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13

VANCOUVER, B.C., FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1940

=< 5 Cents

JOL. &. No. 6. Full No. 267.

ich Finns Flee To Swedish Border

KEY FINN FORTRESS FALLS

Pacifist Upholds Right To Criticism

Communist
Platform
Announced

Return Of Troops,
No Conscription
Election Planks

TORONTO, Ont.— Charging
that the coming election is be-
ing conducted under a virtual
military dictatorship estab-
lished by the War Measures
Act, a spokesman for the Do-

draw Canada from the war!’

| Communist candidates well be
‘aominated in a number of ridings.
In others, except where there are
farmer or labor fighters for peace
nominated, the party will conduct
‘propaganda for exposure of the
ae parties and rouse the public
for astruggle for peace.

The election was called on ad-
vice from Chamberlain, the spokes-
man for the Communist party said,
with the aim of obtaining a ‘fake
mandate for the King government
which intends to apply conscrip-
‘tion, hurl Canada into war against
the Soviet Union and pile new
taxes on the people.

The quarrels in the capitalist
‘war camp are scrambles for the
better ‘plunder positions, he de
clared, while ‘the leaders of the
-eform parliamentary parties have
jdeserted over to the imperialist
zamp as they did in 191+’

To support any of the war groups
Ss to ‘betray yourself and your
country,’ he said. The following
Planks were stated as the Com-
munist platform for the campaign:

(1) No conscription; return of
Canadian troops from overseas.

(2) Repeal of the War Meas-
ures Act; freedom for the work-
ing-class press; release of Doug-
las Stewart of The Clarion.

(8) Higher wages, union - con-
ditions, the 8-hour day; jailing of
profiteers.

(4) Parity prices for the farm-
ers.

(5) Repeal of the sales tax; tax-
ing of the income and fortunes
of the rich.

(6) Non-contributory unem-
ployment and health insurance;
increasea relief pending such in-
surance. :

(7) A national works program
of slum -clearance and rehousing
te provide jobs.

Steel Plant
Strike Ends

SYDNEY, NS—A strike of 270
-oke workers in the Dominion
steel & Coal company’s plant here
Fas temporarily settled this week,
yermitting return to work of 1,500
vorkers, when the company agreed
o demands of the Steel Workers’
Irganization Committee that three
lew men be discharged. Hiring of
he three men while union workers
vere idle precipitated the week-
ong strike.

Negotiations between the SWOC
md the company will begin im-
nediately in an attempt to: iron
ut the dispute. Assurance was
iven by the company that discri-
oination would be discontinued,
President Norman Mackenzie of
.0cal 1064 stated.

Last week 80 percent of the 3200
jorkerS in the plant voted to
trike if their demands for im-
roved wages and working condi-
ions were not met.

In the meantime, the conciliation
oard headed by Mr. Justice Mc-
ague has begun hearings into
laims of Dosco’s 12,000 miners for
nproved wages and conditions.

minion executive of the Com-
munist party of Canada de-
clared this week that the party
is launching a nation-wide cam-
paign under the slogan, “With-

US Drops Charges

SHOWN above are some of the 16 persons arrested on charges
of recruiting volunteers for loyalist Spain by US Federal
Bureau of Investigation agents who raided their homes in the
middle of the year. This week the department of justice
virtually admitted it could not very well proceed with the
prosecution without moving in on Finn recruiting agencies,

decided to drop the case.

Said Attorney-General Robert Jackson: “Even handed
and impartial justice would not localize prosecutions of this
character to Detroit nor confine them to only one side of the
Spanish war nor even to the Spanish war itself.”

Hamilton Man Sentenced

‘Many People Will Be
Shocked,’ Says Counsel

HAMILTON, Ont—Thirty days and $100 fine or an addi-
tional two months imprisonment. This was the sentence handed
down ‘by Magistrate Burbridge here in the trial of Robert Mc-
Clure, wellknown in the Hamilton labor movement, following

his conviction last weels.

Charges against McClure were:
“That he did attempt to commit an
offense against regulations 39a and
61 of the Defense of Canada Rezu-
lations in that he did have in his
possession certain documents likely
or intended to prejudice recruiting,
training, discipline or administra-
tion of any of His Majesty’s forces,”
and:

“That he spread reports intended
or likely to cause disaffection to
His Majesty or intended to preju-
dice His Majesty’s relations with a
foreign power, to wit Finland, con-
trary to Canada Regulations, sec-
tion 39, subsection a3.”

In defense, at various sessions
CLDL Counsel Joseph Newman
contended that the sections under
which McClure was being charged

Were unconstitutional since they
had not received the sanction of
parliament.

Crown Council G. W. Ballard, KC,
contended that McClure’s actions
came within the meaning of the
word ‘spreading’ when he indulged
in conversation with the printer on
the subject of printing the pam-
phiet.

