ales i.

THE PEOPLES ADVOCATE

THE
PEOPLE’S ADVOCATE

Published Weekly by the Proletarian Publishing
Association, Room 20, 163 West Hastiness Street,
Vancouver, B.C. Phone TRinity 2019.

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Make All Cheques Payable to: The People’s Advocate

Wancouver, B.C. - Friday, July 21, 1933

The Federal. Elections

NANADIANS who, within the next few
months, will determine whether this
country is to be governed in their interests or
the interests of a few powerful monopolies,
the other day obtained an insight into the
tactics reaction is adopting in its efforts to
defeat the rising tide of progress.

Speaking in Quebec, Dr. R. J. Manion, Con-
servative leader, charged the Kings sovern-
ment with having failed te cooperate witon
provincial governments.

In this statement he revealed the eynical—-
and sinister —— design of reaction, working
through many channels to foist a reactionary
coalition government on the people of Canada.

For the past two years and more monopo-
listic big business has used the Hepburn gov-
ernment in Ontario, the Duplessis regime in
Quebec, to foster its attack on organized labor
and the people’s living standards and to blocis
all progressive federal legislation.

Wow big business, speaking through the
Conservative party, is hypocritically seeking
to utilize the sabotage of the Hepburn and
Duplessis governments against the King gov-
ernment to mislead the people.

In no way, however, does this excuse the
inaction of the King government and its fail-
ure to alleviate the needs of the people.

HE GREAT majority of British Columbi-
ans feel that the King government should
have acted to prevent Japanese economic pen-
etration of this province, to counteract Japa-
nese fascist espionage. But the King govern-
ment, under pressure of the big interests sup-
plying Japan with war materials, took no
action. Japanese espionage goes unchecked,
even while Japanese fascism is preparing to
demonstrate the ease with which iis bombers
can span the Facific.
| This should convince the people of this
province that coast defenses are no substitute
for a foreign policy designed to halt fascist
aggression, to stop the flow of Canadian war
materials to Japan. It proves again the urgent
need for an internal policy which, while acting
swiftly against fascist agents and those in
league with them, will provide jobs and se-
curity for our people.

-WOW can British Columbians best assure
themselves that the next Canadian gov-
ernment will follow a policy framed around
their demands for peace and security? The
assurance lies in their electing to Ottawa a
solid bloc of progressives pledged to serve
their interests. It can be done if all sections
of the progressive movement realize their
great responsibilities and provide the oppor-
tunity for a united vote.

Tit can be done, if the CCF sees in the New
Democracy not a rival “third party” but a
movement which can rally thousands of votes
behind CCF candidates, if the CCF recognizes
that in a few constituencies progressive candi-
dates other than its own may stand a better
chance of election.

Ti can be done, if the New Democracy in BC
realizes its role as a unifying factor in the con-
stituencies, acknowledges the influence of the
CCF as the dominant progressive party in the
province, and on this basis makes its position
towards the CCF clear.

Tt can be done. Reactionary candidates of
the old-line parties can be defeated if pro-
gressives of all shades throw their support
behind one candidate in every constituency.
Let’s start in to do it!

Citizens Demand Lower Fares

URROUNDED by a battery of legal ad-
visers, W. G. Murrin, president of the BC
Electric Railway Co. Ltd. appeared before
Vancouver City Council this week and inso-
Jently refused to consider any of the city’s re-
quests for reduction in the cost of streetcar
transportation.

Wot only did he refuse pointblank to con-
sider any reductions, he even had the gall to
intimate that the BC Electric might ask Vazi-
couver citizens to contribute still more to
holders of its inflated stock.

From time to time in our columns we have
related the history of the BC Electric Rail-
way Company Ltd., and its parent company,
BC Fower Corporation. We have traced the
manipulations which have resulted in a stag-
gering load being placed on the people of
Vancouver who for years have supported the
pblown-up financial structure of the BC Elec-
irc:

Vancouver has borne this burden too long
because those in power at the city hall have
represented not the people but BC Electric
interests.

Now we have a mayor who is the popular
choice of our citizens. His demand for a thor-
ough investigation of the BC Electric should
be given every support. And, if the city
council is to get anywhere in its campaign
for fare reductions, in its demand that the
BC Electric pay its just share towards city
upkeep, then Vancouver citizens, who stand
to gain, must not be slow in giving expression

to their feelings.

