Page Six The People’s Advocate Published Weekly by THE PROLETARIAN PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION Room 10, 163 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, B.C. Telephone: Trinity 2019 One Year —_______-—_ $1.80 Half Year ________- $1.00 Three Months —_ -50 Single Copy -05 Make All Checks Payable to the PEOPLES ADVOCATE Send All Gopy and Manuscript to the Chairman of the Editorial Board, Send all Monies and Letters Pertaining to Advertising and Circulation to the Business Manager. Vancouver, B. C., Friday, April 9, 1937 The Burns Co. Investigation HE ARROGANCE of the exploiter and his determination to prevent his employees from exercising their right to organize into unions was nowhere more brazenly shown than in the in- vestigation into the Burns strike. The manager, one Williamson, admitted that bis company used spies and stool-pigeons to prevent union organization while he endeavored to set up a company union. Like eyery other shameless boss he denied that the men he fired were fired because of their union activity, and gave “disloyalty to the company,” inefficiency and other excuses for it. He also said that men were fired because a reduction in the number of employees was necessary. The day before the firing he put advertisements in the papers for men to take their places. Tt is significant that Judge McIntosh, who is conducting the investigation, came to the assistance of the Burns Company by refusing to have the names of the company spies revealed. The espionage system in factories has been the cause of more dis- content and resentment among workers than any other thing. The owners of industry have spent millions of dollars to maintain this vicious system to prevent genuine unionism. : The C.1.0. has shown how to smash tke spy system and has almost wiped it out in the mass production industries in the U.S. Industrial unionism has proved effective in this regard, as it has effected union organizatiom and foreed wage inereases in automotive, steel, rubber and other industries. Although Williamson showed the open shop policy of his Company and a determination: to establish a form of company qmionism in order more firmly to fetter and exploit more thor- oughly the employees, the Burns strikers would be very naive and greatly mistaken if they rely on the McIntosh investigation to win union recognition or their strike for them. These things ean be won only by greater organization, greater miilitaney and determination, relying not on judges but on their own class strength. Cc 7e Madrid’s Walls And Franco’s Head Re news dispatches inform the world that Franco has decided to abandon the effort to take Madrid. Thus comes to an inglorious end a six months’ attack on the Spanish capital, and with it a serious defeat for the Spanish traitors, for Musso- lini, Hitler, Trotsky, Baldwin and all those who openly or secretly aided Franco in his nine-months’ murderous attack upon the Spanish people, who, caught unprepared and almost defenceless, fought back in defence of their democratic rights with a valor never excelled in history. Against the foreign legionaires, the mercenary Moors, the legions of Mussolini and Hitler, the embattled people of Spain were assisted by anti-Fascist volunteers from foreign lands. Fighting shoulder to shoulder with the people of Spain also were the anti-Fascist Garibaldi and Thaelmann battalions and many more. The criminal “non-nteryention” policy of the Bald- win and King governments was not enough to ensure the capture of Madrid by the Franco hordes and the Fascist armies of in-! vasion. Haters of Fascism all over the world will hail with un- restrained joy the defeat of the armies of Fascist reaction before the impregnable defences of the Spanish government. Even if forced to abandon the attempt to take Madrid, the forces of Franco are still formidable in other parts of Spain, and are secretly being reinforced by troops and munitions from Italy and Germany. The great struggle between international Fascism and the defenders of democracy which is being fought out on the battlefield which is Spain is by no means ended, nor “has the danger passed. Ti would be unwise, therefore, for the friends of the Spanish people throughout the world to allow themselves to become dizzy with the recent smashing victories of the loyalist forces, or to relax in their assistance to them. Rather should our efforts be redoubled until the last Spanish rebel is crushed and the last foreign fascist soldier is driven out of the country. Then shall the prophetic words of the heroic La Passionaria be fulfilled and Madrid will prove to be the grave of Fascism in Spain. Cc 7.e Pay Wages in Full coe in the Relief Project Camps are becoming more unbearable every day. From their very inception they