THE ADVGCATE January 5, i940 THE ADVOCATE Published Weekly by the Advocate Publishing Association, Hoom 20 163 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, B.C. Phone TRinity 2019 EDITOR - HAT, GRIFFIN Qne Wear $2.00 Three Months ——— S$ .60 Haif Year $1.00 Single Copy -$ .05 Take All Cheques Payable to: The People’s Advocate Vancouver, B.C., Friday, January 5, 1940 Garland’s Desertion qiHE LABOR movement in its long uphill fight to secure for the people the fruits of their toil has been confronted at eritical moments with cases of betrayal and desertion to the enemy of individuals and even at times of the most prominent leading figures in its own ranks. In all countries, in all labor and progressive organizations names and historical cases could be cited. An organization that learns the lessons of such experience in order to establish the necessary political and organizational safesuards against placehunters and personal opportunists can- not be hurt by the treachery of an individual member however prominent. For it would itself be the first to denounce his con- duct and its attitude would confirm the confidence of its mem- bers and supporters. But an organization that finds in desertion to the enemy a cause of congratulation and self-satisfaction has indeed entered on a path of self-destruction, the causes for which must be no longer sought in the personal characteristics of the individual deserter but in the principles and policy of the organization concerned. These reflections are prompted by the announcement this week of the appointment of E. J. Garland to the government position of secretary to the Canadian High Commissioner to Eire E. J. Garland is a member of the national council of the CCF. He is also the national organizer of the party, a key posi- Hon in view of the expected election this year . On the day that Prime Minister King made the public announcement of his appointment, Garland sent a wire to David Lewis, CCF na- tional secretary resigning all connections with the CCF (it is not recorded that his newly-appointed boss, High Commissioner the Hon. John Hall Kelly sent a corresponding wire to the Liberal party of which he is a prominent member). David Lewis announced that neither he nor the national chairman was previously aware of the possibility of such an appoint- ment. It is incredible that E. J. Garland himself was similarly uninformed. Evidently he conducted the negotiations for his appointment with the King government behind the scenes without informing his CCF colleagues. The members of the CCF can be under no misapprehension about the political significance of E. J. Garland’s action. They will regard it as desertion of their ranks by one whom they trusted, for whom they provided a nomination in a BC con- stituency after he had been defeated in his previous constitu- ency of Bow River, Alberta. But they would do well to reflect upon the political significance of the statement issued by David Lewis, CCF national secretary on the matter: “Appointment of Mr. Garland came as news to the national ——— chairman, M. J. Coldwell, and to myself. Ba \. those experienced in the years since 1929. “We consider it a tribute to Mr. Garland’s standing in the community and appreciate the prime minister’s break with tra- dition in appointing a man purely on his qualifications irrespec- tive of his political affiliations.” The King government by appointing EB. J. Garland at this time has declared in effect that in view of the fact that officially the Conservative, Liberal and CCF party are all together in the pro-war camp, leading CCE members who lose their seats or who prefer not to wait for the next election can hope to get government appointments if their support of the war is sui- ficiently enthusiastic. And David Lewis replies that is surpris- ing but commendable. , When political seduction is described as unexpected but pleasant, a tribute to the charms of one side and the unbiassed discerning eye of the other, who will believe that virtue is still retained? We doubt that the members of the CCF regard the case of E. J. Garland in the same light as their national officials. But in order to achieve the objectives for which they joined the CCE they must study and think out to their logical conclusion the lessons to be drawn from the whole incident. And the first question they will want answered is: If Garland’s appointment is due to absence of political differences in this time of war, in what way does continuation and continued support of this war by the CCF help the establishment of socialism in Canada? What ‘New World? FIAT is this new world for