Page Four

THE PEOPLE’S ADVOCATE

= 5
The People’s Advocate
Published Weekly by the
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Vancouver, B.C., Friday, December 17, 1937

Strengthen the Boycott!

je! carries on her undeclared war of aggres-
sion upon the Chinese people. Countless thou-
sands of the Chinese people have been wantonly
murdered and the loss of life and preperty of other
nationals is steadily growing. Japan’s diplomats
male ‘‘punctilious and polite’’ motions of regret,
while their militarist-fascist colleagues continue
their murderous rape of an innocent and defence-
less people. Japan has been declared the aggres-
sor and condemned as such by the Council of the
League of Nations, of which body Japan was a
signatory.

While Japan grinds out life and lays waste the
territory of China, and establishes puppet gov-
ernments to carry out her will of an Asiatic Em-
pire, the diplomats of the fascist countries work
towards a fascist league to encircle the earth
with chains. And the diplomats of the democratic

countries grind out ‘‘notes’’ couched in polite and.

pointless language.
George has said,

flaccid hands.”’

_The power outside of parliaments —— the great-
est power, that of public opniion, must be aroused
to block the wanton acts of Imperial Japan. The
weapon of the boycott must be brought into full
use. A watertight boycott and embargo of all
Japanese imports must be rigidly applied by the
people of Canada—of British Columbia.

Do not desecrate the institution of Christmas
by the purchase of Japanese goods. Do not pol-
lute Canadian homes with the blood-stained prod-
ucts of Japan. Call upon the federal government,
the provincial government of BC, your sitting
member, to block the entry of Japanese goods inte
Canada. We do not honestly fight for peace un-
less we boycott the war-makers and dry up their
sources of war revenue. Every dollar spent for
Japanese goods is transformed into Japanese bul-
lets to destroy innocent life. Boycott Japanese
goods —— make Japan the outlaw she is among na-
tions. Deny her the right of commerce with peace-
ful nations. If parliaments cannot bring the mili-
tary mad-dogs of Japan to heel, the peace-loving
people of the world can. Let us here do our part.
The smoking ruins of Shanghai and its countless

dead are an ill setting with the symbol of peace
of the Bethlehem stable.

Boycott Japanese goods, and help to establish
Peace on Earth and a genuine goodwill between
men —— and nations. ——T. E.

Truly, as the Hon. Lloyd
‘Democracy has fallen into

Our New Trade: Union Bill

HE Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act of BC is
now the law of the land. Scanning its provisions, we are
reminded of Anatole France’s famous comment on the law:
“Tn its majestic equality, it forbids the rich as well as the
poor to sleep under bridges.” Our new Act prescribes that the
boss as well as the worker shall have the right to organize.
Writing in the November, 1937, issue of the Communist In-
ternational magazine on the strike struggles of the Japanese
workers against their industrial warlords, a Japanese writer
has this to say:

“With this end in view, a bill is in preparation for com-
pulsory arbitration and the prohibition of strikes im all branches
of industry. The Shakai Taishuto and the Nibon Mnusanto have
been specially warned by the police authorities, and the calling
of all kinds of meetings, etc., is being prohibited. Besides re-
pressive measures, steps are beine taken to preyent the growth
and consolidation of the trade unions (militarization of the war
jndustries, organization of company unions, ete. ).7

Thus, in the passing of the Industrial Conciliation and Ar-
bitration Act the Patullo government has placed BC in the
game high sphere of progress(?) as that held by Japan. Com-
pulsory arbitration is the opposite of free trade union oreaniza-
#ion and association. The concentration camps of Germany and
the prisons of Japan are eloquent testimony of this.

However, the immediate concern of the workers in BC is
a dual one. First, to continue to. voice their opposition of com-
pulsory arbitration to the government, to their sitting members,
and to win public opinion.

