: - AR Page Two THE PEOPLE’S ADVOCATE THE PEOPLE’s ADVOCATE Published Weekly by the PROLETARIAN Be ee ASSOCIATION Om 10, 163 Ww. Hastings Street Vancouver, B.C., Phone, Trin. 2019 SO0tGoe S3555 5a 55565 1.8) Hlaltevear Oo ss eo Sten Three Months ............... -50 Single Copy ................. -05 Make All Cheques Payable to: The People’s Advocate EEBIDAY, MAY 20, 1938 Words Can’t Satisfy Hunger X JITH great ballyhoo the provincial government has put forward its relief job scheme. It proposes to pro- vide transportation to single unemployed who wish to re- turn to the prairies, and to absorb seven’ or eight hun- dred more in mining and for- estry training camps in BC. This scheme does not alter the plight of the single unem- ployed. No doubt a small number of them will accept tickets to the East, but what prospect do they face on the prairies where the dust storms are already raging? Certainly, the farms will not be able to provide work for them, particularly at this time when the seeding will be about over. If they could be guaranteed, say, three months employment on public works in the prairie provinces, then practically all of them would jump at the chance. As it is, they are simply offered the alternative of starving in the wide open places or in the BE mountains. And what about the young Britishers who haye no home either here or on the prairies? - Are they to be condemned to starvation in any case? The opening of the mining and forestry training camps is but a half-hearted way of tackling the question: of em- ‘ployment. It seems that those who will be called into these camps will be mostly youths who have finished school and who have neyer worked be- fore. Consequently, this will reduce the number of the single unemployed hardly at all. There is only one way to meet the situation, and that is with a program of public works for which there is a erying need. The dire plight of the single unemployed in Vancouver is still unsolved. The question of when do they eat is still unanswered. Pattullo Opposes National Unity REVOER LT. D. Pattullo at © Agassiz slammed those who ask for more centraliza- tion of power in the Dominion government. He suggested that those who ask it should go down East and witness the ignorance there of BC condi- tions. Surely a poverty-stricken plea? In denying the need for na- tional government with power +o act for the nation as a whole, Pattullo finds himself in suspicious Company. This denial is the theme song of Premiers Hepburn and Du- plessis—the chief spokesmen for the opponents of Cana- dian progress: Pattullo in his brief ot the Rowell Commission pointed out how BC was being dis- eriminated against in the way of tariffs, freight rates and high monopoly prices exacted by eastern capitalists. Yet, for the sake of an empty provincialism, he de- nies to Ottawa the power to unify this country and get rid of the constitutional consti- pation which threatens the national health. What about unemployment imsurance? Health insur- ance? Revised taxation? So- cial and labor laws? He knows that none of these can work on a provincial scale. Not only that. In denying federal authority to legislate modern laws to meet modern national requirements un- known to Sir John A. Mac- Donald, he is acting against the interests of western peo- ple, who find their chief ene- mies in the gang-up between Hepburn and Duplessis, those friends of eastern big busi- ness and enemies of western agriculture: Does the BC Liberal party agree with its leader? We feel sure there are thousands who voted Iiberal who defi- nitely disagree. It is high time they, along with the progressive move- ments outside the Liberal par- ty, took measures to make sure Pattullo won’t travel the Hepburn route. BC’s people want none of the scandalous, anti-Canadian actions which have disgraced the governments of Ontario and Quebec. And the way to make sure this will not hap- pen here is to demand demo- cratic national unity for social security. That is the issue and on it Pattullo must be compelled to act. July $ — Fateful Day HE DOMINION govern- ment has up to July 8 to exercise its powers to disallow the Padlock Law of Quebec. The general unpopularity of this fascist legislation was recently seen in ‘Toronto, where the combined efforts of the League for Peace and De- mocracy and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporatiqn were required to find a man to defend it over the air. Only after several days was one found in the shape of a To- ronto parson known for his anti-democratic views. Liberal and even Conserv- ative members of parliament have expressed their condem- nation of the law. Even Col. Drew, the budding feuhrer of Ontario politics, saw fit to de- nounce it. Yet the very government at Ottawa which was elected on a program of a return to democratic