Page Two THE PEOPLES ADVOCATE THE : PEOPLE’S ADVOCATE Viore Lies From Riga SHORT JABS Published Weekly by the Proletarian Publishing p=4ib=dbadibat b=dib=aib-aba ease to pledge automatic assistance to A February 17, 1939 i eelyionts Association, Room 10, 163 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BG. Phone Trinity 2019. RSS SHS hese wens Rae Slee SS SS Re SS eS es + (tai ak One Year —._____ $2.00 Three Months —___..$ .60 Half: Near: $1.00 Single Copy -__..3 -05 Make All Cheques Payable to: The People’s Advocate Vancouver, B.C. - Friday, February 17, 1939 The Face Behind the Mask HE face behind the mask, or rather, be- hind the suave radio voice of young Mr. George McCullagh, was revealed in all its nakedness this week, and the sight was not a pretty one. For “Canada’s Wonder Boy” has finally assumed his real role. After several weeks of radio ranting, of singing seductive songs to the Canadian people, this white-haired protege of the gold mine tycoons and St. James Street has begun to appeal for a gov- ernment to “save Canada from bankruptcy.” And his solution? A National government of Big Business which will unleash an attack on the living standards of worker and farmer, give St. James Street a more effective weapon against all parts of the nation, put reaction and fascism in the saddle. Wot that McCullagh says this. He’s a some- what smoother article than either Duplessis or Hepburn, and as predicted by the Advocate several weeks ago, he’ll try to put over his reactionary message for his employers hidden in a good-sized sugar-coated pill guaranteed to give Canada a “business” government which will “reduce taxation” and abolish “wasteful spending.” But it’s the kind of a pill that may strangle Canada if the ambitious McCullagh and his dirty crowd are not stopped from administering the dose. Wot that the latest plot against democracy will have easy sailing. The overwhelming majority of Canadians hate the MeCullaghs and what they stand for. But the danger les in the King government’s failure to enact people’s legislation, to initiate public works schemes, aid agriculture, stimulate a re- covery in industry and provide jobs. The governments weakness in this regard has been taken advantage of by the most reac- tionary big business circles for their latest plot to capture complete control, since even the King government, weak as it is in its de- fense of democracy, is an obstacle to the plans which MecCullagh’s bosses have in mind. The logical way to defeat this scheme, then is by forcing Premier King to act in defense of the people’s interests. The reactionaries will find poor ground for their seeds of dissension in a Canada which is fighting to provide jobs for its people, mar- kets and good prices for the farmer, exten- sion of social services, a unified nation. And therein lies the way to defeat reaction’s latest schemes! Lift the Embargo! ( WEGRIN, Foreign Minister Del Vayo, and General Miaja, the authorit- ative spokesmen of Loyalist Spain, emphat- ically declare that she will fight on, contident in her own ability to resist the fascist invad- ers, hopeful that world demcoracy will yet render adequate help. Colonel Casado, chief of the staff of the Central Army, says, ‘““We are confident in the unlimited resources of our people and the justice of our cause. Iron discipline, vigilance and cooperation with the military forces are ensuring successful resistance. “Tn the face of difficulties, the Spanish peo- ple are confident that they can save them- selves and do their duty to the world by ob- serving the maxim: The more adversity, the more willingness to fight!” Thus Loyalist Spain answers the contempt- ible Chamberlain-Daladier traitors to de- mocracy. Her army of 800,000 brave fighters, _ backed by the 8,000,000 people of Central Spani, representing the great majority of the entire Spanish population—will fight on! She will win over fascism . . . if the terrible embargo is lifted. Inundate Premier King and your federal WIP with wires, resolutions and letters de- manding that Canada help Loyalist Spain. Canadian wheat, fish, flour, metal, arms and munitions could be bought by the Negrin government . . . if the embargo were lifted. Loyalist Spain will pay. Tet us take a lesson from the indomitable courage of the heroic Spanish people . . . and fight harder to lift the infamous embargo that punishes our democratic friends and aids our fascist enemies. Clean Gut the Spies! : APPARENTLY took the Police Federal Association itself to finally prove what the labor movement had charged right along, namely, that the secret service branch of the Vancouver police was formed for the sole purpose of spying on trade unions and work- ing-class political organizations. Wow