rey Page Four B.C. WORKERS’ NEWS BC Workers NEWS Published Weekly by THE PROLETARIAN PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION Room 10, 163 West Hastings Street - Vancouver, B.C. — Subscription Rates — OnewYear = = $1680 Half Year —____$1.00 Three Months a. DO Single Copy si ee) Make All Checks Payable to the B.C. WJORKERS’ NEWS Send All Copy and Manuscript to the Chairman of the Edo:tortal Board. Advertising and Circulation to the Send All Monies and Letters Pertaining to Business Manager. The World This Week By F. B. Ten days ago the German ship “Tamerun” was searched by Span- ish loyalist representatives who sus- pected her of being loaded with sup- plies for the fascists. The Nazi goyv- ernment has made a big issue out of this incident and has sent more war yessels to Spanish waters, and has Vancouver, B.C., Friday, August 28, 1936 declared it will not tolerate any further ‘‘interference” with German Support the Spanish People! W HILE the Spanish people are resisting the combined efforts VY of European reaction to overthrow their government, while they are fighting a life and death struggle for the mamtenance ot it is sad but true that im various circles there is Canadians should be strictly neutral. Neu- struggle for freedom and de- mocracy, neutrality towards the struggle of any people menaced a move towards the complete surrender of civil rights and liberties to Fascism in Canada. A Fascist Spain would mean a Fascist Europe betore step towards a Fascist Canada. The first engagement in the great world struggle between Fascism and fought out in Spam. How can friends of world peace, how can opponents of Fascism, be neutral democratic rights, heard the view that c trality towards the Spanish people's _ by Fascism, is a criminally wrong policy ; it is long; it would be a big Democracy is even now being jn such a situation ¢ Neutrality, even with syants: it is a pacifist policy and should forbid the shipment of nickel and all other war material to fascist countries. Spanish Fascism aims to overthrow all forms of democracy jn Spain. Lf it wins out, there will be no trade unions, no political arties of the common people—only the terrorist dictatorship of this country should without delay pass resolutions expressing their solidarity with the People’s Government of Spain and condemning the attacks on it now being made by the Fascists. Collections should be taken up at all meetings in aid of the Spanish men and women who are the blackest reaction. The trade unions 1m determined that Fascism will not triumph. ‘Back of the Spanish Fascists are Hitler and Mussolini, who are determined, even at the cost of plunging the whole world into withdrawal of all Italian and German naval and air forces from Spanish waters should be immediately demanded. The danger of them foul designs in Spain is immediate and great and one that will take the combined efforts of all democratic war, to set up a Fascist dictatorship in Spain. The being successful in their Sy peoples to avert. To let the Spanish people down in this their darkest hour would ind. There is not a moment to lose 1n delay in so doing means death for them be treachery of the vilest rallying to their defence, and ourselves. All upholders of Democracy, all haters ot Fascism must “stand to” in defence of freedom in Spain! The Fight in Burrard OTH the Liberal and Conservative parties are basing their Burrard by-election propaganda on the “Communist menace’ in British Columbia. This is, of course, to be expected for neither they have absolutely nothing of them have “anything on the ball” ; they . of real value to offer to the electors im this constimuency- But if they want to rajse up a bogey there surely should be no reason for Dr. Telford, C.C.F. candidate, to echo their slogans In front of a Telford committee room on Broadway is a_ poster screaming: “Social Eyolution— Yes; Bloody Revolution—WN ever.” to have fallen into a trap set for them by the Liberals and Conservatives, the trap of obseur- by howling about Communism Telford’s campaign committee appear ing the needs of the people of B.C. ‘ z t and revolution and making these the issue in the election. The needs of the unemployed tor increased relief allowances the need to curb the robber method of the fruit and vegetable buyers so that the farmers ean get an adequate price for their products; the enforcement of sufficient and quick com- the stamping out of all faseist or- all things of vital im- dealt with within in view of the rapidly rising cost of living; the 8-hour day law in B.C. industries ; pensation for 1j ured workers 5 ganizations in the province — these are portance to the people of B.C., and all ean be the scope of the provincial legislature. - Tm the federal election last