Page Four

THE ADVOCATE

January 5, 1940

Daladier

Frame-Up
Trial For

Communists

Deputies’ ‘Crime’
Was They Sought
Debate Gn Peace

PARIS, France. — A big
frame-up trial of some AQ of
France’s staunchest working
class representatives is brew-
ins. About 40 Communist
members of the Chamber of
Deputies, representing almost
1,000,000 voters, have been im-
prisoned for several months
with ‘common law status,
which means they undergo the

same conditions as thieves and |

murderers. :

They areycharged with ‘spread—
ing slogans emanating or deriving:
from the Third Communist Inter-
national.” The single fact cited for
this indictment is their action in
Sending, under date of Oct. 1, 1939,
a letter to President Edouard Her-
Tiot of the Chamber of Deputies.

This letter, signed by the presi-
deni and the secretary of the
Frencs Workers and Farmers pat-
liamentary group, demanded that
parliament be summoned to delib-
erate publicly on the problem of
peace.

The indictment charges as a
‘crime’ the opinions upon which
this parliamentary group, formed
by deputies belonging to the out-
lawed Erench Communist party.
pased their letter.

FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT.

Right to demand summoning
of the two chambers of parlia-
ment is fundamentally included
within the prerogatives Oi every
deputy. According to article i3
of the Constitutional Law of July
16, 1875, “No member of one or
the other chamber may be prose—
euted or sought upon the basis
of opinions or votes gaade by him
in the exercise of his functions.”
if the action of a deputy in the

exercise of his functions within
the bounds of parliament ealls for
punishment, only parliament, un-
der regulations of the Ghamber of
Deputies, has the right to mete out
this punishment.

It was therefore in violation of
these regulations and of the con-
stitution that proceedings were
started against these deputies upon
the basis of an action which can
mot be considered as crime, nor
transferred to any outside juris-
diction, even during the duration
of a state of siege-

This legal violation is all the
more incontestable since the jn-
dictment is unable to establish how
or by whom the letter was sent out
of parliament and communicated
to the press.

CONSTITULION VIOLATED.

The governments ‘yiolation of
the constitution likewise is not
changed by action of the Ghamber
of Deputies in excluding Commuz:-
ist members who remained loyal
to the cause of peace and social-—
ism. Wonetheless, even if these
actions had constituted a crime not
related to parliamentary activity
and therefore not covered by par-
liamentar yimmunity, the reguia-
tion sof the chamber provide that
no crime committed by 2 deputy
within the bounds of the legisla-
tive palace may be prosecuted ex-
eept if it is brought officially to
the attention of the attorney-gSen-
eral by the president of the bureau
of the chamber.

According to the indictment it-
self the allegedly incriminating
actions occurred within the bounds
of parliament and even during the
course of the session, and neither
the president nor the bureau of
the chamber informed the attor-
ney-general that a ‘crime’ had just
been committed in the palace of
the chamber. Therefore, proceed-
ings against the 49 Communist
deputies constitute a grave jnfrac-
tion of the principle of the inviol-
ability of the legislature and un-
precedented trampling of the ex
ecutive and judiciary over the leg-
islature.

Tt is in the name of these very
principles that the Hrench imper-—
jalists claim to be waging a war
against the totalitarian, dictatorial
system, against violations of right,
justice and human dignity-

They underline the immediate
peril to which universal sufirage

and democratic traditions and
institutions are exposed int
France, the country that gave
birth to the Rights of Man.

Quits Labor Party,
jcins Communists

LONDON, Eng—Sydney Haynes,
assistant secretary of Bow and
Bromiley Divisional Labor party,
Jast week announced his resigna-—
tion from the party and his inten-
tion of applying for membership
in the Gommunist party-

“~ “J have taken this decision in no
light-hearted manner,” Haynes
wrote, “and after very eareful con-
sideration believe that the Labor

Congressman

SEATTLE, Wash.—On the

economy.

the expansion of public housin

public expense or at nominal
“The liberal bloc is op
eurtail ¢

Qutlines Liberals’ Plans

national capital to prepare for the Congressional session,
which opened Wednesday, Congressman. John M. Coffee
outlined the following program, which, he said, was im-
perative if America were to keep out of war.

“The liberal bloc of the House of Representatives is
insistent that the emphasis this year shall not be upon
war and its aspects, but upon improvements of our domestic

“We shall oppose efforts further to curtail the WPA or
other federal pension, work or relief agencies; we demand
a tax on war profits of munitions makers, we favor legisla-
tion strictly to limit profiteering in all domestic necessities;
we favor public ownership of all munition factories, so that
profit can be taken out of thi
g and public health programs
similar to that embraced in the Wagner bill, providing for
the needy among the public to secure medical service at

posed to legislative efforts to
ivil liberties and to all red-baiting, WNegro-baiting,
alien-baiting, and Jew-baiting legislation. We shall fight
intolerance and war hysteria wherever it crops out.”

