NOR AS Tol) hewwenhn bead Page Six THE ADVOCATE THE ADVOCATE Published Weekly by the Advocate Publishing Association, Room 20 163 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, B.C. Phone TRinity 2019 EDITOR - HAL GRIFFIN Qne Year $2.00 Three Months —.._________$ .60 Half Year $1.00 Single Copy —.. $ .05 Make All Cheques Payable to: The People’s Advocate Vancouver, B.C., Friday, March 8, 1940 Election Or Plebiscite? N ONE of his recent broadcasts Prime Minister Mackenzie King concluded with the pious remark that he wished to give the Canadian people a fully demotratic opportunity to vote on the issues involved in the present federal election. This remark may perhaps have heartened the thousands of Canadians who with good reason have become alarmed at the inroad made into their heritage of democratic liberties by the King government under the War Measures Act. But, if the government for a brief spell succeeded in strengthening the illusion that it intends to safeguard in Canada the democracy for which it professes to be fighting abroad, its acts during this election campaign have exposed the ruth- less purpose behind its pseudo-democratic mask. In Ottawa, in Toronto, in Winnipeg, arrests have been made of men who are now facing trial, charged under the War Measures Act with distributing election material for Com- munist candidates. The government alleges that this material is subversive and therein contradicts its claim that this is a democratic election. Its fascist-like conception of democracy is further evidenced by its censorship of all radio broadcasts. Even in Nazi Germany the mockery of democracy is main- tained. Once in a while the people are allowed to vote ‘Yes’ in a plebiscite. Those courageous enough to vote ‘No’ run the great danger of being sent to a concentration camp. In Canada, *the government has declared the issue to be conduct of the war. The Conservative, CCF and New Democracy parties are also agreed that this is the issue and their campaign speeches reflect it. But if, apparently, one disagrees and believes that the issue iS support or non-support of the war, if one campaigns actively on this issue, then there is great danger of being sent to jail. Where is the difference in principle, save that the voter is offered a choice between several parties all supporting the war or else marking his ballot for peace? Is it any wonder that even the pro-Ally New York Times, in its issue of Feb. 25, observes: “The election campaign in Canada has not so far been able to generate much partisan fervor among the voters, who remain unwontedly apathetic about the contest”? Is this not rather an indication that the people realize that every effort is being made to prevent them from giving their decision on the real issue in this election? Deliberate Deception A FEW days ago the Vancouver Province carried an article by Gladys Arnold, one-time secretary to the late D. B. McRae, editor of the ReBina Leader-Post, now free-lancing in Paris. The gist of Miss Arnold’s remarkable conclusions was that Lenin would haye condemned the Soviet ‘invasion’ of Finland. To ‘prove’ it she lifted certain paragraphs from Lenin’s writings on the national question, scrambled them, dis- torted their meaning and application and presented them to her readers as a ‘political study,’ For Miss Arnold, who was never noted for the depth of her political thinking, there is possibly the plea of ignorance. For the editors of the Federationist, who, in the current issue of that ‘socialist’ organ hasten to echo the deceptions of the capitalist class by quoting Lenin on the national question with obvious intent there is no such excuse. For them it is delib- erate deception. In their frantic efforts to conceal the damning fact that they stand side-by-side with Mussolini, Chamberlain and Daladier in supporting Mannerheim’s struggle to maintain his fascist hold over the Finnish people, they are not above misapplying Lenin as they have transformed Marx’s teachings into a dogma. It does not trouble their ‘socialist’ conscience that the quota- tion they publish was written in May, 1917, before the October Revolution, when the Kerensky government was denying to the Finnish people the independence they only received from the Soviet government. Their astigmatic perusal of history has failed to show them what happened to Finnish indepen- dence after Mannerheim’s White Guards, with the aid of Ger- man imperialism, crushed the people’s government. They rant about imperialism, but they cannot conceive of Finland as an imperialist base for war against the Soviet Union. And they deny the attainment of socialism in the Soviet Union because to admit it would expose the utter bankruptcy of their own ‘theory.’ Instead, they join with Mrs. Dorothy Steeves, MLA, and Col. George Drew, in crying ‘red imperialsim.’ Yet only four years ago, in May, 1936, the BC Clarion, which, under the guidance of George Weaver, CCF candidate in Skeena ,and W. W. Lefeaux, CCF candidate in Vancouver Center, claimed to be ‘the Canadian organ of socialist opinion,’ had this to say in an article entitled ‘War: What For’ “... while it is still a fact that wage slaves have no interest in their masters’ victories or defeats, there is a change in the situation this time by virtue of the existence of the Soviet Republic. No one professing sympathetic feelings towards the Soviets can sit calmly by and allow militaristic outrages to- wards them to go without very active protest. There are some who say that Russia is just another capitalist country, a view it is only possible to hold by ignoring most of the facts and selecting a few that fit the theory (for example, see the Fed- erationist.