Pt OP i, eS - ADV O CATE

Wovember 12, 1937

Eo00Ks
and

Authors

HELLO CANADA, with

foreword by Ted Alien—

Friends of the Mackenzie-
Papineau Battalion — 5
cents.

Reviewed by HAROLD GRIFFIN.

HEN we put down Hel-

; lo Canada after read-
ing it this weekend it was
with a warm feeling of
pride. No one with the least
respect for hard won demo-
eratic rights, for the tradi-
tions of freedom, can read
this simply written, human nar-
rative, compiled from diaries and
letters of volunteers in the Mac-
kenzie-Papineau Battalion, with-
out a real sense of gratitude to
these anti-Fascists—one thousand
of them—who, under the red, gold
and purple of Republican Spain,
are fighting the tyrrany of Fas-
cism.

They had no thought of reward
. “when we could say: ‘It’s
worth it, no matter what the cost,
this offensive is worth it,’ you
knew that the Fascists could ne-
ver win. Never, because there
was more than rifles, planes and
bullets stopping them. There was
something there that nothing, no
power on earth could defeat or
destroy.”

This is what one of the boys
writes. The knowledge that they
are contributing to the defeat of
Bascism in Spain and consequent-
ly wherever else it assails democ-
racy, that liberation of the Fas-
eist countries is being brought
nearer, these are rewards enough
for men who have seen villages
razed to the ground, who have
helped to carry the bodies of non-
ecombattants from the ruins of
their homes. @

HEY are young men for the

most part, these Canadians
who have come from every part
of the Dominion to fight interna-
tional Fascism in Spain. Many
of them are Communists. Others
belong to no political party, but
share with the Communists their
intense love of freedom. The story
ef the Mackenzie-Papineau, the
individual stories of its members,
will make stirring reading when
they are written, as some day we
nope they will be. They will be
stories of a struggle against op-
pression in Canada, of youth de-
Mmanding its right to opportunity.
They will be stories of the On-To-
Ottawa trek, of strike struggles
from WNova Scotia to British Co-
lumbia, of the fight for repeal of
Section 98.

Tt is only natural then, that
these same boys who grew to ma-
turity in the struggle against re-
action here should now be carry-
ing on the finest traditions of
their country in the grimmer
struggle against international
Fascism in Spain.

Many have died to maintain
those traditions. . . “July 5th. We
went into action. We were healthy
and rested after three weeks in
Albarres. Canadian officers were
leading us. Ed Gecil-Smith, Bill
Hallowell and Bryce Coleman
were company commanders. We
had been ordered to march
through Villanueva de la Canada.
When we came to march through
it we found that before we could
march through it we had to take
it. We did. After sixteen hours
of fighting. Bryce Coleman was
mortally wounded. One of the
boys had his head in his lap.

Bryce smiled weakly. ‘Canada,
say, that’s our meat. Funny eh,
that the village should have Can-
ada attached to it? He died
smiling.

“Qur casualties were heavy-

John Deck, one of the finest men
in the battalion who took com-
mand when Bryce Coleman was
killed, said tersely: ‘We're going
over together, boys. Remember,
Mackenzie-Papineau, over the
top’. With a whoop he jumped
over the parapet leading the at-
tack. He was hit and yelled:
‘Don’t mind me, keep on going,
keep on going’”

Who wouldn’t feel a surge of
pride to read such words as these?
@

BELLO Canada is more than

just another pamphlet. It is
@ living record of Canadian his-
tory, the new Canada of the fu-
ture.

The story closes: “Our boys
rested after the Brunete offensive
for three weeks. Then came the
Aragon offensive where we were
rushed, together with the Lister.
El Campensino and the Modesto
divisions. The Aragon offensive,
where the Spanish People’s Army,
now steeled and invincible went
into action on that front that had
been inactive for months. That’s
another story to tell. Here the
full-fledged Mackenzie - Papineau
Battalion fought as a distinct
unit. Here, together with the
American brigade, we stormed
Belchite, one of the most strategic
towns on the entire Aragon front.

“The International Brigade
showed the world during the
early days of November that the
democratic peoples of the world
were not going to stand by silent
while their governments contin-
ued discussing the pros and cons
of that farce called non-interven-
tion. The Brigade showed the
Spanish people that only with
discipline and organization could
they fight modern weapons. To-
day the Spanish People’s Army
stands as one of the finest fight-
ing units in Burope.

“Our role, though still impor-
tant because the Italian troops

By TOM EWEN.