the whole dirty business has been ex- posed. The secret service department tapped telephone wires, sent police spies into trade unions tried to disrupt and smash legitimate labor organizations. And the taxpayers paid the shot. Vancouver citizens should demand a com- plete cleanup in this branch of the service. The secret service department should be abolished completely. What’s the truth behind the recent press stories ef a Nazi-Soviet “‘rapprochment’’ and increased trade between Hitler Germany and the USSR? Harry Gannes, internaticnally-known writer, answers these questions in the following timely article. i= EE RE Eli Ra ie i a SS EE Et Es Ub=aib=sib=cib=e bag bag bag ibaa baa baa baa baa baa baa bee ibealbeaibed bea baaibe dibs dine aibeaibe a By HARRY GANNES SE eA DERERS of the Soviet Union received a terrific wallop with the announcement of Moscow’s rupture of relations with Hitler’s puppet, the Humgarian regime. All enemies of the USSR during the past few weeks were busy spreading les about a Nazi “rapprochment’” with the most powerful and adamant anti-fascist force in the world, the Soviet Union. To those even slightly conversant with the truth, these stories were mendacious on their face. Primarily, they eman- ated from Nazi sources. Hitler, fearful of riskins hhis neck and the Wazi war machine against the granite Soviet defense, was busy pushing against the demo- eracies whose Chamberlains and Daladiers made the going so much easier. Therefore, Hitler had to explain why he did not satisfy his Paris and DLondon benefactors by moving eastward. Aliso, British sources wanted to explain why Chamberlain couldn’t budge the WNazis Sovietwards. Moreover, by multiplying and spreading these falsehoods, espe— cially in the WUWnited States, the combined enemies of the Soviet Union believed they would ham- per collaboration of the two main anti-fascist mations, the Soviet Union and the United States. Wazi agents, Trotskyites, Cham- berlain stooges circulated tales abbout a Nazi economic commis- sion to the Soviet Union. They forgot to say here that the same Chicago Daily News Central Bur- opean correspondent, M. W. Fo- dor, who initiated these rumors in America, also added that a similar mission was coming to President Roosevelt And what were the facts? @ RESIDENT ROOSEVELT sent the Nazis glowering with in- dignation over his anti-fascist de- fense moves while the Soviet Union landed a heavy blow in Berlin’s Central Huropean midriff by slashing diplomatic ties with Budapest. ‘ Hungary, Jugoslavia and Czech- oSlovakia (after her prostration by Paris and London before fas- cism) were the recent scenes of frenzied IWazi and fitalian plot- tine. Hungary soon thereafter joined the so-called anti-Comin- tern pact, which the secret alli- ance of Germany, Italy and Japan against all the democracies equally termed “Bolshevik” by Hitler. - Hitler, who in his recent Reich- stag harangue, gingerly refrained from military threats he couldn’t begin to carry out against the So- viet Union, did back Mussolini against France and opened his war drive for colonies from Great Britain. As Mr. Fodor, now in that chief anti-Soviet lie-factory Riga, said, the Soviet press significantly Pointed to Hitler’s cautious omis- sion of anti-Soviet campaigns. The reasons are 170,000,000 people building and extending So- cialism and determined and able to defend their fatherland. Still nursing its Changkufeng wound, the Nipponese agressor is afraid any iINazi military adventures on the Soviet border. And as for those Japanese fascist samurais who are anxious to gamble all in a plunge against the USSR, there are an equal number of WNazis who dread risking certain de- struction by tying themselves up with a Japan sinking deeper into the bog of an undefeated China. i=) ELIBE RATE anti-Soviet lying, of course, is not new. It is as old as the Russian Revolution. Each critical period for the world sees new phases of it. For in- Stance, the conservative editor of “Foreign Affairs,” Mr. Hamilton Fish Armstrong, in his recent book on Munich, “There Is No Peace,’ especially notes the anti- Soviet lying of the New York Times’ P. J. Philips, Paris cor- respondent. The New York Her- ald-Tribune reviewer, Lewis Gan- net, who makes up for the Times book review omission. on this point, says that Mr. Phillips par- ticipated “in something like a plot in France” whose purpose was to “misrepresent the facts” especially regarding the Soviet Union. Such a concoction of lies was seen on the very morning when the capitalist press reported the Soviet’s action against the fas- cist trio and Hitler’s Hungarian puppets. Furthermore, the same day, Berlin cables told of Soviet re- jection of German credit offers and the continuation