BRITISH COLUMBIA,
CAN MAKE HISTORY
IN 1939 ELECTIONS

HIS YEAR, for the sec-

ond time in nine years,
the people of British Colum-
bia will probably have an op-
portunity to elect to Ottawa
representatives who will ac-
tually represent their inter-
ests and not the interests of
the capitalist monopolies. For
a ten-year period British Co-
lumbians have suffered from
unemployment, low farm
prices, poverty and all the
other ills arising from the
economic depression.

Dissatisfaction with the do-
nothing policy of the King gov-
ernment and also with the reac-
tionary policies of the Conserva-
tive government which preceded
the present regime has become
more and more marked. The de
mand for needed reforms in the
economic, social and political life
of the nation is assuming a more
insistent character.

it is because of these intolerable
conditions that we are witnessing
today the mass disillusionment
and breakaway from the old-line
parties of thousands of former ad-
herents. Although many hundreds
of these leftward moving people
have found their way into the
ranks of the CCF, Social Credit
and Communist parties, other
thousands not yet prepared to ac-
cept the programs of these par-
ties, but nevertheless disgusted
with Liberals and Conservatives
alike, are determined to obtain the
passage of reform legislation, are
largely without a means of politi-
eal expression. Their aims are
progressive and coincide with
those of the CCF, Social Credit
and Communist Party.

However, unless some means are
found of enabling these people to
give expression to their voting
Strength, of coordinating and con-
centratine their voting power and
that of the supporters of the CCF,
Secial Credit and Communist par-
ties, the entire anti-old party vote
may well be dissipated, rendered
ineffective, enabling candidates of
jhe capitalist party machines to
be returned again in a majority to
Ottawa.

In desperation new reform par-
ties might be formed which
would further divide the progres-
sive vote.

New Democracy
Affords Expression

i ea THIS connection let us con-
sider the status of the New
Democracy movement, whose pro-
pram has been announced by Hon.
W. D. Herridge- What is the
significance of the New Demo-
cracy movement? Is it a new re-
form party as claimed by the pro-
vineial and national leadership of
the CCE?

The significance of the New De-
mocracy movement lies in the
fact that it does give expression
to the rising demand for reform
of thousands of people who are
not part of the labor movement
Hut definitely sincere and progres—
sive-minded. It is a program of
advanced bourgeois democracy de-
manding measures such as protec-
tion for the farmers and small
business men, security for trade
unionism and collective bargain-
ing, cooperative marketing, mone-
tary and credit reform, legislation
for protection against unemploy-
ment, sickness and old age, and
the curbing of monopolies. These
measures the labor movement can
support.

Herridge’s program provides 2
common political ground upon
which the labor movement can
cooperate with large numbers of
sincere people who are turning
away from the old parties but who
are not yet prepared to support
proposals for the socialist reor-
ganisation of society. Purther-
more, it can attract thousands of
additional people from the ranks

* of the two old parties.

The Herridge movement is
therefore an important factor in
the regrouping of political forces.
Tt provides an essential element,
hitherto lacking in Canada, for
the crystallization of the growing
democratic camp.

In this pertinent article, Fergus
MeKean, provincial secretary of
the Communist party and Labor
candidate for East Hootenay
makes a Keen analysis of the vital
issues facing the people of this
province in the forthcoming feder-
al elections. A tide of democratic
sentiment is sweeping the West,
he says. In BC, properly united,
it can sweep reactionary old-line
parties from power. Can this uni-
ty be achieved? McKean answers
that question here.

New Democracy
Not New Party

|S eee bas made it abun-
dantly clear he does not pro-
pose to form a new party. There
are no suggestions for fusion of
existing progressive parties or
groups. The proposal is that all
progressive organisations should
cooperate to ensure that only one
progressive candidate runs in
each constituency and receives the
united support of the entire pro-
gressive movement. in other
words, its role is to act as 2a unify—
ing force in each constituency. If
it were to act as a new party, No-
minating additional candidates
where progressive eandidates are
already in the field, its role would
be a splitting one, and therefore
not progressive but reactionary.

