j | | under section 2 of article 3: iy: ay | A Threat | L - cil, Nigel Morgan, proceed with publication. If there were any doubt them. readily be used against other of the labor movement. The To Labor AST week for the first time in more than five vears of uninterrupted publication the Advocate missed an issue. Intimidated by indirect threats of posisble vigilante action, the firm which has printed ihe Advocate since it was first launched in Jan. 1935 informed us three davs before the The ADVOCAT: FOR PEACE. PROGRESS AND DEMOCRACY - Pies paper would normally have gone to press thai it would not in the minds of the thousands of supporters of the progressive labor movement that the threat behind the present campaign of hvsteria, regardless of stated aims, is to the labor movement, the fact that the first blow is being directed at ihe Advocate should dispel During the past few monihs every pressure has been brought to bear on this paper. Advertisers have been warned to boucoti us. Our salesmen have been threatened and in- timidated, and two weeks ago one was assaulied on the sireet by would-be vigilantes before indignani bystanders halied them. Here the campaign against the labor move- ment is revealed in all its potential ugly menace to the irade unions and other progressive organizations. Vigilante methods which can be used against the Advocate can as labor papers and all sections first objective is the silencing of the Advocate because of its consistent defense of worl- ing class interests. Thai objective must not be attained. We believe that the overwhelming majority of Can- adian people, whose first interest is in the preservation of our democratic liberties in Canada, are opposed to the peitvy Hitlers and incipient storm troopers who, taking ad- vantage of the silualion io slir up a campaign of chauvin- ism by demagogic utterances strangly akin to those em- ploved by Hitler in the early days of the Nazi movement, are assailing the people’s rights. Let our readers ask themselves this question: Who stands to gain if the Advocate is silenced? Certainly not the working people of British Columbia for whom it is a proven tribune. Knowing this, we believe our readers and all our supporters will answer our appeal to them to reg- ister their protest and to build our fighting fund. The blow to the Advocate has been a heavy one. While advertising revenues have declined, publishing costs . of the Advocate, even in its new format, are not reduced. While the biggest preportion of our fund has been used io pay accrued printing debis, our credit standing estab- lished over a period of years has been largely destroved. If the need for the financial support of our readers Was urgent before, it is now imperative. The threat to ihe Advocate must be answered by united protest and united effort. And we are confident that our supporters will answer it. German Miners Defeat Nazi Labor Decrees By Slow-Down Tactics LONDON, England. — (By Mail.— Nearly half a million coal miners in Germany produce 186 millions tons of coal a year, but the} do not keep Germany’s home fires burning. Ger- many is tremendously rich in coal; after Britain it is the world’s largest coal exporting country —but the avid war machine swallows it all up as soon as it comes to the surface. And so the people had to go without warmth in this first fierce winter of the war. Replies To Jamieson Answering press statements made by E. A. Jamieson, president of Vancouver Trades and Labor coun- TWA secretary, lin a statement issued this week i declared: ' «“jJamieson’s attempts to evade charges that have been levelled by former affiliates of the trades council will not shake the firm con- viction of any of those who have followed his policy. “Why, he stands condemned by his own utterances! At a recent council meeting he told delegates that he took his orders from the American Federation of Labor, and when this statement was challeng- ed he ordered the delegates to sit down. When the storm of protest which rose to a high point as a Te- sult of this autocratic action show- ed any signs of threatening Jamie- son’s position he promptly ordered the meetings adjourned. So ended at least three meetings since March 1? The statement continued. “The constitution of Vancouver Trades and Labor council provides “Any delegate may be impeached for an | infringement of the constitution or y bylaws of this council, but no dele- gate shall be impeached unless charges are preferred in writing and acjudicated upon by a trial com- mittee whick shall be appointed by ¢he executive board, subject to the approval of the council.” Does any one honestly believe that this pro- Vision was not overruled by Jamie- son in the recent expulsion and purges he has put through? And further, he even went so far as to Tule ‘Out of Order’ a motion of ‘non-confidence in the methods he resorted to, Fear that this motion qwould be reintroduced at the last meeting prompted him to get Rep- Seose to V Hughes from the US to “Some to Vancouver to further dic- ate to the democratically elected | es of the unions affiliated to the council, according