syere not a part of a work and wages plan, but a scheme for making single unemployed workers labor on a rotation system at mus- erably low wages for their relief. This is not what Pattullo and King were asking for votes in the elections. Work and wages would mean that men would get steady work at the prevailing rate of wages and would be paid in full for their work at regular in- tervals. In the new-style slave camps wages are but 30 cents an hour, and the men are paid only half ef what they earn, the balance being held out and when the workers are discharged it is doled out to them at the rate of $4 a week, on which amount a single man is expected to feed and clothe himself, and buy tobacco and other necessities. This handling by the government of the money earned by the worker, and which is rightfully his to do with as he likes, is dis- tasteful and repugnant to the workers in the camps. Knowing that the men would be opposed to it Pearson, minister ot labor, threatened all sorts of dire consequences if the men organized into their union and maintained their locals in the camps. But the men organized in spite of Pearson’s fulminations. The union is strong enough now, with organized lapor’s sup- port, to compel the payment in full of wages earned. The de- mand should be made at once for the handing over of all deferred promised when they PE OP iss ADVOCATE April 9, 1937 ~ CANADIAN WRITES FROM SPAIN The letter printed below received by Miss Isabel Ewen from her brother, Bruce Ewen, a son of Tom Ewen, BC secretary of the Communist party. For ob- vious reasons the place where the letter was written and the exact location of young Ewen are not given, but it can be said that he is with the forces of the Spanish people's government.— Editor. was Dear Isabel,—Much has passed since my latest letter, including time, for which I should be severely chastised, but I know that you will take my old fault into considera- tion, and forgive me. I do not know what I am going to write, as there is enough material to fill books; and yet, I am like one who can speak 10 lan- guage, for it is hard to put on paper all that passes through the mind. Firstly, my health is tops. i have been eating well, and sleeping like- wise. The food is not fancy, but of the best quality, and well prepared. I hope that your health is at least what it was when I left, with the addea advantage of not having the kid brother to look aftex. My trip down was very interest- ing. I met many old-timers who aided me on my way. And as for the country I traversed, while not dissimilar to Canada in the sum- mer, it was the most continually beautiful land I haye ever seen. The skies are always colorful, and at sunset and by moonlight would inspire poetry if one had the ability to rhyme. To see the snow- capped Pyrenees is a sight never to be forgotten. The people here are beautiful, not in the sense oft sung by hack rhymsters and crooners, but have great beauty of heart and mind. Their hospitality is seldom equalled, and the unity of thought expressed in the “salud” brings a thrill which at the present moment is equalled only by hearing the strains of the “International” drift over the radio. For the American, such a happen- ing is novel. By now, however, we expect these things, though it is hard to become accustomed to the fact that we have here a govern- ment of the people. It is so different from Canada where the authorities are either capitalists or their lackeys. Each day brings new things, large and small. each of which serves to tighten our conyictions, to steel us for the fight to come. And with each of these illustrations, the mind looks back over the panorama -of all those passed — the children throwing flowers to us, the work- ers along the way filling our pockets and bags wtih oranges, and always the raised fist and “salud, comrade,”’ and we are ever more determined to fulfill our task, and the slogan rings louder and clearer: No pasaran! (They shall not pass). The spirit of all those with me is very high, and in every voice is the conviction that we can march forward and make good all that is expressed in that slogan. As for actual news, you probably get more than I do, for the com- pass of my Spanish does not as yet include the reading of newspapers. We arrived in this city a short while after it had been ravaged by the Fascist vultures. Such is the military tactics of Franco and his band of murderers, dropping shrap- nel bombs on the homes of work- ers, slaughtering folk whose “crime”? is the desire to be free, mangling pretty children. Every such incident Seems to further in- flame the hatred of the people for Fascism, further strengthen their determination to do away with this scum that preys on the lives and labor of workers. The best way you can help it is