esd Seas us| The ADVOCATE | FOR PEACE, PROGRESS AND DEMOCRACY PASS THIS PAPER ON JOL. 6. No. 7. Full No. 268. VANCOUVER, B.C., FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 1940 SS © 5 Cents Tear omer aa Ore S CONSCRIPTION PLANNED? GOVERNMENT CHALLENGE! Red Army Reaches Vipurii Qutskirts, Advances In North Qn two fronts, in the Arctic i orth and on the Karelian isth- ws, Finnish White Guard Ecemies were in retreat this ‘eek, despite arrival of planes ad other war material, from Sritain, France, Sweden and aly. 7 In the north the Red army, with nits of the Finnish People’s “my, removed its offensive south- gard from the Arctic port of Pet- 3mo, with the White Finns in ipid retreat beyond WNautsi, on e Worwegian “border 65 ‘miles juth of Petsamo. Qn the Karelian isthmus the Thite Finns conceded ground sul- nly as the Red army drove into ie Steel and concrete defenses of ie Mannerheim line, consolidated 5 positions, closed in on the port Vipuril. Earlier this week, loss of Koi- )sto fortress and the strategically- 2portant, heavily fortified islands the bay of Vipurii was acknowl- ged by Helsinki. Breaking of the Mannerheim ie, built at tremendous cost and ceeded in strength only by the Saginot and Siegfried lines on the stern front, has not been lost on iropean imperialist general affs. For when the fiction of opaganda released in an unceas- & stream from various capitals discounted, the hard fact emerg- LONDON, Eng. — Opposition \ the British government and m appeal to prevent an anti- soviet war was voiced this week n a manifesto approved by 850 lelegates representing 350 organ- zations of the labor movement. The manfesto also appealed o the official Labor party to md its political truce and active- ly oppose the government and he war. , that the Red army has accom- ished a feat unique in history. It is the only modern army to »reak one of the new-type lines o£ fortifications in depth con- itructed by European powers Liter the last imperialist war, Other significant developments Europe this week focussed at- ntion on the Near East where urkey intensified its war prepar- ions. ! (Gontinued on Page 2) Ley Appeal Kefused The letter to CCE Provincial Secretary Herbert Gargrave point- ed out that the ‘CCF election plat- form was read and thoroughly dis- cussed at the union’s last general meeting, stated that ‘the opinion of the members was that the stand taken by the CCF at this time is mot in the best interests of the trade union movement.” The letter continued: “We feel that all the problems facing the labor movement at the present time such as wage in- ereases commensurate with the ris- ing cost of living, the protection Inland Boatmen Reject CCF Stand Resretting that the ©CE has seen fit to fall in line with old- line parties by taking a stand in “endorsation of the war,” In- land Boatmen’s union this week rejected that party’s appeal for financial aid in its federal election campaign. of civil liberties and democratic rights, the conscription of man- power, etc., all hinge on the ques- tion of war and the stand taken by your party is, in our opinion, endorsation of the war. “We deeply regret that the CCF has seen fit to fall in line with the old line parties on an issue which is decisive to the future wel- fare of all working men and wo- men in Ganada and we feel, there- fore, that any support, as far as we are concerned, is out of the question,” the letter concluded Threat Of Violence Protested Union Delegation Te Probe Situation, Report Findings PIONEER, BC. —ILed by W. A. ‘Pat’? Paterson and C. A. ‘Ace’ Haddrell, executive of- ficers of Pioneer Miners’ union, 40 miners conducting a stay- in strike on Thursday returned to the surface from the 2400- foot level of Pioneer mine, where they had stationed them- selves two days earlier in an at- jority of workers are organized Labor Party Is Expelled LONDON, Eng. — The national executive of the Labor party has confirmed disaffiliation of Hamp- stead Labor party and trades coun- cil for making what it holds to be “declaratons which destroy the basis upon which it was affiliated to the Labor party-” The Hampstead organization had published a resolution against the war. The executive has also threat- ened expulsion of Uxbridge Divi- sional party if a leaflet adopted by the organization is distributed. The leaflet asked: ‘What kind of war is this? Prices soaring, un- employment growing, serving: men’s dependents inadequately proyided for, reduced value of old age pensions.” It went on to ask: “Is this a war for democracy? No. The goy- ernment has taken fasrist powers under the EPA. It refuses demo- eracy to the people of India. “What good can come out of this war? No more than from the last war—except for the profiteers. “Ought the war to be stopped now? Certainly. Nazi expansion has been blocked in the Fast. New aggression anywhere can be pre- vented by a genuine system of collective security in which the | See NEAR EAST Soviet Union must be alowed to 650,000 Ausiralian Workers Urge Peace LONDON, England.