eer Tt ae ST +a epee December 8, 1939 = THE ADVOCATE Page Five Living Co S Continued Finns like, but that’s what the people want and would have had had it not been for German interven- tion.” These sentiments were shared by W. Johnson, Vancouver shoe- maker, who seryed in the White Guard Sundom-Gerby company under Mannerheim, into which he was lured at the age of 17 by slogans of “Drive Out the Rus- Sians to Maintain Finnish Inde pendence” That many of those who served in Finnish White Guard regiments knew nothings of the real nature of the strugele was brought Home to him some years later when he found many of his former comrades in the resular Finnish army discussing how they had been misled by propagands similar to that now being circulated. PRISONERS EXECUTED. The Sundom-Gerby company Was used as a shock brigade, never Keepins any prisoners but executing them on the spot with- Out questions. It operated on all fronts where fightins was heay- zest and had close contact with the Vasa battalion. There were no Russian sol- diers fighting against Manner- heim’s army nor did Johnson ever see any taken prisoner. That Finland is only a pawn in the interests of imperialist Powers was emphatically claim- €d by Johnson. He believes the Struggle will be over, with a People’s Sovernment established, in a week, unless foreign forces intervene as they did in i918. Referrins te the terror, John- SOn said batches of from ten to twenty prisoners in his area were taken out Gach night for a whole week and shot. He stated that fully 30,000 prisoners had either been murdered after the War ended or died of starvation and disease because of terrible conditions in the prison camps. He remembers vividly the execuGon of a sroup, one of whose number calmly stated, “What I am dying for will nev- er die,” and thinks how irue these words vere. SCOENS PROPAGANDA. Axel Anderson, of Port Haney, Who was in Vancouver this weelk attendins the Pacific Coast Fish- ermen’s convention, also served in Mannerheim’s forces and was recruited in the same manner as Johnson. He declared the news from Finland to be “just a Iot of propaganda circulated by the reactionary government” and felé that the Finnish people will form their own government and it will be a people’s government this time. Anderson served in north Fin- land with the First Vasa bat- talion and saw severe fighting at Tampere, Orivesi, Lampala Council Majority Refuses To Send Delegates To Meet Tempers flared in one of the stormiest sessions of the Trades and Labor council Tuesday as delegates debated whether or not the council should participate in a Consumers’ Research Council meeting and state its aims towards increased food prices. The debate was ended by a standing vote of 75 to 44 for non- participation, with some delegates abstaining. President Jamieson was obliged to retract an assertion that delegates ‘take their orders from 163 West Hastings’ when Dele- gate Leary, reporting on a meeting he attended, refused to spealx further until the statement was withdrawn. William Stewart, in opening debate on his motion of non- concurrence with the executive’s recommendation, stated there was ample room for an organization of this kind and saw no reason for an increase in food prices at this time. But Percy Bengough did not share these views. and Iakipohja. Like Johnson, he did not know what it was all about. He said there were lots of prisoners executed behind the lines and that picked squads were detailed off for murderous work. On two occasions he was chosen and at the last minute turned down. Speaking of Swedish workers who are reported to have volun- teered their services, paying their own fares and providing their own equipment to fight for the old regime, Anderson doubt- ed if any workers had sufficient money for that purpose and be- lieved that only those whose in- terests coincided with the oust- ed Cajander government would volunteer. in the 1918 fighting he saw a company of 300 Swedes wiped out at Tammafors, now Tampere railway station in an engage ment with Finnish red forces, only 80 soldiers surviving. Another yeteran of those hec- tic days is T. Sjoblum, of New Westminster, who, in order to show he was not afraid, submit— ted to his cousin’s teasing and joined the i4th battalion of the Jaezer regiment operatine in the south under Von der Goltz. While not understanding all that is goins on there at present, he believes ‘that capitalistic na-= tions are responsible for the trouble in Finland.” Another Finn from Sointula stated that some Finnish resi- dents had been swayed by the stream of propaganda comins from Finland and reprinted in the daily papers, and while not in a position to state whether the majority understood the re— lation of forces at work, he ex- pressed confidence fhat every-— thing would be “ironed out in the people’s interests.” ADVOCATE CLASSIFIED These merchants and professional men offer you their services at competitive prices. columns they support your paper. By patronizing them you ensure Continuance of their support. Make it a point to deal with Advocate advertisers wherever possible. By advertising in these © SLE ADVERTISING RATES Classified, 3 lines 45c. Monthly con tract rates on application. CAFES THE ONLY FISH — ALT KINDS of EHresh Sea Food. Union House. 