i i | i oie NI Spee EME DOE CYP ‘Short while age was telling the _ democracy he accepted Premier | Your Dollar Donate | Will Put j A A Dollar The Drive ec to the | Over! ates Drive! FOR PEACE, PROGRESS AND DEMOCRACY VANCOUVER, B.C., FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1939 a 5 Cents | FULL No. 254. UPON HEPBURN LAUNCHES ATTAC ANADIAN LIBERTIE Many Killed In Czech, Indian Riots 3 Unrest Wid esprea In Czech Areas; Aartial Law In India BERLIN, Germany. —Y At least 12 persons were executed by Nazi firing squads in Czech student riots at Prague last weekend, while hun- dreds of the thousands of students rounded up by police were reported to have been sent to concentration camps. Private advices arriving here this week disclosed that the series of stident disturbances in Prague in the latter part of last week were of a much more serious nature than previously supposed. According to one source, students actually threw up barricades in the Masaryk University and after beline dislodged from this position by a direct assault of Nazi Elite Guards, took barricaded refuge in another building to continue the battle. The German people have been kept in’ the dark about events in Gzechoslovakia, although the DNB, official news agency, has released statements for the foreign press. The DNB announced that the *harsh measures’ taken against the Gzech demonstrators were indi- ecative of the government’s deter- Mination to ‘crush relentiessly’ all Opposition to the Nazi regime. The only possible gauge for the extent of the Czech protest move-— Ment at present is the nature of the Nazi punitive measures. Thus, the fact that martial law has been decreed in Greater Prague and the nearby towns of PragueLand. Kla- do, Geraun and Horchowitz should be indicative of a broad movement. BOMBAY, India. — Martial law was declared by British authorities this week at Sukur in the northwest Indian prov-: imnces of Sind after rioi- ing there cost the lives of 2i persons. For two days the town, an important commercial center commanding the gigantic Sukur dam on the Indus River, was the scene of bloody street skirmishes. , British authorities, proclaiming martial law, asserted the disturb= ances were caused by religious dit- ferences between Hindus and Mos- lems. But Imdian ieaders branded this explanation as ‘false,’ said it was an outgrowth of the selfrule cam- paign. They charged that British authorities were trying to split in- dian unity over the ‘false issue’ of religion. It is pointed out that the Moslem Teague, second largest political party in Imdia, has endorsed with Imany qualifications and exceptions the ‘white paper’ of the British whicn would postpone all discussion of freedom for india until after the conclusion of the second imperialist world war. This ‘white paper’ has been de- nounced by Gandhi and other lead- ers of the All India Congress who are spearheads of the fight for na- tional independence. While demonstrations against British rule have been almost con- tinuous in the eight provinces dom- inated by the All India Congress, those at Sukur were the first where riots occurred. Week In I he House By HAL GRIFFIN MONTH ago, on the eve of the present session, the CCF formulated a three-point program calling for protection of organized labor’s rights, opposition to encroachments on civil liberties and extension of existing social services. As I com- mented at the time, it was a program certain to find a ready response among the people, but the only conclusion to be drawn from three weeks of debate is that it cannot be reconciled with the statements made in the name of the CCF House group by Harold Winch. The younger Winch has stated} that the CCE accepts this war as one for democracy, in which state— ment he finds himself in peculiar agreement with Premier Pattullo and Pat Maitland, who only a world he would rather travel alone than travel with the CCF. The younger Winch has also remarked that the CCF will give full support tc the war, although it intends to Combat ali encroachments on civil liberties. Wo.amount of rationalizing can reconcile the basic contradiction between these statements and the CCF program. The younger Winch may have His own conception of what a de- mocracy should be, but when hs 2ecepted this war as a ‘war for Pattulio’s concept of democracy. And tj premier, as he has already pointedly informed the House, does not inclucGe in his concept of democracy any opposition to the War, 2 view in which Pat Maitland enthusiastically concurs. The CCE then, has been com- mitted to support a ‘war for demo- eracy in which the capitalist class jncreasingly finds pretext for the abrogation of civil liberties and the denial of trade union rights. Wo qualifications can hide the fact that the official CCE position in accepting ths war as a “war fcr democracy means that the CCF will also be unable to oppose ef- fectively the suppression of civil liberties and trade union rights made in the name of essential measures for prosecution of the “war for democracy. Similarly, the official ©CE position means that the GCF will be compromised in combatting curtailment or ‘post ponement’ of social services in the name of ‘economy essential to suc- eessful prosecution of a “war for democracy.’ Biither this, or the CCE will be forced, if its program is to mean anything, to come out in full op- position and break with its present (Continued on Page 4) See HOUSE. > Toronto Clarion Suppressed Hepburn-Ordered Raids Followed - By Federal Action TORONTO, Ont.— Ontario’s Premier Mitchell Hepburn came forward last week to pick up the discredited mantle of Quebeec’s fallen Premier Maurice Duplessis in an attack on democratic liberties within the province which has aroused protest from the labor move- ment throughout Canada. Following last week’s provincial and city police raids on its print- shop, confiscation of the issue then going to press and arrest of Doug- las Stewart, its business manager, The Clarion, oldest established labor paper in the Dominion, was banned by Justice Minister EF. La- pointe this week. The Clarion thus becomes the second labor paper in Canada to be suppressed for its forthright statements, Clarte, Erench-GCa- mnadian language weekly, having been banned during the recent Quebec provincial electicns. Acting on instructions of Attor- ney-General Conant, who recently threatened to prosecute United Church ministers for their pacifist stand on the war, city and provin- cial police on Tuesday of last week raided Clarion offices and the na- tional offices of the Communist party. At the Clarion offices police seized all copies of the Noy. 11 is- sue, carrying the manifesto of the Communist International, several old_ account books, news articles and cable dispatches. On Wednesday of last week Doug- las Stewart, Clarion business man- ager, was arrested, while a warrant was issued for arrest of Thomas Sims, Clarion editor. When Stewart appeared in police court here Thursday of last week bail was raised from $2000 toe $5000 on instructions of the attorney-gen- eral’s office. A second police raid on the Clarion’s printshop was made Thursday of last week when ali available copies of the Nov. 18 issue were seized. INDICTMENT SGUGHT. This week Attorney-General Gon- ant sought permission from Justice Minister Lapointe to proceed against Stewart by indictment under regulation 63 of the War Measures Act. He was informed by federal au- thorities that, through a recent fed- eral order-in-council, provincial at— torney—-generals were empowered to proceed under the Act without first obtaining federal permission. Conant professed to be unaware of this change. it was following this correspon- dence with the federal government that Ottawa banned The Clarion. Under a headline, ‘Hepburn Is Leading to Hitlerism,’ The Clarion in its Noy. 18 issue commented edi- torially: CLARION’S COMMENT. “Tt is rumored that the Ontario goveroment, most reactionary of Canadian provincial administra- tions, objects to the publication of working class statements about the war. “Tt can only be inferred from this that the Ontario government is as desirous of smothering the voice of the working class in this great world crisis as it is of depriving the citizens of Ontario of their in- alienable right to vote in municipal elections. “Tt matters not to the Ontario government that the people must know the truth about this war. It (Continued on Page 2) See CLARION ; Ss. HUGHES SAMUEL Hughes Labor Candidate In New Westminster NEW WES T MINSTER, BC.—“The small home-own- er is the big taxpayer in this city,” stated Samuel S. Hughes, labor candidate in the civic elections, in an in- terview with the Advocate this week, voicing his belief that “a more equitable form ef taxation must be de- veloped whereby industry must bear its just share of the load.” The candidate, who last week received endorsation from Butcher Workers and Meat Cutters’ union, has also been endorsed by New West- minster Trade Union com- mittee. He is business agent of his own union and presi- dent of the latter organiza-— tion committee, which works in close cooperation with. (Continued on Page 2) See CANDIDATE —% AN EDITORIAL A Blow At Liberty | Uae CLARION, Canada’s oldest labor paper, published continuously in Toronto since 1922, has been suppressed. Former Premier Duplessis’ ex-axis partner Premier Hep- burn of Ontario and his fascist-minded Attorney-General Co- nant began the offensive by ordering all copies seized from Ontario newsstands. Then provincial police raided its offices and seized its clipping files. Next, Douglas Stewart, Clarion business manager, was arrested and charged under Section 39a of the War Resulations. Finding that summary trial per- mitted only a maximum sentence of twelve months imprison- ment and a heavy fine, Attorney-General Conant obtained permission from Ottawa to proceed by- indictment, which al- lows a