Unfortunately some of the state—
ments made by adherents of the
Wew Democracy moyement have
given this impression. Any pro-
posal that candidates of parties
must agree to break with their
parties and pledge themselves to
the program and discipline of the
Wew Democracy moyement before
receiving support would be tanta-
mount to attempting to split the
existing propressive parties and
would defeat the very purpose
which Herridge has announced as
his 2im.

It should be clear that if in BC
the New Democracy movement is
to act as a unifying force, its sup-
port in most constituencies must
go to candidates of the GCF, which
is the largest and most influen-
tial progressive political party.

To be of assistance the New De-
mocracy must act as a coalition
movement to unite the existing
progressive groups and the thou-
sands of dissident liberals and
Conservatives behind one progres—
sive candidate in each constitu-
ency.

Fiow is this to be done? It can
only be accomplished by bringing
these groups together on a consti-
tuency basis, deciding on the can-
didate who they feel could best
represent them and after endors-
ing their choice, work unitedly
and wholeheartedly for his or her
election.

West Differs
From East

W MANY constituencies in Hast

ern Canada where no CCF,
Social Credit, Communist Party
or other progressive organisations
have strength, constituency con-
ferences organised by the Her-
ridge movement would probably
be obliged to nominate a eandi-
date to carry the progressive ban-
ner.

However, this is not the situa-
tion in BC where the CCF, the
Communist Party and to a lesser
extent Social Credit have organi-
sation and supporters in all con-
stituencies. In addition to these
groups there are probably influen-
tial members of other organisa-
tions, even of the Liberal and Con-
servative party branches who are
also progressive and might be
worthy of consideration to repre
sent the progressive camp.

Therefore in BC, the task of the
Wew Democracy constituency con-
ferences in nearly all constituen-
cies would be to endorse one of
the progressive candidates already
in the field. As already stated, ibe-
cause of the influence the CCF
has in most constituencies, it is
to be expected a candidate of the
CCE would receive the united
support.

In view of this likelihood it is
obviously not only injurious to
the progressive camp aS 42 whole
but particularly to the: CCF itself
for its executive to reject all co-
operation with the New Demo-
cracy movement as it has an-
nounced.

Democracy
At Stake

UR GCF friends should rea-
lize that there is more at
stake in this election than the
mere advancement of party inter-
ests. The future democratic free-
dom and welfare of the whole
Canadian people is very definitely
threatened by Canadian reaction
at this time.

The open pronouncements of
the mouthpieces of reactionary
big business, the Toronto Giobe
and Maii, and the Montreal Ga-
zette, calling for a coalition of the
most reactionary sections of the
old line parties to attain “cooper-
ative resistance to the socialistic
advance,’ the reactionary mea-
sures carried out by Duplessis in
Quebec and Wepburn in Ontario,
these and other developments in
the reaclionary camp show quite
clearly they intend to leave no
stone unturned to place an ultra
reactionary government in power
at Ottawa. If they succeed then
Canadian democracy will soon g&-
come a thing of the past and with
it the democratic mass organisa—
tions of the people including the
trade unions and the CCE.

Surely the lessons of Germany,
Austria and other countries where
the progressive political parties of
the people remained disunited and
thus enabled fascism to take
power have been understood by
some CCF people. Surely we can
benefit by the bitter results of
disunity in other countries.

Communist
Position

Communist Party has no
intention of aiding the devel-
opment of any additional third
party movements. We are not a

part of the New Democracy or

any other movement. We are,
however, now as in the past, pre
pared to cooperate with the CCF,
the Werridge movement, Social
Credit or any other progressive
organisation in order to defeat
the candidates of the old line par-
ties, to defeat reaction and to elect
eandidates that will form a pro-
pressive government.

To say that the election of pro-
gressive candidates who are ad-
herents of different parties would
“only make confusion worse con-
founded” is obviously ridiculous.
Which is best, for the progressive
groups to cooperate and together
elect sufficient candidates to form
a government or to refuse any
cooperation, fight each other and
thus make possible the election of
a government of reaction which
will proceed to outlaw all of
them?

Can any sane person believe
that cooperation of progressive
groups, which all agree on the ne-
cessity of similar fundamental re-
forms, is “making confusion worse
confounded.” Of course not, it is
plain ordinary common sense.