of trade ar- rangements under which the USSR has been heavily slashing imports from the Nazi Reich. But the enemies of the Soviet Union must have their consola- tion to save them from the an- guish of reading the stream of reports of growing Socialist strength and advance and of the unassailable military defensive might of the world’s peace bul- wark. These hungry foes for hateful news of the USSR would starve if they did not feed themselves with the synthetic sustenance consisting of collected anti-Soviet lies. | The One-Man Car Question By CHARLES STEWART Executive Member, Trades and Labor Council HY are street railwaymen and members of organized labor opposed to operation of one-man cars? This question has begun to assume first importance in Vancouver in recent months, and the writer has had several requests from fellow stretcar men to outline the question in 2 short article, and incidentally, to elear up any misapprehension which may exist as a result of a report in the People’s Advocate on the Trades and Labor Council meeting of February 7 in which it was stated that street railway- men contemplate strike action to stop further introducion of one— man cars in VYancouver. So far no mention has been made of strike action. In discus- sion of the motion that the Trades and Labor Council reiter- ate its previous stand on the one- man car issue, the only mention by delegates of Division 101 of the Street Railwaymen’s Union was in connection with the stand taken by streetcar men in Mont real, who took a strike vote and decided they would not work one-man cars on St. Lawrence Boulevard. This action was only taken after all other efforts had failed. Success crowned the ef-— forts of the Montreal street rail- way workers in that center of Ganadian reaction, where the trade union movement is divided, and where two separate unions exist. We in Vancouver are in a much more favorable position, with a 100 percent union membership and a united trade union move— ment solidly behind us. ’ BFORE the war many efforts were made by large trans- portation companies to replace two-man cars with the one-man type, but were met by strong op- position from the unions through- out the US and Canada. When the war came, many large finan- cial corporations, in the name of patriotism (mo mention of more profits), the first real steps were taken to install one-man Cars. At the outset many of the unions, instead of fighting against this type of vehicle, fell for the patri- otic spell binders, expecting when the war was over that their em- ployers would revert to two-man operation, but instead city after city dispensed with two-man cars completely and in the name of more and more profit, thou- sands of street railway workers were forced on the bread line to be a burden on the taxpayers. In Winnipeg it was compara- tively easy, where two unions ex- isted among the street railway- men, and where the officers of the OBU, instead of fighting against the change, collaborated with the company, and assisted them. Last year the Toronto Trans- portation Commission (in which eity, by the way, no platform men have been hired by the transpor- tation commission since 1928) or- dered a number of the very latest in street cars and notified the employees and the public that these cars would be used to re- place existing worn out equip- ment on the preesnt one-man car lines. Instead, when the cars ar- rived, they were used to replace the two-man cars on Bloor and Dundas, two heavy traffic lines. Then there was the situation in Montreal, where the workers, by unity of the National Catholic unions and the International union, assisted by the mayor, were successful in stopping their further introduction on January 16, the mayor of that city having since declared he will demand the complete elimination of one-man cars from the streets of Montreal. HE opposition of the street railwaymen to the one-man ears is not a selfish movement. We say that it was the men on the job, the motorman and con- Guctor, many of them with over thirty years service, who have built up the goodwill of the tra- velling public in this city. We don’t believe that the pre- sent personnel will continue to be employed if the change is made in Vancouver. We know of the hundreds of men who were laid off in Winnipeg, Toronto, Hamilton, Montreal and other cities, and Vancouver is no ex ception. In fighting in the inter- ests of these men we are also fighting in the interests of all Vancouver citizens. We are also putting the deci- sion of the Canadian trade union movement into life, because the trade union movement in this country is on record that one— man operated street cars, busses, and trucks are a menace to the health of the operators, a danger to