, S a result of a number

of discussions with
prominent trade unionists
relative to the origin, ideol-
ogy and probable future of
the Canadian Federation of
Labor (CF of L), I have
been requested by the ““Peo-
ple’s Advocate” to set forth
a few facts pertaining to this
alleged union.

Originally formed back in 1902
when the Trades and Labor Con-
gress of Canada denied some of
its component parts representa-
tion, on the grounds of being a
“dual” or contending body, the
Cr of L has little to show for
its thirty-five years of endeavor.
From the official record, we are
told that it “functioned” until
1927, when in the same year it
merged with the newly-formed
All Canadian Congress of Labor,
(AC@ of L). Its antics in this re-
spect remind one of the theme of
an old irish song, “In again, out
again, Finnegan.”

At the sixth convention the
Burford-Russell-McKinley-Meikle-
MeCollum consortium decided
that the Mosher faction was ac-
cepting too much dictation from
Moscow and other quarters, which
was not in keeping with the high
ideals of “Canadianism” as prac-
ticed by the OQBU, and so at-
tempted to wreck and split the
ACE of L. They scored a partial
Success in the resurrection of the
GCF of LL, but were unable, how-
ever, to win over the main group
of organized workers in the ACC
of L, viz the Canadian Brother-
hood of Railway Employees (CB
of RE).

This group seized the books,
finances, and properties of the
ACE of L, attempted cancellation
of the sixth convention while the
delegates were enroute. In both
actions they were foiled. The
sixth convention of the ACC of
i, was held, and the stolen prop-
erties, under court order, re-
turned. -

Tt might be mentioned here that
the CB of RE is steadily moving
towards unity- with the AF of L.
In some of the Eastern Divisions
large numbers have joined the
Brotherhood of Railway and
Steamship Clerks (BRSC@), and
the movement for a single union
within the AF of L of this cate-
gory of workers is still progress-
ing.

Weedless to say this develop-
ment is not to the liking of Presi-
dent Mosher of the ACE of L but
there isn’t much he can do except
indulge in the popular pastime of
berating the “reds.” The will to
trade union unity is just a little
stronger than the “King Canutes”
who would hold it back, irrespec-

continue to be sent in, has never-
theless been lessened as the Span-
ish Army grew to maturity.

“The knowledge that we as
Canedians are really representing
everything that is fine and hon-
est in our country makes us not
only proud but gives us the ne-
eessary inspiration to fight on.
This story is sketchily told, I
know. I also know that many of
our people do not realize yet what
our fighting means to Canada
and to the world.

“We here understand that. We
don’t want to be looked upon as
heroes. We know our jobs, we
know why we are here, but we
want our people, our country
which we have learned to love so
well, to remember that we are
here and why we are here. That
is not much to ask. I know that
the boys now lying under the
brown soil of Spain wanted that.
When they died they were not
only dying for the peace of Spain
but for the peace of our country,
our Canada.”

attended the Progres-
sive Women’s Federation last
week, I found a militant body of
Progressive women, represent-
. ing all types of
Women organizations, ga-
thered together to discuss ways
and means of bettering conditions
in this province. Formed by
progressive women in the city to
take up pressing social problems
without delay, the organization
has among its members, in an
advisory capacity, Alderman Hel-
ena Gutteridge, and Mrs. Dorothy
Steeves, MILA, who are both in-
valuable in advising the Federa-
tion where mass pressure will be
the most effective, when the ne-
cessity arises, and the need for
organized expression of public
opinion was never so great as it
is today.

Every Unionist Should Read This Article

Exposing ‘Canadian Unionisny’

tive of the insignia on their union
card.

*
DEOLOGICALLY it mignt be
said that the CF of L has out-

done the ACC of L in seeking to
promote a peculiar type of hybrid
Canadianism. This is not hard
to understand.

Burford, prior to becoming se-
cretary-treasurer of the CF of L
was editor of the ‘Canadian Un-
ionist,” the official organ of the
ACC of L.

Preserved in the pages of this
monthly publication are his brain-
children. And what a collection!
A perpetual nightmare of AF of
L bureaucrats strangling Cana-
dian trade unionists with an im-
aginary boundary line and a gi-
gantic export of per capita, all
our autonomy, all our trade union
democracy, all our rights and lib-
erties sacrificed upon the altar of
the American Federation of
Labor, upon the altar of “foreign
dictators!”

Thirty-five years of CF of L
ideology has developed this phil-
osophy to an hysteria.