which we are said to be crusad- . ing, for which great sacrfiices are demanded of the people and still greater ones predicted? In his New Year’s message to the nation Labor Minister Norman Mcluarty predicted the contours of the future with unusual frankness. Said he, referring to unemployment: “Byen when industry has been keyed to the high tempo produced by war activity, there will still remain a substantial number who will depend from time to time upon the state for their support. Labor Minister McLarty added this warning: “The situation that will be created when our forces on the land, the sea and in the air are required to return to peacetime activities, and when the artificial stimulation created by the scourge of war has been removed, will be a most serious one.” This then, is the outlook for the “new world.” Continued mass unemployment during the war (to be used by reaction as a justification for advocating increasing enlistment and later eonscription) and a new and greater economic crisis as 500n as the war ends (which explains why the stock market looks -orward with hope and rejoicing to the prospect of a long war. & If this. then, is the new world to be expected, wherein does ‘fer from the old? Only in that the hardships already ed upon the people by increased taxation and higher ees and the suffering in prospect are to be even greater than The ‘new world’ which our rulers promise us is only a new, eaper, and shoddier edition of the old. __ The new world which our people want is a world in which Traverty and insecurity have been abolished forever and for all. establishment will be resisted by those whose profits are dicated upon the maintenance of the old world and are mously increased by every new wat. g + Canadians the establishment of a new world desired by =ople must, like charity, begin at home. the p , sued on Dec. 8, 1939. THE QUEST OF THE HOLY VEIL Foreword UR times are not without their romantics who, un- willing or unable to face the harsh realities of the present, forever hark back to the past. For them it is a melan- choly thing that the days of fearful dragons, of maidens in distress and of gallant knights to rescue them passed with King Arthur’s vanished court. There are windmills yet, it is true, but they turn unmolested by any Don Quixote. No longer armored knights ride forth to break a lance with the infidel hosts. The world today, if you would believe the romantics, is far too enlight-— ened to believe in legends. Wever was eraver injustice done to history. If the roman- tics would but regard the pre- sent, they would know that the world does not lack for those who would turn back the hands of time and launch an ideological erusade beside which the Cru- sades the romantics dream of would seem but mere forays. In- deed, it is because for many years there have been those who assid- uously engaged in creating a leg- end in the minds of millions that my story can be told. This, then, is the legend telling of the Quest of the Holy Veil. S The Legend TR NEVILLE, whom some also called Sir Galahad and some by other names, was confined to his castle by a touch of the gout. His mood was gloomy indeed. It was not because the people com- plained of the grievous taxes or that they lacked work in great numbers. These things did not trouble Sir Neville. Tt was not even the insatiable demands of Sir Schnickelgruber, the obsessed Teutonic knight be- yond the Rhine, that caused his gloom. These demands, he re- flected, should not be denied, even though they rendered peoples subject to Sir Schnickel- eruber’s ruthless rule. Tt was these disquieting tales he heard of the great dragon be- yound the sea that 50 troubled him. Bright red, the dragon was. and of bulk so gigantic that it stretched from sea to sea. It was said of it that it delighted in a diet of landlords and moneylend- ers and that it drove the capital- ists from their factories and turned these over to the people. Wor was this the worst, for al- though his heralds constantly spread wide and far such fear- some stories of the dragon as their ready imaginations could conceive, more and still more of his people refused to believe. More than a few indeed, cried openly that it would be a good thing if they, too, had such a dragon. For fear of the dragon the moneylenders and the merchants slept badly at night and spent much of their time devising var- FORUM OF THE PEOPLE — Kelowna CCF And The USSR From Secretary EF. Burnett of Kelowna CCF club the Ad- vocate last week received the following letter, publication of which was withheld pending re—- eeipt of a fuller report from our Kelowna correspondent. To