to charges of 2 number of AFL unions.” It was asserted that Jamieson “ap- parently is doing everything pos- sible to revive and substantiate this Out-worm propaganda of the ‘in- dustrial friends’ of certain AFL top Officials. By dividing labor at this time and by his witch-hunting cam- Experience has taught the miners that coal-owners do not carry on business in the interests of the people. And the miners have their own response to demands for big- ger output. longer hours, speed-up and Gestapo methods which ac- company wage-cuts, inadequate safety measures, and in general, a callous disregard of their lives. Without the right to have their own unions, without the right to elect their own representatives, with strike action punishable by death and many of their comrades mur- dered or in concentration camps, they have learned that by standing together much can be defended and much can be won. New methods have replaced the old. Theirs is underground workin more than one sense of the word. Spied on by police and employer alike, the men have closed their ranks. In the darkness and danger of the pits, no one asks “Are you a Socialist, a Communist, a Catholic, a Protestant?” Instead, a slogan passed from mouth to mouth, from shift to shift, from pit to pit, “We are supposed to work two hours longer today. Nothing doing. To the pithead as usual. Pass it on.” ‘GO SLOW “They want to pay us ten pfen- nings less a truck. Don’t accept. The manager must come and nego- tiate with the commission we elect. Until then go slow, very slow, as slow as possible.” “They're knocking off 25 pfen- nings from our wages for a Nazi badge. Unless they give us back the 25 pfennings immediately, we stay down. Stick to this. Take it seriously. Stand together.” “After the shift we're ordered to stay in the shower room for an ex- tra hour to listen-in to the fuehrer speaking. Everyone is to go straight home.” This is how it is done. Slogans travel from comrade to comrade; trucks carry similar messages chalked on to their sides; small leafiets and stickbacks make their appearance, float from the roof of the shower building, circulate in the pits, in the sheds and boiler rooms aboye ground. Led by the most fearless and clear-sighter, the miners have built up their underground activity and organizations. Their whispering campaigns rustled across the length and breadth of Germany. Small printed, newspapers camouflaged pamphlets, miraculously appeared, brought new strength, new courage and a new understanding. Coal production in the Third Reich dwindled. Annual output per Paigns he is providing big business With a swell club to defeat labor,’ (Gontinued on Page 2) Vol 6. Nos. 19-20. Full Nos. 280-281 VANCOUVER, B.C., FRIDAY, MAY 31, 1940 <6 5 cents Seventeen unions affiliated with Vancouver Trades and Labor Couneil which, by maj- ority vote of their membership, rejected AW President Wil- liam Green’s edict to purge the trade union movement of all Communist trade unionists and active sympathizers, last Weel were unseated by AFL International Representative Charles Hughes in a far-reach- ine effort to silence opposition to executive policies. : Called on by President Jamieson immediately after the council meet- ing opened Hughes stated that he had a message for the council which Was not a very pleasant one, add- ing that some drastic measures had to be taken to protect the member- ship of international unions. Referring to AFI, President Wil- iam Green’s order to oust Com- munists and sympathizers, the rep- Tesentatives stated it was not sent Gut for acceptance or rejection but was the ruling of the AFI as de- cided by the Cincinatti convention last year however a number of or- ganizations, by their yote signified that they no longer wanted to live under the federation, and it was his ‘painful duty’ to unseat all those unions. _Named in. the susnension. order were: Bakery and Confectionery Workers, local 468; Bricklayers, local 1; Jewelry Workers, local 42; Printing Pressmen and Assistants, local 69; Molders, local 281: Up- holsterers, local 306; United Gar- ment Workers, local 190; Stenog- Taphers, Typists and Bookkeepers, local 18177; Glass Workers, local 954; Paint Malers, local 566; Elec- trical Workers, local 213; Butcher Workers and Meat Cutters, local 94; Engineers, local 115: United Fisher- men, local 44, and BC Seamen’s union. Journeymen Tailors, local 190, was expelled by Jamieson at the April 5 meeting, while Railway Carmen, lodge 58, Shipyard laborers and Stereotypers and Electrotypers unions severed their affiliation at the council’s first meeting this month. Inland Boatmen’s union (CIO) was ousted allegedly because of per capita tax arrears. TWENTY-FOUR OUT A total of 24 unions have with- drawn voluntarily or been unseated since the order to expel Commun- ist trade unionists and active sym- pathizers was received last Feb- uary from the AFL executive in Washington, DC. Previous orders were not brought before the coun- cil ©. M. Stewart, former executive board member, charged at one meeting. Visitors were denied admittance and J. Maley, one of three dele- gates unseated