Second, to take advantage of such sections of the Act as wil
permit of rapid unionization in all fields of industry. In the last
analysis the whole question of arbitration, compulsory or other-
wise, is conditioned upon the degree of unionization. One hun-
dred per cent umionization in the metal mining industry, in the
CM &§, at Trail, with the demand of a fuller share ot the great
wealth it produces, leaves nothing to “arbitrate.” The record
shows on the one hand unprecedented new wealth—on the other,
uncertainty, insecurity, imtimidation and general poverty.
DPnionization is therefore paramount, and organized labor must
make full use of the partial concessions provided in the Act for
the right of organization and collective bargaining.

That the organized (before the Act) employers of BC will
avail themselves of the Act, just as in Japan, to regimentate
their employees and organize company unions, there is little
doubt. Conglomerations of disgruntled and splitting elements
like the CF of L are just waiting to receive an increase of such
“recognition” and the employers will be more than glad to ac
eommodate such outfits in order to block the growth of bona fide
trade unions. The Act, as the strikebreaking agency is a bosses’
Act, patterned after the desires of the Industrial Association
of BC, but organized labor can turn it to good advantage in ex-
tending unionization of BC’s open shop industries.

Every trade unionist shonld acquaint himself or herself
thoroughly with the provisions of this Act. This is vitally neces-
sary if the Act is to be a weapon for instead of against labor.
Eyery trade union local and central labor body in the shortest
possible time, should set its organizational machinery in order
for a big campaign of organization.

Eyery trade unionist should solicit the sympathy of public
opinion for the unrestricted right of free association and eol-
lective bargaining, and against all provisions that lower the demo-
eratie rgihts of Canadian citizens to the level of regimentated
labor in the Fascist states.

~ Shadows Across Christmas

By MILDRED STERN.
TILL the terrors of war-
fare haunt the merri-
ment of our boys and girls
this Christmas, too? Will
they wake up on Christmas
morn to find the shadow of
Germany and Japan across
the Christmas tree? Will
their youthful minds be in-
itiated in the delights of ma-
chine guns, bombing planes,
coast defense guns, barbed
wire, dugouts, trenches, field
hospitals and bayonet at-
tacks? Will the aggressors’
grim dictate of War on
Barth become the Christmas
message for our children?

Sprawled across the toy-
counters of our stores are the
products of the new war in-
dustry of Germany and Ja-
pan—war toys. A large con-
cealed firing sun model is set
in the midst of a paper field.
Models of dugouts and
trenches are displayed, com-
plete to the last military de-
tail. Here is a bivouac, be-
hind a barbed wire embank-
ment, soldiers gaily singing
to the strains of the accor-
dion, others waiting in line
before the cookstove, tin cup
in hand, another group chat-
ting around the simulated
fire. What fun war is! The
field hospital scene is next—
the ambulance, the hurrying
nurses, the stretcher case,
other wounded soldiers car-
ried in the arms of their
comrades.

Christmas toys! Replete
with Union Jack and khaki
manufactured expressly for
the Canadian market. The
trade-mark? Made in Ger-

mmany, A nice Nazi brain-
wave that, to militarize our
children at our expense!

Nor are the Japanese to be
outdone. They make their
own unigue contribution to
the toy-market in models of
bayonet charges, booming
sparking, coast-defense guns,
loadable cannon and firing
tanks. Both countries, to be
sure, have been a little slow
in failing to devise toy bomb-
ing planes that drop real
bombs, or incendiary bombs
that start real minature
fires, or mechanical civilians
that scream and writhe at
the turn of a key, babies
whose legs and arms drop off
and other-such delightful de-
vices to surprise our children
on Christmas morn. Doubt-
less, given the necessary
time between bombing expe-
ditions, the war-mongers
will be able to rectify these
glaring omissions; for the
present they must be content
to plant the first seeds and
leave the rest to the imag-
ination.

e

T IS true that children

have played soldier for a
good many years. But it
took Germany and Japan to
distort the childish love of
action and combat into a
means of preparation for
modern, mechanized, ruth-
less, totalitarian warfare!
The pitiful facts are that
children in fascist countries
are being systematically
trained for mass slaughter.
Now the toy profiteers are

importine that training into
Canada.

