Pace roae

THE PEOPLE’S

ADVOCATE

THE
PEOPLE’S ADVOCATE

Published Weekly by the Proletarian Publishing
Association, Room 10, 163 West Hastings Street,
Vancouver, B.C. Phone Trinity 2019.

One Year -—— --—.. $2.00 Three Months
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Make All Cheques Payable to: The Peopie’s Advocate

Vancouver, B.C., Friday, November 4, 1938

Unity and the Civic Elections

pee action of the CCF nominating conven-
tion in nominating a full aldermanic slate
when the progressive groups had already de-
elared their intention to enter one, or perhaps
two, candidates, will bring satisfaction to the
“non-partisan clique, which represents big
business in civic affairs in Vancouver.

Once again a great opportunity to unite all
progressive organizations to clean out the
agents of reaction from the city council has
been allowed to slip away. The trade unionists
and other progressives who have entered civic
politics were anxious to obtain a united slate
with the CCF, even if many of them do not
subscribe to the policy of political parties as
such entering municipal elections, and the
CCF was invited to participate in the labor-
progressive conference.

The CCF is by no means in a stronger po-
sition than it was a year ago. It would be in
a far stronger position if it abandoned its
narrow, go-it-alone policy and became a part
of a progressive, democratic front in muni-
cipal, provincial and federal politics which
svyould not only unite the progressive forces,
but would draw to its support large numbers
of persons who are only waiting for the forces
of labor to get together.

The CCF is asking too much in demanding
that all other progressive organizations ab-
stain from participation in the political life
of the city and province except under its
party banner and upon acceptance of its en-
tire program.

Although the CCF rejected all overtures
of the labor-progressive conference to draw
up a single slate of candidates, there is still
time to do this.

There is still time for the CCF and the
labor-progressive groups to reach agreement
on a single slate, agreeable to both and on
which both would have representation. Since
the CCF is not contesting the mayoralty, there
is no obstacle to CCF support of Dr. Barton
for mayor.

Such an agreement would do more than en-
sure victory for progressive forces at the polls
with a guarantee of progressive civic govern-
ment. Thousands of citizens who today are
midway between the camps of progress and
reaction would be drawn into the democratic
movement, heartened by the strensth of
united progressive forces.

It speaks volumes to say that attainment
of progressive unity is the thing most feared
by the Non-Partisan Association and the re-
actionary forces of big business.

Probe Police Activities

HERE seems to be neither shame nor sense

of responsibility left in Premier Pattul-
lo—if he ever had any. His eynical reply to
eharges levelled against provincial police by
Colin Cameron, who backed his statements
with sworn affidavits and irrefutable evi-
dence, would indicate this.

The public is already aware that in the
Blubber Bay dispute between the New York
owned Pacific Lime Company and its em-
ployees the provincial government went to the
aid of the company by using the provincial
police as thugs and strikebreakers, and ig-
nored, when it did not violate, the laws of the
province which govern trades disputes and
the ordinary protection of the individual.

To Cameron’s charges the cornered Pat-
tullo said in the House that there was nothing
in the affidavits to warrant a judicial enquiry
as demanded by Cameron and the Blubber
Bay workers.

What does Pattullo want before he moves
to restrain his uniformed thugs? Does he
want the police to come to him and demand
a judicial enquiry?

The Premier praised the police, saying that
as a force they are second to none in Canada.
That is true—they are second to none in sad-
ism, violation of law, and as a strikebreaking
agency. He also stated that they command
the respect of the public, but surely the Pre-
mier does not believe that the public has any
respect for men who act as the provincial po-
lice acted at Blubber Bay—or at Corhbin.

It is to be hoped that the CCF members and
decent Liberal MLA’s will not permit Fattullo
to get away with his attempts to have the po-
lice crimes at Blubber Bay covered up and
forgotten. Such actions must be exposed, and
those responsible for them punished.

Tom King, Liberal member for Columbia,
told the House this week that British Colum-
bia farmers were prosperous. He must be
getting his farmers mixed with his jobbers
and shippers.

meager

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Y ears
of

Soviet
Power Bruce

(Oe peoples of the whole capitalist and colonial world join with the 180,000,000 of

By
Malcolm

free, happy and prosperous people of the Soviet Union this 21st anniversary of the

world’s first socialist republic.

When, on November 7; 1917, workers and peasants of Russia, led by the Bolshevik party,
overthrew the rule of capitalism and tool the power into their own hands, destroyed the state
apparatus of the exploiting class and established the proletarian dictatorship, confiscated —

without compensation — the means of production, and abolished the exploitation of man by
man, the rage of the world bourgeoisie knew no bounds.