Starbuck, whose signature is
affixed on the espionage letter
reproduced here, indicating some
of the other methods of the CF
of L in building “Canada” unions,
was and still is an active journa-
listic co-worker of Burford.

It is, therefore, obvious that
with such an official ideology,
well matured in the ACC of L,
and later transferred to the CFE
of IL, and fanned with all the heat
of an anti-ACC of L, anti-Com-
munist, anti-AF of L, anti-CiO,
anti-unity crusade, that only a
resurrected abortion could ensue
in the form of the present CF
of L.

x

TILL, in these days of rapid

change and growing militancy,
with the will of organized labor
to assert itself and claim its
rights growing steadily stronger,
trade union abortions come in
extremely handy ... to the un-
serupulous employers.

The gentlemen of the Shipping
Federation, of the boss loggers,
of the breed which is now issuing
a new Constitution for the laun-
ching of a new “Industrial Asso-
ciation of British Columbia” will
certainly welcome the “co-opera-
tion” of a “Canadian” dual union
movement, because it is precisely
by and through this form of dual
unionism with all its “Canadian”
clap-trap, that the “Industrial As-
sociation” with the Fascist, Col-
onel Edgett, at its head, hopes
to head off bona-fide trade union
organization and unity.

Should any one feel that my
presentation of this hybrid Cana-
dianism is overdone, just read the
first two issues of the “Canadian
Labor Herald,” official organ of
the Vancouver Council of the CF
of L. They at least leave no
doubts as to their official attitude
and policy towards the major
body of Canadian trade unions,
a policy, which, if carried out,
would only lead to chaos and
widespread disruption.

*
HE article in Volume i, No. 1

in the “Herald” entitled
“Cheek - Off,” could have been
lifted from Col. Edgett’s own

“Tabor Truth,” so similar are the
postulations.

Everything the AF of L and
the GIO have done in the past or
even now, (the Trades and Labor
Gongtress Bill not excepted) is all
for the sinister purpose of gaug-
ing per capita through the chechk-
off.

“In all of the activities of both
the AF of L and the CIO during
the past year, the reader will
have noted that one demand was
general. The recognition of the
union. This term may have meant
many things to the individual
members of the groups. But to
Green and Lewis and their cab-
inets it meant one thing and one
thing alone, the institution of the
check-off.”

In that brief sentence you have
all the warped philosophy of the
GF of L, concentrated upon the
business of distortion and mis-
representation.

Further on the writer cites the
United Mine Workers of America
as a point of comparison. When
you join the UMW, he recites,
you sign a form whereby the coal
operator deducts your union dues
and turns the latter over to the
union official who, in turn, with
the assistance of the higher union
officials, uses this money to
“check-off” those who would pre-

sume to oppose
“officials.”

The writer completely ignores
the hard fact that less than ten
per cent of all AF of L and CIO
unions have the check-off system,
while ninety per cent have union
recognition in the sense that col-
lective bargaining through elected
committees of the members is in
practice.

*

HIS is not the kind of “coal-

lective” bargaining practiced
by Bob Russell, OBU generalis-
simo and executive member of the
CF of Lin Winnipeg a few weeks
ago against the moving picture
projectionists.

Two or three theatre owners
eonfronted their projectionists,
working under an AF of L agree-
ment, with an ultimatum; an
OBU yellow-dog contact, “Sign
this if you want to hold your jobs.
We (the bosses) have signed an
agreement covering this house
with the OBU.” The projection-
ists didn’t like this method of

these sinister

“Canadian” unionism, so they
picketted these theatres.
“Brother” (?) Russell, along

with a couple of car loads of
other “Canadian unionists” (hooli-
gans is a better term) drove to
the theatres, beat up the pickets,
tore up their sandwich boards and
chased them away, while CF of L
“unionists” operated the mach-
ines,

One could go on, but the record
speaks for itself. Recognition of
a union won through persistent
struggle and constructive build-
ing is in itself a priceless and
rightful heritage of Labor; recog-
nition won by red-baiting, by
toadying to this or that union-
hating employer; by pandering to
a cheap distortion of patriotism;
such “recognition” is a menace to
organized labor. The “recogni-
tion” implied in Starbuck’s letter
to the Fascist, Edgett, has no
place in the ranks of labor.

x

UT, says someone, after you

have told us all this, what of
the CE of LL? There are many
good, sincere, well-meaning work-
ers in it. Are you going to break
it up or build it up? The answer
is, neither.

