Page Four

THE PEOPLE’S

ADVOCATE

December 16, 1935

The Internationals Return Home

by JIM BELL

WO AND A HALF years have passed since that day when
Spain leaped into the headlines—tragic, distorted, unbe-
lievable headlines that electrified the world.
Today that distorted picture has become etched in the hard,
clear lines of truth to the democratic peoples of Canada, Britain,

the United States, France and other countries.

Today, more

than two years after General Franco boasted that he would be
dining in Madrid within a few hours, Madrid has become a world
symbol of the rock-like determination of a people fighting for

liberty and democracy.

This new Spain, the true Spai.
of the people, is not the glamorous
Spain beloved of fiction writers.
It is the stern Spain of a united
people whose country has become
a testing ground for modern war-
fare. It is the Spain of a people
whose defenseless towns have been
reduced to ruins by the airfleets
of the Italian and German invaders.
It is the Spain of a people fighting
at the front against Moorish mer-
cenaries commanded by traitorous
generals and in the rear against
Trotskyist and fascist spies.

Soldiers have seen their women
and children denied food because
pro-fascist sympathizers within the
governments of democratic coun-
fries have intrigued to starve them
into submission. -And they them-
selves have been deprived of the
arms and munitions which woulda
ensure them rapid victory over the
highly-mechanized armies of the
fascist invaders.

UT they have also seen another
picture, one that filled them
with hope and inspired them to
build their people's army. They saw
men come from all parts of the

world, from Canada, the United
States, Great Britain, Treland,
France, Sweden, Mexico, Austria,

Poland and Czechoslovakia, united
in their hatred of fascism, to fight

side by side with them in those
bitter, desperate days when the
fascists drove to the very out

skirts of Madrid.

In a beautiful valley in Catalonia,
a valley where Napoleon once trod
with his invading army, finis was
written not so long ago to the
chapter written into Spain’s history
by the International Brigades.

Twenty kilometres behind the
front lines, in the presence of
Prime Minister Juan Wegrin, La
Pasionaria and the entire govern—
ment high military command on
the Ebro front, the famous Inter-—
national Brigades gave their last

to love as their own, to a people
for whose courage and ability they
had developed the greatest admira-
tion.

From 26 nations, city workers,

intellectuals, agricultural workers
and seamen, overcoming all bar-—
riers of race, color and creed,

they had come to Spain to assist
in the defense of democracy, know-
ing that the future of democracy
mot only in Spain but everywhere
was being decided by those raggea,
ill-armed «militiamen holding the
banks of the Manzanares and the
Guadarrama heights against the
italian tanks and the German guns
o£ those who cynically called
themselves the nationalists.

HE first International Brigades

went into action when Mola’s
four columns were at the gates of
Madrid. They were hastily organ-
ized, insufficiently trained, inade-
quately armed and they had not
much in the way of uniforms. But
they were soldiers.

Bighting with a tenacity the
fascists could not overcome they
stemmmed the drive on Madrid be-
hind barricades of their own bodies.
Jarama, Brunete, Guadalajara,
Belchite and the Ebro, where they
were the spearhead of the loyalist
offensives, sent their fame around
the world.

It was because of their unselfish
Gevotion, because they remained in
the front lines for four and five
months without relief and under
heavy fire that the young Spanish
recruits were given a breathing
spell, time enough to train and be-
come the efficient, well-disciplined
army which is the pride or tne
Spanish people today.

Wiile the world awaited the
long-heralded fascist drive which
was to break the backbone of loyal-
ist resistamce, the newly-created
Spanish People’s Army struck with-
cut warning, smashing its way

salute to a land they had learned

Eighty Years Of British Columbia « 1

fact that Cameron was not even a
lawyer, but a linen-draper fresh
from the slave colony of Jamaica.