government hesi- tates to act, and lets the days and months slip by. We can see one reason for this — the bloe of Quebec Liberal votes which may be lost by dis- allowance. But if Mackenzie King places that consideration above the defence of civil lib- erty, for whieh his grand- father was prepared to give his life, then he is worship- ping false gods. The people of this country would back him in the event he disallowed the Padlock Law, Quebee reac- tionaries notwithstanding. Time is short. Premier King has responded before now to public pressure. An ava- lanche of resolutions demand- ing action before July 8 will help him decide to act for de- mocracy. Who Interviewed Whom? HROUGHOUT the long duration of the Spanish war distorted stories of imag- ined happenings have ap- peared constantly in the daily press. When Franco headed the fascist revolt against the democratically - elected gov- ernment more than one reac- tionary newspaper tried to make out that the government had revolted against the trait- orous generals and that the government was never elect- ed at all, or, if it was, then it achieved its victory by cor- ruption at the polls. There may be the excuse in printing fascist - inspired despatches that the editor eannot verify their authority at this distance. But there can be no excuse when first-hand information is so distorted and misrepresented as to be al- most unrecognizable in print. This is what happened in the city this week when Bob Bouchette interviewed Tom- my Sims, New Westminster man who recently returned from Spain, for the Province. True, Bouchette did not give Sims much opportunity to speak. He tried to get Sims to tell him what he wanted to think was fact and what Sims did tell him did not appear in print. Bouchette could have achieved the identical result by interview- ing himself in a beer parlor. Perhaps Bouchette’s mind was already made up. Per- haps he has his own definition of what is fact and what fic- tion as far as the war in Spain is concerned. If so, he should take up fiction writing. With his talents he could go far. The freedom of the press is a fundamental democratic heritage of the people. God knows, wealthy newspaper combines and the interests they represent have made mockery enough of this herit- age. It is the duty of news- papermen, decent enough as a whole and workers whose welfare is linked with that of other workers, to safeguard the vaunted freedom of the press by reporting facts. The fiction can best be left to the propagandists for fascism. class. Traitors All By Tom Ewen HE full import of the Moscow trials of Bukharin and company are now becoming more clear to Ca- nadian labor. In some circles these trials were regarded as a “Russian phenomena’—and a bad one at that. Many well-meaning but illusioned middle-class elements who shed a few ultra-democratic tears for these Trotskyist wreckers are now beginning to realize that their sympathies were misplaced. It is now being realized that instead of a “Stalinist drama,” cal culated to whitewash unachieved objectives in socialist construction, that the trials were a decisive offensive of the Socialist Fatherland against the enemies of peace, against fascist aggression, agents and provocateurs, against the enemies of the international working Nor was the sympathy for these wreckers and murderers confined to middle-class circles alone. The Trotskyist elements in the ranks of the socialist parties and in the trade unions pursue their anti-united front activities and expound their “pure” socialist theories with loud wails against the liquidation of their traitorous contreres. These so-called “old Bolshe- viks” whom State Prosecutor Vishinsky characterized as dead- ly poisonous reptiles, are “canon- ized” by their brothers of the Trotskyist cloth in Canada, but the halo of martyrdom ill fits the murderers of the beloved Gorky or the revolutionary Kirov, ill fits these wreckers who would have sold the great Russian people back into capitalist cap- tivity for thirty pieces of fascist silver. @ HIS well-directed blow by the USSR against the agents of German and Japanese fascism cannot be smoothed away by dip- lomatic amenities. The trials put a very definite squeak into the Rome - Berlin-Tokyo-Chamberlain axis. The liquidation of the agents of fascism and war, operating in a Woman’s Diary By Wictoria Post HIS column has a new reader, none other than the vocifer- ous proponent of fascism, Tom McInnes, who, if you will recall, was removed from the air some months ago when radio listeners could no longer endure his mis- statements, to say nothing of the strain on radio tubes. Now he is back again, on sta- tion CBR, if you please, and duti- fully following the line of the Industrial Association (they used to call it the Citizens’ League, put the Gitizen dropped out), by equoting from the People’s Adyo- eate, including this column. He terms us “pacifists.”’ Well, strongly supporting Hitler, Mus- solini, Franco and “J’Aime Ber- lin” Ghamberlain, as the French call him, he wouldn’t be interest- ed in peace, anyway. It's interesting. to mote, and a reflection on the policy of the GBR, that Tom McInnes, an avowed fascist, can speak over the GBC station here, while the Civil Liberties Union in Toronto is held up when it applies to the corporation for air time, because of a ruling on “controversial sub- jects.”” Am I to assume that the GBG here does not consider fas- cism a controversial subject? @ HEN I enquired in Spencer’s this week about the new or- der of sheer lisle hose expected this month, the assistant told me she had so many orders for them she was afraid they would all be sold out before they had been in the store two days. Could she take my telephone number and let me know immediately they came in so that I wouldn’t have to wait for the next order? I'll say she could! How's that for effectiveness of the boycott, Mr. Meinnes? 2) IN a recent test of canned peas, Consumers’ Union found five buds of nightshade, the poison- ous plant known as belladonna, in one can. This is sufficient to cause immediate death. The can had been packed by Libby’s. Al- though there is no indication that other cans of Libby’s peas contain poison, the US Food and Drug Administration is taking steps to seize any remaining part of the shipment. The taste of belladonna is easily recognized by its bitter- ness, so if you are the least bit suspicious of the “goodness” of a Can of peas, aon’t hesitate, throw it out! Consumers’ Union found that many of the poorer quality peas cost just as much as those of the highest grade. Grade © have just as much food value as the larger Size peas. Best buys include Del Monte, Blue and White, and IGA. Tests of 56 cans of apricots showed that 40 were below the government standards for drained weight of fruit. Good and inex- pensive brands include Libby's, Marco, IGA, and Country Club. Ss AGAW marriages are the vogue nowadays in Germany. In place of hymns, “Deutschland Uber Alles” and the Nazi “Horst- Wessel Songs” are sung to the ac- companiment of a military band. A portrait of Hitler is hung conspicuously over the altar, and instead of the priest's address, a pamphiet is read stating: “You are united in WNational-Socialist world philosophy. Your German- ism did not let you rest until you recognized Christianity as an alien teaching.” Another type of ceremony re- quires the couple to sit in front of a fire bowl and recite “Mar- riage is a fortress of German blood. It is a gateway to immor- tality.” Careful rehearsals of these ceremonies ensure that there are no hitches! the highest political circles of the Soviet Union, forced the fascist powers, particularly in the Euro- pean theatre, to seek new re- allignments. Tl” Duce blew twenty million dollars of borrowed money at Bank of Hngland current rates of interest to give Der Fuehrer a Reman blow-out. Had Moscow not liquidated Der Fuehrer’s agents, the latter may not have felt it necessary just at this time to go to Italy and woo Il Duce on the matter of Czechoslovakia and African colonies, the same Il Duce he so recently double- erossed on the Austrian coup. Had Moscow not stamped out the counter-revolutionary trait— ors within the territory of the USSR, Hitler would already have been imposing his fascist brutal- ity on Czechoslovakia—relying on his agents in the USSR, who staked every desperate act on war and foreign invasion to keep the USSR from coming to the de- fense of Czechoslovakia’s inde- pendence. Hitler’s “steel axis from the Baltic to Sicily’ that he has forged (the word seems to fit fasc- ist diplomacy) will not compen- sate for the loss to fascism en- tailed by the Moscow trials. @ VEN the fact that Chamber- lain is applying the “save-the- frane” thumb-screw to Daladier and requesting that Czechoslova- kia submit meekly to Hitler's blandishments does not fill the gap. Trotskyist counter-revolu- tionary activity —provoking dis- order and chaos — resorting to cold-blooded murder and assissi= nation — demoralizing the Red Army and State forces in the USSR—all this was of infinitely more value to MHitler’s bloody march over Hurope than Musso- lini’s Roman holiday. More valu- able even than Chamberlain's aid to fascist foreign policy. Eiven for Chamberlain and the die-hard British ruling class the extermination of the Trotskyist vermin in the USSR has been a severe blow. Chamberlain’s financial thumb- serew tactics on France has its parallel in the days of Peel and the French revolution, to liquidate the revolution. To break the Franco-Soviet pact of collective security. To break the united struggle for peace of the French and British people. To fit in with Britain’s traditional policy of the “balance of power’; that is, never to let any group of states become so unified on an economic or peace basis, as to necessitate pulling your own chestnuts out of the fire. Wo one realized better than that erafty pro-fascist Hnglish gentle- man, Neville Chamberlain, what a wallop the USSR gave to fasc- ism and imperialist machinations by the cleaning out of the “bloc of Rights and Trotskyites.’ But being a “gentleman” he couldn't fulminate against bolshevism with the same vociferousness as Rome, Berlin or Tokyo. So, with staid English aplomb he fits into Shakespearian characterization of ‘nerfidious Albion” with start-— ling perfection and hides his re- grets at the passing of his de- ceased co-conspirators by new allignments to help fill the gap created by their timely demise — allignments hatched in the gen- trel environs of “Clivenden.” And along this malodorous trail the peace-loving and democratic people are being dragged by the supine wishy-washy subservience of the King government to Cham- berlain’s foreign policy—a policy evolved in the councils of fascist hangmen and Trotskyist wreck- ers. IN THE Report of Court Pro- ceedings, in the case of the Anti-Soviet Bloc of Rights and Trotskyists, sold by New Era Publishers, Toronto, the activities of the fascist agents stand out with startling clearness. The myth of “old Bolshevik,” of “revolutionaries fighting for a political line” is exploded. Fasc- ist agents—traitors to the USSR and to the whole working class— instigation of war and counter- revolution—that is their role. Here, it is denying the need for a People’s Front — denying the need for unity—denying the so- cialist construction of the USSR for the “pure” socialism of Trotsky. Their counter-revolutionary ac- tivities extended not only to Ber- lin, Tokyo and London, but to Canada as well. Chamberlain, as the master strategist and organ- Open Maybe It Wouldn’t Burn Editor, People’s Advocate. Dear Sir: I used to light the fire with the News-Herald until I belatedly resented the fact I was paying good, hard cash for this praiseworthy use. I’ve quit. And now the Sun is getting a few hefty wallops from labor for tak- ing reactionary and nonsensical stands on important questions. Seems to me that thousands of us should get busy and build a progressive press until it is in a position to obtain more waried news services in order to be in a position to compete with the dailies. Ordinary people have ibeen brought up to look for daily and up-to-the-minute news, there- fore people who have been lucky enough to see through the class mature of society will be doing their duty when they make it pos- sible to publish newspapers more Suitable for the man on the street. Woticed the Sun wailing be- cause the May Day crowd omitted “God Save the King,’ “preferring the “International.” I thought it was darn good sense and dis- " erimination. Their Highnesses are well able to struggle along with- out our prayers. The May Day issues were stark questions, and to ring in the king and queen would have been quite silly. “OQ Canada” was quite appropri- ate. The defense of our country against fascist aggression is well on the agenda, and we must not forget the need for defense against the fascists and exploiters at home when this truly noble anthem is sung. Vancouver, BC. afeies Friendly Criticism Editor, People’s Advocate: Dear Sir,—I am sending you 2 problem on which I earnestly de- sire sympathetic understanding and cooperation from your paper. Realizing the great need for such a paper as yours and the benefit in this district where it is most read in helping us to or- ganize the people, we have been doing all in our power to spread its influence over as wide a sec- tion of the community as possible. But we are being met with a eriticism of a sort which, in our opinion, you could successfully deal with. The issues dealt with in the Advocate are, to the general run of rural people whom we contact, of very slight interest. It is neces- sary in order to interest them on Forum the broad issues to first show them that the Advocate also understands their problems. This must be done simply and direct- ly as they are not yersed in the meaning of class consciousness and the language and ideas of those who are devoting their time to a study of the world situation. Even their own struggle goes over their heads as they miss the connecting link. They want to know about the market board, the poultry busi- ness, the dairying problem, These are things that must be dealt with and the connection between these and the political situation, the Oriental question, fascism, the war in Spain explained. And these links in the situation must be constantly stressed and ex- pounded for them. In our own particular munici- pality