must or- gfanize and unite both in immediate strugele and to out the whole gang in the next civie election. Stanley Park Again! HE members of the Vancouver Parks Board are to be commended for their refusal of the request of MeGeer and the Jubilee committee to close Stanley Park to the public except on pay- ment of an entrance charge ot 25 cents. Part of Stanley Park was fenced off before and a similar charee made, but public indigna- tion, expressing itself in a boycott, compelled the promoters to abolish the charge and open up the area. Now Gerry and his Jubilee committee, despite all their early optimistic predictions are indule ing 10 calamity-howling and caterwauling about facing a $100,000 deficit on the Jubilee racket. True to their kind, they want to soak the poor by charging them admission to the people’s park. The jubilee is being used to enrich the hotel keepers, the C.P.R. and other transportation companies, and the large stores, as well as for the purpose of war propaganda. Jf the jubilee promoters need money to get them out of the hole which they dug for themselves they can assess those individuals, firms and corporations that are making enormously increased profits out of the jubilee instead of confiseatine the people’s pari and chareine them for entering it. Organizing for Peace LL peace-loying people in the proyince should give wholehearted support to the Vancouver Peace Program Committee which is launching a program of radio addresses and mass qeetinegs in the interest of world peace, and to raise funds to send a delegate from B.C. to the World Peace Congress to be held at Geneva early in September. Despite the different political opinions of the delegates comprising the Committee, there is unanimity on the ereat need to prevent the world from being plunged into another world war. Those who hold fast to “Empire defence,” nneonditionally, should realize that the way to prevent the question of Empire defence, or of defence of Canada, ever coming up, is to prevent the outbreak of war. : _ Although the warmongers are at work, there is a ereat mass sentiment for peace. The orga- nization of this sentiment and translating it into ction is vitally necessary if war is to be pre- vented. Gerry, the messianic friend of the people, seems to be slipping. At a cacophanous hymnfest at [Kitsilano Pool a few nights ago one of the ees ue was “What a Friend We Haye in Jesus.’ 2 oo, 32 De a =e a, SF Aft a dinner in London recently one of Cana- da’s brass hats, Brigadier-General Ross, gratui- tously spoke for the people of Canada and de- elared that the Canadian people will engage in the next imperialist war that the ruling class of Great Britain launches. To be sure, he doesn’t want war, but. ! ss ¢ + + + *# # Speaking. to the Laurier Club in the ritzy Georgia Hotel, J. E. Michaud, federal minis- ter of fisheries, said he was pleased to find the fishine industry so well organized and looked after by “those with interests in it.” He said nothing about the organized “those with in- terests” fighting tooth and claw against the ef- forts of the workers in the industry to maintaim their organization. “There never was a time when wisdom was so badly needed in Canada,” said the sapient Sir Edward Beatty, multiaznillionaire president of the C.P.R- And to the hunery-forsvisdom people of Canada he generously gave from his store of wisdom the following gems: ‘““Over-pro- duction does not seem to exist,” and “Nowhere eould security be found so easily as in the coun- tryside.’ O# course, he did not fell that to the morteagve-burdened, debt-ridden farmers. JUST A MIDSUMMER NIGHTMARE semen Soldiers in the next world war will deserve all the bonuses they get—provided they live through an attack by tanks like the one shown above. It’s owned by Hitler’s Nazi government, and it rolls at high speed through a brick wall as though it were a barrier of tissue paper. The World This Week By F. B. Por the streams of blood that are flowing through the streets of Span- ish cities the Capitalists are respon- sible. As in France, the People’s Gov- ernment in Spain was elected by the democratic vote of the people. Both governments hold office with the ap- proval of the majority of the peo- ple and according to the privileges allowed by the constitutions. But in Spain the fascists, agents of the capitalists and landowners, have plunged the country into civil war in an attempt to overthrow the goy- ernment and establish a fascist dic- tatorship. As always, the capital- ists, who are great sticklers for the constitution being adhered to by the workers’ movement, show no hesitation in violating their own constitution when their interests are threatened. The fascist stroke in Spain must have been long and carefully pre- pared. It started in the Spanish colony in Morocco where troops rebelled and later crossed the Gilb- ralter straits to land in Spanish ter- ritory and begin a march on Madrid, the capital. A few days after the up- rising in Morocco there were wide- spread uprisings throughout all Spain, but due to the loyalty of the majority of the troops to their gov- ernment, and to the quick action of the workers who demanded, and re- ceived, arms to fight the fascists, the tide appears to be definitely turning against the fascist