The Communist party’s policy
formulate policies on the basis of
sentiment nor the fact that a
number of good trade unionists
find themselves, through force of
numerous circumstances, obliged
to join a splitting, secessionist
conglomeration that claims the
status of a trade union.

The Gommunist Party’s policy
is one of unity and organization
of the unorganized. Not more
unions but bigger unions. Not
“Canadian” unions in a narrow,
perverted, nationalist sense (leave
this to the Hitlers and Musso-
linis) but Canadian unions capa-
ble of combining craft and indus-
trial structure into a fighting ma-
chine of Labor, with an ideology
that envisions true international-
ism and brotherhood.

The rennaisance of the Ameri-
can labor movement, its phenom-
menal growth in both AF of L
and CIO to some seven million
organized trade unionists, the
unity of the rank and file in both
organizations in the mighty strug-
gles that has carried unionization
and all it stands for into the
heavy, basic industries of the US
and Canada and to millions of
new trade unionists — these are
the fruits of unity, beside which,
the GF of L, with its padded di-
rectory of “affiliates’’ seem puny
indeed.

*

OME of the CF of L men say,

“Fes, that is alright, but if
the AF ofl refuses to organize
us, what are we to do, remain
without a union?”

The reply is that what CF of L
members have now is not a union
because it separates them, ideo-
logically and organizationally,
from the majority of their fellow
trade unionists in Canada and the
US. Its press and the frothings
of its own alleged leaders are
proof of this.

GFL members may say, “We
have nothing to do with these
secessionist writers and spokes-
men.” Perhaps not, but the onus
of its policies are its member-
ship’s misfortune, and they can
only be corrected by word and
deed for the cause of unity.

A sincere and persistent fight
for unity will break through the
lethargy of AF of L officials here
just as it has done in other

Woman's Diary

One of the problems heard at
the Federation last week was that
of the unemployed single girls,
who seem to be lagging behind
the boys
strength lies in unity if they are
to force from the authorities re-
cognition of their plight. Miss
Mildred Dugan gave a long fiery
report, sprinkled with stories of
herdship and dogged pride of
these girls, who say they would
rather starve than accept relief—
if they could even get it!

in realizing that their

She told of a girl who lived for
a week on a loaf of bread only;
of another who had a temporary
job for two weeks, and was tola
by the relief office that she could
easily live on these two weeks’
pay for a month. The girl was
nearly destitute when she eventu-
ally went to the Domestic Work-
ers Union for help, but still she
refused to go back and fight for
relief. She wanted work, not

charity, and it was with great
difficulty that the union got her
to see that by refusing to fight
for her right to relief as a means
of living until she could obtain
work, she was depriving others
of the same privilege.
Se
While women all over the world
are uniting to preserve and main-
tain peace, a recruiting campaign
to interest wo-
Seciety Women men in train-
Whip War ing to aid the

ae army in case
Fervor of war is in
full swing in London. Society

women are flocking to join clas-
ses run by the war office, in anti-
gas training, first aid, map read-
ing, navigation, and squad drill

One hundred young women
have been recruited into the
Women’s Legion Motor Drivers’
Unit, which boasted a member-
ship of 3000 after the last world
war.

nis

SH we
tA FEDERATION BU TRAVAIL

Founded 1902; weorgocieed 1936

GEXGAL OFT:
126A SPARKS STREET

OTTAWA
ONTARIO

—————————

Here is proof of the way in which the € F of L works with labor
enemies.

centres. Some of them are plenty If not, publication of other docu-

sleepy and dream mostly on per
capita. Others—the majority —-
are awake to a new era of trade
unionism and struggle.

The GF of L is not recognized
by the majority of trade unionists
as a bona fide trade union organi-
zation. That should be sufficient.

ment more damning than even
the Starbuck letter may become
necessary in order to hasten con-
viction and save honest workers
from becoming the unconscious
dupes of pro-Hascist racketeers,
masquerading under the dignified
mame of a trade union.

Guerilla Waritare
Im the Asturias |

VALENCIA:
VAXHE most conspicuous
event of recent weeks in
the Spanish war—the fall of
Gijon and Aviles to the Fas-
cists—dees not leave Franco
undisputed master of north-
western Spain, able to throw
his entire army onto other
fronts, as has been suggest-

ed in foreign press comment.

As a matter of fact, the stage
now begins in which the brave
Asturian miners are taking to the
mountains in guerilla warfare
against an invader whom they
will never permit to occupy their
country in peace.