—Ed.). There are others who hold that Russia has abandoned the world revolution, and is now accepted as re- spectable by the capitalist powers. It is not at all true. World revolution cannot be forced. The workers who must make their respective national contributions to such a revolution have yet more disillusionment to go through.” And the Federationist is adding to this disillusionment. E * ~~ N° MATTER which party is elected the war will continue, Angus MacInnis told an audience recently. But, he ad- ded, if the CCF is elected, it will continue without profiteering. Apart from the important fact that MacInnis, by this remark, openly aligns himself with Canadian big business, perhaps he will, in one of his more lucid moments, explain just how an imperialist war can be run without profits. WOMEN TAKE UP THE STRUGELE By KAY GREGORY WY CREING: women in eyery country of the world will be marking International Wom- en's Day this Friday, March 8, the date set aside by an International Congress of Women Socialists at Copenhagen 30 years ago when it adopted a resolution presented by that great women’s leader, Clara Zetkin. Since then this day has been a symbol for mil- lions.of women in their struggle by the side of their men for peace and freedom. And to- day, for women in belligerent and neutral countries alike it is a day of greatest significance. For the second time, women in Canada will celebrate this historic day while their country is em- broiled in an imperialist war, while they watch with dread in their hearts the trend towards conscription. Already, in every daily paper there are reports of ‘war-work’ by those same organizations which in 191416 helped to bring in conscription. But it will take more than the tremendous barrage of propagan- da launched at women in those war years to persuade the average woman to support conscription today. Even in 1915 women were a lit- tle suspicious of the ‘high prin- ciples’ involved in the war. For instance, the Canadian Annual Review for 1915 remarked: “The difficulty as to women holding back their sons or husbands was for a time serious and its influ- ence was by no means negligible at the close of the year.” When, in May, 1915, internation- al women’s groups led by United States organizations called a con- ference at The Hague it was, as Dr. Aletta Jacobs, who presided, termed it, “not a peace conference but an international congress to protest against the war,’’ Canadi- an patriotic women’s organiza- tions refused to send delegates, declaring that “the present is not the time to call a halt... . and it ill becomes neutral countries, do- ing little to shield the weak or punish the wicked, to interfere in the conduct of the war.” Undeterred by attacks from ‘pa- triotic’ clubs, big business groups, the capitalist press, even govern- ments which, in some countries) refused passports to delegates, women from twelve countries, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Den- mark, Germany, Britain, Hun- gary, Italy, The Netherlands, Nor- way, Sweden, and the United States, attended the conference. They went on record for an “end to this bloodshed and beginning of peace negotiations” and de- manded that the peace which fol- lowed “shall be permanent and, therefore, based on justice.” Jane Addams, noted American social worker, elected president of the Congress, describes in her book “Forty Years at Hull House,” a letter from a soldier in the trenches to the Congress which read: “Every since I have been in the trenches I have been wonder- ing what is the matter with the women. They would not be called cowards and they need not be afraid. Why are they holding back? - Why do not women make a Statement so many of us are longing for?” In October of the same year, an American woman, Chrystal Mac- Millan, created quite a furore in the WNational Council of Women by refusing to discriminate be- tween soldiers of either side, de- claring: “Humiliation of Germany would only serve to bring another war in later years. . . the death of Miss Cavell is of no greater im- portance than the death of hun- dreds of others who have also paid the price of war. The great- est crime in this war is the war itself.” W 1916, talk of conscription be came more open, despite evi- dent opposition of the people to it. In May, a Mrs. Cummings, ad- dressing a women’s meeting, de- clared there was “appalling apa- thy among many women, while some were openly hostile.” Again ‘patriotic’ organizations, representing upper and middle elass women, came to the govern- ment’s rescue. Toronto Local Council of Women in November, followed by other similar organiz- ations later, passed a resolution in favor of conscription, after hearing suffrage leader Dr. Marg- aret Gordon state that “mothers who have sons at the front are anxious to have other mothers’ sons sent over to be shot.” It was found that there were 14,700 young men employed in Toronto alone who could be ‘re leased’ for the army if replaced by women. “The Women’s Emer- gency Corps did splendid work along these lines,” the Canadian Annual Review for 1916 recorded. Intention of the government to introduce conscription was an- nounced in May, 1917. HORTLY afterwards, in the Dec., 1917 election, Prime Min- ister Sir Robert Borden granted a vote to all women who had relatives in the Canadian or Brit- ish forces. Thus, after a struggle of many years, women obtained their franchise