O

nd

J. Cottee

eve of his departure for the

s shoddy business; we favor

cost.

Tier@ughowt Canada

ban on the Clarion
the War Measures Act, because

{
| croachments
| adoption of a resolution calling on

Residents of this little farm towns
have also vigorously protested en-

on civil liberties by

the federal government to lift the
ban on the Glarion and Clarte and

to free all those sentenced for dis-
tributing the Communist partys

leaflet, ‘The People Want Peace.’

Government Bans
Another Pamphiet

OTTAWA, Ont. Added last
week to the alarmingly long list
of publications banned by the fed-
eral government was Phil Frank-

fiela’s pamphlet, “Not America’s
War, published in the United
States. PErankfield was advised by

US postal authorities that his pam-
phiet had been banned in Canada
and was asked not to place in the
mails any more copies addressed
for delivery in Canada.

Regina Meeting
Seores Blackout
REGINA, Sask. Scoring in-

Prairie Organizations
Protest Clarion Ban

ELFROS, Sask.—Demand that the King government lift the
and Clarte, labor weeklies suppressed under

others, cannot believe that we are really fighting for democracy
if such anti-democratic measures are
civil liberties and the freedom of the press,” is voiced in a resolu-
tion passed by Holar junior lodge of United Farmers of Canada.

“sre, along with thousands of

employed to curtail our

Mexican Youth,
Trade Unrtoms
Coneluade Pact

MEXICO CITY, DF.—A
‘Pact of Solidarity and Mutu-
al Aid’ between the Confed-
eration of Mexican Workers
(CTM) and the Mexican
Youth Confederation (CJM)
will be signed by National
committees of both organiza-
tions, the CJM announces.

The pact, providing for a
elose alliance between
Mexico's most powerful
trade union center and the
country s greatest youth or-
ganization is the first of its
kind in the country’s history.
Tt is hailed by workers and
young people as one of the
most progressive steps to as-
sure and safeguard develop-
ment of the Mexican revolu-
tion.

dictment of Douglas Stewart, bus-
iness manager of the Clarion, Tor-
onto labor weekly, and arrest of
Charles Millard, ClO organizer, the
newly-organized branch of the
Canadian Iabor Defense League
here at its last meet urged the
federal government to halt these
attacks on the “rights of the Can-
adian people and to repeal all mea-—
sures which condone and encour-
age such attacks.”

The meeting heard Miss Rose-
marie Hampton, one of two ‘teen
age sirls arrested for distributing
the leaflet, ‘The People Want
Peace,’ declare:

“At school I was taught that che
privilege of civil rights—freedom
of press and assembly and con-
science — were inalienable rights.
Young people today wish to pre-
serve our democratic forms, the
jack of which will make their fu-
ture still blacker.”

Ala. J. M. Toothill, urging the
labor movement to be Vigilant in
defense of its rights, told the meet
ing, ‘Those who want to prevent
any section of the population from

expressing its opinions are not
democrats. They are themselves
the section which desires to do

3?

away with democracy-
A resolution protesting the ban
on the Clarion was passed.

ust Lakor—
Cut Belief

REGINA, Sask. — Chortling over
defeat of Regina’s labor mayor
and city council in the civic elec-
tions a few weeks ago, the Finan-
cial Post, big business spokesman,
concluded with these Significant
words a recent commentary on
Saskatchewan civic election re-
sults:

“As a result, relief costs in .Re-
gina and possibly Moose Jaw may
show a drop during the next year.”

Last week, after hearing repre-
sentations from several delega-—
tions, the outseing labor eouncil
voted an jmmediate increase of 25
percent in the relief food quota.
Fear is expressed, however, that

party is not fulfilling its task of

socialist leadership for the work-
ing class.”

| will not en

the new council, dominated by the
reactionary Civic Voters’ League
force the decision.

Finns Sue
Damages

ABERDEEN, Wash —A $9,104.48
damage suit has been filed with city
council it is announced by Finnish
Federation officers here.

The suit is an outgrowth of
damage caused to Finnish Work-
ers’ hall, Dec. 2, by vigilantes with
evident tacit assent if city officials.

Ti was declared the claim is a
jegal formality as 4 prelude to a
lawsuit against Mayor Herbert
Fiorocks, Chief of Police George S.
Dean and identified mob members.

Acording to the charges, the
police chief—a bonded official—
looked the other way while a mob
of from 200 to 400 Imarauders
wrecked a three-story building oc-
cupied by the federation since 1905.