Our department stores are
stocked besides with every
type of cheap Japanese and
German toy. By grace of a
convenient, political system
which enables German and
Japenese manufacturers to
pay their workers very little,
these toys are sold for ex-
port far below cost prices
here. And since patriotism
cannot interfere with prof-
its, this cheap sweated junk
is bought by the big stores in
preference to British, Amer-
ican and other toys.

We don’t need to be told
that every toy sold furnishes
bullets for aggression, and is
a stab in the back to labor
here. Dolls, stuffed animals,
china, toy machinery cellu-
loid toys, mechanical wind-
ing toys, toy musical instru-
ments bear the Made in Ja-
pan or Made in Germany la-
bel. Buyers, beware! look
well, and ask the sales help
before any toy is purchased.

As for Woolworth’s, itis
so thoroughly and exclusive-
ly stocked with Japan and
German-made toys and
Christmas decorations that
the wisest precaution is 2
complete boycott of the
Woolworth stores for Christ-
mas shopping. You may have
to pay a little more for the
children’s toys, but it is a
saving in the long run. For
Japan and German toys are
poorly constructed, easily
broken, provide no lasting
interest, and develop de-
structive tendencies in the
ehildren.

KNOW that many parents

will want to know what to
give the boys and girls who
like action, noise and real-
life play. They will be glad
to know that there are con-
structive toys on the market,
better made and more attrac-
tive to the children than the
fascist nightmares. For the
younger children there are
building blocks, hammering
sets, bead and peg sets, toy
houses, store and furniture
sets, trucks, excavators, wa-
gons, cut-out, coloring and
picture books, garden, cook-
ing and cleaning sets, dolls
and stutted animals (domes-
tic and British made).

For the older children
there are cameras, movie
projectors, microsets (not

the shoddy article), chemis-
try sets, erectors and me-
chano sets, fretwork and car-
pentry tools, skates and
other sports equipment,
quoits, croquet. ping-pong
and other games of skill.
Not only are these toys
helpful to the children’s de-
velopment, contributing to
their interests and skills, but
any body or girl will get more
pleasure out of them than
from the infantile, tiresome
German and Japanese toys,
which make a mockery of
Christmas. Peace on Earth,
Good Will to Men is treason
in Germany and Japan. I is
up to parents here in Can-
ada to preserve the spirit of
peace and goodwill in our
Christmas giving.

Stage
and
| screen

Ho” the New Film Alliance
sizes the new pictures up:

ALL AMERICAN SWHEET-
HEART: Not about football, but
rowing, and it’s certainly a wet
one. Not worth a minute of your
time.

FIRST LADY: Rather shallow
satire on Washington society,
which tries to make us believe
that presidents are made by gos-
sip over the teacup. Some good
digs at the Supreme Court and
some dubious ones at peace so-
cieties. -

TOVARICH: Story of two Rus-
Sian refugees who become ser-
vants, and after much humorous
by-play, are persuaded to give
their money to the Soviet gov-
ernment. Well acted by Charles
Boyer and Claudette Colbert. The
picture will amuse.

e

OLLYWOOD.— The Christmas

drive sponsored by the Mo-
tion Picture Artists Committee
for the children of democratic
Spain -is receiving generous re-
sponse. Stamp sale is beyond ex-
pectations. Gifts and contribu-
tions for the unhappy children
of the war-torn country are
noticeably increasing. The drive
probably will be continued until
Ghristmas Day to permit quota
fulfillments in many parts of the
country and abroad.

Anita Louise, they tell us, has
a typewriter that duplicates her
handwriting, and her friends
ean't tell whether her letters are
written by hand or typed. =
Cartoonist Harry Hershfield,
ereator of Abie the Agent, aiter
joining Metro’s animated cartoon
staff, went to work animating
Dirk’s The Gaptain and the Kids.

Wave: you heard the current
yarn which has us giggling? It
goes this Way: An advertising
man offered to put up the money
for rebuilding a church—on one
condition: he wanted a slight
change in the services. Ajl he
wanted was for the preacher,
wherever he said “Amen,” to
drop that traditional word, and
substitute “Coca-Cola.”

