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BRITISH COLUMBIA’S PROGRESSIVE HOME NEWSPAPER

FOR PEACE, PROGRESS AND DEMOCRACY

FULL No. 211.

VANCOUVER, B.C., FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 1939

<a ® 5 Cents

CHAM

‘Second Munich’ _

Delivers Barcelona

To Fascist Axis

LONDON, England— While

Jabor and progressive forees

in all democratic countries strengthened the demand for arms
and food to Spanish Loyalists, Prime Minister Neville Chamber-
lain stood condemned today in the eyes of the world for a second

Breat betrayal of democracy.

Ss

General Franco’s hordes of Italian and Moorish troops were
running riot through the streets of Barcelona this weekend
after marching “triumphantly” into Republican Spain’s capital

Veterans
En Route
To Canada

200 To Return
Te Coast Within
Next Few Weeks

When the Duchess of Rich-
mond sails from Liverpool on
Friday for Saint John, NB, her
passenger list will include 400
Canadians, last remaining mem-
bers of the famed Mackenzie—
Papineau Battalion Mm Spain,
now disbanded in agreement
with the Non-Intervention Com-
mittee. ;

Of this number of “fighting
Canucks” as they were affection-
“ately termed by their American
and British comrades-in-arms,
200 are destined for British Co-
lumbia.

While no immediate informa-
tion is available on the number
ef -wounded in the party, Miss
Jean Cameron, secretary of the
Vancouver Friends of the Mac-
ienzie-Papineau Battalion, states
that every dollar of the $2000 to
be raised will be used to meet
immediate needs of the volun-
teers on their return here.

A little over a quarter of the
amount set by the local organiza-
tion has been raised, and with
36 volunteers already here, some
ef whom are receiving medical
aid, the money is already doing
the work it was intended for.

Wot a few people in the city
will be pleased with the news
Since they have been enquiring
lately as to when their son or
Sweetheart would be returning.

With this large number of vol-
unteers returning in one group,
the committee states, it will not
be possible to house the men in
hotels, nor board them in cafes
because of the prohibitive costs.

To overcome this the committe
plans to ask citizens to adopt one
or more of the men for a few
days until rehabilitated, thus re-
lieving the committee to arrange
for them to be absorbed back
into civil life.

While the men were in spain
awaiting passage through France
on their homeward journey

(Gontinued on page 6)
See VETERANS

@city Thursday in wild celebration

over their “victory.”

But labor leaders here charged
the real conqueror of Barcelona
was Great Britain’s pro-fascist
Tory premier. Loyalist troops
were forced to retire to defense
positions further north through
Starvation and lack of arms. And
it was Chamberlain who refused
to allow Britain to participate in
the international Shipment of food
to non-combstants and arms to
Loyalist troops, at the same time
blackmailing France into closing
its borders into Spain.

The fall of Barcelona brought
new facts home to the British
people this week to show that
Chamberlain’s visit to Rome on
January ii brought far more dead-
ly results to the democratic cause
than was at Grst anticipated.

it is-Known now that Rome.
did becomie a second Munich—
that Britaim’s umbrella-toting

Prime Minister had skillfully and -

treacherously planned Franco’s

latest: effensive against HRepubli- _

can positions.

Briefly, the plan as now revealed
shows that Chamberlain had given
Mussolini full assurance. of sup-
port. While the fitalian fascist
leader was to fiood Spain with
thousands of fresh troops and tons
ef arms, munitions and planes,
Chamberlain was to prevent
France from opening her border
to the shipment of much-needed
arms and food to the hard-pressed
Loyalists.

Other agreements were tabled
for further discussion at a later
four-power conference, which ob-
servers here predict will take
place this time in England.

How well the partners of Mun-
ich carried through their plans
was seen Thursday when Repub-
lican troops were forced to fall
back from the city and throw up
new defense lines to the north,
where government communiques
state they intend to strengthen
forces for a counter-thrust.

Key to the military successes of
Franco during the past two weeks,
which culminated in ~Thursday’s
orderly evacuation of Barcelona,
were traced to two factors by ob-
servers in London.

Principal reason was materials.
By concentrating all available
forces, including several thousand
fresh Italian troops, in the Barce-
lona sector, Franco was able for
the first time to achieve a two-to-
one superiority in manpower and
a ten-to-one superiority in mater-
ials.

During the last five days of the

(Gontinued on page 6)
See CHAMBERLAIN

Duplessis Backs Down

On Padlock

Threat

MONTREAL, Que—Muni Taub, who was ordered evicted
from his home in Premier Maurice Duplessis’ latest drive under
the padiock law, was still occupying the premises at 4124 Laval
street this week with his wife and child while neighbors watched

the scene closely, prepared to come®

to his assistance in event of a

police raid.
Taub is one of a number of

Montreal citizens recently ordered
evicted from their residences under
@ new Duplessis edict ‘which
threatened landiords with padiock-—
ing of their premises for harbor-
ing Communists. At least three of
those facing ouster are members of
the CCF and trade unions.