maximum sentence of 5 years. The Clarion printshop was then raided and all copies of last week’s issue on the premises seized. Copies already despatched to the express office were also ordered held. According to press reports the Attorney-General of On- tario will base his charges against the Clarion manager on the ground that the paper printed in full the text of the manifesto of the Communist International which it received over British cables as passed by the British censor and of which the daily capitalist papers printed extracts and garbled commentaries. But without waiting for court proceedings, Secretary of State Lapointe, whose intervention is credited with the defeat of Duplessis in the Quebec election but who as minister of justice refused to disallow the Quebec padlock law, stepped in to form a new axis for the suppression of democracy in Canada and announced that by virtue of his office the Clarion would be banned from all future publication. (Continued on Page 6) Government Will Own Proposed Oil Industry —PREMIER PATTULLO By LILLIAN COOPER VICTORIA, BC.—Assurance that oil drilling operations in the Peace River district will be owned and operated by the gov- ermment of British Columbia was given by Premier Pattullo in the House this week when replying to a barrage of questions from CCE members. “Ts the oil going to be developed ® operated for and by the province of BC? What methods are going to he used? Are contracts going to be let to companies and if so, to whom will they be let? Is the gov- ernment going to purchase its own equipment? What is going to be done with the oil when it is obtained ?” These were among the questions hurled at the Premier by Harold Winch, CCE House leader. Beyond assuring members that the industry would be owned ani “by and for the people of the province,” Premier Pattulis Gave no satisfactory answer to the questions. He felt sure, he re marked, that there would be ro eifficulty in finding markets once the oi] was produced. “The CCE will support this even if only to explore further into the Gatural resources of this proy- ince,” remarked Harold Winch. The appropriation of $200,000 for oil drilling was passed with only a few dissenting votes. Funds For Defense Sought CLDL To Defend Distributors Of Peace Leaflet Remanded from last Friday, three men and two women, ar- rested for distributing a leaflet entitled “The People Want Peace’ in the city and charged under the War Measures Act, will appear in police court this (Friday) morning. Defense counsel will be EF. A: DGueas, instrueted by the Vancouver Mnitiatory committee of the Gana- dian Labor Defense ieasue which this week carried on an energetic campaign to raise funds for the ar— rested persons’ defense Gity police were reported Thurs day to-have held for questioning 4 man said to have been soliciting funds, but George Drayton, acting secretary for the GLDL. committee here, told the Advocate that police denied having booked any person in connection with the matter. The CEDL on Thursday re newed its urgent appeal fer fin- ancial aid to the defense of those - arrested ,asking that all contribu_- tions be sent to its office, Room 51, 163 West Hastings street. On Sunday a meeting will be held under auspices of the Vancouver initiatory committee of the GLDr, at Orange hall, at which George Drayton will speak on freedom of speech, press and assembly in war- time. The CCF is also being ap-— proached to send a speaker, it is understood. At this meeting the committee expects to form a branch of the CLDL.. Unity Foils Company PIONEER, BC—Forced to aban- don attempts to reopen the struck Pioneer mine in the face of unity of Bralorne miners with Pioneer Strikers, mine operators are now turning their attentions to other channels to recruit strikebreakers. It was learned here that miners on relief in Vancouver are being hired to reopen the mine, closed down Since Oct. 8, when Tabor Minister G S Pearson failed to 2Pppoint a conciliation commission-— er followings the miners’ applica-— tion. : Strikers are undaunted and ap- pear More determined to see the Strike through than at any time, despite the turn of events which Saw their appeal taken up by E. A. Lucas for quashing of convictions of their leaders disallowed by Mr. Justice Fisher in Supreme Gouré. George Price, Vancouver Miners’ union secretary, acting here for the Pioneer local, appealed to trade unions for funds to replace $775 paid out in fines following Mr. Justice Fisher’s decision not to reverse Magistrate G J. Sumner’s conyiction of union executives on charges of illegally calling a strike and refusing to bargain collec tively with their employers “Tf the strikers at Pioneer are to win their struggle, which is pri- marily the right to organize, then trade unions and those who believe the miners are right should rally to their support and see that they are not driven back to work through hunger and their union (Continued on Page 2) See PIONEER