20 East Hastings Si. CHIROPRACTORS PERSONAL BIRTH CONTROL BUREAU OF B.C., Dept. PA. 441 Seymour Street, Vancouver, B.C. Informa- tion FREE. Write for Literature. CONSULT THE BUDDHIST BrzB- lical Astrology; Love, Sex Prob- Jems. 2438 Dundas St, Vancou- WM BRATDWCOD, D.C, NERVE Specialist. 510 West Hastings St. SEymour 2677. Evenings, High- land 2240. DANCES EMBASSY BALLROOM, DAVEE at Burrard. Old Time Dancing Tues., Thurs., and Sat.. Ambassa- Gors Orch. Whist. $25.00 cash prizes. Admission to dance and whist, 45c. DENTISTS DR. A J. SIPES, DENTIST Plate Specialist. Lowest Prices. 680 Robson St. TRinity 5716. ECEL HONEST VALUE FUELS—FATR. 0469. E-dgings No. 1, $3.25 per cord. Slabs, Heavy Fir, $3.75 per cord. BROOMS FOR RENT RICE BLOCK, 800 East Hastings. High. 0029. Furnished Suites and Rooms. Moderate rates. SAWDUST BURNERS GENUINE “LEADER” BURNERS, 323 Alexander St, at Hay’s. TRinity 0390. STATIONERY Ir YOU NEED STATIONERY for school, home or office use, get it at the New Age Bookshop. Anything in the line of stationery at moderate prices. Call at 50— Bast Hastings Street. JEWELLERS PUT THAT XMAS GIFT ASIDE now. Beautiful watch and jewel- ry lines; special favors to soldiers. Hasy terms. Ho Inglis, Jewelry and Horolocial, 708 w. Pender. TYPEWRITERS AND SUPPLIES GEO. DONOVAN — Typewriters, Adding Machines Cash Registers. SEymour 9393, 508 W. Pender St. = MONUMENTAT, TATLORS MAIN MONUMENTS_— SAVE money here. Estimates for ceme— tery lettering. 1920 Main Street. NATUROPATHIC PHYSICIAN SEE DR. DOWNIE FOR REEU- -Inatism, Sciatica, Lumbaso. Room 7 — 163 West Hastings St. PERSONAL DENTAT, PLATES REPATRED, $1 and up. Rebuilt $5 and up. New Method Dental Lab., 163 W. Hastings St. SEymour 6612. M. DONG, TAILORS, formerly Horseshoe Tailors now at 8 West Cordova St. TRinity 6024. BICYCLES AND REPATES = BICYGLES, NEW AND USED — Baby Carriages, Sulkies, Doll Car- Tiages, Joycycles. Repairing of all kinds. Saws filed, keys cut, etc. W. M Ritchie, 1569 Commercial Drive. Highland 4123. council to be prices. increased wages,’ stated Bengsough adding that will bring embarrassment.” Sam Shearer cited Dominion Bureau of Statistics in saying that food costs Since the war have risen 27 percent, that labor receives the Same wages as before the war, while employers were reaping un- heard-of profits. “I would like to know,” asked Delegate Fordyce, “If I were to bring proof of profiteering on cer- tain articles would the council take up the matter?” but his question went unanswered. Charles Stewart declared that financial interests across the coun-— try had undertaken to denounce this organization and that was all the more reason why he was in sup- port of it W. Stewart in a fiery speech clos- ing the debate charged Jamieson with not being concerned with profiteering and advancing the same arguments as the employers. Continued Britai Their manners, however, are in- tolerable. I regard sood man- ners as more important than ma- terial facts.’ CRIPPS’ OPINION. Sir Stafford Cripps wrote, ‘in the long run I am convinced it is of supreme importance to the workers all over the world that a strong, powerful Russia should survive, and ZT for one see no reason for blaming Russia in the situation into which she has been driven by the capitalist sovernments of the world, for taking every step to strensthen her position. But for the Ger- man-Nazi influence in Finland and the anti-Soviet feelings stir- red up, it is probable that the ex- change of territory would have been accepted and everyone would have commented how sen- sible it was. “Now, Daturally ,jall of Rus- Sia’s enemies talk about the sac- redness of Finnish democracy, not because they love democracy, but because they hate Russia.” The Dean of Canterbury commented as- follows: ‘I de plore the situation which might have been wholly avoid- ed together with war itself, had we not spurmed Bussian friendship and thwarted her efforts to make the League of Nations a success. Russia feared, with reason, a united western attack We through many years desired that Ger- many