the Editor:—I am writing to you in regard to 4 report that was published in your paper is- The partic- ular report to which Tt am refer- ring may be found on page 2, col. 5, of the above issue. In this report you have stated that at a recent meeting the Kel- owna CCE club upheld the action of the Soviets in their aggression in Finland. This report, since being pub- lished in your paper, has received wide publication not only in local Vancouver papers but also in countries abroad. We feel that t is the duty of the Kelowna CCF club to correct this report, which was an error on the part of your Kelowna re- porter. During the course of our meet- ing we did decide as a club to draft a petition to be’ circulated in defense of civil liberties, but we did not at any time during the meeting make any decision for or against Russian ageression in Finland. This misinformation which was published in your paper has caus- ed much disapproval amons our members and we are asking you to correct this error in the next edition of your paper. We also ask that you notify the Vancou- ver papers of your error. We would like the name of your Kelowna reporter in order By HAL GRIFFIN jous ingenious means of dispos- ing of the dragon, none of which had thus far come to anything. It did not for one moment, how- ever, interfere with their making of profits and still more profits, which meant, of course, still more taxes and still less money for the people. Long ago Sir Norman, the fin- ancial wizard who was head of the moneylenders, had proposed that. they lend money to Sir Schnickelgruber, who was impe- cunious for many and devious reasons. Sir Norman’s idea was that if they gave Sir Schnickel- gruber enough money he would agree to fight the dragon which, all were persuaded, must be de- stroyed if the world was to be made safe for the moneylenders and the merchants. Of course, if Sir Schnickelgruber should come to grief in his battle with the dra- gon, it would conveniently re- move him as a contestant for the spoils. It was a very good idea. Sir Worman had many such ideas. The only difficulty was that Sir Schnickelgruber seemed loathe to proceed as rapidly as might be wished, although daily his her- aids uttered terrible threats against the dragon- Se HIS was the situation when Sir Weville made his decision to discuss the matter personally with Sir Schnickelgruber. We found Sir Schnickelgruber training his knights in the diffi- eult art of tilting at windmills somewhere beyond the Rhine. “Tt keeps them from unhealthy meditation,” Sir Schnickelgruber explained. In between jousts at the wind- mills, Sir Schnickelgruber would shake his lance at a fair castle, the walls of which rose tall and strong on the horizzon. Upon the battlements sat a comely maiden who, Sir Schnickeleruber complained, was ill-treating some of his people. “Beyond the castle lie the do- mains of the dragon,” said Sir Schnickelgruber. “But how can Tf fight the dragon unless I first have the castle? I dont want the maiden, just the castle.” This, Sir Weville reflected, seemed eminently logical, parti- ecularly in view of the fact that the dragon was prepared to help the maiden defend her castle. So, with the ready approval of Sir Schnickelgruber’s brother knight, Sir Benito, and Sir Edou- ard, comrade-in-arms of Sir Ne- ville, it was agreed that Sir Schnickelsruber should have the eastle. INone troubled to tell the maiden about it or to ask what she thought. As Sir Neville listened to his heralds’ acclaim on his home ward way the vision of the Holy Veil, the remarkable device that enables its possessor to make anything appear the opposite of what it is, hovered tantalizingly above his head. It seemed with- in his very grasp as his heralds eried “Peace.” Even when he heard a short time later that Sir Schnickelgru- ber had seized. and imprisoned the maiden, the vision of the that he or she and we might straighten this matter out satis- factorily. The Advocate’s correspond- ent in Kelowna this week made the report given here: To the Editor:—My report on the stand taken by the Kelowna CCF club and the resultant pub- licity given to it in Vancouver daily papers following a news broadcast from Moscow has caus- ed quite a stir in Kelowna. Peo- ple here are far more concerned about it than they are about the war and it seems to have aroused tremendous interest among those outside the CCF. Officials of Kelowna CCF club even had a notice denying it inserted in the Kelowna Courier. Recapitulating what took place, as requested, this is a report of the meeting in question: A resolution protesting the pro- visions of the War Measures