Wiuith their ingrained class con-
eeit and characteristic contempt
for the ability of the workers and
peasants to organise production,
and build a stable state apparatus,
the bourgeoisie of the world fully
expected collapse of the new re-
gime within a few months. Still
sure in their own warped class
minds that the collapse would
eventually come, they neverthe-
jess resolved to hasten it. Ac-
eordingly, the imperialist states
joined with the traitorous dis-
possessed class in Soviet Russia
in bloody armed intervention and
Civil war to drown the new-born
socialist republic in a sea of work-
ers and peasants blood.

They failed. And the new re-
public, against intrigue and
treachery, began its mighty task
of building socialism.

Today, Lrotskyists and other
anti-Soviet elements connive with
their fascist allies without in vain
for the vigilance of the Soviet
people has thwarted all their
plots.

@

UL while they have conquered
their enemies within and
have solved production and as-
sured prosperity on a constantly
ascending scale, there remains
one great menace, the menace of
war from the seething barbarous
world in which fascist states in
alliance with fascist sympathizers
within the democratic states,
such as Chamberlain and Dala-
dier, are planning the destruction
of their socialist country and the

restoration of capitalism.

Prosperous as the people of the
Soviet Union have become they
would have been even more pros-
perous were it not for this ever
present menace against which

they have to expend labor and
wealth to provide the defenses
and maintain an army. And they
are prepared, as Hitler well knew
when he backed down in his first
efforts to destroy Czechoslovakia
and had to wait until Chamber-
lain came to his aid with the
monstrous Maunich betrayal.

And what of the capitalist
world? Unemployment for mil-
lions of workers who are on the
borderline of starvation, many
actually perishing; workers being
deprived of their elemental rights;
fascism spreading the horrors of
war over the earth.

A class doomed by history
frantically trying to plunge the
whole world into war, leading to
a political, economic and cultural
night of Stygian darkness—this
is the capitalist world.

The overthrow of capitalism
and the maintaining of working
class power would not have been
possible had there not been a re-
volutionary, Marxist-Leninist
party to organize, inspire and lead
the oppressed masses into revolu-
tionary action when the revolu-
tionary situation when the his-
torical hour struck.

IN, as now, there were re-
formist *““Ssocialist”’ parties,
parties which had stripped Marx-
ism of its revolutionary content,
Social-Democratie parties which
taught the workers that by coali-
tion with the capitalists in gov-
ernments and by class co-opera-—
tion in industry the way to social-
ism would be opened. Prominent
Jeaders in the Second Socialist
International denounced MUenin
and the Bolsheviks because they
didn’t follow a reformist line, and,
like Plekanoff, Kautsky and Mac-

Donald, became enemies of the
working class and went over to
the service of the international
Capitalist class to bring about the
defeat of Soviet Russia and pre-
vent working class victory in
their countries.

The fruits of reformist social-
ism, where they mad even better
opportunities than was presented
in Russia in 1917 are seen today
in Germany, Italy and Austria.

Wot only has the’ Soviet Union
attained increasing prosperity
and brought happiness, leisure,
culture and economic security to
its people, and under its new con-
stitution has provided a greater
and freer democracy than the
world has ever known, it has also
been a mighty power in main-
taining what measure of peace
the world has enjoyed.

The oppressed peoples of the
world are determined that the
Soviet Union shall not be de-
stroyed, that it shall be defended
as the first world fortress of so-
eialism.

The Soviet Union, although not
at war, must be defended now.
Tt can be defended by the peace-
desiring and democratic peoples
of the capitalist-dominated world
uniting in defence of democracy
against the onroads of fascism
and for peace, in defence of
Spain and China, against the
forces of reaction on an interna-
tional, national and local scale,
in a stern struggle against wage
euts, for unemployment relief, for
a greater measure of economic
security and for peace

In this way will we really cele-
brate the twenty-first anniversary
of the victory of socialism in the
greatest country on earth.

If The Loyalists Had Arms...

IE THE EMBARGO were lifted and the Spanish peo
equipment the fascists now have,
Bob Kerr, former political commissar for

By Kay Gregory

ple allowed only 80 percent of the
the war in Spain would be over in a very short while.”
the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion, who has

just returned from fourteen months’ service behind the lines in Spain, reiterated this state-

ment made by every returned Canadian vo

“Every place in Spain has been
bombed, no matter whether it
was a tiny village hidden on a
mountain side, reached by a
winding trail, or a large city on
the Mediterranean coast, but the
people’s morale instead of being
broken by the strain, is strength-
ened and their. determination to
defeat fascism intensified,” he
told me.

Arriving in Spain at the end
of February, 1937, Bob Kerr first
fought in the Lincoln Battalion
where there were a number of
Canadian volunteers who formed
their own unit. While with the
Lincoln Battalion, Bob saw front
line action on the Jarama front.

“TJ helped form the Mackenzie-
Papineau MSBattalion,” he said,
“and by the end of October, 1937,
we had five hundred Canadians
when we went into our first ac-
tion as a Canadian battalion.