elements. It is most probable that the hand of Mussolini had somehing to do with this rebellion. People’s gov- ernments come into existence to prevent fascist dictatorships, and the fascists of all countries will unite to assist cach other in erush- ine the movements of the common people who demand peace, bread and freedom. From a military view- point domination of Spain by Ttalian fascism would be greatly desired. }oussolini would then be in position to put a cork in the Mediterranean bottle by bombing the fortress of Gibralter, and thus deal a crippling plow to his rival, British imperial- ism. The news that, the forces of the People’s Government is gaining the upper hand is cheering, inspiring, and creates confidence in the power of the common people ta emerge victorious in the struggle against fascism. Fascism is not an irresis- tible, indestructible force; it is bound to shatter itself to pieces against the rock of unity of the common peo- ple. In France, as well as in Spain, this unity has been achieved, but in France a struggle similar to that in Spain is sure to be encountered by the People’s Government. The French capitalists and landowners will no more abide by the will of the people than did the Spanish, and they will not hesitate to accept military help from Hitler to over- throw the People’s Governmen. Hitler's military re-occupation of the Rhineland a couple of months ago was in part a preliminary step for Nazi intervention when the French fascists start an uprising. The victory of the Spanish People’s Government in the ciyil war will do much to retard and weaken the ef- fectiveness of a fascist stroke for power in France: * * * * hlood-thirsty Mussolini has busy lately trying to revive the idea for a Big-Four pact be- tween Italy, France, Germany and Great Britain. Mussolini, with cus- tomary hypocrisy, calls’ this 2 “Hneace plan,’ but it is not hard to discern that underneath it is a plan fo establish a fascist France and unite Western Burepe against the Soviet Union, as according to the plan Mussolini ix considering the Soviet Umion would be excluded from the pact, It is a foregone con- clusion that amy European peace pact that does not include the So- viet Union, the nation that has for years taken the lead in averting: war, cannot be of long duration. The been Mussolini's plan will not reach maturity. There is not the slightest indication that the present People’s Governmen in France would enter such an anti-Soviet alliance, and if it did it would go down tomorrow for the common people of France are very well aware that it is the great harmony between the two countries that so far has proven the sreat- est barrier to war in Hurope. Unanimity and enthusiasm feat- ured a conference of the enlarged B.C. Provineial Committee of the Communist Party of Ganada which included delegates from Vancouver Island; Nortnern and Central B.C. and the Fraser Valley, on July 18, 19 and 20 at the Clinton Hall in Vancouver. Fr. A. MeKean, Provincial Organiz- er of the Party, delivered the main report which dealt extensively with the situation, the recorded achieve- ments of the party in the last period, a criticism of shortcomings in Communist work and the tasks to be accomplished. Placing the maintenance of world peace as the burming issue confront— ine the international working class and analyzing the tremendous role of the U_-S:S.R. in the struggle for peace, Comrade MeKean stressed the need for building the widest front of all peace and Jliberty-loving people in the proyinee against the twin evils of war and fascism. Liberal Records Examined. The record of the McKenzie King government showed that economies were being effected by slashing the relief appropriations allocated to the provinees for the unemployed, and in British Columbia the Pattullo government were set on a work-for- relief policy. The Communist Party in B.G. as the vanguard of the work- ing Class must mobilize public senti- ment to oust Pattullo, whose policy of strike-breaking and intimidation is for the purpose of directly assist- ine finance capital to plunder the rich resources of this province and to enrich themselves at the expense of the workers. The conference took note of the growing sentiment against the Pat- tullo government as exemplified in the recent by-elections and the strong desire evineed for a CCI. government. = : Will Support C-C.F. Government. The Communist Party in B.C. is willing and anxious to assist and lead the people of B.C. to elect such an anti-capitalist government. The Communist Party stands pledged to fight for such a government and give its full support to the actions that such a government will take to improve the economic condition of the people, stem reaction and assist the forces fighting the menace of War. The conference realized that thou- sands of employed in B.C, are as yet B.C. Section, Communist Party, Holds Conference -gsates of the plight of the Cuban unorganized and that an outstand- ing task is the unionization of them. To assist these workers in the establishment of strong trade unions in their industry and trade is one of the responsibilities assumed by the party in B.C. Party Recruiting Proceeds. The organizational report of the party was given by J. Taylor. Re- minding the