Act, condemning attacks on the right of freedom of speech and sup- pression of labor papers, as ae eorrectly reported, was passed by the club and signed by many members attending the meeting. Tt was also signed by some non- members. E. Burnett, club secretary, was instructed to have three copies of this resolution made, one Copy to go to the CCF, one to a mem ber of the British Golumbia Bruit Growers’ Association, one to the organizer of the local un- ion (Incidentally, one week later neither the BCFGA member DOr the union organizer had received this resolution. The one copy r have seen is nothing like the res- olution as passed by the club). The question of the Soviet Un- jon’s action in Finland was intro- duced by a club member (who, £ understand, has since condemned Holy Veil did not desert him. But still Sir Schnickelgruber did not march against the dra- gon. Perhaps the fact that some of his friends, the Most Dishon- orable Company of Knights of -the Rising Sun, not content with having caught a Chinese dragon by the tail, had goaded the dra- gon into administering a salutory lesson, had something to do with this. Instead, Sir Schnickelgruber began threatening another maid- en whose castle lay on the border of the dragon’s domains. How- ever, since this castle would also be useful to Sir Schnickelgruber in his attack on the dragon Sir Weville continued uneasily to hope for the best. The worst of it all was that Sir Weyille’ people insisted that he treat with the dragon in order to stop Sir Schnickelgruber’s re— peated seizure of coveted do- mains. Sir Weville, of course, knew that if this were done Sir Schnickelgruber’s downtrodden people could no longer be induced to tilt at windmills but would soon chase Sir Schnickelgruber from his own castle. And this would haye a bad effect all round. So with inward ill grace and every intention of making it impossible for the dragon to agree to an alliance he sent his emissaries on their errand, @ § poe Sir Schnickelgruber did the one thing that cast him outside the pale of the Knights of the Capitalist Round Table. He made an agreement with the dra- gon not to attack it. This changed everything. If meant, of course, that Sir Schnick— eleruber must not only be not allowea to have this last castle, the maiden and her oppressed people, but that he must be made to disgsorge all the spoils he had obtained on condition he fight the dragon. It meant, moreover, that there was no longer room for both Sir Schnickelsruber and Sir Ne- ville, and all the Knights of the Capitalist Round Table berated Sir Schnickelgruber accordingly. Tt set Sir Schnickelgruber, his brother knight and the Most Dis- honorable Gompany of Knights of the Rising Sun at odds. But it did not prevent Sir Schnickelgruber from seizing the castle. Whereupon Sir Neville and Sir Edouard took up their arms for the fray, the Holy Veil a mist above their heads. But no sooner had Sir Schnickel- gruber set about seizing the do- mains of this latest castle than the dragon put one foot out (it coy- ered half the country) and, with most disconcerting results for the landlords and distant moneylend- ers, said pleasantly, “This is mine.’ And perforce, it was, be- cause, though Schnickelgruber liked it not, there was nothing he could do about it. Back in his castle, Sir Neville and his fellow knights put the best face they could upon it, but it was easy to see they did not like it, particularly when the dra- gon busied about him and made peaceful agreements with some of his neighbors. bad example. Sir Schnickelsruber, hintin= Russia, but said nothing regard- ing this at the meeting). Im the ensuing discussion the club as a whole supported the Soviet Union's reasons given. My original report did not say that a resolution was passed, but _ accurately summarized the dis-~ cussion in the following words: “KELOWNA, BG. — Russia’s actions were not against ‘little Finland’ but in defense of Len- ingrad, to prevent Finland be- ing used as a base for other powers to attack the Seviet Union, members of the liocal CCE club decided at their meet- ing here this week.” T think Herbert Gargrave, CCF provincial secretary, was correct when he stated he knew nothing about the matter. There is reas- on to believe neither the resolu- tion on democratic rights nor a report of the meeting was sent to the CCF provincial office. On this point, naturally, £ eannot be definite. Officials of the club here 2p- parently cannot see that they are swallowing whole the bait thrown out by the Vancouver Sun. Their one dominating fear is of being linked up with the Soviet Union. But this does not hold good for