to get into the work to assist Dr. Bethune. I must confess that there is a great deal left untold, but it will have to wait another day. Auf wiedersehn, BRUCE EWEN. Humor A deranged man was sought by Los Angeles police as the author of a note threatening to kidnap Aimee Semple McPherson. We think so, too. 3 7 S Bill Green finally made up his mind on the legality of sit-down strixes. They won. So Bill’s against ‘em. A feller in England died as a re- sult of putting both feet jin one leg of his pants. He stumbled and died from injury. Another guy in Italy is badly hurt, too. He put both feet in Spain. Mussolini has called in to Rome all the Italian ambassadors to for- eign countries. He says he wants to find out what other countries think of Italy. You see, he reads only the Italian papers!—Jorge, in Sunday Worker. Authors, Note! Starving authors who can’t people to buy their books will interested in how Hitler does it. We has issued a decree ordering brownshirt consuls throughout the world to refuse to perform marriage get be payment and the payment in full on the job regularly. ceremonies until the couple agrees to buy a copy of Mein Kampf. No. 2 Nazi Goerme,e goes hunting in Poland. Humor has it that his trip was also a diplomatic one. Fishing I n The Trotskyist Press Opponents of the United Front go to extreme lengths to influence the people into staying divided and helpless before the advance of re action. The efforts of the Commu- nists to persuade these anti-unity jeaders and the membership of the CCF to enter a United Front is pre- sented to the people as ‘penetra- tion” of the GGF, as meddling in its “internal affairs,’—as if the CCE should be immune from criticism, suggestion, or appeals for joint ac- tion. Woodsworth goes so far as to in- sult and slander the Communists by coupling them with the infam- ous spy-provocateur Leopold as working to destroy the CCF, while BG leaders of the CCE accuse the Communists of promoting anarchy and rebellion within their party be- eause of their advocacy of the United Front. ; The fact is that in their reaction- ary resistance to unity these CCF leaders are dismembering their own party by suspensions which have aroused widespread resent- ment and confusion within the ranks of the CCF; and while doing so they are closing their eyes to the actions of the MTrotsxyists within their ranks and even high in their councils. And this is called “defending the CCF.” The “Socialist Appeal” Article. ‘Even a tyro in working class politics can see that the Federa- tionist, official organ of the CCF and under the control of the pro- yvincial executive, is pro-frotskyist. Yet nothing is done to put an end to the poison spread throughout its pages. Instead, it is allowed to continue as the chief vehicle for the dissemination of it. In its anti-unity propaganda the Federationist reprints an article which appeared in the Socialist Appeal, published in Chicago; but the Federationist didn’t tell its readers that the Socialist Appeal is an out-and-out Trotskyist organ —mnot a mere pro-Trotskyist organ, but published, ‘controlled and edit- ed by well known American Trots- kkyist leaders. Its editor is the leading Trotsky- ist theoretician, Albert Goldman. Associate editors include James P. Cannon and Max Shachtman. Can- non has been the recognized leader of the Trotskyists of the U.S. ever since Trotsky’s expulsion from the Soviet Union in 1927, and is now editor of the notorious Trotskyist organ, Labor Action, published in San Francisco: Shachtman has been closely as- sociated with Cannon in the leader- ship, has made several trips to Europe to consult with and receive orders from Trotsxy, and at the present time is so highly regarded by Trotsky as to be his literary editor in America. Other associate editors of the Appeal are such well- known Trotskyists as Arne Swa- beck, Vincent Dunne, Ernest Er- ber, Martin Abern and James Burn- ham. Federationist Disgraces CCF. It is to this cesspool of labor dis- ruption and counter-revolution that the Federationist goes for its argu- ments against the People’s Front, to a vile rag that is directly con- nected with assistance to Hranco in Spain, with Hearst and McFad- den in the US, with Hitler in Ger- many, and with the murderers of Kirov and the enemies of socialism in the Soviet Union, a paper from whose every page drips the blood of the workers. What do the majority members of the CCF Provincial Executive do about such use being made of its official organ by Trotskyists who, since the exposure of Trotsky- ism as an agent of Hitler’s secret police and Japanese reaction, try to deny their counter revolutionary Gutter Of T he connections? They do nothing whatsoever, being too busy resist- ing the building of the United Front and using the worst opponents of