Lewis Stone’s stand-in is none

OPEN

- Asks Aid

For Camp
Editor, People’s Advocate:

Dear Sir: What is Christmas?
Is it really for the children as
some claim, or just a commercial
entertainment? If the truth were
told many workers are waiting
for January sales of leftovers, in
order to clothe their children
adequately.

Will you, kind readers, make
this your New Year resolution—
that you get behind the Jubilee
Children’s Summer Camp, to send
one or two more under-privileged
children to camp for eight days
next summer. There are many
such children during the summer
holidays who don’t know what it
is to visit a resort for a change
and have a good time.

The method of the camp com-
mittee is to send a group of chil-
dren one Monday and return the
next. The camp is situated at
Orhloma Beach, Burrard Inlet,
with a site of 125 acres. There
are 25 cabins with spring beds,
running water, best of food is
provided, boating, bathing, lov-
ing supervision by mothers, ex-
perienced directors of sports and
play.

The committee managed to
send 246 children last year and,
with the help of progressive or-
ganizations, many more could be
accommodated. We invite those
interested to visit the site at any
time. :

The camp committee meets
every fourth Wednesday, 8 pm.,
O’Brien Hall, 404 Homer Street.

CELIA HOUGHTON,

Chairman, Camp Committee.
Vancouver,, BC.

ORUM

Workers’ Alliance
Corrects Statement

Editor, People’s Advocate:

Dear Sir: There has been quite
a stir made about a report re-
cently carried in the PA, from
the Workers’ Alliance delegation
which visited Victoria, of which
I was a member. Your report
quoted Pearson as saying: ~ - - -
that city authorities, not being
close to the people, were callous.”

We interviewed Premier Pat-
tullo and Hon. G. S. Pearson to
obtain alleviation from some of
the many unnecessary hardships
endured by the jobless and city
project workers. We didn’t have
much success, as your report
made clear. Allow me to state
that in the opinion of the delega-
tion, yours was a faithful report
based on the delegation’s state-
ments.

Since city authorities are sen-
sitive about being branded as
“callous,” and have stated so, the
delegation again discussed what
was actually said by Hon. G. S.
Pearson. While we had a very
frank discussion with the minis-
ter of labor on the prevailing
misery, we admit after thinking
it over again that he did not term
city authorities as callous.

Mr. Pearson agreed that pro-
ject workers were worse off than
ever before and expressed sym-
pathy, which, by the way, doesn’t
help much. The Premier actual-
ly asked us how we got by!
These are facts, and it is a fact
that hundreds of families are now
desperate as they face the new
year.

We appeal to the incoming city
council to use its vested powers
to change present conditions suf-
fered by the unemployed.

Ww. G. COOPER,
President, Workers’ Alliance.
Vancouver, BC.

other than Stuart Richards,
wealthy retired Standard Oil ex-

ecutive. Too bad he had to take”

the job away from someone who
might have needed it... Loretta
Young, whom we reported some
time ago as having attended a
White Russian affarr, was also
present at the big Anti-Nazi
League party. So we'll just write
it off to political confusion. ..- .-
An orchid to Melvyn Douglas for
being highest bidder at a Holly-
wood auction of the works of
Kaethe Kollwitz, anti-Fascist
German lithographer.

UR closing story: Ernest Hem-
ingway, before returning to
Spain, was at the home of Holly-
wood’s most nimble-witted lady
writer (America’s greatest female
wit—you know who we mean).
There were a bunch of film peo-
ple there, and a famed director,
famed for his subtle “touch,” was
telling Joris Ivens how he should
have directed Spanish Earth.
Hemingway, finally, was so exas-
perated at such ignorant con-
decension shouted: ‘Nuts to you,”
and stalked out.

Defence of Madrid

stand firmer than
the strongest fortified place,

Madrid, heart of Spain,
throbbing with fevered pulses.
How fiercely your blood mounts,
from heat to heat.