The Communist party does not
assume responsibility for the can-
Gidates or program of any politi-
cal party but its own and neither
does it give blanket endorsement
of any political movement. Any
accusations that we are building
or supporting any political party
or movement except our own are
unfounded. Under no cirecum-
stances will we surrender our
identity and independence nor do
we ask or expect any other or-
ganisation to do so.

As a relatively small party we
will continue to do all in our
power to achieve cooperation of
all progressive organisations in
order that reaction may be defeat-
ed in the coming election, in or-
der that sufficient labor and pro-
pressive candidates may be elect
ed to form a government, in order
that a program of national recoy-
ery that will benefit the Canadian
people and curb the monopolies
may be attained and finally in or-
der that the labor movement may
be further strengthened and con-
solidated so as to bring the Cana-
dian people a step closer to a
higher democracy, Socialism.

People’s Front Defeats Fascist Putsch

HWE newspaper Frente Popu-

lar is demanding that the
government mete out strict pun-
ishment to Rightist plotters in-
volved in a recent fascist conspir-—
acy to overthrow the People’s
Front government, The putsch,
planned for dawn on Sunday,
was frustrated in a last-minute
action of the government which
rounded up the key plotters. The
Popular Front paper urges 2
stiffer attitude toward the Right-
ists.

When the Chilean
of Labor’s second
opens here July 26,
mands for effective
Gemocracy will
voiced.

Federation
convention
strong de
defense of
undoubtedly be

Rightist plots, which made
themselves increasingly felt after
the national election last October,
were denounced last week in the
senate by Elias Lafertte, popular
Communist leader. Reactionary
tactic in laying the ground for an
attempt to violently overthrow
the government was to preak
down popular morale through
alarmist press campaigns, dismis-
sal of workers, skyrocketting the
eost of living, and intrigues
aimed at turning the regular
army against the socialist militia.

Fascist groups have also in-
creased their work among the
esrabineros, the national police
force.

That President Aguirre Cerda
enjoys the full support of the
populace was thoroughly demon-
strated, however, in a recent tour
he made through the four min-
jing provinces. Rightist hopes of
success in splitting the People’s
Front through machinations
within the Radical Partys na-
tional convention have also failed
dismally. In a recent by-election
jn Valdivia province, the People’s
Front candidate rolled up 13,000
votes, against 6,000 for the Right-
ist. Sunday the officers and

men of the regular army took a,
new oath of allegiance to the flag
and swore to defend justice, lib-
erty and democracy- :

SHORT
JABS

by OF Bill

Major Hoople

Major Hoople has joined thi
= Japanese Kiewantunge army
Joins Domei. which is now attempting to
invade the Soviet Republic of Outer Mongolia. Along
with him in the publicity department of that Or
fanized gang of thieves appear to be the ghosts OF.
Ananias and Baron Munchsusen, two dead tellers of
tall tales whose fame at “drawing the longbow” as
established in literature and history. E =

The Japanese pro¢laim loudly te the world that
they are not good propagandists. Judging by the’
stories of victories over the Soviet forces, sent out
by their official news service, Domei, they are cor
rect in their claim. They are poor judges of what
people will swallow in the way of propaganda. '

we read that “18 Japanese planes defeated i150 ~=
Soviet planes, the Soviet planes being practically all =
brought down’; or that, in another “battle,” “3 Japa
nese planes foug&t 60 Soviet planes and brought
down 6 of them”: or again, that “97 Soviet planes ¥
were brought down in 30 minutes,’ and to cap all,
“one sergeant brought down 25 Soviet planes”!

We are hard put to decide
J 53% whether the author of these
apan. boasts is Major Hoople, the =
ghosts of Ananias and Baron Munchausen — or
whether they are a natural product of the Japanese :
military mind. Whoéver or whatever the authorship, (|
they are a poor, unconvincing grade of lying, and 1 3
all we can do about it is to join in the laughter
current in Moscow when these braggart Samurai
tales appear in the Soviet press. =

Only those who wish to will ‘believe these boastful
news broadcasts from the Japanese army which re
ceived such an unmerciful shellacking from the
Red Army at Lake Khasan about a year ago.