Seventy colonists, headed by
James Cooper and Edward Lang-
ford, a strong opponent of the com-
pany, signed a petition to the sec-
retary of state for the colonies
declaring that Cameron as 4 jus-
tice of the peace had aroused “‘the
extreme disgust and indignation of
the community.” The aristocratic
and landed interests immediately
came to Cameron’s defense, organ-
ized a counter-petition and the
appointment was allowed to stand.
Tt was these same landed interests,
representing high and retired offi-
cials of the company, who three
years later obtained control of the
assembly to carry out Douglas’ bid-
ding.

e

TS 1854 a petition, signed among

others by many lower officials
of the company, appealed to the
British government not to renew
the Hudson’s Bay Company char-
ter when it expired in 1859. This
petition gained considerable sup-
port from business interests desir-
ous of removing the company’s
trade monopoly and openjng up the
eolony.

The question finally came before
a select committee of the House
of Commons three years later when
a wealth of evidence to show the
company’s abuses was presented.
The evidence was too strong to be

ignored and the committee was
forced to recommend drastic
changes, including revocation of

the company’s charter on Vancou-
ver Island. Provision was made
for extension of the colony to in-
clude all British territory west of
the Rockies.

Enactment of these recommend-
ations was hastened by the gold
rush of 1858 with the influx of
thousands of miners and in Sep-
tember of that year the company’s
license for trading on the main-
land was revoked, a separate col-
ony of British Columbia defined
and appointment of a governor Or
dered.

A month earlier the British gov-
ernment had purchased Vancou-
ver Island from the company for
£57,500. The company, however,
still retained the fort property at
Victoria, many town lots and sev-

eral thousand acres around Vic-
toria which subsequently grew
very valuable. Claims were also

filed for 14 company posts in Bri-
tish Columbia.

Ss
OQUGLAS was now offered the
eubernatorial appointment in
British Columbia, in addition to

that in Vancouver Island, although
it necessitated ‘his resignation from
the company. He took it, and soon
his autocratic rule was bringing
him into conflict with democratic

ehampions on the mainland just

through the almost impregnable

as it had aroused antagonism
among colonists on Vancouver
island.

Many of the newcomers to Bri-
tish Columbia joined forces with
leaders of the popular movement
on the Island and the struggle
against Douglas and his executive
councils was intensified.

D. W. Higgins, a Victoria news-—
paperman, commenting in later
years on the struggle, wrote:

“Governor Douglas held the
reins, presided at both council
boards, and curbed with a strong
hand any attempt to curtail his
powers as the irresponsible head
of two irresponsible executives.
There was a semblance of repre-
sentative government, but it was
@a mere mockery. A few popular
members were returned to -what
may properly be designated a
‘mock’ parliament, but the official
members of the-legislative assem-
bly, who were all nominees of the
governor, were largely in the ma-
jority and were ever ready, under
pressure from the ruling hand, to
vote down any measure that pro-
posed to confer constitutional
rights upon the people.

“The manner in which the pop-
ular members were returned was
unique. It would have been amus-
ing had it not possessed an in-
tensely dramatic side, in that it
was devised with the object of
stifling the voice of the people.
Wo elector could vote unless he
had a property qualification of
£10 and had been registered a cer—-
tain length of time before the
election.”

Wiggins told of an election at
Nanaimo in June, 1859, where Capt.
Charles Stuart was nominated for
the assembly by Capt. John Swan-
son of the Hudson’s Bay Companys
ship Labouchere, who was the soli-
tary voter. A bystander who was
not even a voter seconded the nom-—
ination, Capt. Swanson solemnly
registered his lone vote and Capt.
Stuart was duly declared elected.

co)
GAINST such travesty of repre-
sentative government there

was a mounting protest movement
under the leadership of Amor De
Cosmos, whose real name was Wil-
liam Alexander Smith.

Energetic, fearless, with some
previous political experience in
Wova Scotia, DeCosmos was a COon-
stant thorn in Douglas’ side.
Through the columns of his paper
in Victoria, the British Colonist, he
kept up a steady fire against the
government in language consider-
ably stronger than that now Tory
organ employs against the prosres-
sive movement today.