Wow you will never be able to sleep,

for, if Madrid sleeps,

she will want to wake up one day,

And there will be no dawn.
Don’t forget the war, Madrid;
never forget that ahead

the eyes of the enemy

east on you glances of death.
Hawks hover in your sky

and aim to swoop about

your red tiled roois,

your streets, your brave people,
Guard, Madrid, against

the word, the thought, the whisper

that in the heart of Spain

one drop of blood dare turn to snow-
Fountains of courage and manliness

are yours as always.
Boundless rivers of wonder

have to stream through those fountains.

Let each! quarter at its hour,
if that evil hour should come
—hour that shall net come—

Men like castles;

the battlements their brows;

huge ramparts their arms,

gates that nobody penetrates.

Whoever cares to look into

the heart of Spain, let him come soon.
- Madrid is a long journey.

Madrid knows how to defend herself

with hands, with feet and elbows,

Madrid can jostle and bite,

the wrath of Madrid stands up

straight and hard,

by the green water of the Tagus,

in Navalperal, in Siguenza,

where whine bullets, bullets

that seek to change warm blocd to ice.

Madrid, heart of Spain,

of soil within which there is,

if you search for it, a great hole,

deep, huge, overwhelming,

like a vast gorge waiting...

Only to give them death.
—Rafael Alberti, in The Volunteer

for Liberty, organ of the Interna-
tional Brigade in Spain.

A &

W oman’s
Diary

By VICTORIA POST

YHNO successfully put over
"H the boycott against
Japanese goods we must take
matters into our own hands
and demand a substitute for
silk stockings. “While the
stores continue to sell them,
Japan is receiving renewed
supplies of ammunition so
that we who buy silk stock-
ings are figuratively wrap-
ping the bones and blood of
Ghinese children around our legs.
Wot a nice thought, is it?

Last week I phoned several of
the big stocking manufacturers’
agents to enquire where they ob-
tained their silk. Imevitably the
reply was “from the Orient.”
Since we know that China has
hardly enough silk to supply her
own factories, it must therefore
come from Japan, in spite of
many protests from stores that
some silk comes from China.
Stockings made of Chinese silk
are obtainable, but they are much
more expensive and wear for
years.

I can hear a bombardment of
questions: “What can I buy in-
stead which will look nice?” At
present there is nothing in the
local stores which is acceptable
in place of silk. But a substi-
tute can be put on the market if
the stores are made to realize—
and forcibly—that women Want
something in place of silk stock-
ings.

e

N SHATTLE—a few miles away
—full fashioned French lisle
stockings are obtainable, plain or
mesh, at reasonable prices and
they really are wearable. Why
can’t we obtain these here? Be-
cause we just don’t take the
trouble to-.refuse to buy any
stockings until the stores obtain
the ones we want.

That a substitute for silk stock-
ings can be provided if the de-
mand is felt, has been proved by
the use of Canadian rayon in
place of real silk it is cheaper,
wears as well, and is obtainable
in many more different patterns
than real silk. If rayon can be
used with such success in dress
materials, there is no reason why
it should not be improved and
made into sheer full-fashioned
stockings.

So, unless you want to feel
yourselves responsible for the
murder of Chinese women and
children ask for and see that you
get lisle or rayon stockings. if
you can’t get these on your first
shopping tour, don’t be persuaded
to buy others. Insist that you
want what you've asked for, and
you know they can be obtained.
Then try again later. You'll find
the stores will bégin to stock
lisle and Ganadian rayon hose
when they realize that this boy-
cott is not a passing whim, but a
real demand from a consuming
public outraged by the Japanese
inyasion of China.

SHORT

December 17, 1937 —

JABS

SDD.

By
OL’ BILL

If any reader of this
= column desires to gc
Note. into the shipping
business, all he has to do is to =
take a leaf out of the book -of
Sit Edward Beatty’s plunderbund,
the CPR. That ineffable gentle-
man told us when in Vancouver
at the tail-end of the Jubilee
Jamboree that his company would
put two new ships on the Fiji-
Australia-New Zealand run if the
dominions would put up the
money.