October yictory, but McGeer, the winning candidate, ent Liberal and Conservative candidates are taking the same line and the C.C.F. will not win this time by denials that it is a Com- munist organization. The real and urgent needs of the common people should be made the election issue by the C.C.F. The attempt as Communist, and lies about Cc ; tactic. Mle is trying to hide Communism and Communists. his designs to wipe out that the struggle there is because Soyiet government 11 ment against the fascist hoodlums, clericals, jn general, who are tryimg to overthrow it. All attempts of anti-labor forces to inject the issue of Com- e Burrard by-election, or im Spain, should be at munism into th rd by-el once exposed as the capitalist lies they are. Our Inhuman City Council (Ce as a reason the employment of a boy at the miserabl wage of 20 cents couver City Council has cut off the relief allowance which the boy” unemployed parents had been recelving. d Thus a 15-year-old boy is made responsible for the mainte- barely sufficient to keep himself nance of three people —on a wage with any degree of decency. The boy, without decent clothes and several years, upon getting a job was joytul over clothing himself properly and enjoying : life which every healthy youngster dreams of. But now, the action of the mhuman creatures who pass for men and sit in the City Council, his hopes are dashed. Another case of jnhumanity was that of a woman relief recipi- days’ work in order to procure false teeth. the relief authorities decided that she could not receive a food allowance and earn money to precure teeth ent who was given a few Upon learning of this, eut her off relief. to eat it with; so they promptly And all this just a few days after this same gang dipped their : publie treasury and took out a $50,000 prehensile hooks into the : roll, and handed it over to the private promoters of the racket to help them out of the financial hole! Not only are Vancouver children compelled to earn their own they are also compelled to support families—so that the living, a se eee City Council can have money to “entertain” visiting parasites +. av the expenses of the J ubilee which is staged for profits for a ‘reservations’ is just what Hutler when a most militant one is vitally necessary. It is equally helpful to Hitler to ask the Canadian Government to be neutral. In place of this there should be aroused a great demand that the government, still a democratic one, render every possible assistance to the democratic government of Spain, potential Arnold Webster, repre- sentine the C.C.F. in the same constituency, was confident otf y. defeated him largely through raising the red bogey. Following McGeer’s lead the pres- of the capitalist parties to introduce the question of Communism into this by-election is typical of capitalists every- where. They brand every progressive and democratic movement and at the same time pour out barrelsful of slander This is a Uatler democratic institutions and set up a Fascist dictatorship in Spain by clanming “Moscow” wants to establish a that country, when the strugele in Spain is one being waged by the constitutionally elected democratic govern- and reactionary Lorces an hour, the relief department of the Van-| iS : ; s| few imdividuals and corporations, : MeGeer, and to pay for the junketting of the Mayor and Couneil and almost barefooted for the prospect of a few of the amenities ot due to 3 shipping. _It cannot he denied that the Spanish government was acting in accordance with its rights in en- deayorine to prevent munitions being furnished to the fascists who are trying to overthrow it. In such an action it should have the support of other democratic countries, but the British government has taken a position paralleling that of Nazi Germany in warming the Spanish government that it will not tolerate “interference’” with British shipping. It has further declared that it will use force if necessary to prevent oc- curences of this nature. In other words, Britain is siding with Nazi Germany in establishing what is practically a blockade of Spain to prevent supplies reaching the sgov- ernment forces. Britain as well as Germany and Italy wants to see a fascist Spain. : The outcome of the civil war is still uncertain. It is easy to be at this distance on the side-lines and cheer every news despatch that tells of a yictory for government forces and predict that they will soon have the fascists on the run, but as the fight continues week after week and month after month it is seen that those loyal to the democratic government of Spain are as a whole being isolated by the TEuropean fascists, Mussolini and Hitler, and by. the pro-fascist Baldwin sgovern- ment. The fascists of Spain have allied with