unity, the Trotskyists, as the spear- head of their attack against it. Not only by using the filthy Ap- peal article is Trotskyist ideology and reactionary policies (clothed in ultra-revolutionary phrases, of course) put forward; the Federa- tionist slides it in slying in other ways. A letter is printed in which the writer says that “Trotsky is a revolutionary socialist,” and in ano- ther place he is referred to as a “Communist element.” Comradely Warning Repeated. Anti-unity leaders of the CCE ean hug the Trotsxyists to their political bosoms if they will, but Communists resent their trying to place Trotsky or any of his fellow fascist agents in the Communist revolutionary camp. The Communist Party of Canada knew how to deal with these coun- ter-revolutionaries long ago, and will deal effectively with any of the breed who may, despite revo- lutionary vigilance, crawl into their party. The Spectors and his kind were kicked out of the €P just as Trotsky was kicked out of the CPSU, thence to Hearst, Hitler and Mussolini where he enjoys poli- tical kinship. Gommunists are pained to see a publication of the CCF put to such anti-working class use, and warns the GGF of the irreparable damage the GCF will suffer if the Hedera- tionist continues in the hands of those who determine its policy now. There is no suggestion here that the CGE Provincial Executive is Trotskyist, even if there are one or two on it who display pro-Trotsxy- ist leanings and haye been poisoned by Trotskyist ideology. Neverthe- less, their allowing the Trotskyists to gain such a foothold in their party as to make the Federationist a repeater of the vile trash from the gutter of American Trotskyist press can not be passed over. To do so would be a betrayal of the working- class, even if calling attention to it will be resented as “interfering in the internal affairs of the party.” Trotskyism Must Be Destroyed. That the anti-unity leaders of the CGF are desirous of maintaining and developing the CCF is readily conceded. The Right Wing leaders of the Socialist Party of the US, too, were desirous of maintaining and developing their party. But they opened their arms to the Trotskyist party and took them en bloc into the Socialist party. And with what results? In WNo- vember, 1935, the membership of the SP was 17,487. In November, 1936, it had fallen to 6,820, an all- time low. In New York City the membership of the Socialist Youth, where Trotskyist influence pene- trated more easily, in 1936, was, in round figures, 900. In 1937 it had fallen to 300. Tt is clear to anyone with even the slightest sense of perception or observation that Trotskyist in- fluence in the CCF is doing the Party incalculable damage. This is especially true of Trots‘xyist domi- nation of the Federationist. Trotskyism is the most malig- nant disease that ever cursed the labor movement, and its influence if not checked will corrode the very foundations of the CCE and de- stroy it. This being indubitable, Communists will not be diverted by any amount of unjustified eri- ticism from exposing the malevol- ent machinations of Trotskyism within the CCF or any other or- ganization until the Jast remnants of it are exterminated. “OUT OF THE WOODS” (Editorial in the New Outlook, Official Organ of the United Church of Canada, April 2, 1937). The second Five-year-Plan in Russia is apparently proving a marked success. Standards of liv- ing are rising, “real wages” are g0- ing up, and the available quanti- ties of food are apparently increas- ing every day. In 1928, on the eve of the first Five-Year-Plan, the number of workers and employees was twelve million; today it is more than twice as large. During the same period, wages jumped from eight billion roubles to seventy-one billion. Ten years ago, a million and a half men were out of work; tooday no one is un- employed. Of far more importance are the greater facilities given to young men and unskilled workers to increase thelr skily and improve their position. Free medical treatment, facilities for sport, holiday advantages—all have been extended during the last couple of years. Housing is still in a bad plight, and food, though fall- ing in price, is still too high. Tt is interesting, however, to note that the individual consumption of food has doubled in some instances and has increase five-fold in others as compared with pre-war figures. Mr. Walter Duranty, who knows Russia intimately and is respon- sible for these figures, emphasizes the fact that the Russians them- selves place the greatest emphasis on accident insurance and “cul- tural conditions.” Opinions may differ about the principles of the present regime, but there is 10 doubt as to the drastic importance G. D. H. COLE ON THE UNITED FRONT By G. D. H. COLE The excerpts printed below are from a speech delivered by the | famous Emglish socialist at a united front conference in which representatives from the Inde- pendent Labor party, Socialist League, Communist party, trade unions and other labor and pro- pressive groups took part.