Once Douglas attempted to muz-
zle him by ordering him to cease
publication until he eould furnish
a bond for £1000. DeCosmos was
forced to shut down, but so great
was popular feeling against Doug-

defenses around Teruel, forestalling
the fascist drive on Madrid and
confounding the world’s military
experts.

@
HE greatest concentration of
modern war equipment in his-
tory has failed to break the re-
sistance of the Spanish people.
Fascist intrigue and Trotskyist
treachery alike have failed to un-—
dermine their morale. So now the
fascist dictators, aided by fascist
sympathizers in the British and
French governments are attempt-
ing to starve them into submission.
Spain is known as a land of sun-
shine, but actually during the
winter months the two great plains
and the mountain regions are
swept by intensely cold winds.
Last winter many of the soldiers
suffered frozen hands and feet.
This winter there is grave danger,
unless the peoples of the democra-
tic countries succeed in forcing
their government to lift the em-
bargo and restore international
rights to the Spanish Republic,
that thousands of children will die
a slow, lingering death from star-
vation and cold.

Glosing of the French border

las that the people rushed to fur-
nish him with the necessary bonds

and DeCosmos triumphantly re-
sumed publication.
Public demand for responsible

government was now widespread
and threatening. Few government
members, appointees of the gover-
nor, dared to oppose popular opin-
ion on the floor of the House by

voting against progressive mea-
sures because House proceedings
were open to the press. IWNeither

DeCosmos with his British Colon-
ist and later the Victoria Stan-
dard, nor John Robson with his
British Columbian hesitated to ex-
pose those who fought against pro-
gress.

Instead, progressive measures
were allowed to go from the assem-
bly before the executive council
and the governor py whom they
were quietly but effectively
squashed.

@
KE COSMOS, who later became
premier of British Columbia
and sat in the federal parliament
as first member for Victoria in
1872, was a strong supporter of
union of the two colonies and con-
sistently championed SBritish Co-
lumbia’s entry into Confederation.
The movement for unity of the
two colonies and more responsbile
government gained momentum in
1861 when a delegation headed by
J. A. R. Homer presented a peti-
tion urging abolition of dual gov-
ernment and election of a repre—

sentative assembly.

In a long memorial to the Duke
of Newcastle Douglas opposed this,
just as he had opposed other pro-
gressive measures, because it would

Scenes like this, a breadline in Madrid, will become tragically common in Spain this winter
unless Canadians force the King government to lift the embargo.

means an end to the loyalists’ only
source of heat supply, charcoal.
The fascists know this: They hope
to acomplish by slow starvation
and cold what they have been un-
able to achieve by force of arms.

The Canadians who went to
Spain, formed the Mackenzic—
Papineau Battalion and carried

ferward the highest traditions of
the Canadian people when their
government failed to uphold the
principles of democracy, were pre-
pared to give their lives to defeat
fascism Many of them will never
return. They sleep in some quiet
corner of the land they died tv
save.
@
Mackenzie-Papineau Bat-
talion is no more. Disbanded,
its volunteers are returning to
Ganada, having refused the offer
of the Spanish republican govern-
ment to recompense them because
they knew it would deprive Spain
of funds essential to successful
prosecution of the war.

Many of the returning veterans
have had limbs amputated. Others
have suffered disabling wounds,
are ill or shell-shocked. None has
any regrets. All would take arms
again tomorrow in the defense of

mean the end of his puppet as-
sembly.

Wot until 1863 did the Duke of
Wewcastle reply. He pointed out
that the act covering British Co-
lumbia would expire in 1864 and
stated that provision would be
made for a legislative council and
for separate governors of the two
colonies. In 1863 Douglas’ term
as governor of Vancouver Island
expired and he was succeeded by
Capt. Arthur Kennedy, a propon-
ent of union. Douglas’ successor
as governor of British Columbia,
Frederick Seymour, however, was
as strongly opposed to union as
Kennedy was in favor of it. And
the demands of the people for re-
presentative government were still
unanswered by the new provisions.