them, more or less open- ly, these powerful reactionary ele- ments, the European capitalists. Hitler wants a fascist victory in Spain because it would be a big help towards his plans for the fascization of Europe. He could then attack France from two sides if necessary, or if he decided to at- tack the Soviet Union first an at- tack by Spanish fascists on France would prevent that country throw- ing her full weight in support of the Soviet Union which, according to the Mutual Assistance Pact between the two, she is bound to do. He has already tried to break up the Mu- tual Assistance Pact between the 21 Soviet Union and Czecho-Slovakia, another democratic country, by of- fering to sigm a2 non-aggeression treaty with Czecho-Slovakia if she will renounce her pact with the So- viet Union. Fortunately, this pro- > | posal has been rejected. The threat of a Nazi attack is so menacing that even Poland, which under the late President Pilsudski was pro-Nazi, is turning against Hitler. Even though Poland has a ten-year non-ageression agreement -| with Germany she is beginning to Jose confidence in Hitler’s abiding by it; she suspects that the Nazi move for control of Danzig will be put a preliminary to full occupation and annexation of the entire coun- try.. Hence, she is seeking friend- lier relations with France, and any- thing that weakens the influence of the Nazis is all to the good. * = * a 3 Japan took advantage of the dis- turbed European conditions during the Italo-Ethiopian war to over run two provinces in North China. She is now about to take further steps towards the conquest of all China. Japanese troops have en- tered the proyinee of Suiyan ap- parently to cut off all communica- tion from the People’s Republic of Mongolia with China. The Japanese government claims this step is necessary because of the danger of >| an attack by the Soviet Union, thus showing that their imagination is as fertile as ever. A month ago the Canton govern- ment sent an army northwards to rouse the whole people against Japan, but the commanding officer was bought off by Chiang Kai Shek, and two other generals retired with their armies to where they had come from. In face of the latest Japanese aggression Chiang Kai Shek is doing absolutely nothing. The Japanese argument that they must expand because of over-popula- tion are entirely false. There are al- ready from 90,000,000 to 100,000,000 !in North China, a country so dense- ly populated that all tall of coloniz- ing it with surplus Japanese is ab- surd. What the Japanese capitalists really want is the coal, iron, oil, tin and copper these provinces are So rich in, and the power to compel the people to use no other products than those manufactured in Japan. € Volunteer soldiers aiding the People’s Hront G in the Guadarrama mountains, from which Fascist A few moments after this photo was taken, the loyalists dislodged a Spanish Workers Mass In The Mountain Passes rebels had sought overnment in Spaiw “re suuwu uucszyuig up a cliff rebel machine-gun nest. Ss to push their drive into Madrid. By MALCOLM BRUCE In The Commonwealth of last week the editor exhibits a high de- gree of peevishness towards this journal because we warned against the possibility of candidates being trotted out in the Burrard by- election in the name of ‘Labor’ or “Socialism” for the purpose of split- ting the progressive vote. That this js an old trick of the enemies of Jabor not even The Commonwealth will deny. The editor, a stickler for syllogism and formal logic, despite his wide reading of Deitzgen, then proceeds to trick the unwary by likening the running: of such a fake candidate to the running of a candidate in Van- couver East by the Communist Party in the last federal election, | with McInnis, candidate of the| C.C._ in the field. But is there even a remote similarity, to Say nothing of them being parallel eases? We would remind The Common- wealth that there is a difference between a candidate who is selected by a revolting handful of men rep- resenting nothing but themselves and a candidate representing established political party. Twelve Years in Field The Communist Party was in e€x- istence twelve years before the G.GF. was even thought of and had its candidate in Vancouver Past in the federal elections of 1930 when Angus McInnis was 2 labor candi- date with the endorsement of the Liberal Party. The “insufferable Room For Both CCF And Communist Party Here an }- Weither does it say that within the GP. the United Front can be real- ized. The United Pront means more than that. While unity of and with- in the C.G.F. is desirable—and the Communists do all in their power to maintain that unity—nevertheless this is not the United Front. What United Front Is The United Front means that while