—wNo less than 650,000 Australian work- ers have gone on record against the war since outbreak of hos- tilities last September. This tremendous figure represents 75 percent of organized workers in a country where the vast ma- in their respective trade unions. ‘We call upon the working r class, nationally and internation- ally, to unite their forces for action to work for peace and in defense of democratic rights and living standards.” Thus ends a resolution against the war passed by New South Wales Labor council representing some 300,000 workers. Signifi- cantly enough this resolution was passed by the censor at some months ago but thete has been no mention of it in the press or on the radio in Britain. Papers now arriving in this coun- try from Australia tell the full story of the Australian ‘workers’ strong fight against the war. Before the war had been in pro- egress two months, the Victorian Provincial Trades MHall councils’ associations, representing thous- ands of workers in Ballarat, Ben- digo, Maryborough, Geelong, Cas- tlemaine and Miludra, had gone on record against the war. At the be- ginning of November they were joined by the Melbourne Trades Hall council, thus bringing the en- tire Victoria trade union move- ment, representing over 200,000 workers, into a united front against the war. Two weeks later the 150,000 workers in Queensland Trades council callerf or an immediate ces- sation of hostilities, Thus 650,000 Australian work- ers have declared their opposi- tion to the imperialist war. The entire membership of the Aus- tralian Council of Trade Unions is about 750,000. The Austral- jan Workers Union, which is not- affiliated to the ACTU, has a ydney |’ tempt to bring about settlement of the strike which started Oct. 8. Provincial police under Jnspec- ter John Shirras were rushed in here with orders from the pro- vincial government to remove the strikers and provide protec- tion for reopening of the mine, but talking with the sirikers led to evacuation of the underground workings after some concessions had been made, notably that no prosecutions would be taken against any of the men. Prospects on Thursday appeared brighter for resumption of negotia- tions abruptly broken off three weeks ago when no agreement could be reached on an eight-point basis of settlement satisfactory to government officials, strikers and mine directors, but repudiated by Mine Manager Dr. H, T. James. During the stay-in strike every man was under oath not to damage the mine or machinery in any way, President W. A. Cameron told newspapermen. Threats made by Premier T. D. Pattullo to have provincial police Temove strikers from the mine (Continued on Page 2) See PIONEER night. FERGUS McKEAN, who has been nominated Communist candidate in Vancouver East. Elsewhere in the Dominion, Tim Buck has been nominat- ed as Communist candidate in Hamilton East and Leslie Morris in Winnipeg North, where he will oppose A. A. Heaps, one of the most out- spoken supporters of the war in the CCF. to enlist support for repeal of A conference of trade unionists and representatives from fraternal and cultural organizations is slated for Saturday in 130 W. Hastings St. at 2:30 p.m. A welcoming ban- quet and dance will be held in the Same hall at 8 p.m. play its part.’ membership of 95,000. ‘ouneil) Transforms CSA Into Club students Resist Attack On Rights Students at the University of sritish Columbia campus are in evolt against the continued at- empts of the students’ council 0 deny academic freedom of pinion on vyital student prob- 2m. Champion of that free expres- ion, the Canadian Student As- embly was suspended some time 0. Reason given by the stud- nts’ council for suspension, was 1e “unfavorable publicity’ the ssembly was alleged to be giv- ig the university. The publici- y referred to arose out of the students, the ‘suspended’ assem- assembly’s recent national con- ference at which a full program of student needs was passed. This program included exten- Sion and improvement of educa- tional facilities and standards, preservation of civil liberties, no profiteering, no conscription, and a questionrSire on conscrip- tion to determine student opin- ion. Refusing to bow to the attack on student rights, the GSA rallied the student body to its support. In a recent meeting of 1,000 bly polled 45 percent of the vote for its reinstatement, despite the fact that the students’ council distorted the issue from one of academic freedom to one of lack of confidence in itself, the gov- erning body. This was followed by a peti- tion to the students’ council, endorsed by 600 students, call- ing for right of the CSA to conduct