should be the spearhead ef that attack Many infiuen- tial persons still -desire and work for it. Russia Knows that. “Tt would have been wisdom and kindness on our part if we had urged Einiand to meet Rus- Sla’s desire to remove the possi- bility of guns placed only 20 miles away from the heart of that area which possesses 2 quarter of her industrial activi- ties.” Of course, the latter com- ments were made before out- break of armed hostilities but they are indicative of the fact that a great many Britons are not swallowing the press cam- paign in its entirety. will address A PUBLIC Chairman: W. Bennett. sts Issue Debated By Labor =<) is mot the business of this concerned about We are more concerned about organizing workers to bring it was not advisable to take any part “as it does and MALCOLM BRUCE Continued Elections to date, rejected all overtures from other groups, interested in election of representatives of the common people, for cooperation and united action. Certain elements -within the CCF have arrogated to them- selves the sole right to represent the small taxpayers of Vancouver. @ne can only conclude from their actions that their main con- cern is not election of people's representatives and the defeat of big business but solely election of representatives of the CCE, not- ably themselves. This is the basic reason why candidates of the peo- ple have been defeated and big business enabled to retain control of our administration. While representatives such as Susie Lane Clark, of the parks board; former alderman Alfred Hurry, and Mayor Telford, sincere— ly tried to effect reforms in civic administration, their always being in a minority has resulted in little prosress being made. Although the entire working population of Vancouver, tenants 2s well as taxpayers, has suffered and felt the effects of the big bus- iness administration in the city hall through constantly increasing taxes, no practical program to cor- rect this major evil has been ad- vanced by any of the candidates contesting the present civie elec- tion. REVISE TAXATION. While the homes of the people continue to be appropriated for non-payment of taxes, a parallel process of bankrupting small store Keepers is accelerated as they are crowded out by chain and depart ment stores. In other words, the system of taxation, designed to cater to the interests of big busi- mess, results in increasing taxes and rentals to the working people, decreased income to the small storekeepers and even bankrupt- cy, in order to maintain city ser- wices which enable big business concerns, chain stores, ete., to in- crease their profits. Qbviously, this’ injustice can . only be corrected by complete revision of the system of taxa- tion now in vogue, by inaugur- ating a system of taxation based on the principle of the taxpayers’ ability to pay. Under the present system of a blanket exemption from taxation of 50 percent of the assessed value of improvements, large commercial and industrial enterprises, which are revenue producing properties, have investments running into the millions, 50 percent of whch is tax free. : Bor example, a small homeowner with improvements in the form of buildings to the value of 32000, has 31000 exempt from taxation, where- as the factory or department store Owner with buildings valued at $2,000,000 has $1,000,000 exempt from taxation. Furthermore, whereas the small homeowner re- ceives no income from his proper- ty, the factory owner receives a revenue of thousands or even mil- lions of dollars from his invest- ment. GUST REACTION. Is it any wonder taxation to pro- vide révenue for city services plac- ed at the disposal of business prop- erties continues to increase or that the poor get poorer while the rich get richer? This situation can only be allevi- ated by replacing the blanket ex- emption of 50 percent improve- ments with a graduated system of taxation on all improvements over a certain sum, say $900, and a flat exemption on improvements below that amount. The plight of the small mer- chant, forced to the wall by the chain and department stores, can only be corrected by replacins the present system of business licenses by one based on business turnover, en property value, or both. The working people of Vancou- ver can and must strive to create a powerful united movement to ®ust reaction from the city hall. Until this is obtained they should use their vote to elect those candi- dates whose sincerity and devotion te the people has been proven by their past activities and certainly it would be a miracle if such 2 Candidate were found running un- der the banner of the creation of Vancouver big business, the Non- Partisan