delegates of the repeal of Section 98, which was made pos- sible by the leading role played by the party which headed a nation- wide movement over a number of years, Gomrade Taylor pointed -out the necessity for building the party in British Columbia. Recruiting was reported to be proceeding steadily and the conference set the task of doubling the membership by the time of the National Congress of the party in October. Serious but lively discussion fol- lowed both reports, revealing the 2rowth and the maturity of the party in the province in its manifold activities. The reports were unani- mously adopted. The B.C. Provineial Convention of the Communist Party was set for September 5, 6 and 7. Greetings were sent to Tom Mooney on his 20th anniversary in San Quenten. A resolution of support was sent to the 30 arrested unemployed lead- ers in Ontario who led the success- ful struggle against the 10 per cent relief cut attempted by the Liberal Premier Hepburn of that province. A letter of condolence was directed to the Provincial Committee of the party in Saskatchewan on the un- timely death of their brilliant young provincial secretary. _ Spirit of Internationalisnz. Comrade Tom Ewen-in his speech on behalf of the Central Committee gave a masterly outline of the tasks facing us in organizing and mobilizing the people of Canada in their struggle for a better life. Con- cluding in the spirit of true Inter- nationalism he reminded the dele- workers who were at the mercy of the Royal Bank of Canada; that the Communist Party of Canada will assist the Cuban people by intensify- ine its activities against capitalist oppression at home, exposing this yvivieus exploitation of the Cuban people, and mobilizing public opinion in their support. Book Review “RPRANCE TODAY” By MAURICE THOREZ Bristline with facts and figures this is the most comphrensive doc- has yet appeared. On this subject there is no one better qualified to write than Maurice Thorez, Gen- eral Secretary of the French Com-=- munist Party and Member of the Chamber of Deputies, for it was through him that the Communist Party in March., 1934, first an- nounced its People’s Front policy. Dealing with industry after in- dustry he shows that the French capitalists tried through a series of wage cuts to make the workers carry the burden of the crisis. Wor were the agricultural workers in any better shape. In the ruraJ, dis- tricts the aristocratic landlords re- duced the condition of the farm laborers and peasants until it was a little better than that of the cattle they tended. Large sections of middle class were forced down into tht ranks of the unemployed. As in other eountries there began a movement for the concentration of control of industry, towards monopoly, and simultaneously the French oligarchy began to encour- age the growth of fascist organ- izations strongest of which was the Gross of Fire led’ by a retired army officer, Colonel de la Reque, a man of mediocre ability. The author des- cribes Roque’s fascism as “a pallid and pirated copy of Italian fascism and WHitlerism, adapted to suit the taste of middle-class Erenchmen who had been ruined, betrayed and embittered by ‘the crisis’’ The Catholic church stronzly supported all fascist movements. Seizing upon the exposure of the Stavisky scandals as an excuse the fascists attempted to seize power in a great Paris demonstration on February 6, 1934. That they did not succeed in pushing forward their first success was due to the watch- fulness of the Communist Party ument on the People’s Front that: which organized a counter-demon- stration three days later, during which the Parisian workers became fully aroused to the fascist danger. The great strike of Feb. 12 brought four and a half million Paris work- ers out of the factories. From this ereat turning point the masses be- ean to see the urgent need of unity. For unity between the Socialist and Communist parties, for Trade Union unity, for unity between the indus- trial workers and peasants, for the drawing into the struggle of the middie class — the Communists worked tirelessly. Between Febru- ary and June, 1933, 930 meetings and 22 street Gemonstrations were hela in Paris. Time and again the Socialist party leadership refused to enter a United Front; time and time agnin the Communists renewed their proposals until they were ac- cepted. Even when the People’s Front was achieved the Communists did not rest. They submitted a definite program as basis for organic unity between their party and the Social- ist party. but this has not yet come about. Thorez frankly states: “Throush all the parliamentary and extra— parliamentary struggles in which they engage, in support of immedi- ate demands and in defense of work- ers’ standard of living, the Com- munists do not Jose sight of the great final aim of their struggle Revolution, Dictatorship of the Proletariat, Soviet Power.” As a study of the conditions that led up to the present People’s Sov- ernment in France, which the Com- munists support fully, without as yet participating in it, the book is unequalled. Its language is beauti- fully simple. Published by Wictov Gollanz, Limited, it is on sale 2b some of the Vancouver book stores- fie A mass meeting and concert on the 20th anniversary of the arrest