Public sentiment for union was
too strong and not all the minor
disputes as to location of the cap-
ital of the united colonies, with
poth New Westminster and Vic-
toria contending for the honor,
could hinder it for long.

After two years’ existence as Sep-
arate colonies Vancouver Tsland
and British Columbia became one
by act of the British parliament
in Nov. 17, 1866.

Wot until British Columbia en-
tered Confederation in 1871, a pro-
posal moved in the assembly four
years earlier by Amor DeCosmos,
did the people obtain their demand
for an elective responsible assem-—
bly.

By the Constitution Act of 1871
passed by a legislative eouncil of
nine elective and six appointive

members, provision was made for
an elective legislative assembly of
25 members,

13 from Tsland con-

Yukon Airmail

‘accomplished, but they have learn-

democracy against new fascist ag-
gression. Their mission in Spain is

ed the necessity of unceasing vigi-
lance and unity in the fight against
fascism.

These returning veterans ask no
favors, but can you deny them the
funds with which to rebuild their
shattered health, the funds to en-—
able them to rehabilitate them-
selves? If you are a progressive
Ganadian, treasuring the traditions
of Canada, valuing your eivil
rishts, your democratic liberties,
you can not.

Wor can you fail to add your
voice to the growing demand that
the Canadian government lift the
embargo which prevents the Span-

ish people from purchasing the
arms and supplies it so sorely
needs. More than ever since the

infamous Munich conference Spain
has become the front-line of world
democracy. Today it is Spain. To-
morrow it may be Canada.

Remember this when you are
asked to contribute to the rehabili—
tation fund of the Friends of the
Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion and
remembering it, Send in your de-
mand to Ottawa for lifting of the
Spanish embargo.

858-1938

stituencies and
land.

A new stage in British Colum-
bia’s ‘history had been reached and

30 years’ struggle for responsible
government brought to a success-
ful close.

12 from the main-

@
HAT of the future? Eighty
years after the founding of
British Columbia as a crown colony
we find reactionary interests striv-—
ing to exploit sectional differences
between the provinces to the grave
danger of that national unity for
which men of the calibre of Amor
DeGosmos and John Robson fought.
We find the great natural re-
sources of British Columbia squan-
dered by the wealthy corporations,
the monopoly interests, which have
seized control of them. The future
of the timber industry is threatened
by reckless devastation of the great
forest areas. Farmers are unable
to obtain fair returns for their
products. because of combine con-
trol of markets. Only a mere frac-
tion of the wealth taken from the
earth by millionaire mining mag-
mates is returned to the people.
While the people are crying for
the great development projects that
must sooner or later be undertaken
thousands lack employment, so that
civic and municipal government is
collapsing under the strain of re-
lief costs.
The rise of fascism, and particu-
larly the rise of Japan as a military-
fascist aggressor state, bent on
Pacific domination, faces the people
of British Columbia with a new and
threatening situation.
Agents and spies of Japan are
today active in this province, linked
with the spies of Nazi Germany
and Fascist Italy in their subver-
sive efforts to undermine Canadian
unity and democracy.
British Columbia, founded on the
principles of freedom and demo-
cracy, is in 1938 supplying Japan
with war materials for the destruc-
tion of liberty in China. Agents of
Japan and British Columbia min-
ing magnates, eager only for pro-

fits, have conciuded traitorous
agreements which must lead to
greater econbdmic penetration, to

greater political influence in this
province of the one power against
which the BC coast is now being
defended.

Wot less but more national unity
must be the answer of the people
of British Columbia. Not less but
more demoeracy must be their cry
as they strive for 4 truly democra-—
tic government, representative of
all progressive Sroups, that will re-
flect their demands.