facing the realities of life and history, and realizing that opposition to capitalism takes different forms, while there are fundamental dif- ferences as to the road that must be travelled and the means to be em-= ployed to establish socialisma— in spite of all this, the needs of the hour, the threat of fascism and war and the intensifying of the exploi- tation of the toiling masses ealls imperatively for the joining of forces on the basis of the needs of the common people, and in defense of our common interests in the struggle against capitalism. This is the United Front. To achieve this United Ifront it is not necessary for either the C.C.F. or the Communist Party to abandon the parliamentary field. On the contrary, the greatest number of real fighters against capitalism ean be mobilized by both parties remaining in the field, each with its ultimate aims and ways of achieving them, but finding much upon which they can mutually agree and unite in the fight against Capitalism, and reaching an agree- ment whereby in no constituency will there be a GC.G.F. and a CP. candidate in the field. Unity Offer Rejected Time and again the C.P. has re- quested this mutual understanding and agreement, and was prepared to concede a great deal in order to attain it. But in the last federal elections as on other occasions. the GC.CF. has rejected all overtures looking to this end. The only elec- toral United Front the €.C.F. in B.C. offered was the united front of self-extinction to all other working class political parties but itself. The Communist Party is not pre- pared to accept the inyitation to self-effacement offered to it with such egregious effrontery by the Gommonwealth. And rejecting its gratuitous advice it does not place itself in the same category with dis- gruntled cliques, representing noth- ing but themselves. For the Com- munist Party is a party which at all times strives to effect the anti- capitalist United Front. = ‘ MADRID.—At no hour of the day or night does the work being done by the Spanish) people who are or- ganizing the defence against Fasc- gall” that The Commonwealth falsely attributes to us is exhibited in the implication that the Com- munist Party should abandon the political field. The Communist Party is a justi- fiably proud party conscious of its historic role. It is a section of the great world revolutionary party one of whose sections, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, has dem- onstrated before the whole world, the correctness of its policy and tactics, and which today continues to lead the people of the Soviet Union victory to victory. No Political Suicide Wanted The C.P. neither asks nor expects the €.G.F. to commit political sui- cide. It knows that the CCF. is an important and valuable factor in winning workers and farmers as well as many of the middle elass and professional people from sup- port of capitalist parties and for struggle on immediate issues. It at- tracts many who are not prepared to support the Communist Party, just as the CP. attracts many that the C.C.F. cannot attract and whose needs and desires it cannot satisfy. All who see through the capital- ist class character of capitalist parties and desert them cannot be made to fit into one single anti- capitalist mould. Their anti-capital- ist activities are expressed in dif- ferent ways and through varying political forms, To tell those peo- ple, as Mr. Woodsworth does, to all come into the ©-C.F. or be denied united participation in the parlia- mentary struggle is asking the im- possible. The CP. does no such thing. It does mot say as do some leaders of the G.GEF.: ‘Come into the Communist Party or we will ave nothing to do with you.’ members. tools of the rich and starvers of cumbents of the City Hall are. demned years frankly why—the owners the thousands of men, women built.” With those words Fire Arena which was burned to He also said that if the building The long-suffering and outraged taxpayers should remember all these things at the next city election and throw the perpetrators of such outrages out of office, and elect people who are not pliant the poor, such as the present {n= Life-Preserving Flames! “Tho worst fire-trap in the City of Vancouver ever since it was Marshall Thomas described the the ground early last week. had caught -fire when it was full of people the death toll could easily reach 1,000. It was so bad, Jubilee | in fact, that personally be would not enter the building when there was acrowd im it. Mestated further. that it should have been con- ago. Then why wasnt it condemned? He tells us would have lost money! In the interest and for the glory of Gerry ism cease. At 1 o'clock in the morning the activity in the headquarters of the government in Madrid is as