The Fascists will get no aid or
comfort from these brave people.
As a great Asturian leader said:
“Qur country may be taken, but
it cannot be conquered.”

Those who see in the military
occupation of Asturian population
eentres a sign of loyalist weak-
ness forget the incredibly lony
and spirited resistance put up by
the Asturian troops, surrounded
and isolated as their territory
was, and the huge losses with
which they made the enemy pay
for ground gained.

The Asturian campaign was di-
vided into three stages. First, im-
mediately following the fall of
Santander, when loyalist troops
were taken by surprise, there was
little time left to organize resist-
ance. Fascist columns pushed on
toward Asturias, advancing rap-
idly to Llanes.

Then came a severe checlk.
Fascist pressure was tremendous,
but the Asturians, haying had
time to organize their forces, dis-
puted every yard of ground. They
would not let themselves be taken
prisoners, they fought to the
death. As they retreated, they
blew up every bridge in the in-
vader’s path. They not only re-
treated slowly, but they also
counter-attacked, driving back
the enemy with tremendous
losses. They maintained a foothold
in the province of Leon.

Then the Fascists, in the thira
stage of the campaign, adopted
the tactics of Guernica and Dur-
ango. They destroyed whole
towns, fired Gijon and stabbed
their way into the heart of As-

turias. Once past the mountain-
ous country around Ribadesella,
they entered the plain leading to
Oviedo and Gijon, where resist-
anceto a modernly-equipped army
was impossible.

Gijon fell, but only after 12,000
soldiers and a large number of
the civilian population had been
safely evacuated to Hrance. The
entire government air force, per-
sonnel and equipment, was saved
from the Fascists. The navy
played an heroic role in carrying
refugees to safety.

Less conspicuous, but not less
important as a barometer as to
how the war is going are the
brilliant resistance of the repub-
lican troops to Fascist counter-
attacks in the Jaca sector, in
which they have held over 90 per
cen tof the territory conquered in
the loyalists’ October offensive.

In preparation for an expected
Fascist attack in the Aragon sec-
tor of Spain, the Spanish Repub-
lie’s War Minister, Indalecio Pri-
eto, last week decreed the mobi-
lization of a new army, estimated
at 50,000 recruits.

It is believed that Gen. Fran-
co plans to launch the spearhead
of his attack from the upper
Aragon sector, probably from
Jaca.

On the
ists have
like lines
positions

Madrid front, the Loyal-
tightened their pincer-
around the Fascist-held
outside Madrid.

Not only is Madrid impregnable,
but the formerly weakly-held
Aragon front has become a Loyal-
ist bulwark.

The Government army, number-
ing more than 500,000 has at its
disposal a corps of some 150,000
erack troops equipped with mod-
ern mechanized weapons of
wat.

By spring, when the thaw will
permit once more major fighting,
the Loyalist army will have in-
ereased this powerfu Ibattering-
ram to between 400,000 and 500,-
000 men, one of the strongest
armies in the world.

Franco's fear that the Loyalists
will be overwhelmingly strong by
Spring is considered likely to
force. him into trying a mid-
Winter campaign.

by Victoria Post

Another group in the bacl-
ground quietly recruiting is the
Women’s Transport Corps which
is recognized as part of the regu-
lar army, has an office in army
quarters. The women buy their
own uniforms and drive their own
carsus

The purpose of the recruiting
campaign is “to aid the army in
case of war or a national emer-
gency.” Im wondering what
would constitute a national emer-
gency in the eyes of London so-
ciety women.

e

Some kind friend has presented
me with a pamphlet put out by
the American Federation of Ho-

siery Workers, giving a list of
Union union made hosiery
-_ = for men, women and
Hosiery children. The seven

largest firms which exhibit union
labels are: Best Made Silk Ho-
siery Company, Holeproof Hosiery
Company, Ladies Hosiery Com-

pany, La-Bel Hosiery Company,
Phoenix Hosiery Company, Ram-
bo-Regar Inc., Rollins Hosiery
Company. Any products of the
above firms you can buy know-
ing they are made under fair
conditions, with the exception of
men’s sox made by Holeproof
Hosiery Company, which are not
union made.

BUT don’t buy silk hosiery. Re-
member the Japanese boycott to
help China, and while you look
for the union label on everything
else, make sure of supporting the
boycott by not buying silk of any
kind.

e

emergency treatment of
burns either at work or in the
home, immerse the burned part
in cool water (60-70 degrees F-.)
This will allay the severe pain
until proper medical treatment
ean be obtained, but must not be
used as the sole method of cura-
tive treatment.