Although a bonfire flared on the
streets as furniture and books were
purned and the marauders surged
through the streets, the police de-
partment was unaware of des-
¢ruction of the hall, it was alleged.

Ward Penning and Joe Lalonde,
identified by pictures taken by
newspaper photographers who ac-
companied the marauders, were
freed in justice court recently after
the judge had permitted a wave
of red baiting to overshadow the
fact that property had been mali-
ciously destroyed.

Decision Deferred
Gn Company Union

=
ecision with respect to: W. Hi.

D
Malkin company, subsidiary of
Western Grocers, Was held up

pending a further meeting with the
company and its employees, dele-
gates to Vancouver Trades and La-
bor council Tuesday night learned
from Secretary P. R-. Bengough.

Attempts of Teamsters’ represen—
tatives to organize the warehouse
men were blocked when the man-
agsement formed a company union
early last month. Since then the
Teamsters’ joint council bas re-
quested that the firm be placed on
fhe council’s “we do not patronize”
list.

For What

is Britain
Preparing?

Gov’t Kite Shows
How Political
Wind Biowing

By PHILIP BOLSOVER

LONDON, Eng.— (Passed by
British Censor). No arms for
WMannerheim”’ is the call of the
British Communist party as
newspapers report that British
bombers are already fighting in
Finland against the Finnish
People’s Army and the Soviet
Union.

‘T.et the working people of the
eountry declare a blockade against
the export of arms to Finnish fasc-
ism, says the manifesto of the
Communist party, calling for an
embargo by trade unionists on all
arms to Finland.

Reaction of ruling circles to this
call has been prompt. ‘Candidus,’
well-known Tory publicist, writings
in the Daily Sketch, demanded that

Britain apply the anti-Communist
Inmeasures now enforced by the
French government. The pen
name ‘Candidus’ hides the identity
of a journalist who also writes in
the Sunday Times and is known
to be in close touch with official
cireles.

The article is recognized as an
effort to test feeling for a cam-
-paign for suppression of the
Communist party and the Daily
Worker.

That is one important point in
the article, but equally important
is ‘Candidus’ statement that the
Gommunist party call for an em-
bargo is ‘definite incitement to the
workers of the country to sabot-
age measures the government
thinks necessary for prosecution of
the war... It is equivalent to in-
citement to mutiny and desertion
in face of the enemy.”

This statement by a writer close-
ly in touch with official circles can
only mean that the ruling class re-
gards Finnish White-Guard Field
Marshal Karl Mannerheim'’s war
against the Soviet Union as Bri-
tain’s war also-

An effective embargo on arms
to Mannerheim cannot be claim-
ed to hinder the war against Ger-
many, but obviously it can hin-
der the contemplated wart
against the Soviet Union and can
be 2 blow to British imperialism.

And the admission by ‘Candidus’
is one that the Communist party
and other workers’ organizations
are not forgetting to stress.
ANTLSOVIET LINVENTIONS.

Meanwhile the flood of anti-
Soviet propaganda is continuing,
put over-eagerness is leading to
loss of effectiveness.

One set of faked pictures of the
Hisinki bombing has already been
exposed and stories of Soviet de-
feats are contradicting themselves.
Up to Dec. 13 every Soviet attack
was reported held up or defeated
with heavy losses. Yet on that date
news stories showed that the Red
Army was 40 miles inside of Fin-
land on the central front and 50
miles on the northern front.

On Dec. 18 it was reported that
the Finns had captured Soviet
tanks at Tolvajarvi which is 75
miles inside the Finnish frontier.
How did they get there after so
many retreats?

In the last two weeks the press,
whooping for joy, declared that the
Finnish White-Guards were advan-
cing several miles daily on all
fronts. Yet fighting is taking place
still around Salmijarvyi, 55 miles in-
side the northern front, Salla, 20
miles inside the frontier in the
east They have retreated there, of
course.

COVER-UP STORIES.

It may be that these stories are
mecessary to turn attention from
what is happening in Ireland at
home.

In Ireland, on Christmas day, a
mutiny in Londonderry prison in
Worthern Ireland revealed that this
establishment had been specially
prepared on the outbreak of wat
as an internment center for Repub-
licans by the British eovernment,
which controls this part of Ireland.

In Northern Ireland the British
government, now claiming to be
fighting for democracy, long ago
imposed the Special Powers ACT
enabling it to forbid meetings, to
search houses without warrant,
and to imprison persons without
charge for any length of time, This
measure is just about up to con-
ditions in India and is in the true
fascist tradition.

NEW YEAR’S GIFT. :

At home, as a New Year's gift,
Food Minister William S. Morrison
announced that not only butter and
bacon will be rationed, but also
sugar and later meat.