the travelling public, and should be barred from our streets and highways. HE street railwaymen are not opposed to modernized trans- portation. The new car, which is being exhibited in Vancouver, is a beautiful behicle, a vehicle which makes you proud of the technicians and workers who pro- duced it, but it has one great fault—one-man operation. This ear has a speed capacity of fifty miles an hour. The operator, whose hands are free—the car being operated by foot control— must sell tickets, issue transfers, sell passes, be courteous, give in- formation to passengers, and when “free,” look out for traf fic, Men are only human, and such a task at the speed called for, combining service with safe— ty, is an impossibility. Men with ordinary nerves will either be nervous wrecks in a short time or be in their grave. The case for the street railway- men is good. We have a strong union. We have the backing of the whole Canadian trade union movement. I am sure we will also have the support of our mayor and city council, and I am eertain the general public will support us in our demand for a safe and sane modern transpor— tation service, with two-man op- eration. A Reactionary Proposal Editor, People’s Advocate: A resolution proposed in City Council this week prompted the writing of this letter. The resolu- tion concerned the barring, of married women from remunera-— tive work, especially in stores, offices, and factories. it seems to me that we are not making much progress when such solutions are offered, for women have struggled for many eenturies for independence and the right to work, and such “so- lutions” as the one proposed con- jure up before our minds the place of women under fascism, where economic and political in- dependence is refused them. There is a very small percent- age of women working whose husbands receive a decent living wage, but at least 75 percent of the married women are forced to work because of economic cir- cumstances. In most cases they have dependants, or their hus- band’s wages are so small that it has become necessary for them to find employment. T am in agreement with Ald. Helena Gutteridge who spoke against the resolution and [I feel that the only worthwhile solution is the promotion of government work schemes to take care of our young people, as well as men and women now unemployed. By this I don’t mean relief camps, domestic work at low wages or farm work for room and board, but work that will pay a decent living wage and at the same time train our youth for skilled trades. Any “solution” which proposes to lay off one group of workers to give employment to another group can never be anything but a wrong solution, and even if en- forced 100 percent, would afford plenty of loopholes for those workers who have some sort of “political pull.” All progressive women, I am sure, will be firmly against any move to take away their econo mic independence. —Mrs. Jean Bird. Weekly Commentary By Ol’ Bill If you meet up with any of the boys who have just returned from Spain, you will hear some food fe stories and you will undoubtedly Spanish be convinced that the struggle in Spain is part of the class Story struggle. From one of my own old-time side-kickers T learned of how the Mac-Paps were handled for return to Canada when the Spanish government undertook to meet the demands of the so-called non-interven-— tion committee and dispense with the services of the International Brigade. The Canadian government was bent on Seeing that none but genuine Canadians were allowed back into our beautiful land of spreading lakes, towering mountains, magnificent vistas of rolling: prairies and great blufis—particularly great blufts. They had a representative on the job putting the third degree on all the boys who had Canadian pass— ports. His name was Lieut-Col. O'Kelly (mot Joe Kelly), an ex-member of the Mounties and veteran of the last war that made the world safe from de mocracy. As an old soldier he was interested in the effect of the bombings and asked many questions about air-raids. He did not believe the stories he heard about the brutality of Fascist and Nazi air- men, who bombed and strafed quiet and peaceful villages that tad no Military significance. Just such a village was the one in which he had his headquarters, over a hundred miles from the front. He went about his job methodically and in two weeks had only okeh’d about ninety passports. One morning the air-pirates came over in force and began dropping their messengers of death on the village. He told the boys he had instructions from the Canadian zovernment not to take any chances and he didn’t. For the brave Lieut-Col. O’Kelly was the first to dive into a funkhole and he stayed there even after the bombers