Before Magistrate Burbidge reg-
istered his conviction Defense
Counsel Newman observed:

“WMiany people will be shocked
to know that Canadians have
been prevented from attempting
to have printed a document on
the truth about Finland—whether
one believes it to be the truth or
not.”

Pioneer Strike

Collection

Sabotaged By Committee

“Tt will interest the workers of BC to learn how a ‘cooperative
committee’ (company union) functions,” declares a press state-
ment issued this week by Pioneer Miners’ union.

“In response to appeals of strik-o

ing ‘Pioneer miners, Kimberley
miners donated $300 which the co-
operative committee there sent di-
rectly to Pioneer cooperative com-
mittee.

“This organization at Pioneer is
simply a company-sponsored and
supported group, which includes
‘149 scabs’ who attempted to open
the mine earlier in the strike.

The money. donated by Kimber-

ley miners has gone to support
‘strikebreakers,

“Money collected at Kimberley
concentrator, amounting to $114.30,
was sent by that cooperative com-
mittee to Bralorne Police station
as a ‘neutral’ agency, to distribute.
This money was returned to Kim-
berley.

“Despite the long duration of the
strike, organized labor continues
loyally to support the striking min-
ers who are ‘taking it on the chin’
in a struggle, the outcome of which
will vitally affect the future of
every worker in BC.”

2

Decision
Deferred
For Week

Orr Opines Sign
Fair Commentary
On Situation Today

“We were:all brought up
with the idea we had free
speech, but we find out we
havent any,’ declared City
Prosecutor Oscar Orr in sum-
ming up the crown’s evidence
against Francis R. Turnley,
Vancouver car dealer, before
Magistrate H. S. Wood in Van-
couver police court Tuesday.

Orr admitted he had told the
accused during a recent visit to
the Motor Bureau that he did not
think the signs would have any
effect on the war, but they were
a nuisance to the police.

The magistrate reserved decision
for one week. ~

Turnley, self-declared pacifist
and ex-CCE member, was sum-
mionsed jast Thursday for publish-
ing; writing lkely to be prejudicial
to the effective prosecution of the
war, in contravention of the De-

| fense of Canada Regulations and

in his trial called no witnesses,
but defended his own right to ex-
press his opinions.

Whether the signs, which read
“The big baboons commit you
to war, and then call on you
monkeys to vote for their man-
agement,” and “We may get busi-
ness out of the war, but we have
no business in it,” came within
the regulations and whether they
were likely to be prejudicial to
the prosecution of the war were
the points on which Magistrate
Wood said the whole case rested
IS WAR VETERAN.

While Turnley was reciting his
War record, which ended with his
discharge as a second lieutenant of
the Royal Air Force, Magistrate
Wood interjected, “Then you ought
to be entitled to express your opin-
ions.” .

Dealing with the first sign,
Turnley stated this might be con-
strued te be Canadian leaders
who endorsed the government's
declaration of war against Ger-
many, or it might be interpreted
as meaning the leaders of France,
Germany, Britain or any other
country, who might commit the
nation to war without a plebiscite
of the people on the issue be-
forehand.”

Prosecutor Oscar Orr stated that
had this sign been by itserf it
would have been a fair commen-
tary of the political situation to-
day.”

“That depends on what side you
are on,’ observed Magistrate
Wood.

Turnley contended that the
signs were a Criticism of the :
government for failing to ask
for a vote of authority from the
the medium of an election, be-
fore submitting this nation to
the tremendous consequences of
war.

CITES SOUTH AFRICA.

iex-president J, M. Hertzog of
South Africa was cited by Turnley
as having introduced into the
South African parliament a resolu-
tion calling for an end to the war,
a resolution, he commented,, which
Was supported by 57 MP’s, while
81 voted against. Yet that country
Was still at war with Germany.
Books showing the horrors and
futility of war, such as “All Quiet
on the Western Front,” official
British and Canadian pictures of
the World War, shown in theatres
throughout this country since the
war ended, were likely to be preju-
dicial to effective prosecution of
the war, Turney contended.

“I have not broken any law,
Since under the section of the
amendment to the Defense of Can-
ada Regulations, I have merely
criticized defects as I see them
in the government of Canada,”
Turnley said,

Koivisto Captured;

Soviet Scores Aim
Of Extending War

MOSCOW, USSR.—Declar-
ing that the “Near Hast occu-
pies an exceptionally important
place in Anglo-French plans
for extension of the scope of the
war,’ Pravda, Soviet Com-
munist organ, in an editorial
analysis of Near Eastern de-
velopments last week charged:

