) } Leading Progressive Newspaper VANCOUVER, B.C., FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1938 ‘Gov't Plans | Closing Of Camps Soon | Unien Conference Will ' Press for Extension of 'Ferestry Projects Work . Scheme 1500 AFFECTED Faced with a iayoff in the next Six weeks, under present provincial government plans, 1500 forestry project workers in British Columbia will send delegates to their union con- ference to be heid in Victoria, Saturday, February 12, to press for extension of the present works scheme. Vancouver officials of the Relief Project Workers’ Union have in- structed union committees in every camp to call meetings for election of delegates, and to draw up lutions for the conference in Vic- toria. it is expected that every camp will have representatives. In a statement to the PA, John Matts, union secretary, outlined prospects of 1500 men due for dis- missal from the camps. “Many people are under the im- pression that project workers will have quite a stake when they are laid off,’ Matts stated, “but, in reality, most of them will have just about enough cash given them to pay room rent for one week, and then for several weeks they will be living on $4 a week.” Describing the voucher system of paying wages earned by the men, Matis declared vouchers must be presented te relief authorities at specified places in the province. He said that a man lucky enough to land a job in the interior would be unable to buy a railroad ticket With these vouchers. T= the government carries out its } proposed layoff plan, all vouchers will be exhausted by May i and project workers will again be destitute, the union secretary stated. Walue of the Relief Project Workers’ Union was stressed by Matts, who stated that where or- Ganization was weak, camp condi- tions were correspondingly bad, and that the reverse applied when union committees functioned and received. backing from the men. During the past three months a eontinuous struggle had been going on between the men and camp officials, and, depending on the strength of the union, discrimina- tory tactics had been used result- ing in dismissal and blacklisting of workers, some of whom had been driven to jail by starvation, others deported from the province. Call World Meet PARIS, France, Feb. 3—A world conference for aid to China and boycott of Japan will be held in Isondon from February 11 to 24, the world youth community for peace, freedom and progress an- nounced here. The conference is called by the International Peace Campaign. Boycott Japanese Goods. Canadian Boys Are Defending Democracy. In Spain reso-. -of TNO ORKERS TO MEET IN CAPITAL —~ War Problems Emperor Hirohito is shown at the recent session of the Imperial Council where difficulties. created by the ruthless. invasion of @hina were discussed. Serious financial problems face Japan’s militarists as China’s united ‘opposition remains unbroken. Pro-Nazis Defeated Seattle Zentralverband Resists Nazi Attempts To Capture Control Of Societies. SEATTLE, Wash, Feb. 3— (Special) —Persistent efforts of Wazi elements here to gain control of German-American societies and German House here met with de- feat last week when, at a meeting the~ Zentralverband (United German-American societies), Hans Otto Giese, pro-Nazi lawyer, was defeated for re-election as presi- dent, and Harry Lechner, presi- dent of the WNazi-controlled Amer- ika-Deutscher Volksbund, was re- called as delegate to German House. Instead, a complete anti-Nazi slate was elected to office. Resentment against the pro- Wazis became strong following the appearance here of the Amerika- Deutscher Volksbund. Germans op- posed to the spread of Nazi doc- trines in Worth America fought bitterly the Nazis’ attempts to have the swastika and large pic- tures of Hitler placed in German House. Further efforts by the Wazis to convert German House into a Nazi headquarters aroused strong opposition leading to defeat of pro-Nazi candidates in the elec- tions last week. Wew officers elected Ernest Richter, president; Fred Richling, vice-president; Arthur Gaerisch, secretary; Lloyd Holtz, financial secretary; Charles Melder, sr., treasurer. WCE Aids Farmers SEATTLE, Wasna.