These lying claims of victory have a double pur ©
pose. First they are meant to cover-up the fact that
the Japanese invaders of Soviet Mongolia are being
driven out with their tails between their legs. In
this connection it is fo be noted that they try to
show the world that the Soviet defendine armies are
the aggressors by using maps “made in Japan,” the
Some lines on which are as faise as their news
stories.

Secondly, they have a political significance which ©
reaches beyond Japan or Mongolia They are partor f
the plans of the European aggressors in their attack j
on Western democracy. They are so obviously, ine
expert lying that, though they are meant to strike |}

fear in our hearts they succeed only in creating mer
riment.

On second thought, perhaps we should apologize
to the likeable Major Hoople whose bouncing is only
meant to raise a laugh, while the bragging of these
savage hordes of the Kwantunge Army is indulged
in purposely, as a cover for murder.

There is not much leadership
D in the “leaders” of the capi-
uty. talist press: neither is there”
anything funny in the “funnies.” That does mot
mean, however, that there is nothing funny in the |
capitalist newspapers. The contrary is the case. te
The ordinary, run-of-the-mill newspaper is full of |
funny stuff, but it is all over the paper except im fhe if
funnies and the death notices. . a
Here is a case in point from one of our loca
sheets. At the American Bar Association (not the
bar with the brass rail) Convention, in “Frisco last
week, R. &. Maitland, K-C., president of the Cana-
dian Bar Association, unburdened himself on what.
a lawyer’s duty was. oe

“There is,” he said, ‘a tendency to undermine the
majesty and dignity of the law and all it meansina ~
country. Lawyers must guard against subversive 7
elements, not only the big lawyer in the city, bub =
every lawyer.” The lawyer “has a duty to hold fast 3
to those principles of law as we have understopd
them and to see that they are maintained in such ;
a way that justice shall always be an established
thing in our country, and that the blessings of lib
erty to ourselves and our posterity will be secured.”

The lawyer who asks us to believe that the law-
yer’s duty is “that justice shall always be an estad-
lished thing” either has his tongue in his cheek «
he has the same estimate of our intelligence as the
publicity agents of the Kwantung army. Ee

A Lawyer’s

Lawyers Are With few exceptions (Gf any),
Not F the lawyer engages in his
o ussy. “profession” for the same >
reason that the diteh-digser wields a shovel or the
garbage-man collects unwanted trifles. Men whe
elect to live by law practice are not swayed by high
ideals, but by high possible remuneration. Some fall’
by the wayside because they are not slick enough
to get a food pull on the right political lifeline.

The desire that “justice shall always be an estab-
lished thins” may be a good talking point at a layw-
yer’s conyention or a pes around which to write
a Hollywood movie, but it plays no part in a law
office, Winning cases means money, and this is the
lawyer's objective. .

I remember a hard-bitten old Scots lawyer who
was advocate for a client whose son had broken 3”
window. In telling the lawyer what had happened
the boy was @ little evasive. The lawyer lectured him
and finished with this expressive phrase, ‘You tell”
the truth, I'll tell the lees”? He had a high ethical
standard, no doubt! :

Any lawyer will take anybody’s money; will accept |
the defense of the most heinous and despicable of
criminals, not to see justice done, but to use the
loopholes and kinks in the law to defeat the ends
of justice. By the use of legal technicalities, he will, |
for the money there is in it, defeat the ends of the”
law, as is being done in BC at present in the milk 3
marketing and gasoline price-fixing legislation. ;

To win a case he will frame admittedly innocent!
men like Tom Mooney, to the blessings of liberty.
in living hells like San Quentin, or to the electric:
ehair like Sacco and Vanzetti, ; r

4

“That justice shall always be an_ establish
thing,” we must take the administration of the I&
out of the hands of ambulance chasers, legal vul
tures who scan the newspapers closely in the Hopf
ef findine pessible libel suits against the publishers
and political heelers who see that every law has its}
quota of loopholes. : esa |

The men who start in with the high ideals do n0
practice law. Marx and Lenin both left the unt
versity with degrees as doctors of law. Neithe
of them became lawyers, although both were equip
ped with brains that would have made then thé

_ greatest jurists of their generations. They had the
high ideals that led them into the fight which r
secure for us ‘the blessings of liberty” and ens
that ‘justice shall always be an established tb