the majority of CCE members here who believe the Soviet Union has taken the only possible course. (In view of the foregoing, the Advocate sees mo Treason why it should retract its orizgin- al correct report. It dees re- tract the assertion made im 2 statement answering daily press distoriions that it believ— ed 2 formal resolution bad been passed. No formal resolution was passed. A discussion was held and the club membership Tt was setting a action for the that perhaps he might attack the dragon after all if a suitable - agreement could be reached, would willingly have terminated things at this point, but he was already outside the pale and his proposals A were refused. Here and there her alds called for a holy crusade against the dragon and openly a stated that Sir Schnickelsruber | should be removed from his castle so that those of his knights who could be trusted might take part ‘| in the crusade. Now it so happened that in the north, bordering the dragon's domains, was another castle held by Sir Risto, a moneylender too, and a good friend of moneylenders in Sir Neville’s domains and far beyond the sea. The idea was conceived that “ Sir Risto should proceed toe an- i noy the dragon and Keep it occu- = pied for a time until the crusade fe could be organized. The dragon, they said, would hardly be soad= ed into retaliating because of bad weather conditions and, if by any ~— chance it should, then Sir Risto = | could always claim he was a poor : little knight attacked by the big, bad dragon (the heralds would see ito that) and he would be assured of all the aid he required- 4 So Sir Risto proceeded to an- 4 noy the dragon. The dragon was pleasant but firm. Only when Sir Risto became bolder and es— sayed a few experimental slashes here and there did the dragon be— come less pleasant and still Hrmm- er, proceeding to teach Sir Risto a few things his fellow money: lenders had forgotten to tell him: Sir Risto called for aid, crying that he had been attacked. His heralds spread wide their slan- ders against the dragon, not be— cause they themselves believed ~ them, but in order to dismay those who believed in the dragon” The dragon was flatfooted and | could not ski, they said. Tt Inllea i Civilians and slaughtered its own people. It had no red flannel un- derwear and was so cold its shiy— ers sent a Chili down the spines of the moneylenders. One day the a@ragon was chased back into iis own domain, the next it was halt way into the castle So adept did the heralds become they could contradict themselves over and over again in the same story and still naively wonder why they were not believed. But the fact was that the dra- gon had upset all the new pre- parations for its demise and ; frustrated the crusade, at least, for the time being, by not wait- ing (as any gentlemanly dragon would) for the crusade to be pro- perly organized. None of this, of course, was lost on the people, whose reactions were just what f the Knights of the Capitalist Round Table feared they would be. And this last especially was disturbing: Thus it was that Sir Neville sat in his castle. Above his head B floated the vision of the Holy iH Veil and he perceived in dismay that it was no longer the shining device His aging eyes had once envisioned. For, behold, some , |) rough working hand had torn it in twain. did take the stand ascribed to it by the Advocate, without fo mally placing itself on ‘record. = Kelowna OCF club officials dc no credit to themselves as ‘ Cialisits’ by going to such pa to deny 2a stand which woul have done them credit. Herbe Gargrave, CGF provincial s align himself with the Manner heim - Chamberlain - Daladier - Hoover axis in condemning th Soviet Union. This was the mest notable part of his state— ment, however correct his pro- fession of ignorance regarding Kelowna CCF ciub’s actions. As to informing WVanceuver daily papers, we do not believe they would publish anything unless it was first broadcast from Moscow, when they could claim it was ‘foreign propaganda.” —EDITGR). Terms MacInnis ~— Article Shameful =| To the Editor: The writings 90. Angus McInnis and other items 1 the HFederationist are a shame to our workers and farmers. ; I am a CGF member and 45 such recognize that the comm nists, socialists and CCHers : brothers and similar to a famul will disagree among themselve: But any slurs or injury to 2 one is an injury to all the famuy. If Angus McInnis could 10 fool the Russians when he tried to get in the Soviet Union to: sn: around, he has just as sin chance now to fool the work and farmers. es I am taking the matter up 2t our club at the next meeting. : Glearwater, BC.