a meeting in order to draft a local program. (Continued on Page 2) See STUDENTS Other public meetings arranged for the defense leader are: Sunday, Mar. 3, Legion Hall, New Westminster, 2 pm; Lux Theater, Vancouver 8 pm. Monday, Mar. 4, Public meeting at Community Hall, 42nd and Victoria, 8 pm.; public meeting at Maple Hall, 47th CLDL Leader Will Make Provincial Tour National Secretary A. S. Smith of the Canadian Labor De- fense League will arrive in Vancouver this Friday evening to keep a 12-day speaking engagement as part of his national tour the War Measures Act, raise funds for defense purposes and build the defense organization. and Fraser, at 9:15 pm. Wednes- day, Mar. 5, public meeting at KP Hall, North Vancouver. Thursday, Mar. 7, public meeting, Legion Hall, Kingsway, near Joyce road. Friday, Mar. 8, address in the aft- ernoon to a women’s meeting at O’Brien hall. Saturday, Mar. 9, public meeting (for miners and families) at Cumberland at 8 pm. Monday, Mar. 11, address to the Current Events Club at Victoria at a midday luncheon; at a pub- lic meeting in the evening. Anti-War Slogans Appear In Cumberland CUMBERLAND, BC.—Anti-war District slogans have appeared overnight in various parts of this mining district during the past two weelxs, but last weekend citizens awoke to find the whole business section of this city plastered with such slogans as ‘Stop the war, ‘Vote peace,’ ‘Jobs, not guns,’ ‘Peace, jobs, security, and “Fight for higher wages.’ The signs have been painted on fences and buildings in the city and around the mines. Police have been investigating this sudden anti-war activity, but no arrests have been made. Are Registration Forms Prepared ? Asks Candidate A challenge to the King government to deny current rumors that registration forms for conscription of manpower are already being prepared, awaiting only outcome of the election was issued by Fergus McKean, Communist candidate for Vancouver East, when he addressed a capacity audience in Orange hall Sunday © The candidate pointed to Prime Minister King’s statement that “tens of thousands of young Gana- dians” would soon be enrolled in the Dominion’s fighting forces as a further indication of conscription, “Anyone who thinks this election is a democratic one is freatly mis- taken. It is a war election conduct ed under the War Measures Act,” McKean declared, Scoring the goy- ernment for having dissolved par- Gpening election rally in Van- couver East constituency for Fergus McKean will be held in Maple Hall, 47th and Fraser Ave- nue, next Tuesday, March 5, at 8 pm, it was announced by Wil- liam Bennett, campaign manager for the Communist candidate on Thursday. Speakers at the meeting vill pe peatcoln Bruce and the candi- liament, and called 4 Snap election to Prevent any discussion or criti_ cism of the war. “The real issues are not whether the Canadian people are Satisfied with the conduct of the war, but Whether they are going to raise their voice and demand Canada withdraw from the war,” he contin- ued, Im biting reference to the war stand taken by the CCF, McKean quoted the CCR’s Regina Manifesto, reading: “We stand resolutely against all Participation in imperialist wars. Within the British commonwealth, Canada must maintain her auton- omy as one of the self-governing nations. We. must resist all at- tempts to build up a new economic British empire in place of the old one, since such attempts lend them- selves to the purposes of capitalist exploitation and may easily lead to further world wars. Canada must refuse to be entangled in any more Wars to make the world safe for capitalism.” “As seon as war broke out all this was forgotien,” said the Communist candidate, ‘and a pol- icy of winning the war has be come the main issue.” “It is time the people raised their voices to decide whether Canada should withdraw from the war,” McKean said, citing the demands of New Zealand and Australian trade unions for peace, the South African anti-war vote and recent election of a peace Candidate, and the All-India Congress’ Campaign for self-government. » Commenting on the Alaska highway, McKean stated that while in the past construction of the road had offered a de- fensive measure agaist an ag- gressive Japan bent on domina- tion of the Pacific, new align- ments and conditions brought about by the war had converted the measure from 2 progressive into a reactionary one. Japan ne longer was a threat to the North American continent, And the highway was now being ad- vocated for openly-stated aggres- Sive designs. The speaker said the United States government had always re- garded the highway as a Military (Continued on Page 2) See CHALLENGE ree — Ss 1A ew wv hia ed hh Taoqwaah & BoA T oT ey Ds bes bf HASiRRSiELDSG Rag PeGtzsRaC PAN tad esdeed ted Ped bed bad Da dagibed ts! sieureceagua haters tay tay ts texgp