— (2P) — The Washington Commonwealth Fed- eration pledges support to inde- pendent farmers and the Washing- ton State Grange in their fight were: against increased freight rates. BC =o. Lhe Flower of XS) Canadian Youth DANNY McLEOD, Vancouver Logger and Ex-Service Man, with Canadians in Spain. Well over 200 British Columbia volunteers are in Spain. We need at least $200 a week. What are you doing? Next shipment leaves our office February 5. Friends of the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion 48 - 615 West Hastings Street - - Vancouver TRINITY 4955 ‘Defeat National Government’ Launch of the party, and William Gal- lacher, MP, are addressing a series of mass meetings up and down the country, while some 200° other meetings have been arranged at which prominent Communists will speak, including R. Palme Dutt, editor of Labor Monthly; Wal Han- nington, national organizer of the Wational Unemployed Workers’ movement; John Gollan, youth leader; Ted Bramley, leader of the London district of the party; David Springhill and Peter Kerrigan, both of whom served with distinc- tion in the International Brigade ‘in Spain, Arthur Horner, presi- dent of the South Wales Miners’ Federation, and Rose Smith, popu- lar woman leader. Main points of the campaign pro- gram are: For Peace: A peace bloe with France, Spain and the Soviet Union; Cooperation with the United States; Aid for the Span- ish government to obtain arms in its own defense; Embargo on Japanese goods. For Work: Higher wages and sal- aries; Forty-hour week; Holidays with pay; Adequate retirement pensions; Relief for lower in- come tax payers, heavier death duties and supertax; Reorgan- ized Food Council to prevent profiteering; A more comprehen- Sive program of subsidized house- building; Establishment of new industries in depressed areas. For Youth: All-round increases of wages and collective agreement for youth in every industry; Forty-hour week; Abolition of overtime under 18 years of age; Adequate facilities for technical training. NEW YORK—(FP)—The Co- operative League of the USA has ' scheduled two conference-tours of | Nova Scotia for next summer. NEXT SUNDAY _ =; ~ 9245 aam. Tune in Labor News Highlights Presented by The PEOPLE’S ADVOCATE CKMO 1410 Kilocycles British Communists Campaign _LONDON, Eng., Feb. 3—The Communist Party of Great Britain has launched “a great national crusade against the drive to war, against rising prices, for unity of the entire forces of the labor movement to bring down the national gov- ernment, which is the friend of profiteers and fascists.” Harry Pollitt, general secretary < City Youth ~ Plan Brief Youth Council Sponsors Model Commission To Write Brief For Rowell Commission Sponsored by Greater Vancouver and New Westminster Youth Coun- ceil a “model commission” ‘of ten youth leaders will hear province- wide opinions and resolutions re- garding the present conflict over questions of jurisdiction between federal and provincial authorities, gist of which will be embodied in a belief to be presented to the Rowell Commission at its Victoria sessions in March: A number of large youth groups in Vancouver have already signi- fied their intention of appearing before the model commission with ; resolutions on youth’s attitude to- ward dominion-provincial relations. Young People’s Union of the United Chureh, Young Canada Club, Young Communist League, Trades and Labor Council and other groups will submit resolu- tions on unemployment insurance, relief and social service, health in- surance and similar questions re- lating to provisions in the BNA Act Director Ian Hisenhardt of Pro- vineial Recreation Centres will present plans for increasing public recreation facilities to the whole of Ganada by placing such matters under Ottawa jurisdiction, and will submit a scheme for national training of physical instructors. James Gibson, department of economics, University of BC, and 1931 Rhodes Scholar, will act as secretary of the model commission which will include President John Stanton and Vice-President John Jopson of the Youth Council; Mei Chater, program secretary YMCA; Margaret Davidson, YWCA; John Matts, Relief Project Workers’ Union; Bill Stewart, Trades and Labor Council; Fred Fuller- ton, provincial president, United Ghurch Young People; Nathan WNemetz, chairman of Youth Peace Council Committee; president, Junior Board of Trade. Jack Meltille, | Seamen Form Unity Council ’Frisco Conference Sets Up Unity Council When National Union Proposal Cpposed. SAN FRANCISCO, Cal. Feb. 3.— (FP)—By unanimous action, the Wational Maritime Unity Confer- ence meeting here voted to set up a national unity council instead of the national union of seamen originally planned. Opposition of several western union leaders to the plan necessitated the change. Chairman Joseph Curran, in an- nouncing the decision, declared he feared passage of laws enforcing mediation and arbitration and es- tablishment of Coast Guard train- ing stations for seamen in the US merchant marine as a result of the delay in forming the national union. He urged west coast seamen to “set their house in order.” The conference received pledges of support from both the west coast division of the Inland Boat- men’s Union and the