in a wartime elec- tion to enable them to vote for the government which had grant ed this ‘favor’ and had intro- duced conscription. Women in all walks of life were thrown suddenly into an active industrial and political life. For many women from the middle and upper classes this was a tran- sient change in their spheres of activity to last only as long as the war itself lasted. But to working- class women it was an opportun- ity to voice their protests, to fight for their rights on an equal plane with men. To them it was no temporary phase, but a step for- ward which they would use in their fight for the complete eman- cipation possible only under so- Gialism. e@ AST summer a voluntary res- istration of women power for a ‘national emergency’ was under- taken, supported by those same ‘patriotic’ organizations, National Council of Women and all its local councils, IODE, Women’s Service Clubs and many similar groups. Taken during peace time, this registration did not state what might constitute a ‘national emer- gency, nor did it make any spe- cific mention of support of Can- ada’s participation in war, since Canada was not then at war. That not very much sympathy for the idea was evinced by Ganadian women was shown by the chagrin publicly expressed by the organiz- ers of the registration at the small returns reported by the mittee, Now the purpose of this regis- tration becomes very clear. The Society for Voluntary Registra- tion of Canadian women, it is re- ported, has made ayaialble “names and addresses of 250,000 women throughout Canada who have gone on record in support of Canada's participation in the war and who have promised their ser- vices to help in any way they can in the war effort.” HIS war, as well as that of 191418 has brought one pen- alty of which women are most aware -— increased living cosis. The story of struggle against in- ereased costs for better standards com-~ of living, runs through history like a bright thread. When in 1916 a delegation de- Iaanded action from Labor Min- ister W. T. Crothers on rising prices, he told them the cost of living had ‘only advanced 17 per- cent’ in Canada, and that a short crop, higher wages and shortage of men were the main reasons! Quebec women, determined to do something for themselves, formed a Housewives’ League’ with 10,000 members which helped to keep down local prices and ob- tain some amelioration of con- ditions. Even the IODE executive, pur- porting to represent 40,000 wom- en, faced with increasing hard- ship through high prices, demand- ed that the government “take such steps to regulate the price of foodstuffs and their uses that the people may be able to obtain the necessities of life at reason- able cost.” The War Time Thrift Commit- tee of Toronto declared that “the present high price of foodstuffs is bearing heavily and especially upon the nourishment of chil- dren.” N THE first year of the last war, the increase was com- paratively slight, but as the war continued, prices shot up to un- believable heights, indicated by the wholesale price index which usually follows a similar line to that of living costs. In 1914, the index was 102.3, in 1915 109.9, an increase of 7.6 for the year, including six months of war. For the same period in this war, the wholesale index rose from 73.2 in Jan. 1939 to 82.8 in Jan. 1940, an increase of S.0 for the year, including less than five months of war. Thus the effect of war upon the purchasing power’ of ‘the worker is already more marked in this war than in the last. In 1916 the wholesale index took a leap to 131.6, an increase of 21.7 in one year, and when the war finally ended it stood at 199.0, a total war increase of 96.7, But the effect of war didn’t stop when it ended. In 1920 the index had inereased another 445 to stand at 243.5. If, in the first year of the pres- ent war, prices have increased more in comparison than the last war period, what may we expect at the end of another year? This, then, is the picture, past and present, which confronts women today. They must see the tremendous responsibility which rests on their shoulders. The wel- fare of mankind can be advanced or retarded by the stand they take. For the second time since they won the franchise women will be called upon to vote in 2a wartime federal election. In this election all the issues which vitally con- cern women, the high cost of food, loss of civil rights and liberties, and indications of pending con- Scription must necessarily play an important part. And, while conducting the ne- cessary struggle against these evils, they must wage an unceas- ing fight to bring home to the thousands who will rally around these the basie struggle invloved. They must explain again and again that all these questions arise from one question — that of the war — and that struggle around these questions must in- clude struggle against the war itself. WHEN US BROKE LAW OW the United States government dodged the law to finance the armed intervention against the Soviet Union in 1917-18 was brought to light last weel: with publication of the second volume of the papers of the late Robert Lansing, President Wilson’s world war secretary of State. Published by the US state de- partment, the secretary's papers also revealed that the United States acquired the Virgin Is- lands by purchase from Denmark after veiled threat to use force in case the small Scandinavian country refused to sell. The papers called attention to the White Guard Russian gener- als Korniloy and Kaledine, whose attacks on the Soviet state were