For

Stage
and
~ Screen —

~

[aes production of the

Progressive Arts Play-
ers of Vancouver, Newsboy,
a dramatization of the poem
by V. K. Jerome, is one of
the finest pieces the pro-
gressive theatre has yet
Ziven to the’ people.

True, it is only a thirteen min-
ute sketch, but into those thirteen
minutes it packs more of the evy-
eryday drama of life than many
plays four and five times its
length. It takes the daily tra-
gedy, pathos and comedy of exis-
tence, the commonplace events,
and gives them meaning and sig-
nificance as part of a whole.

Wewsboy has no plot in the ac-
cepted sense of the word. Sym-
bolic in presentation, in essence
it is an indictment of the capita-
list press and, in particular, of
the Hearst and yellow press. It
brings to the theatre a new vi-
tality, a unique approach. Tra-
ditionalists may find much to
object to, but even those who be-
lieve in “art for art’s sake’ will
not dispute that Newsboy, as pre-
sented by the PAP last Sunday
night on the Soviet Union 20th
Anniversary Celebration program
at the Beacon Theatre, attained
a high artistic level.

While some of the actors have
taken part in every PAP produc-
tion since the group first sprang
to prominence with “Waiting For
Lefty,’ for others it was their
first play. Ben Golden, director
of the New Theatre Players,
Seattle, under whose direction
Newsboy was produced, is to be
congratulated on the production.

Special mention must be made
of Harry Louis, director of “Bury
The Dead” when it was presented
by the group last spring. As the
Wewsboy he turned in a convinc-
ing performance.—H. G.

OW the New Film Alliance
sizes the new pictures up:
ALCATRAZ ISLAND: A father-
daughter tale, with the father a
racketeer. A pedestrian prison
story though staged and well-

acted.

HOLD “EM NAVY: A conceited
recruit becomes a regular fellow
under the discipling of Annapolis.
The movies continue their recruit-
ing with the usual veneer foot-
ball, love and martial music.

THE FIREFLY: A beautifully
empty operetta with Jeannette
MacDonald all about Napoleon,
a@ spy and Spain.

A GIRL WITH IDEAS: And
another newspaper yarn bit the
dust. This one being no worse
than countless other fabrications.

LANGER SPR: Another spy
story. This time about “pity the
poor spy” who really hates his
work. Not a peace film, nor even
a good spy film, providing that’s
possible.

&

By JOHN R. CHAPLIN

OLLYWOOD.—Tyrone Power

and Bing Crosby are the la-
test stars to join the procession
of sereen biographers. Playing
great men in coming films, Power
will be England’s statesman Dis-
raeli, while Crosby will be the
American composer, Stephen
Foster. . .-

Joe Louis is said to be the angel
for a series of all-Nesro pictures
currently being produced here,
and starring him . in the first,
titled “‘The Spirit of Youth,” Joe
is co-starred with Clarence Muse.
with the latter also acting as
musical director and writing
tunes for the film...

There is rumor of much shake-

up due among the executive per- .

sonnel of MGM, until recently the
industry’s most prosperous studic.
Current films have not been do-
ing so well as expected, but we
particularly recommend “Live,
Love and Learn,” with Robert
Montgomery, Rosalind Russell
and Robert Benchley. Not only
is it a terribly funny comedy, but
it is one of the very few portray-
als of Greenwich Village on the
sereen, which is neither satirical
nor patronizing. . .

Most. people thought “Ali Baba
Goes to Town” was a satire of
the New Deal, but it appeared to
us that the sharpest barb of the
show was the gag about the “Nine

Old Men,” definitely pro-Roose-
velf ..
6
Over 100,000 trade unionists

have seen Philadelphia New The-
atre’s mobile group during the
last three years.

For its most exciting experi-
ence the mobile group of this
militant progressive theatre turns
to the performance it gave in 2
hosiery plant during a sit-dowm
strike.

Props and actors were piled in
an open truck one night and
driven ten miles through a bliz-
zard to get to the plant. The
actors, huddled in snow-covered
blankets in the open truck, heard
a roar of welcome as the strikers
surged forward to greet the play-
ers and show them around the
factory.

Wot always does the mobile
group appear at meeting-halls and
factories, however. A perform-
anceance out on the street in the
neighborhood of a big cigar fac-
tory was but one of many open-
air performances,