Louis Fineberg, Taub’s father-
in-law and landlord, was forced
by provincial police to seek his
son-in-laws eviction early this
week but prompt action by neigh-
bors, who flocked into the house
to block police, and wires from
the Canadian Civil Liberties Union
to Ottawa stopped police action.

Im an interview Tuesday Du-

plessis declared the attorney-
general’’s department would de-
lay padlocking the Fineberg pre-
mises pending results of court
action on the case. The govern-
ment’s stand was viewed as 2
retreat.

Taub has declared the threat-
ened eviction is unconstitutional
and has refused to move.

“Tf I agree to move it will mean
my expulsion from the province,
something £ am not prepared to
accept,” he told the press.

Meanwhile the official Defense
Gommittee is collecting funds for
Taub’s fight in the courts, which
will be in the nature of a test
case.

The Civil Liberties Union has al-
ready wired J. S. Woodsworth, CCF
leader at Ottawa, urging that he
take the case up in the House.

FASCIST HORDES DESCEND ON BARCELONA

italian and Moorish treops poured inte this beautiful Catalonian seaport iiereiay to loot and rape as is
their-custom. Loyalist defenders, denied the right by Chamberlain,
intervention Committee to purchase munitions of war, have retreated te take up positions north of

the city.

Daladier and their farcial Non-

Expect Hundreds To Join

Consolidated Minining and Smelting Compo offices im the Marine Building anil CPR
docks are the main targets of the Vancouver Embargo Council slogans which will be borne
by the paraders as they take part in their second peaceful protest walk on Saturday, calling

on Vancouver citizens to support
Augmenting the paraders on
bearing similar slogans patrolling

the demand for an arms embargo on Japan.
land will be a fleet of Pacific Coast Fishermen’ s Union boats
the seaway approaches to the docks.

The CPR and its subsidiary, the CM &S, have been singled out by the Embargo Council
as the main shippers in BC of war materials to Japan for her ruthless bombing of Chinese

eivilian population.

Embargo
Council In
Royal City

Present At First
Conference Sunday

NEW WESTMINSTER, Jan.
26 — British Columbia’s second
Embargo Council was formed in
this city last Sunday afternoon
pledged to work for a stop to
Shipments of war materials to
Japan and other aggressor na-
tions.

Aims of the movement were

outlined to the delegates repre-
senting 38 Royal City organiza-
tions by Mrs. James Gray, presi-
dent of the Yancouver Embargo
Council, who told delegates they
“must let go a lot of their old
prejudices since their differences
were so small.”

The movement was not aimed
at any people but at the war
machines, she continued.

“Tt would be better for us to
exist on bread and onions,
though that of course is not ne-
cessary, than to live off the blood
of innocent people,” stated Rev.
A R. LL. Keevil, pastor of the
Reformed Episcopal Church,
during discussion of the resolu
tion urging an embargo and ad-
dressed to Prime Minister King,
Hon. R. J. Manion, Tory leader,
J. S. Woodsworth, CCF leader,
and Tom Reid, MP.

The clergyman’s views were
shared by a large number of the
delegates who voiced the opin-
jon that the situation cailed for
action and not resolutions.

“Tf the actions of the Nanaimo
people several weeks ago were
to spread up and down the Coast,
Ottawa would be begging us in-
stead of us askimge them to take
action,” said Thomas Binnie,
Surrey councillor, adding that he
hoped to see the movement
spread throughout the Fraser
Valley.

<

© Two headquarters have been es-©

tablished, the VW7omen’s Building in
the west end and the Pacific Coast
Fishermen’s Union hall at 164 Hast
Hastings Street in the east. :

In addition to participants walk-
ing in pairs at given intervals, of-
ficials of the Embargo Council
state that cars will be used as
depots to collect signatures for the
embargo petition which is now
reaching 10,000 names from an un-
official survey.

The protest -walk staged a few
days before Christmas in which
some 350 people from all-walks of
life participated, including MP’s,
MiLA’s and nine clergymen,
evoked such interest from the pub-
lic that another Such demonstra-
tion was demanded.

Embargo Council officials state
that Saturdays parade will be
much more successful since new
organizations have joined the

Council and more careful prep-
arations have been made. Hours
of the demonstration are 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m.

Mrs. James Gray, president of the
Embargo Council, visited Victoria
late this week on WCTU business
and it is expected that a similar
movement will soon be started
there.

A request was received from that
city for a speaker to outline the

methods of organizing such a move-
ment, and the council president
Was nominated for the job.

Three-Point Program
For Mayor’s Conference

Reduction in the cost of unem-
ployment relief to Vancouver will
be urged in a three-point program
to the conference of Canadian
mayors by Mayor Lyle Telford
when he attends the sessions in
Ottawa in March.