the local press is most ad- versely critical of everything con- nected with the reiief situation, the unemployed and the Langley Ratepayers and Workers Associa- tion. Its editor will not (natural- ly) print any letters too critical of his policy. Everything possible is done to increase the gap be- tween the employed and those on relief. Thank you for letting me take- up so much of your space, but remember that we are doing our best to secure readers for the Ad- vocate and we expect you to do your best with the problems of these people or our own efforts are in vain. Mrs. M. Langley Prairie, BC. lt Would Move Us, Too Editor, People’s Advocate: Dear Sir,—I was moved to this effort by an article which ap- peared in the Vancouver Sun re- cently. Obviously the writer of the article interviewed the of- ficialdom for his information. It was entitled: “Contented Work- ers!” Such propaganda is relied upon to keep a steady flow of men coming to the mine to aug- ment the gangs which are being depleted at the rate of 40 men— through discontent. Unless I am misinformed, Bri- tannia is the only large camp remaining in BC which clings to the old system of double-check bunks-complete with bed bugs, and all the inconvenience that goes with them. The meals are on par with the bunks. Irish Turkey, strawberries, ala CPR and like delicacies. H. S. Britannia, BC, izer of allignments, pacts, con- sortiums and discussions, with the fascist gangsters of Europe, draws Canada and the British do- minions into the cauldron of war and carries out the organization oof an anti-Soviet bloe with per- haps more finesse than the Trotskyist wreckers, but certainly not with more determination to secure the victory -of fascism. The USSR blocked their efforts. The people of Canada must support the people of Britain and block the efforts of Chamberlain. The King government must be compelled to break with British foreign policy and join with the people of Britain for a policy of collective security and unity against the fascist aggressors and their anti-Soviet sides. Amnti- Soviet Slanders NTL-SOVIET propaganda is on an upsurge in British Golum- bia. This is particularly notice- able in items in the rural press. A recent number of the Country Guide and Nor-West Farmer has been passed around gratuitously in 100 Mile House, containing a short report of Colonel George A. Drews impressions of a trip to the Soviet Dnion. Colonel Drew, a prominent To- ronto pro-fascist and enemy of | organized labor, trots out the old falsehoods about mass starvation, and about the high cost of com- modities. Actually, the price of commodi- ties is continually dropping owing to the increased output of the factories making consumers’ goods. At the same time wages are constantly going up—the only country in the worid where this is so. Drew does not mention that the last harvest was the greatest on record with prospects for an even greater one this year. Nor does he state a truth obvious to any tourist, that there is no un- employment over there. Tike all pro-fascists he takes the side of Trotsky and accuses Stalin of mass “terrorism.” But the trials of the anti-Soviet plot- ters were not Stalin’s “revenge” against Trotsky, as so many capi- talist papers try to make out. Stalin is not a dictator in the first place, and the plotters were brought to justice by the Soviet government and condemned after they had openly and freely con- fessed to the indictments against them. : @ ~~ the Prince Rupert Daily News of April 1 is an anti-Soviet edi- torial telling of a book written by. one Andrew Smith. This Andrew Smith went to the Soviet Union to work, and because he did not like it there came back to the US and wrote an anti-Soviet book. Well, we haven't read the book, but we have read others of a similar strain, and one and all were dis- tortions of the truth. it is known that some of the au- thors were paid to write against the Soviet Union after they re- turned to America, and certain publishers are always anxious to Keep the pot boiling by printing Something about the Soviet Union, because, if for no other reason, the best news in the world is the building up of socialism in that country. In addition, all capitalist propaganda forces naturally bend all their efforts to discredit so- cialism anywhere. The March 18 issue of the Cran- brook Prospector carried an item on the next Olympic games, sched- uled to be held in Japan. In a number of countries athletes have expressed their intention to boy- cott the Japanese Olympiad, as of course they should. But the way this question is handled by the Prospector makes us wonder if Japanese propaganda interests here were not the in- spirers of it. And the same peo- ple, no doubt, are back of a great deal of the anti-Soviet lies and filth that are being circulated throughout this