As a base commissar, it was
Bob’s duty to see that the men
were equipped “morally and ma-
terially for their job,” as he put
it. To make sure that they kept
always before them the ideals of
the people of Spain.

Prior to the fascist offensive in
March this year, the Spanish peo-
ple went about their business in
a normal manner, Bob told me.

But when the fascists broke
through to the coast, the people
were galvanised into terrific ac-
tivity, Gafes, usually filled to
overflowing with pleasure-seek-
ing people during siesta hours,
were then filled with people meet-
ing to lay plans and equip them-
selves for the overflow of fas-
cism. Men did not wait for con-
scription. Within a few days 100,-
000 men outside the conscription
age volunteered. Trade unionists
volunteered to help with fortifi-
cations, and in ten days 25,000
youth had offered their services
“where they were most needed.”’

Se

We the Anglo-Italian pact

was first discussed in March
this year, Italy had planned the
huge Ebro offensive, which was
to extend right down from the
mouth of the river to Valencia,
thus allowing new fascist troops
to be landed, while Mussolini as-
sured England he was removing
“sil the Italian troops from
Spain.” The courage of the Span-
ish people smashed this offensive
and as a result, the pact did not
go into effect.

“Germany and Italy would like
to make another Czechoslovakia
ef Spain,” said Bob. “but they
are reckoning without the Span-

lunteer when I saw him in Vancouver this week.

ish people. They won’t allow their
country to be cut in half and they
have arms already in their hands
to defend it at all costs.”

Bob Kerr's main concerh Dow
that he is back is to help take
eare of the demobilised men, fit
or wounded, who are being sent
back daily.

“The Spanish government will
not allow any international to re-
main in Spain unless he was Na-
turalized prior to the outbreak of
the war,’ Bob said. “Some of the

men, unable to return to their
own home, will find haven in
countries friendly to Loyalist
Spain.”

For this reason, the Friends of
the Mackenzie-Papineau WBatta-
lion has launched the huge $50,-
000 campaign sponsored by many
prominent people, to provide each
man with his fare home and $25
to give him a chance to look for
a job. Every wounded man is
given $6 a week while receiving
medical or hospital treatment.

“The Friends have undertaken
a terrific task,” Bob remarked,
“and British Columbia must ac-
cept responsibility for a large

part, as more than 300 BC men
fought in Spain and will need
taking care of when they re-
turn”’

New Departure In Soviet Film

OLLOWERS of the movies know
But the story of “Baltic Deputy,

Soviet productions as films which celebrate mass action.
> the soviet hit film soon to be seen in Vancouver, breaks

completely with this tradition. Here, instead, we have the saga of an old man whose moral cour-
age led him to suffer all tortures for his convictions.

Based completely on authentic
documents concerning the last
years in the life of Klement Timi-
riazev, the celebrated Russian sci-
entist, “Baltic Deputy” is differ-
ent in that it concentrates solely
on the actions of one man who,
like Zola, Darwin, Pasteur, Vol-
taire. gambled his own personal
happiness when it became a mat—
ter of his conscience or himself.

A celebrated botanist for years
before the Russian Revolution,
Professor Timiriazeyv was hit se-
verely by the physical privations
of the world war and the revolu-
tion. He was forced to share the
rations handed to the

populace on the food lines. He
had no coal, and there was sel-
dom current for his lights. Never—
theless, when offered money and
comfort by the universities and
government of England, France
and Switzerland if he would de-
sert his own country, he chose to
stand by his own people.

Qut of this story, the young
directors Alexander Zarkhi and
Josef Heifetz have fashioned the
most popular picture made in the
Soviet Union since ‘“‘Chapeyev.”

Wo mean factor in the success
of the film is the stellar acting
of Nikolai Cherkassoyv, who at 32
is being hailed as one of the

greatest character actors in the
world today. Gherkassoyvy was
known as the leading eccentric
comedian in Soviet Russia. His
latest performance as the 75-year-
old professor is the result of much
painstaking preparation. Cher-
lkassov tried over 250 different
ehanges of makeup before he fin-
ally used the one seen in ‘‘Baltic
Deputy~”’

Vancouver theatre-goers will
have the opportunity of witness-
ing his exceptional characteriza—
tion during its showing at the
Royal Theatre, beginning Wed-
nesday, November 9 and continu-
ing for four days.

Wovembeér 4;--1938 ==

«

SHORT JABS

A
Weekly

Commentary

By Ol’ Bill

The firm antagonistic stand of some of the mem-
bers of the Trades and Labor Council to the Weliare
Drive is justified by the ex
perience of some of the “vol-
untary’ donors during the

Intimidation!
drive.