—Edi- tor. The workers are ready for a Jead- but at present their leaders are keener on presenting to the eapitalists a united backside than a united front. It is sometimes argued that the effect of an active policy of this sort is to antagonize the middle classes. Don’t you believe it, Of course it will anger those middle class people who are in any case our enemies. But a large section of the middle classes will be affected quite in the opposite way. The more formidable the working class movement shows itself to be, the more it will com- mand middle class respect and sup- port. Directly the workers show they mean business other people get interested, know they are doime something, and want to join in. This is cOmmonsense, and it has been made perfectly clear by what has happened wherever any large degree of working class activity has taken place—as for example in France. It is not by being, respec- table that we shall mass converts, but by being active and formidable. The trade union movement is for the most part asleep. We have to wake it up quickly, before the op- portunity is lost. The more we wake it up the more we shall be preparing the ground for victory in our campaign for working class unity in the first place, and the more we shall, by winning respect of large sections outside of the jJabor movement, be laying firm foundations for the People’s Front. Instead of insisting that we will have nothing to do with people who are not ready to go all the way with SHORT JABS eee By OL’ BILL Up To The The Hon. Dr. Weir, whose efforts over Teachers. at James Bay since the last election would lead one te believe that he is the most sincere of the gang of “Work and Wages” gents, as he is undoubtedly the most intellectual, made an interest- ing contribution to the delibera- tions of the school teachers during their aster get-together. With greater insight than his leader, ‘‘the MacDuff,"" he appears, justly, to be concerned about the future of democracy. The teachers of BC and Ganada, he thinks, have an important work in correcting the wrongs of that system. Whether this is a lead for the teachers te follow or will any teacher who at- tempts to correct “these wrongs” be jumped on as a Bolshevik? None-the-less these are his owD words, quoted in the daily press- “The school teacher has the great- est contributions to make towards the salvation of democracy.” With this we are heartily in accord ang further are sure that a great part of the teaching profession not only recognizes this fact but attempt te make these contributions take @ practical form. But when the Hon. Dr. went on in the next sentence to assert that “Hditors and columnists of neWws= papers play an equally important part,” we were brought up ‘ald standing” We will not presume for a moment to imagine he was refer- rine to these functionaries in the labor press, and we certainly hope for his own sake he did not have im mind the late author of the “bris- pbanalities:’ or Mr. Roger Babble- son; or the microbe responsible for the disease that the old Wobbly, “T-Bone Slim,”’ used to call “hydro- forbesia.”’ = * * * Thinkers and Maybe there are SS some editors and Believers. us, or to call themselves Socialists or Communists, or even plain labor, we have to realize that in war there are only two sides and, while rein- forcing our own socialist position by the achievement of working: elass unity, to ensure that as many people as possible shall be for us rather than against us When the erisis Comes. “They Say. NX @ aee/ 6 = | “The Church dare not, call apon God against the State.”"—General Hermann Goering. “Those who advocate mcorpora- tion of labor unions are those who hope to create a vehicle for the destruction of such unions.” Jobn LL. Lewis. ‘The organized, calculated and cold-blooded sitdown against fed- eral law has come, as always, not from the common people, but from 2 few great vested inter- ests.’—U-S. Senator Robert F- Waener (D., N.Y.)- “They live in a fool’s paradise who comfort themselves with the thought that forces now ascend- ant in Europe can never menace columnists in Vic- tonia who “play an equally import- ant part’? with the teachers; there are none here. We have had 2 demonstration of that during the past week. One columnist, whose name is a household word (in a few houses), the pronounciation of which was referred to in the ‘““Unemploye@ Worker” some years ago, as “a dead-ringer for a well-known by- product of the beef industry’ (re- member, Bob?) has just let his fans into the secret of what a Com- munist is—“