province. Soviet Pavilion OSCOW. — The Soviet ex- hibit at the New York World’s Fair in 1939 will rival the beautiful and impressive struc- ture which represented the USSR at the international exhibition in Paris in 1937. Amowg the several architects engaged in designing the Soviet pavilion is Ifoyan, who designed the Paris exhibit. The Soviet pavilion in the New York Exhibition will be faced with marble from the Urals. SHORT JABS coo By OL’ BIEL 5 Vancouver's Mz" Things To ; Miller, secretar Remember! he Jervis Elec. and a good friend at court Sir Herbert’s BC Electric, the staunchest opponent to granting of a tagday to single unemployed by the » council. He plummed the der of babbitry in his insulting | marks about the single yictim: + capitalist anarchy of product; “Police commissioners,” he s} “don’t know how many fF handlers are sizing up houses breaking and entering,” wh like the:flowers that bloom in 4} Spring, has nothing to do vj the case. (There are other thi | the police commissioners di | know; for instance,, they di know who got away with t- 1500 bucks from the Cord Street bastille—or do they?) On the same day as he oppo x ee present abenccr's pc bEE: the tagday, Mayor Miller vote) pleasure trip for himself throy Trade, at a cost to the city ; about $150. And the police ui galivanting, glorified panhand? } are sizing up groups of helph= that they may work some of th j the province with the Board | know either how many of tk innocents throughout the provi: } Shakedown schemes on, if 1; breaking and entering, me - polished maybe, but equa | eriminal. | e Si Press reports of Political ‘dinner at Montri Myopia. in honor of the Gf- members of the House’ of Gq | mons, eredit Angus Macinn who represents between 65 and’ | thousand Canadians living § | Vancouver East, many of whg are good anti-fascists, with statement that there is a dang of overdoing the dangers of fai” ism. “We should fight fascis by building up democracy ratk than by frightening people wi | a bogey,” he said. ~ i Angus MacInnis has certain 4 fathered some original ideas, this is not one of them. W! thinks, I have heard . many times, it has H familiar ring. Labelling # menace of fascism a’ bogey ar refusing to recognize its imnm mence is a democratic failing } old as fascism itself. i At the Vienna congress of # Second International (July, 1933 the Austrian Social Democray party reported, “Democracy h\ inflicted a crushing defeat on u Heimwehr and its promotors. ‘Th. Heimwehr movement ... is in State of rapid decline. ee purely political problems hw ended with the complete victo of the working class.” ] On March 2, 1933, Dolfuss fag ism came to power and the Ka Marx House, pride of the Soci Democrats, was battered to piet by fascist artillery in Webruar 1934. } On November 19, 1932, Haro! Laski, a socialist of the sam school as Angus Macinnis, wrod! in the London Daily Herald, “TE Hitler movement has passed i apogee. . . . The day when thé were a vital threat is- gone. . J He (Hitler) reveals himself as, myth without permanent found: tion.” : On January 30, 1933, Hitler a came chancellor of Germany ai the bourgeois journalist, G. £ Hoover, wrote in “Germany UE der the Third Reich’: “In spit of the fact that the writer ha come to Germany in Septembe 1932, with the fixed belief th: Hitler’s coming to power was virtual certainty; the fact ths nowhere could there be fow anyone, outside the National $i Cialist movement, who wow éven entertain the possibilit finally shook this conviction .. with the possible exception of tt Communists, the opposition pa ties and classes had been livir in a fool's paradise.” Still another instance. After t elections of May, 1921, when i Socialists and 35 Communis were elected to the Italian Chan ber, the Socialist organ, “Avanti wrote, “The [Italian proletari has submerged the fascist rea tion under an avalanche of r¢ votes.’ Five months later can the “march on Rome” and Muss lini. | History never forgives the ge eral who underrates his enemy. Se s « That the milita Financing apparatus of Jap A War. nese imperialism eracking perceptibly under # pressure of the assaults of t heroic Chinese people is appare to everyone except the sé blinded. The cracks are being felt al in another direction, which, t cause it is less spectacular, is le noticable to the outside wor According to a Japanese paper hayehave just received, the Bai of Japan is being empowered the government to issue a ff ther 700 million yen of fiducia money (water) to 1000 million the same kind already in cireul tion, effective until one ye after the China Emergency Emergency being the Japane imperialists’ name for war- This inflation will raise price of every commodity exce labor-power, so it is really wage-cut that puts the finance burden of the war on the bac of Japanese workers. Z