had passed away. He had placed every kind of barrier in the way of the boys up till that time, but that afternoon he certi- fied about ninety passports and he stayed in the cellar till his job was finished and he was able to pull out. He knows now how inhuman are the tools of the “prutalitarian” states. Tf any other proof were needed Munchausen to expose the fascist Chamber— lain as an unmitigated liar, com— pare his statement in the House of Commons when he reported to the members of the Mother of Par- liaments on his trip to Rome. That speech will stand out as a model of evasiveness for all time and that in an assembly where evasiveness has been developed into a fine art. The one thing definite in his long spate of verbiage and tarradiddle, was in answer to the Labor leader Atlee’s demand for the right of the Spanish government to purchase arms. Said Cham- berlain, “Britain could give little help to the Spanish government if the arms ban were raised, Since we ourselves need all the arms there are in our possession.” Along comes Joe Kelly, who was a lieutenant in the Mac-Paps, who is not a Chamberlain, who is not a liar, whose word is above reproach and substantiated by others, to tell us that just before the battalion was demobilized, the Spanish govern- ment forces captured from HEranco’s mercenaries a whole battery of artillery (Six guns), seven tanks and seventeen machine guns, all bearing the label “Vickers 1938.” Vickers is one of the leading merchant firms of death in Britain and is tangled up with Birmingham Small Arms, in which Cham- berlain is financially interested. “The present German common- No Class wealth has no class prejudices.” = : q Thus spoke the neurotic Hitler Prejudices! on January 30 when he last fulminated against humanity. But the facts prove him also a liar. The Jaunching of the “People’s Car” plan, which was to put cheap cars in the hands of every Ger man worker, after they had paid in advance, has been held up. The workers on signing the application forms discovered that each had a hammer and sickle watermark on it. The Nazis don’t know how it got there and the whole wage-cutting scheme has been postponed until new forms can be made out. But another ‘batch of German worlcers have been sent to concentration camps. So too in Vienna, when the In Old Sudeten question was in the = air, blackouts were ordered on Vienna several nights as a preparation for the possible coming war. Every night all lights in the city were put out and kept out all night. In the morning billboards throughout the city were found to be plastered with Communist slogans. This happened every night during the blackout Qne day, after removing these inscriptions, the Nazi officials wrote in return, this message, “You Com- munist cowards, why don’t you attack us openly in the day time?” Next morning the inscription on the billboards read, “We can’t attack the SS in the day time because by day we are members of the SS.” Wo class prejudices, bedamned! than one occasion A ‘Mercy battleships, built for war and Ship’ slaughter, have dropped their iron face and taken on the guise of an angel of mercy. In Shipwreck, flood, earth- quake and other forms of disaster, battleships of all nations have hastened to bring relief to sailors and shore folks alike. But surely no more hypocritical use of the name “mercy ship” was ever made than when it was used to describe that floating mass of Scrap iron and artillery, the British cruiser Devonshire, sent to force the Spanish government troops at Minorca to surrender to the Franco rebels against law and order. This incongruous combination, a British warship and the representatives of a movement against a constitutional, democratic government, places Chamberlain and his followers where they rightly belong—the allies of bandits and pirates, by sea, land and air; murderers, ravishers, thieves, heroes who war on babies and old women. This is intervention according to the non-inter- vention plan. Chamberlain has never yet inter- vened on behalf of the Spanish government even when it meant saving the lives of British seamen. He could intervene with a battleship at Minorca; why not at Mallorca? Because Chamberlain’s program is summed up in four words—‘the smashing of democracy.” General Miaja explained it well a few days ago when he said that the fate of millions of democratic people in other parts of the world is being settled today in Spain. Guizot, the French historian, himself a reaction- ary, wrote once, “England is the bulwark of freedom and of human dignity.’ Guizot has been dead a lone time and the England he wrote of has been dead since Chamberlain got his claws on it. On more paempermeneere?s is pipet res yar a a as lla isp leameaadetie ay