supported by the Allies, Lansing declared that open aid to Korni- loy and Kaledine was prohibited by law, but that the government could get around this law by lending money to the Allies, who would in turn use this money to support the intervention. JT ANSING outlined this policy in a telegram to the American Ambassador to London, Walter Hines Page, on Dec. 12, 1917. The telegram stated: “It would seem unwise for this government to support openly Kaledine and his party because of the attitude which it seems ad- visable to take with the Petro- evrad authorities (Lenin and Trot- sky) ... Without actually recog- nizing the Kaledine group as a de facto government, this goy- ernment can not undertake to loan him money. “The only practical course seems to be for the British and French governments to finance the Kaledine enterprise insofar as is necessary and for this goy- ernment to loan them the money to do so. In that way we would comply with the statute and at | the same time strengthen a move- ment which seems to present the best possibility of retaining the Hussian army in the field. “T need not impress upon you the necessity of acting expedi- tiously and with impressing those with whom you talk of the importance of avoiding it being known that the United States is considering showing sympathy for the Kaledine movement, much less of providing financial assistance.” Ape Papers contain the back- sround for the material on latter American intervention, when the United States govern- ment followed the policy of open intervention against the young Soviet power, sending ammuni- tion by the wholesale and des- patching an expeditionary force undsr General Graves. Later, also, the government had used its distribution of food for war sufferers aS a political weapon, starving elements of the popula- tion professing Bolshevik sympa- thies and feeding the White Guardist forces, FORUM | of the | PEOPLE) Scores Insult To Mac-Paps To the Editor: In a recen##’ tion of the News-Herald, ¢ appeared a letter which bem: being factually false is an if not only to those former meng’ of the Mackenzie Papineau talion now in Canada, but especially to those of our” trades who made the supreme Tifice in defense of democr comrades it was our missio try and stop the march of ism before it involved the y world in war and disaster. @ Sequent events have proved | the betrayal of the Spanishw Ble was also the betrayal op) Mmocracy the world over. : The ill-informed individual; wrote to the News-Herald jn uated that the Mac-Paps. sho retrieve themselyes by offen their services to the Finn White Guards. I can assure}: of this, and I think that I expe” the feelings of all the form | members of the battalion, ify, Finnish people were in neeq | help to free themselves from) | fascist Ryti-Mannerheim reg ! they would not appeal in vain; far as the former Mac-Paps ; | concerned. al The greatest similarity betywa | the two struggles is the mous support and cooperation, the dictatorships and their = | pathizers, Chamberlain and Dy | dier, with the home-grown iq ists, | SORES. } C. A. SAUNDERS, | Former member of the Mack zie-Papineau Battalion, © Disgusted With CCE Position — To the Edtor: “In anc Greece, an orator who was BR to remain silent was said toe hy ; an ‘ox on his tongue” The oz it remembered, was a silver ¢ 5 imported from Egypt.’ (Pron: letter by Karl Marx to the a York Tribune, April ii, wherein Marx criticized the 7) don Times), 4 i Last week I attended the G@ rally in Burrard Hall and hea candidates review their prosra I expected to hear ane of the at least follow up the stand ta& by Mrs. D. G. Steeves, MLA) the provincial legislature J fall. : Not one of them took a st against this imperialist wat Did they all have an ‘ox their tongues, or do they exp to follow in the footsteps of G land? | As a matter of fact they. their best to show they are ‘ favor of the war. Grant Mac ~ was boosted by Harold Winch @ war veteran and an honor} member of the Legion. Iefe told us he was a veteran of © South African War. ; As Marx has said, they all; played immense ‘fearful brave ' ANTIL-WAE Vancouver, BG. Takes Issue ‘ Weth Macknnis To the Editor: I note ¥ { drive for 1000 new readers bet April Gt should be 100,000), nail down the coffin of capi ism. Congratulations to Fereus | Kean, upon his nomination contest Vancouver East. 4 working class there now hay champion worthy of support, ¢ ¥ Should see that he is elected } represent them at Ottawa fe March 26. ~ he MacInnis, in his lineup ¥ h Dupont-Morgan, Mond, Hoo) Franco, Mussolini, Citrine, Att et al, has forfeited all risht represent the working Git Elected to defend the work against capitalist aggression Vancouver FEiast, he deserts Supporters to “play ball’ with big shots, and traitorous ‘la! men in their attack upon Soviet Union. I noted that MacInnis, in -© article, ‘Bombs Over Finle ha quoted the New Republic. i the last copy of the Amer:f> Freeman, which a friend has : 4S me, I find the followings: “The New Republic receive yearly subsidy of $200,000 f the rich widow of Wit Straight .. .” Later, in conve tion with the New Republic tor, Bruce Bliven, T learned this $200,000 subsidy didn’t pi crimp in Mrs. Straight’s fort because she charged the amc off her income tax, thus get into a lower bracket.” j Very cute, these social-mir} liberals! 5 And, by the way, Mr. Ed; did you notice that we had Ty Cooper and the beautiful D4 visiting us a few weeks ag: noted they have nine childre? evacuees — from the slum: London, so our press says. SPARTACUH Morningside, Alta.