Woodward's Department Store employs about
1100 men and women, boys and girls. Many of them
are working under such circumstances as do not
allow them to spend a penny of their miserly wages
in “extravagance,” much less give it away for the
maintenance of the Boy Scouts, the Girl Guides and
other bodies on the Welfare Federation's list, that
depend on the generosity of the people at large.

At the first asking some of these employees of-
fered to donate fifty cents or a dollar but this did
not meet the hopes of the committee in charge of
the drive at the head of which is W. C. Woodward
himself. So to get them to raise the ante, special
meetings were called in the store and a high-pressure
salesman turned loose on them. The employees were
told by this highjacker that Woodward suggested
that they could easily contribute twenty-five cents
a week out of their wages. If this is not intimida-
tion, what is it?

Some of these girls receive the lordly salary of
$7.50 per week. From them the two-bit payment,
equivalent to a reduction in wages, would mean
$13 in a year; three-and-one-third of their earnings.
Hiven for those receiving the minimum wage the

percentage would still be over one-and-a-half per
cent.

A Woodward himself donated
n Odorous — $600 but that sum involves less
Comparison! sacrifice on his part than even

one twenty-five cent contribu-
tion from the low paid store girls. He would not
lose one spoonful of soup or have to wear a pair
of socksS one day longer or in any way feel in his
own person that the $600 would have made any
difference to him.

The girls, on the other hand, would miss the
quarter at lunch time or in a shortage of some
needed article of wearing apparel and when
stretched out for a year might mean anything over
a month’s room rent.

Gonsidered on a percentage basis, three-and-one-
third per cent of their wages, how does it compare
for instance, with the donation of the Bulolo Gold
Dredging Company of $300? The Bulolo Gold Dreds-
ing Company is an imperialistic eorporation of Van-
couver capitalists that exploits the natives of the
mandated territory of New Guinea. Hor several
years past it has made three million dollars a: year
in profits. Its contribution to the Welfare Federa-
tion represents one-hundredth of one per cent of
its income.

The upkeep of all the activities coming within
the scope of the Welfare Federation should be
properly a charge on the income of the capitalist
class but, as the Communists contend, these birds
always try to sluff off their burdens on to the
shoulders of the workers. They rob the workers in
production, and not satisfied with that, steal back
a part of the measly wages they are compelled to
disgorge.

Tf Woodward's employees were voluntarily to pay
two-bits a week into a union for their own welfare
no one would oppose them more strenuously than
W. C. Woodward, but that is what they must do
if they would stop intimidation of this kind and be
able to spend the money they earn as they them-
selves decide and not as Woodward “suggests.”

JOIN ©’ BILL’S INTERNATIONAL BRIGSDE

Mr. Justice Manson, whose in-
Who Makes junction in the gas price law is
The Law? costing the people of BC $4000

a day, has let us into a secret of
zovernment that is generally overlooked by the man
in the street. In answering the arguments of the
attorney-general he stated, ~The courts may err,
but in the ultimate, they determine the validity of
what parliament has done, and until such time as
parliament's powers are Changed, the final order
of the court prevails. The Crown speaks with fin-
ality only through the voice of His Majesty's justices
sitting in the higher tribunal.’ That sounds as if
Justice Manson is the law-

In the same case he posed as Shakespearean
scholar. The newspapers reported him as saying,
“You know what Shakespeare said, ‘He Goth protest
too much’.”” Shakespeare never said anything of
the kind. The words he put into the mouth of the
queen-mother in Hamlet are, “The lady doth pro-
test too much, methinks.” If Manson knows as much
about law as he does about Shakespeare, the legis—
jature has a busy time ahead!

JOIN oO” BILZT’S INTERNATIONAL BRIGADE

. When Hitler started breaking
Inviolable treaties and contracts he must
Contracts have seattered the bacilli in the

air. Contract breaking is becom-
ing commoner than corn beef and cabbage. The
latest example is a local one. Pension agreements
already in effect for several years are to be broken
if a new superannuation act being introduced in the

legislature this Session becomes law.

Former civic employees who had deductions made
from their wages in line with the city pension
scheme are now threatened with a cut which some
of them believe may amount to as much as 50 per
cent. Retired employees of every municipality, who
earned whatever pensions they now get, are in-
volved in this threatened slash. From the little in-
formation available it looks like an attempt to
legalize an undisguised theft from worn-out Civic
workers of all grades.

“Inviolability of contract” has been one of the
basie concepts of capitalist society. When a trade
union asks for a raise in wages for its members
during the life of a “contract,” this inviolability
is flaunted in its face. But when it suits the peo-—
ple on the other end, Hitler becomes their model.

JOIN OL’ BILL'S INTERNATIONAL BRIGADE

Mussolini is trying to scare the
democratic people with tales
of “deadly and astounding”
weapons, which make Italy unafraid of any arma-—

ment race. This is scaremongering. If they have
such weapons, why don't they use them in Spain
and Abyssinia?

Warmonger

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