Marine En- gineers Beneficial Association. Be- fore recessing to allow a constitu- tion committee to draft bylaws for the unity council, action was taken to assure recognition on both coasts of union books issued by any affiliated group. The conference voted support to the boycott of Japanese goods, called upon the US state depart- | ment for an immediate embargo on all trade with Italy, Japan and Germany, approved the legislative program of Labor’s Non-Partisan League and asked the Maritime Federation of the Pacific, to which it pledged cooperation, to extend full recognition to the Wational Maritime Union of the east coast. Headed by Curran, delegates yvisit- ed Tom Mooney and other labor prisoners at San Quentin and as- sured them of continued support. Mayor LaGuardia Hits Goga Regime NEW YORK, Feb. 3——(FP)—Op- pression of Jews in Rumania will “finish with annihilating the labor movement and all vestiges of lib- erty and civilization,’ Mayor F. H. LaGuardia charged here as he joined with representatives of 226 labor unions in denouncing the present dictatorial Goga regime in that country. The mayor’s words were read at a mass meeting sponsored by the Jewish Labor Committee. President Newbold Morris of the City Coun- cil and B. Charney Viadeck, Am- erican Labor party member, also addressed the meeting. SOINTULA FLOUR CO-OPERATIVE STORE : Sointula, B.C. GROCERIES AND GAS Agents for Buckerfield’s Ltd... . HAY FEEDS ‘Thank Japan For Uniting * Our Country’ —Yen Hsi-shan. ‘Model Governor’ States Bitter Hatred Aroused By Ruthless Warfare Of Invaders. MASS SLAUGHTER By ANNA LOUISE STRONG ON BOARD Yen Hsi-Shan’s Special Train at Chengchow, Honan Province, China.— (By Trans-Pacific Clipper to FP from Hongkong) .—*“There is much hate of the Japanese among our people because of the hundreds of thousands of victims they have slaugh- tered. But I am not sure whether we should hate the Japanese or thank them for unify- ing our country and compelling it to modernize itself under pres- sure.” These words of aged Gen. Yen Hsi-shan, famous for 30 years as the governor of the “model prov- ince” of Shansi, now commanding officer of the northwest front in China, came like a breath of fresh air after the murky political at- mosphere of Hankow, where I had been spending the last ten days. Hankow is full of politicians and political cross-currents and foggy with rumors. I therefore welcomed the chance to go north on the special train of Gen. Yen, com- mander of the Shansi front, which besides two army corps of central government troops and two more of provincial troops, includes the eizhth route or former red army under Ghu Teh. I was interested to know how the old-style “mode- governor,” famed as a benevolent dictator of the personal variety, had accommodated himself to this combination. With us on the train are some 500 students; going north to be or- ganized into a new university. Hankow is so full of refugee stu- dents that Gen. Yen conceived the idea of giving free transportation and full support to students who wished to join his new university, Students will not indulge in studies aloof from life, but will learn to organize mass movements in sup- port of the army. Cannot Beat China “In the long run Japan cannot beat China,’ the general said. “China’s vast territory and man- power put her in a different class from Korea and Abyssinia. Japan is too small to absorb China, just as a man with a small stomach eannot swallow a piece of meat much bigger than himself. “Recently the Japanese slaught- ered all the women and children of seven villages near Pinghsing- kwan, accusing these unfortunates of being agents of the Soviet Union. Things like this so arouse the Chinese that one may say there are a hundred million ablebodied males and the same number of ablebodied women who in one way or another will keep up the strug- gle against Japan. A certain pro- portion will succumb to Japanese pressure, but most have learned that there is no hope but slavery unless they defend themselves.” The war plan involves both political and military struggle. Civilian groups increase farm and other production, organize com- munications and assist the army. Rebuild On New Basis “China had political unity for 2,000 years,” the general explained. “Tt is the world’s oldest nation. We were proud. We disdained the rest of the world. This prevented us from realizing our economic back- wardness. Now under Japanese ag- gression we are compelled to break with the old and rebuild on a mod- ern basis. Therefore I say I am definitely grateful to Japan, who forces us to modernize our coun- try.” In reply to my query as to whether help from the Soviet Union was expected or hoped for, the general replied: “I hope they may to some extent help China, but I realize the international compli- eations. Especially in Britain’s at- titude. Great Britain does not want Japan to conquer China and erect a great Asiatic power, but neither does she want China to become close to the Soviets, and if China should by herself become a strong Asiatic power, I think this also would not please Britain. “So under these circumstances, I think it would not be good for the Soviet Union to help us too much just now, but rather to wait till a strong international bloc can be developed of England, America fo Youth Leads Slum Clearance Rally The Peoples Advocate Western Canada’s PROJECT W Low-Cost Housing Is Sought Ald. Halford Wilson, W .Owen Will Address Meet Called By Youth Council. OTTAWA REPORT In any of a hundred or more of the old cities of Europe, pathetically similar areas have existed—the sluma A slum district is much the same whether it is found in London, Paris, Rome or Liver- pool, and, it may be added, Vancouver. “Vancouver?” one asks. “Van- couver is too young for slums!” Wet the fact remains, undeniable, that slums do exist in Vancouver— ~- real slums which breed disease, misery and immorality, Close to the heart of Vancouver are several areas coming within the slum category. Districts of dilapidated, over-crowded houses with leaky roofs, insufficient light, heat and sanitary arrange- ments, houses which long would have been condemned had there been better houses available to their inhabitants. in 1936, vacancies in houses and apartments in Vancouver amount- ed to only 14% perecent of the total dwellings, as compared to the nor- mal of 5 per cent. During the same period, 80 per cent of the houses built cost $$3000 or more, houses obviously available to those of average means or better. Alarming Growth. These two facts explain the ser- ious overcrowding in the poorer districts of Vancouver, and the continued use of dwellings unsuit- able for human habitation. Under such circumstances slums are grow- ing at an alarming rate and will continue to do so until a change is made. Private dwelling enterprice can- not meet these conditions. No profit accrues from the construc- tion of dwellings that can only be paid for by low rentals over a period of twenty years or more. At the conference of mayors in Montreal in 1936, municipalities across the Dominion reported that, burdened with debt, they were un- able to finance reheusing, projects without outside assistance. At this conference it was recognized that rehousing had become a national responsibility. he National Hous- ing and Planning Association was set up to investigate the require- ments for a national rehousing scheme. In Vancouver the local branch of this association, under the chair- manship of Walter S: Owen, has been collaborating with several or- ganizations, prominent among which are: The Vancouver Council of Social Agencies, headed by Dr. G. A. Davidson; Local Council of Women, president, Mrs. Thomas Bingham; The Civic Housing GCom- mission, under Alderman Helena Gutteridge; the Vancouver Youth Council, whose employment com- mittee chairman, John Jopson, is also the secretary of the Vancou- ver branch of the National Hous- ing Association. Through the Ministerial Associa- tion, the churches are also giving support. Object of this collabora- tion is formation of a rehousing scheme to be presented at the present session of the Dominion parliament. Announce Slum Clearance Rally. Under slogans of “Help make Vancouver a cleaner, happier and healthier city!” and “Support slum- clearance and re-housing,” Vancou- ver Youth Council has circularized practically every group and organ- ization in the city for representa- tives to a slum-clearance ally to be held Tuesday, February 15, 8 p.m. in St. James Parish Hall, Gore avenue and Cordova street. Alderman Halford Wilson will open with am address on “The Slum Situation in Vancouver,” and contribution to the conference will be made by W. S. Owen, chairman, Vancouver branch, National Hous- ing Association. A Short statements by representa tives of organizations, and open discussion from the audience will form the basis of a report to be sent to Ottawa, the circular states, “as an expression ' of public opinion.” John Stanton, president, Vancou- ver Youth Council, will be chair- man. e Form CIO Council NEW YORE, Feb. 3.— The in- dustrial Union Council of New York CGity, representing 500,000 CIO members, was formally estab- lished at a meeting of delegates from 34 national and international unions, district councils, joint boards and organizing committees. The meeting was called by a com- mittee of eight, headed by Allan and the USSR.” Haywood, regional CLO director.