great as though it were midday. Everywhere are militiamen com- ing and going, people hurrying to and fro with the latest reports from the battle front and from the fac- tories in every part of Spain. Among others, I saw Margarita WNelken, Socialist deputy of Badajoz, a province now entirely cleared of Fascists. T talked with a man wearing the blue overalls which this “army in overalls’ so proudly wear. He is one of the best aviators on the Democratic side. We told me the story of his nar- rowest scape from death, a story entirely characteristic of the soldiers and workers fighting so gallantly for their Republic. A few days ago he was attacked by a Fascist plane immediately above a Red Cross Hospital. Though a better airman than the Fascist, and in a positian to shoot him down, he was afraid that the defeated plane would crash on to the hospital. He, therefore, took the terrible risk of withholding fire until he could lure the enemy plane away from its neighborhood. The airman fully confirmed the pilots are holding command of the workers in the by air forces, the Madrid avaiation factories, ine a fighting air fleet. Workers’ Committees. workers of all branches. pace engines said to me yesterday on the job, record output. two hours. Not a minute is lost Instruments which we we improvise. “Phere is no time for hesita- tion. When the bastards have got what is coming to them it will be time enough to rest.” Similarly “the majority of fac tories, railways, tramways, power plants are of profits, this gigantic fire-trap was allowed to stand, a menace to and children who congregated in it. of a Fascist element to Spanish Workers Create Their Own Air Force air against the foreign-aided Fascist an effort which will be remembered as one of the greatest achievements of the working-class in their struggle against Fascism, are actually creat- tee, composed of representatives of This factory is turning out planes and bombs at a hitherto unheard of A worker engaged in assembling ‘very worker in this factory is determined to reach a Jobs that used to take a whole day get done now im haven't got and working under the control of factory committees in order to ensure the maximum effi- ciency, and to prevent any attempt sabotage production. i : All banking operations too are under the strict control of commit- tees composed of representatives of the Clerks’ Union, thus ensuring the impossibility of wealthy IWasc- ists putting across any operations harmful to the Republican cause. Death—and Life While the paralysis of death lies heavy on those districts where the Fascists are still in control, the democratie forces in those places from which Fascism is cleared are goings forward swiftly in the work of consolidating democratic prog- ress. Yesterday there arrived in Madrid a typical delegation, ‘representine= the People’s Front Town Council of Zafra, in the province of Badajoz. This People’s Front Council, in- cluding Republicans, Socialists, Communists and representatives of peasants’ organizations, though lacking modern w2rms, organized a militia of local workers and suceeeded in defending the town agaimst the Fascists, finally cleai- ing out the enemy entirely. Fines imposed on the wealthy traitors of Zafra, who had poured out money to aid the MFascists, amounted to a total of 300,000 pesetas The Council instantly decided that this money should be spent in a big public works programme, in- eluding a better water supply, new schools, new dwellings for the workers, better roads, drainage, and other necessities whose pro- eress has hitherto been blocked by optimism and confidence I had $ z = heard expressed by the Prime Jocal reactionaries despite the pres- Minister a few minutes earlier. ence of numerous unemployed ready While these heroic, democratic | *° undertake the work. Request for Help. The delegation from Zatra came to Madrid with the object of secur- ing from the national trade union headquarters adyice and technical Aid in carrying out these planned { jmproyements. At union headquarters there is a list available of technicians for every possible branch of industry and agriculture e airere fac r wuatroe 3 S ee cra aes : Rass From this list the necessary ex- © z Be co z = perts were chosen, and are now the control of a workers’ commiut- on their way to Zafra, to assist in the great work of the reconstruction of Spain in the interests of its own people, who fought so hard for pros- ress against Fascism and reaction. NAZI OLYMPICS COVERED TERROR Behind the flas-waving of the Olympics, the under-sround anti- Nazi movement in Germany went on. The report of the Chest for Re- many An Old best visitor Vancouver Scotch has had during the Custom. Jubilee celebrations, is” He is the only Communist in Par- 3 liament. Sixty years ago the miners of the same district elected the first jJabor man to the same Parliament. — The progress these miners have ~ made in a century and a half can — be seen from a story told by Dean — Ramsey about the end of the isth | century. ep speak Scotch, I will translate two of it the words he uses: “niffer’’ means swap, or trade, and “pownie” is the for Dean Ramsey: Glasgow was saluted by a carter driving a horse. He looked at the man for a minute and then think — ing he remembered him, asked, (| ‘Didn’t I see you in the mines in © Fife?’ ‘Aye,’ replied the carter, ye. did, but maister niffered me for a pownie’.’’ pick of the Scotch proletariat! { A Young young comrade, Bobby — Anti- Fascist. MecInnes—in this column. Hortun- ately, they don’t hear him at Kam~ loops—the radios don’t work when” he speaks. chines often display more intelli- gence than humans. One of Dirty Willie’s pictures, advertised in a local show but the | machine refused: to work and the manager had to give the people pack their money. Bobby is going to read the B.C. Worker’ News more carefully in future, so he won't make any more mistakes and pat- ronize any more of Hearst's rift raff. From another correspondent © I have received a little poem that IT am sure will interest Bobby, ang others too. about our local fascist rariter and) is entitled ‘““Tom McInnes.” Here ii is. I hope you like it: 5 lief and Liberation of Workers in Burope reveals that in 10 recent mass trials in various parts of Ger- nearly 10,000 trade unionists have been sent to prisons for as hRieh as 15 years, and to concentra- + * * tion camps for indefinite periods. These repressive measures are being used by the Nazis In an attempt to hold back the rising wave of dis- By OL’ BILL Shoe 2 Willie Gallacher, the © the MP. for West Fite, qth et cualis For the sake of those who don’t _ cotch way to pronounce pony. Now ~ “A man walking along a street in — %. i “ =] Today the Fife miners are the * = = ¢ 7 i From Kamloops, 2 Hutton, writes to tell me he likes to read about the Fascist Tom Bobby tells how mia- “Riff-Raff” was. The sender says it is|. . yt Sweeter than the murmuring breezes Wafted from the balmy south, Are the tintinabulations Of my automatic mouth. How I love its giddy gurgle,_ i How TI love its rhythmic flow, How I love to wind my mouth up, /} How I love to hear it go. | Pier Aen ay x = * * j e + 2 T was asked a few days. A Bit Of ago what should be Advice. ‘one if a drunken man was aliowed by a radio’ station to insult the people who listen to their radio programs, a5) has happened already in this town, If this should happen, every listener should immediately write a letter’ ef protest to the Canadian 2 Commisison at Ottawa, giving the mame of the station, the spe ; and the time of the program, with any other facts relating to the cident. No drunken man should b allowed on the air: we don’t stand for drunks even in the beer parlors on Gordova Street. * * x * Looking over old Das | pers is a very inter-— esting and at the same time enlightening oc=: cupation, I had oceasion in the past — few days to look up some data and — found some that was even more interesting than what I was look- ing for—in the light of recent events. In the “Clarion” of July, 1922, £ read, and laughed out loud when I did, the following item in a conm= tribution from the Winnipeg Branch of the S.P.of GC. regarding the Manie toba elections that were being hel at that time. ‘‘The Workers’ P. are yelling about the Third Inter national but they are too cowardly to join it. It is a flytrap and may function as a reform agency for a while, but it has no future.” Today there is no S.P.of C. in Winnipeg or anywhere else. Jim Litterick, Mi.A., the Communist candidate was next to the top cam didate in the recent elections, it Winnipes. The Workers’ Party 15; and was at the time that item was written, affiliated to the Third Im ternational and the workers ot Winnipes and Canada have answered this slanderous descrip tion of the Communist Party as = flytrap with no future. Poor Prophets. * * * * a From Quebes Is This comes the story © Nazi Work? 22 inquest to Bt held into the deat! of a German, whose body Wwe found in the St. Lawrence with: chain locked to the ankles. TB police believe the man had bee hdjd prisoner aboard some shi and jumped overboard in an effor to escape. This is a case that shoul be investigated in full Kidnappia is one form of activity that th Nazi criminals have proved ade} at, and this has all the halimart of their work. They will allow 2 legal barriers to stand in their we any more than Al Capone or ar other gangsters. = What will Hitler say when ] hears that two Negro comedia sat on the Nazi float in Wednesdas content in Germany. Exhibition parade? s