British Columbia has great tra-—
ditions, Reaction would consign
them to the dead dark of history.
Only the people can make them 2

The
Young
Pioneer

by George Drayton

Any names mentioned in this
story (apart from that of Ol’ Bill)
are fictitious and have no refer—
ence to any living person. :
vee Friday night the
Young Fioneers used toe
meet in the dingy old hall at
875 Hast Hastings Street. As I
sauntered in one Friday eve-
ning about 7 pm there were all
of forty kids; some playing tas,
othérs throwing a basketball
around, and in one corner, 2
group of ten or so were prac-
ticing their favorite “yell.”
it was like a bedlam. As T passed
down the hall, Hilda Ramsay, the
eldest girl of the group in the
corner, mounted a chair and hol-
lered:
“Come on, kids,
Fioneer yell.”’
Observing them momentarily, £E
mused, “At any rate they declare
themselves in no uncertain voice”
Reaching the end of the hail
where a partition divided off the

let's give the

kitchen and office, a distinct
edor of fried herrings met
my nostrils. Trying not te

notice it, I hailed Ol’ Bill, who was
seated in a drab, dusty office, seck-
ing out some notes from a littered
desk.
After sorting out the notes, Bill
carried an ancient magic lantern
into the hall and set it up ready
to show some pictures.
e

This was a combination of magic

lantern operator, lecturer, com-
mentator and young pioneer. But
he Knew how to value and char-
acterise his pupils.
After showing some pictures of
building in Soviet Russia; pictures
of broken bridges left after the
“whites” had fled; pictures of new
buildings created by the Bolshe—-
viks, he showed pictures of leaders
of the world labor movement.
First he showed a picture of Karl
Marx Young Mike Latoff whisper-
ea something about Marx’s whis-
kers to Mary Gobinsky who sat be-
side him. She _ giggled. Julius
scowled at her. Elsie Noxon put
rer tongue out at Julius, and Larry
Desire, who sat behind Hilsie, stuck
a wad of gum on one of her locks
of hair.
The picture show over, Julius
took charge again and briefly told
of the plans for the summer camp-

Episode 2
HoH. had outgrown the Youn:
Pioneers; she was now in the
Woung Communist League. But
after a year or two, she dropped
out of sight for a while. She came
around one Sunday. She was i6
now and pretty as a picture. She
didn’t have the pug nose and
bobbed hair she had as a kid. Her
tighttitting dress gave a hint of
a lovely figure.
She told me she was working now.
I asked her what she was doing,
and she told me she was “a cashier
in Spencer’s.”
A few weeks later I happened te
go into Spencer's basement to get
Some liver when my eye caught
sight of Hilda on a raised plat-
form wrapping parcels of meat and
hamburger as they came off the
chute. Quietly I sneaked out.
However, in a couple of years or
so the job played out, lke most
jobs do, and Hilda became a regu-
lar YCL’er again.

She was still very young; good
looking and Knew it; smart, and
wanted to be smarter. And she

wanted “a mate.”’ She didn’t want
any old rank and filer. She wanted
the best. She set her cap for 2
leader of the movement and She
made the grade. But they werent
together long when R. B. Bennete
clamped down with Section 98.

@

Psa central committee members

were railroaded into Kingston
and her mate had to go east to
fill a vacant chair. Hilda stayed
and became an illegal worker. She
was getting well-tempered in the
struggle now.

The cops raided one day when
Hilda was cutting stencils for party
directives. The black Maria unload-
ed fifty of them. It was at 61 Cor-
dova street. Piling out of the
wagon they raced up the Sstamus
but they were too slow for Hilda.
Somebody at the front window
shouted, “Here's the cops” and
when they entered the office, Hilda
had the notes well hidden.

Episode 3
ie WASN'T long before her mate
began to call her. AS soon as
finances permitted she left. We
knew we'd miss her but she could
do good work down there. And she

aid. We read about her being
pinched in an antifascist demon-
stration.

She’s a valuable leader now- Wwe
saw her picture in the Clarion not
long ago. She was leading a drive
to win the Clarion cup. If they
don’t win it, then it wont be her
fault.

Maybe she hasn't got every—
thing, but she’s got what it takes
to be a leader im the progressive
Jabor movement. And she got much
ot it from the education she re-
ceived after school hours jn the
dingy old hall where the Young
Pioneers nearly drove me nuts

living iorce.

every Friday night.

a

ere BED