Shipping

This plan has been successful
to a point, for two new 15 millions
dollar ships are at the point of
having their keels laid, but the
greed of the CPR is holding up
the job, although the GPR root-

ers blame the New Zealand goy- i}

ernment. Savage's government
refuses to make a donation un-
less one of the ships is registered
in NZ and the crews treated ac-
cording to New Zealand laws; but
the GPR wants to impose the
same coolie conditions as it does
on the Oriental liners—so who is
holding up this free-for-nothing:
gift to the starving CPR.

This is in line with the settled

policy of that gang of land-pirates

who want to gobble up the gov-
ernment-owned CNR in the inter-
est of Canadian people, but who”
are having the Empress of Russia
overhauled in Hong Kong this ~
trip, though there are enough
pboilermakers, machinists, ship 7”

carpenters and decorators idle in | |

Vancouver to build the two new ©

boats Beatty wants for a Christ- =

mas present.

* * * * :
The lord high chief of
q = " 4
we all the snobs, H. G :
CUS! Wells, has been in

America lately, seeking material
for another “best smeller”’ He 7
was kind enough to inform us

on that occasion that we only
lt

use 30 per cent of our brains.

would be interesting to know

what percentage of Wells’ brains )~
are in use; certainly not 30 per | -

cent.

His most recent novel, “Bryn- : |

hild,” is a contribution to the
armory of reaction. In it he
tenders a piece of unasked and ©
unwarranted advice to young wo-

men in quest of some worthy ob- _

ject in life. His advice is the
Same as the orders of Hitler and B
Mussolini to the women of their
fascist-ridden countries, “Go and
have babies.”

A backbone for |

this reactiosjary drivel is built up |

by using as a Horrible example
a well known Englishwoman who ~
publishes and edits
mInmagazine.

Tt it not surprising then toe
read that Wells, when asked for
some comment on a

a topical |

book, |

“Laughing Odyssey,’ by a woman ~

writer named Fileen Bigland, the |

story of a three-month

trip

;

through the Soviet Union, replied, |

“You love Russia, I don’t.
like men who are children any ~
longer.
one outgrows one’s parental pa-
tience with the
young.”

Wet there are people who be-
lieve that Wells was once a Sd=
cialist! He was always an un-

Maybe, as one grows old, |

irresponsible |

I don't ©

conscionable prig, and Lenin de-

scribed him perfectly when he ™
said, “Phew! what a philistine”

* * * =
Po: British imp erialism 4
selects its pro-consuls 7
Consuls. with great care; their

qualifications for the job they”
are put to are calculated to 2”
hair's breadth. ;

A British ambassador gets shot 2

in China by Japanese machine-

gunners and all that happens is E

Fike PS

that the British government pays, z
out of the British people’s money, o
five thousand pounds compensa- =
tion to the ambassador, but when=
a police constable is shot im is

fu

ats,

Jerusalem, it is proposed to sen

Sir John Anderson, the organizer |
ang ~
scourge of the Bengal National —

of the Black and Tans
movement, to deal with the”

situation. :

So also when a representative ©
has to be sent to Butcher”

Franco’s bandit camp, in the in= “
terests of British dividends, Sir”

Robert Hodgson, witha long rec—
ord of “non-intervention” is S€-—
lected. He was one of the “non-
interventionists” in Vladivostock ™
in 1918-19 and in Georgia in 1920-

91 when the 26 Baku Commissars 3

were murdered.
= = * =

Millionaire
For a Day!

bees:

Every so often ws ©
get a chance to”
feel like John D.

Morgefeller Astorbilt or the own="
ers of the CPR and the Trail”

Smelter.
er.)
December 18, the chance comes
again to be a millionaire for @
day. The place is the Orange
Hall, at the instance of the YCL
district committee and the centre
section of the CP.

Inside information, the kind
even the mining mogul, Austin
Taylor, doesn’t get about the gee
gees, assures me that everybody
is going to have a good time
spending their honestly acquired
and hard-earned millions in the
old fan-tan, poker and black jack
games that cost the cheechakos
a lot to learn.

(I almost wrote smeli-”
Tomorrow night, Saturday,

Vea

mot moet 6 wet