Association. Probe Relief City council delegated a special committee Luesday to investigate the situation which debars from relief some i150 married men laid off from Civic projects, and report te council Monday. MEETING to be held in ORANGE HALL, Gore & Hastings SUNDAY, DEC. 10, at 8 P.M. Subject: Advance of World Reaction SHORT JABS. by OF Bill Last When the United States entered into the last war, its government set up a Committee of Public In- Call. formation, with the ill-famed George Greel at its head. The purpose of this committee was to proga- Sandize thé American people. During its existence (about four years) it furnished 16,000 news— papers with pep-up war material in the form of what newspapermen call ‘boilerplate’ It issued 75 million booklets in many languages. When the war ended with the sisning of the armistice it con= tinued to function as an anti-Bolshevik committee. It was responsible for the Sisson documents which were meant to prove that the Bol- sheviks were everything rotten.. These documents were proved to be arrant forgeries BEFORE THEY WERE ISSUED BY THE COM MITTEE. As Ludlow, Lawrence, Passaic, the Messaba Iron Range atrocities were still fresh in the minds of the American foreign-born workers, an authority on foreign workers was maintained to write propaganda for them. Among others in the pay of the committee were such bright stars in the firmament of American literary genius as, Gwen Wiister, Booth Tarkington, Gertrude Atherton, Ellis Parker Butler (Pigs is Pigs), and the editor of Editor and Publisher, Melvin Pew. Later, complimenting the American press for the help they gave the committee, this latter bird wrote, “That the masses of unemployed people, with uncounted legions reduced to the very edge of creature necessity, have remained calm and with no thought of blind, violent resistance against the government as so often happens in such ex tremity, will some day be credited to intellizent newspaper leader- ship and a rational and trustworthy reporting service.” How much money it cost the US people to have themselves doped by that committee will never be known. It certainly cost more than the $4000 the Advocate asks to counteract the doping administered by such a yvenal and servile press. We have only another week to go, so roll up the old dollar bills and make sure of one paper which does not earn the commendations of a Marvin Pew. Within the past few weeks, three men’s deaths Two Great have been reported in the press. Two of them Men Die. were men whose names will be honored for all time and the third, if his name is remembered at all, will be like that of Judas, saluted only with execrations and curses. The first reported was that of Moissaye J. Olgin, editor of the Jewish Morning Freiheit of New York, a stalwart in the class strugele, a leading member of the Gommunist party of the United States, one of the most brilliant journalists in America and one of the greatest writers using the Emglish language. His passing is mourned by millions of people. Next came the death notice of Dr. Norman Bethune, a fellow Gana— dian of whom we are proud. He died helping the Chinese people to drive the barbaric hordes of fascist imperialism from their country. it is only two years since Dr. Norman Bethune told a Vancouver audience in the Orpheum Theatre, “I am proud to be a member of the Communist party.” His passing, too, is mourned by millions. And A Ramsay MacDonald of Germany, the traitor who Rat. sold the German workers back into capitalist slavery in 1918 and connived the murder of the revolutionary leaders, Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburs. Scheidemann is himself our authority for naming him a traitor to the German workers, peasants and soldiers. The Kiel sailors had raised the Red Flags. They were joined by the soldiers and factory workers. Councils of workers, soldiers and sailors were being set up in the German free cities and at least in one kingdom, Bavaria. The Kaiser had fled and the chancellor, Prince Max of Baden, was dickering with the Social Democrats about the calling of a constituent assembly to determine the form of the new Sovernment, monarchist or republican. The revolutionary workers were not interested in these discussions, they demanded a working-class socialist republic imme- diately. in his memoirs, The Making of New Germany, Scheidemann tells how he was eating skilly in the dining room of the Reichstag. About fifty of his friends came in to tell him that if he did not come out to speaking on the balcony and use his influence on the crowd, Bieb- knecht would win them over. Fie writes: “Those with me, right and left, pressed me to look at what was going on in the street. Between the Schloss and the Reichs- tag, so they said, masses of people were moving up and down. ‘Lieb- knecht intends to proclaim the Soviet Republic! Now £ clearly saw what was afoot. T knew his slopan—supreme authority for the work ers’ and soldiers’ councils. Germany to be therefore a Russian prov-— ince, a branch of the Soviet. No, no, a thousand times no.’ @ have placed the emphasis on the right and left myself, Scheidemann does not.) So Philip Scheidemann, to keep the German workers from follow- ing the lead of the revolutionary Liebknecht, told them everything was all right and that a Socialist republic had been declared so they could all go home and sleep. This was merely to Sive the Social—Demo— cratic traitors time to formulate their plans to save Germany for the capitalist class. They succeeded in this, save the German industries back to the German capitalists in return for the eight-hour day and the right to set up factory committees. Then they turned TLaebknecht and Luxemburg over to the murderous militarist Junkers. Prom then on they fought every move of the German revolutionary movement and laid the basis for the Hitler ~ezime- In all this treachery, Philip Scheidemann was 2 leading figure. He defended, not the interests of the German workers but the bankrolis of Stinnes and Thyssen. He has no reward coming from the workers, and the capitalists for whom he turned Judas rewarded him as they reward all scabs. He died in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he fled in 1933, in poverty. His whole income was the relief he drew as an un- employed photographer. While millions mourned for Olgin and Bethune, not a tear is shed for the Social-Democratie leader, Scheidemann. The third death is that of Philip Scheidemann, the Unfortunately all the traitors ot the working class A Prophecy did not die with the passing of Scheidemann on the Fulfilled. breadline in Copenhagen. Blum is still at worl. Three years ago, Blum, who was then at the head of the French Sovernment, was following the line of the German and Austrian Social Democrats. When foreed to take action against the fascists he shut down on Communist meetings. He was putting every barrier in the way of help reaching the Spanish people in their struggle with fascism. In this column at that time (Oct. 30, 1936), I wrote that Blum should deal with the Wrench fascists as Gardenas did with Calles or as Goy. Waite did with the thugs and gunmen of the copper kings of Colorado. In the column you may read: “If Blum acts thus democracy will remain at the helm in France; if he does not, France will follow Italy and Germany into the hell of fascism.” I was taken to task by one of our readers who protested that I was forgetting the united front and Siving Blum credit for sreater power than he had. Replyine to that letter, IT pointed out that Blum was the mouthpiece of the French Social Democrats and that they were actu- ally at the time scuttling the united front by the way they were treat- ing the Communists. The letter finished by stating, “If the fascists Win in Spain, Blum may be the last democratic premier of France.” ft hope nobody will think I am boasting, but this prophecy has been fulfilled to the letter. Daladier followed Blum as premier of the land which gave birth to bourgeois political liberty. Today the prisons of France are filled with the flower of the working class and the country is dotted with concentration camps. Liberty, Equality and Fraternity exist only in the Sraveyard. The living standards of the workers have been slashed just as they have in Germany. The 40-hour week has become the 60-hour week, with 4) Hours’ pay, and 15 percent of the workers’ earnings goes into the war chest as taxes, in face of an enormous rise in prices. Parliamentary immunity is cancelled and the real representatives of the French workers are hunted like foxes. so far without success (no thanks to Blum). Every effort is being made to smash the trade union movement, but So truly is this prophecy fulfilled that Elliot Paul, author of Death of a Spanish Town, wrote recently from France to one of the officials of the League of American Writers, saying that he had been in EPirance Since the beginnine of the year but was now on his way home. He asked that the League should arrange some meetings for him so that he “could tell American writers about conditions in the worst fascist country in Hurope today—PFfrance.” it is now rumored that Blum and his side-kicker, Jouhaux, are figuring on a flight to the States when things get too hot for them, as Scheidemann flew to Copenhagen May they meet a similar fate!