and frame-up of Tom Mooney will be held in the Labor Temple, comer of Pender East and Hawkes Avenue, on Tuesday, July 28, at 8 p.m. Malcolm Bruce, a personal ac- quaintance and friend of Mooney, comes from Columbia Oe e By , OV’ BILL 3 I wish to correct a Legalized mistake that crept Murder. into this column last. week, my mistake, not the printer's. Reterring to mining disasters on the Island, Pro- tection was mamed as the scene of the explosion that killed 148 miners. This avoidable calamity did not oc- cur at Protection, but at No. i. It happened some years before the Protection shaft was sunk; but Protection has taken its toll of miners’ lives too. That was where a cage disaster sent sixteen men to their deaths because the Western Fuel Co. was too profit-greedy to buy a new cable. It would be in- teresting to know how far the in- humanity of the coal-kings would go, if coal was as valuable as emeralds. The world’s supply of these stones in South America. High up in the Andes is the town of Muzo and here it is that most of the emeralds come from. The onerous for the native Indians and Wegroes are imported from the West Indies. Only the strongest and toughest can stand the exacting toil under disease-breeding conditions. A pound of emeralds costs a million dollars and—the lives of sixty min- ers. They work inside of an im- penetrable barb-wire stockade. Sentries with machine guns are posted to overlook every foot of it. A Cheko-Slovak engineer who visited the emerald mines writes, “In one of the offices we saw a door with, ‘Positively No Admit- tance’ painted on it. Suddenly the ‘door opened and our amazed eyes beheld a highly modern operating | theatre. A clinic for the miners? Indeed not! Two British engineers who accompanied us on our round | hastened to explain. It was an oper- ating room all right, equipped too ~ with the latest devices and staffed with highly skilled surgeons. Miners were indeed operated on therein but only when a previous X-ray ex- amination confirmed the “suspicion that a stone had been swallowed.” i The miners might sicken and die like flies from fevers and Silicosis, but the only ones for whom there is a doctor and surgical services are those who try to do a little “high- grading.”” And if coal was as valu- able as emeralds or diamonds we would have the same kind of surg- ieal first aid in Nanaimo and Cum- berland and the Crow. QOnly in the Soviet Union are such equipment and such surgeons for the benefit of the miners. Criminals in We Have Them Manchuri3 Here Too. under the - beneficient rule of Japanese imperialism are at liberty to commit all the crimes in the code and the decalogue, with- out fear of punishment provided their motive is to raise funds to fight Communism. ‘Darien is a centre of White Guard activity from where is launched political and criminal moves against the Soviet government. The scum of the ex-armies of Koltchak, Sem- yonov and other upholders of the old Tsarist rule make it their home and constitute with their Japanese Militarist masters “the criminal ele- ment’ of the country. ; a Recently six of these White Guard scoundrels kidnapped one of the local wealthy citizens whom they considered well enough heeled to -pay a fat ransom. They made a slip-up, were pinched, and the native Manchukuo court sentenced four of them to death and two to life im- prisonment. The local Russian Fascist Party and their paper, “Nash Put,” im- mediately circulated a _ petition claiming that “the abductors were people who wanted the ransom money to fight against Communism and should not be treated as ordin- ary criminals.” The supreme court, dominated by the Japanese fascist imperialists, quashed the sentences, This kind of thing is likely toe happen in Canada also unless the anti-fascist forces prevent it. The first move is to unite ALL the lib- eral-minded Canadians who are op- posed to fascism. The funds used here to fight Com- munism may be acquired in the same way as they were in Man- churia, THE Gerry at the Back to the City Hall reminds Stoveplates! many of the old ; timers of his ob- streperous father, Jim McGeer, who was in the cow-raising and milk business in Mount Pleasant. A scribbler on the “Province” who used to write political jibes in the form of extracts from the “False Creek Record,’”’ wrote of him once: “Jim MecGeer only did the right thing once—that was when he yoted for Maxwell—but even then they to get him to stay in his well till the election was over.” Gerry seems to be typical of his old man except that he hasn’t done it will take more than of this city. It’s about time somebody gave him a contract to go back to the foundry making stoveplates, the only socially useful work he seems recent eviction case’ prove he is 4 will speak. poor lawyer. a climate conditions are - too had to promise him a beef-contract | the right thing even once. His Baby d Bond issue still remains to be sold = out; his Gerry Jubilee is a fizzle and © one Lord | Mayor to pull it out of the hole. ~ His latest move to identify Van- { ecouver with the Olympics of his 4 Wazi friend Hitler is but one more = insult te the liberal-minded people t to be fitted for as he is a frost of iq a mayor and his remarks about 2. ( a) i. iia _ soRsin aly eae elas H t } z t H E ae eS et