The man in the street must have
found the cabinet member's es-
planation of the need for ration-
ine interesting- He said the space
occupied by foodstuffs in ships is
meeded for munitions and the
money which would buy foodstuffs
must be economized to buy muni-
tions.

So it seems to be guns before
meat after all.

Leader Tells Why

People Of India
Opposed To War

SAN FRANCISCO, Cal—The British are learning that they
are not ‘bearing the white man’s burden’ in India, as Rudyard
Kipling wrote in glorification of the Empire, but that ‘three
fifty million Indians have been carrying the white
man’s burden and don’t intend to do so in the future.’

hundred and

And that is why the people of
India are not supporting Britain’s
imperialist war with Germany,
Rajni Patel, Indian Wational Con-
gress spokesman, declared here in
a press interview recently.

“Jawaharlel Nehru, the political
leader of the ,.Indian people, has
said this is an imperialist war to
defend the British Empire’s vest-
ed interests,” said Patel. “The Na-
tional Indian Congress has deserib-—
ed the European conflict as a2 war
for perpetuation of the subjection
of colonial peoples by Britain and
France.

“We have told Chamberlain
that, if he is fighting for demo-
cracy, then his first job is to put
his own house in order. But he
is not fighting for democracy-

“Tord Lothian, British ambas-
sador to America, recently stated
that India is as « wholeheartedly
with the ‘mother country’ in the
war as Canada, South Africa and
Australia. I spoke a few days lat-
er at Swarthmore College and If
said that Lard Lothian’s statement
was a lie, because the Indian peo-
ple have declared against the war
and don’t want Indian manpower
and resources to be used by Bri-
tain in a war which is not in the
interests of the Indian people.”

HITLERISM IN INDIA.

Patel continued: “As soon as war
was declared the British sent I-
dian troops to other parts of the
Empire, to Singapore and to
Heypt.

They instituted rule by decree
and ordinance, which is exactly
the way Hitler and Mussolini rule.
“As a protest, the Indian Central
Legislative Assembly resigned and
eight of 11 provincial assemblies
resigned. Strikes and meetings of
protest have been held all over In-
dia. Winety thousand workers par-
ticipated in a one-day protest
strike in Bombay.”

Describing the way. British im-—
perialists uphold rule of the ma-
harajahs in the so-called indepen—
dent states in India, Patel stated:
“The maharajjahs are little Hit-
lers. They are the ones who rush-
ed telegrams pledging men and
material wealth to help the Britisn
Empire. These are the kind of
people who say Chamberlain is
‘fighting for democracy.’ They are
the princes who treat their people
as Hitler treats the Jews and the
Czechs.

“There have been many, Mmauby
revolts of the people against the
maharajahs, but the British mul-
itary always comes to the aid of
the princes. It is the British
who maintain these feudal states,
what Nehru calls ‘relics of bar-
barism(’.”

j

Patel said the MImdian people
would not be content with domin-
ion status, but “stand for complete
independence.”

FOR INDEPENDENCE.

The Indian National Congress, ~
in fighting for its independence,
has befzun to call for mass dis-
obedience to the British rule, or ©
“opposition by peaceful methods
to an empire maintained by force,”
he said

Asked what forms this mass dis-
obedience would take, Patel ex
plained that it would begin by Tes—
isnations of Indians in govern—
mental positions, boycotting all
British-made goods, picketing of
liquor shops from which the Bri-
tish government receives large rev—
enues from licensing, non-payment ~
of taxes, breaking the salt law.

The salt law, he explained fur-
ther, places such a high tax on salt
as to make it a luxury. The indian ~
Congress calls mass meetings, pub—
licly boils salt water to obtain salt,
small packets of salt in violatien
of the law. The police then always ©
charge the crowd and arrest tHe
leaders, he said.

“The life of an Englishman liyv—

made miserable,’ he said. “The
barber wont shave him, the cook

gets a headache.”

If Britain continued to deny the
demand of the Indian people for
independence, Patel observed, the
Indian people might later take the
same action the American people
took in i776.

Speakine of Mohandas K- Gand-
hi, Patel said that the veteran In-
Gian leader is not a leader in the
National Congress, that he makes
statements that sometimes “mean
nothing and sometimes contain
contradictions,” but that his policy
was not different from that of the
Congress. Wehru, as chairman of
the Congress war emergency sub-
committee, is the real political
leader of India, he said.

Union Labor For
Eaten Building

Gooperation with unions affili-
ated with Vancouver Trades and
Labor Council in constructing T.
FEiaton’s company proposed mail or-
der house in the city was promised
by D. P. Ames, real estate agent
and the companys VYancouver rep-
resentative, in reply to a telegram
sent the company by Secretay P-
R. Bengough asking that fair wages
and working conditions estab-
lished by organized labor as rep-
resented on the council be recog-

nized.

ADVOCATE

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