Points in the program include:

Dominion government to assume
the entire cost of public assistance
because under the present set-up
the financial structure of the muni-
cipalities is threatened.

Eligibility for old age pensions
be reduced from 70 years to 65
years because modern industry ren-
ders many men in their early
sixties unemployable.

introduction of a system of com-
pulsory and contributery scheme to
retire workers similar to superan-
nuation and which would be adopt
€d on a nation-wide basis.

HEALTH OFFICERS
ISSUE WARNING

-One Death Already
From Anthrax Germs_

Demand for a rigid boycott
on ali Japanese products was
being voiced throughout Canada
this week as citizens learned
with horror that Japanese shav-
ing brushes being sold on the
Canadian market were infected
with the deadly anthrax germ.

Pederal health department
authorities learned that bristles
used in the manufacture of
many Japanese brushes were
taken from hogs or horses in-
fected with the dreaded anthrax
disease and an immediate warn-
ing was issued to provincial
health officials.

Qne death has been traced to
this source in United States this
eek, leading Dr. Thomas Par-
ran of the United States health
department to demand a boy-
cott.

ERLAIN AIDS FRANCO

|] CONGRESS NOT
DECLARING WAR
ON ClO UNIONS

-—TALLON

Suspension of CIO
Not Binding On

Trades Councils

Trade unionists in Vancou-
ver will stand with organized
labor throughout Canada in
supporting the position taken
by leaders of the Trades and
Labor Congress for mainten-
ance of friendly relations be_
tween the CIO and AFL.

This feeling was apparent
throughout the city as word came
from Trades Congress secretary
R. J. Tallon in Montreal of sus-
pension of CIO affiliates coupled
with a statement that “fraternal
and friendly relations still obtain
between the two trade
&roups.”

“We are not declarins war on
the CIO,” Talion emphasized in an
interview. “From the individual
Point of view each and every one
of our members have for the last
two years striven to maintain unity
in the ranks of Canadian labor. We
still want it.

“But in the face of the attittide

of the American movement we
have no other course.”

The Congress leader, in announc-
ing suspension of the CIO, de-
Clared also that previous stories
of expulsion were not official and
lacked authenticity.

immediately following “Tallon’s
statement Raoul Trepanier, a vice—
president of the Congress, indicated
im a press statement that suspen-—
sion of Canadian CIO unions was
not binding upon trades and labor
councils throughout the country.

The ‘suspension letter has not
been sent to trades councils, he
Said.

“As far as the Gongress goes
it is their own business,” he em-
phasized. “The trades councils
are autonomous and Can do what
they like.”

This statement was supported by
the recent nomination of sydney
Sarkin, ClO Amalgamated Cloth-
ing Workers’ Union delegate, as
an executive member of the Mont
real Trades and Labor Gouncil.

While local officials of GIO af
filiiates in Vancouver plan to meet
in conference Saturday to discuss
the situation resulting from the
Suspension, leaders of
unions in Toronto early this week
issued a joint statement regretting
Suspension of their unions but
pledging to work for continued
unity in the Canadian movement.

“We have no quarrel with the
membership of the American Fed-—
eration of Tabor. They have no
gQuarrel with us. . . We are fully
confident that this spirit of co-
operation which moves the mem-
bership of the international trade
union sin our Dominion will in the

near future re-unite us within our
Trades and Labor Congress,” the
statement declared.

Saturday’s meeting of CIC
unionists in Wancouver has been
called by Harold J. Pritchett, pres-
ident, International Woodworkers
of America.

union

Faulty Homes Laid To
Hiring Of Non-Unionists

City Council Monday that building
contractors and real estate oper-
ators, operating individually or in
conspiracy, are alleged to be de-
frauding home owners under the
Act.

The charges were made after a
visit Sunday by Mayor Lyle Tel-
ford and F. W-. Wicholis, Dominion
director of housing, to a number
of “new” homes built during the
Past two years and already show-
ing Signs of falling apart.

Big majority of home building
jobs in the city recently have em-
ployed unorganized carpenters,
Bricklayers and plasterers workine

Faulty construction of homes built in Vancouver under the
National Housing Act is due to a great extent to employment of
non-union labor by contractors operating as cheaply as possible.

This is the opinion of many unionists in the city this week
as they studied charges made in@at low wages, it is reported.

Very
few of these men are understood
to be good mechanics, most of the
homes being built without allow-
ing for shrinkage of the wet him-
ber which is one reason why in-
vestigators have discovered homes
in which doors and windows are
improperiy hung.

Only union men employed in
home building are lathers, floor
layers and tilesetters, trades which
are 100 percent organized.

City Council members are now
understood to be studying com-
plaints of badly-built houses with a
possibility that trade licenses of
certain contractors and real estate
men may be cancelled.

13 CIO”

—

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