“1. That Anglo-French prepara-

tions ‘are directed above all
against Germany. The Near
ast is to become a base for an
offensive on Germany through
the Balkans.”
2, That the preparations are also
directed “at keeping in check
the peoples who are rising in
struggle against foreign im-
perialism and who don’t want
to be a tool in foreign hands.”
The editorial points out that
Turkey is a signatory to the Saada-
bad - non-ageression pact of 1936
with Iran, Irak and Afghanistan
and asserts that attempts are be-
ing Made “to turn this pact into a
instrument of war by drawing
Saudi Arabia into it and by trans-
forming it inte a military bloc
subordinated to the Anglo-French
entente. This bloc is to be directed
against Germany and its first step
is to be the destruction of Ger-
many’s positions in the Near Bast
“This bloc, according to the
schemes of its authors, is also to be
directed against the USSR.”
Pravda offers the sharp reminder
that the “Turkish people know they.
attained independence in bitter
struggle against British imperiaj-
ism with the active and friendly
Support of the Soviet Union,” de-
clares that the “attempt to over-
throw with one blow the edifice on
which the policy of independence
for Turkey and 20 years’ friendship
with the USSR was built, will in-
evitably come up against the re-
sistance of the masses,” adds, “The
peoples of Iran and Afghanistan
know and remember too, that they

achieved independence only with
support of the USSR against British
imperialism.”

The editorial concludes:

STOCKHOLM, Sweden. — Indi-
cative of the increasing fear
among the Finnish upper classes
that the White Guard armies of
Baron Mannerheim, despite ex-
tensive foreign aid, will not long
survive the crushing defeats ad-
ministered by the Red and Fin-
nish. People’s armies, is the steady
stream of wealthy Finnish ‘pat-
riots’ using every stratagem to
reach the Swedish frontier with
their valuables.

Reports of mass desertions from
‘the White Guard armies were also
received here, strengthened by is-
Ssuance of Finnish police orders
“to detain and search all persons
of conscription age, whether or
not they are in military uniform,
if they appear in any district
other than that in which their
units are stationed.”

Fall of the key Finnish city
ef Vipurii appeared imminent
this weekend as Soviet com-
munigues announced that the
Red army had “occupied along
the (Karelian) front, including
the area of the fortress of Koi

visto, an additional 176 enemy

defensive fortifications. These
included thirty-seven iron and
concrete artillery forts.”

With Kiovisto fortress, ‘western
anchor’ of the Mannerheim line, al-
ready in Soviet hands, Taipale,
‘eastern anchor’ of the line was the
scene of heavy fighting which, Fin-
nish White Guard sources admit-
ted, was ‘especially serious.’

“In connection with Anglo-
French-Turkish activity in the
Near East, all Kinds of provoca-
tive and fantastic anti-Soviet
rumors are being spread. It is
stated that the intrigues and
machinations of SBritain and
France in the Near Hast is direct-
ly aimed against the USSR. Here
we can only remind the war-
mongers of the old English pro-
verb, “Those who liye in glass
houses shouldn’t throw stones’-”

On Fhe Finnish Front

Correspondents Tell
How Finn Line Broken

By VVSEVOLD VYSHNEVSKY
and LEONID SOBOLEV

WITH THE RED ARMY ON

THE KARELIAN ISTHMUS]

—The earth of one of the high
slopes was pitted with huge
craters. The Soviet artillery
had worked well.

Finnish swords , top boots, cart-

ridge pouches and flasks were
stréwn in the pure fresh snow
among the wire entanglements,

granite blocks and steel stakes half
buried in the ground. The pow-
dery snow was almost entirely pre-
served among the dirty white crat-
ers, like huge broken ocean waves.

Suddenly I noticed a piece of
dark concrete wall with a blown-
up end sticking out of the earth.
A little further on I saw the curved
surface of a steel cupola, which
protected artillery, Still further
on a bent iron armature stuck out
of the ground.

Climbing out of one pit and
jumping into another, we at last
found the entrance to a casement.

Here was one of the most mod-
erm of iron and steel fortifications
—built according to the very last
word of modern military tech-
hique. The Soviet Red army has
destroyed and occupled these mod-

(Continued on Page 2)
See RED ARMY

By EUGENE PETROV

LENINGRAD, USSR. —
Kronstadt harbor is plunged in
darkness. Only the brilliant
rays of searchlights throw a
sparkling light over the broken
ice at regular intervals. The
gigantic silhouette of a battle-
ship can barely be discerned in
the all-enveloping darkness.

Everyone is asleep aS we pass
through the men’s quarters, lit by
cozy blue lamps, The battleship
is preparing to leave for sea. A
fresh issue of the seamen’s news-
Paper is just coming off the press
in the print shop. A

It contains the long-awaited

words—“The battleship Gctober
Revolution has been ordered to
Sea to crush the Finnish White
Guard batteries which are hin-
dering the advance of the Red
Army left flank on the Karelian
isthmus,

A bugle wakes the men. The
decks are floodlit and the radio
is switched on. Moscow's broad-
cast of the latest war and general
news bulletins and popular songs
sound like a good-luck message

A shrill bell summons all hands
on deck as the ship weighs anchor.
it is sti dark and the thermome—

(Continued on Page 2)
See SEA ACTION