at the previous meeting whose union wrote asking that he be allowed to state his case, was barred. Union letters protesting Jam- ieson’s undemocratic actions which were all filed, evoked from Delegate George Gerrard eulosy of the president and an equally bitter condemnation of the unseated unionists. “The sooner you take the scum off the pot as he did tonight, the better off we'll be,” he stated, ask- ing secretary Percy Bengough to write to the unions concerned ““and tell them what the executive thinks of them.” E Said Gerrard: “We'll be here long aiter they are gone, that bunch of fifth columnists.” ‘SCUM STILL HERE’ Birst Showler objected to writ- ing to the unions, stating that the Printing Pressmen had obtained a lot of benefits from the trades (Continued on Page 2) SEE LABOR Mooted As I|WA ‘Takes Initiative Formation of a British Col- umbia Tabor Council is the keynote of a conference call sent out last week by Nigel Morgan, executive secretary of International Woodworkers of America (CIO) to all AFL and CIO unions m British Colum- bia inviting them to send dele- eates to a conference which opens a two-day session at 1C am, June 22, in the former city council chambers, 16 Wast Hastings street. Aim of the conference, assert the sponsors, is to “build a new house for labor—a long needed ‘BG Labor Gouncil’ which will bring together all bona fide trade unions in BC, Tegardless of international affilia- tion, to cooperate and work for the solution of common problems.” In this it has a three point program: First, adoption of a policy to bring about unity; sec- ond, adoption of a constitution, and third, drafting of an organ- izational and legislative program for much needed labor legisla- tion to aid labor in organizing and protecting trade union rights. It is stated that organized labor can no longer ignore the fact that labor’s ranks have been divided, thereby bringing. a new ray of hope to reactionary, profiteering anti- labor industrialists for prolonging of their program of: exploiting BG workers through the open shop, blocking much neded social and la- bor legislation and harnessing labor to a dictatorial war economy. This, it is stated, will mean cut- ting down consumption of food, clothing and the prime necessities of life, immediate curtailment of social services and relief allow- ances, and lowering of living stan- dards by pegging wages, while cam- paigns for higher wages are blocked through repressive legislation such as the War Measures Act. “Canadian labor faces the greatest challenge and the great- est responsibility in its history,” states the call asserting that “well prepared and carefully en- gineered plans are being present- ed to split and weaken labor or- ganizations, so that it can be regimented, transformed and stripped of its independence and cherished trade union rights.” Recent expulsions of CIO and other delegates from Vancouver Trades and Labor council and the “dictatorship’ established over that body by President Jamieson makes it quite obvious that the challenge to labor will not be met, nor will the responsibilities be shouldered, the call states. All CIO unions and many AFL affiliates have signified their will- ingness to participate. Invitations to all unions last week Suspended from Vancouver Trades and Labor council have been sent out for a meeting to be held in Burrard hall, June 12 at 7:30 p.m. to determine future policy. This move is not connected with International Woodworkers union’s proposal to establish a B. GC. Labor eouncil, according to Secretary Don Maxwell, of Retail Clerks’ union, one of five union officials elected at a special meeting of the suspend- ed unions to plan a line of action. Referring to the IWA’s confer- ence call, Maxwell stated that it Was not a matter concerning the suspended unions, which, he said, still consider themselves members of the AFI, and Trades and Labor Congress and regard the suspension as unonstitutional. Invitations were signed by union officials who earlier issued a press statement anent the suspension. new Soviet city of Kexholm. thanked his constituents for ment, SEE GERMAN Kuusinen Is Candidate MOSCOW, USSR—Otto Kuusinen, candidate for dep- uty to the Soviet of Nationalities of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in the forthcoming elections was enthusiastically greeted when he spoke Jast week at a moss Meeting: in the In his speech the noted Finnish Communist leader their confidence in him and called upon them to mark the elections by new achieve- ments in production and by successes in buil¢iing up the new region of the Karelo-Finnish Republic. Also a candidate for deputy is Toivo Antikainen, Fin- nish Communist leader recently released fro prison after five years imprisonment in solitgry confine- . @ Finnish 2 Cripps Goes On Mission To Moscow New Move Follows Soviet Position On Trade Parley LONDON, Eng.—Announce- was made here this week that Sir Stafford Cripps, Labor MP, is enroute to Moscow on an economic mission, following Premier Molotoy’s recent state- ment to Britain in reference to Soviet-British trade negotia- tions that the Soviet Union “cannot subordinate the trade policy of the USSE to the war aims of any foreign state.”’ Text of Premier Molotov’s state- ment on Soviet-British trade nego- tiations, as released by Tass, Soviet news agency, last week, read: “The foreign press has publish- ed incorrect reports misrepresent- ing the progress and character of the preliminary negotiations on trade relations between the Soviet Union and Britain. In this con- nection, Tass is authorized to state the following: “7. As far back as autumn of 1939, Britain’s Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Viscount Halifax, conveyed to the Soviet ambassador in Lon- don, Ivan Maisky, the desire of the British government regarding a trade agreement. In reply the Soviet government agreed in principle to conduct trade’ negotiations. : “However, a number of steps undertaken py the British govern- ment to curtail and restrict trade with the USSR (cancellation of Soviet orders for industrial equip- ment), detention of Soviet merch- ant vessels with cargoes for the USSR, the hostile attitude towards the USSR and Finland, and also the leading part of the British goy- ernment in expulsion of the USSR from the League of Nations—all this could not contribute to the satisfaitory progress of these nego- tiations. “2. After conclusion of the peace treaty between the USSR and Fin- land, Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs Butler on March 18, 1940, on behalf of the British govern- ment again proposed to Maisky commencement of trade negotiations. Replying to this proposal, Maisky on March 27 informed Halifax that the Soviet government would agree to trade negotiations if the Brit- ish government displayed a genu- ine readiness for a favorable solu- ton of the problems of Anglo- Soviet trade and in particular if, before beginning the negotiations, it released the Soviet steamers Sel- enga and Mayakovsky detained by the British authorities. “On April 19, Halifax handed Maisky the reply of the British government in which the latter ex- pressed a wish to Jearn the concrete proposals of the Soviet govern- ment regarding a trade agreement and at the same time demanded a guarantee that goods imported by the Soviet Union be destined not for Germany but for consumption in the USSR itself. Besides, the British government linked up the question of the conclusion of a trade agreement between the USSR and England with restriction of trade relations between the USSR and Germany. SOVIET REPLY. “Maisky conveyed to Halifax the reply of the Soviet government to the British proposals. Gist of this reply was as follows: “a) The USSR, being a neutral country, has traded and will trade both with belligerents and with neutrals, being guided by its own requirements as regards export and import of commodities. “b) The Soviet Union has a trade agreement with Germany which the USSR observes and will ob- serve, deeming it inadmissible to make it a subject of negotiations with third countries, just as the USSR does not intend to make the question of trade agreements be- tween Britain and other countries the subject of negotiations between the two countries. “c) The Soviet government agrees to restore trade relations with Britain on the basis of reciprocity, so long as such an agreement would not require the violation of obligations concerning trade under- faken by each party with regard ¢+o other countries. In doing so, the Soviet government has in mind ne- eotiations on a trade agreement under which the USSR would sceure the import of goods from Britain for its own requirements and not for re-export. ((d), Release of the Soviet steam- ers Selenga and Mayakoysky de- (Continued on Page 3) SEE CRIPPS MONTREAL GONFERENGE URGES DEFENSE OF GI Labor Council — IL LIBERTIES Loss Of Rights Alarms Delegates ‘To National Meet MONTREAL, Que—Convie- tidn that “‘in time of war, as in time of peace, it is necessary for the welfare of the people and the safeguarding of dem- oeracy that there be no cultail- ment of the basic civil liber- ties’? was expressed here by delegates in a concluding res- olution at the recent national conference for Civil Liberties in Wartime. The resolution was virtually un- animous, only two delegates rep- resenting the Pan-Canadian Union, maintaining oppostion at conclu- son of the discussion. gj Pointing out the severe restric- tion of civil liberties under the War Measures Act, the confer- ence held “that to limit decmoc- racy is to endanger the welfare of the people, and we say that to accord uncontrolled power to the government is to limit democ- Tacy. To restrict freedom of criticism and toe prevent the ex- pression of minority views is to destroy the democratic process. To forbid the public discussion of policies at variance with those of the government in power is to yield to dictatorship. The only guarantee that the best interests of the people will be served is contained in freedem to pro- pose, discuss, criticize and seek changes in public policy. “In time of war it is necessary to put into force measures to pre- yent espionage by agents of the enemy and to provide for the pub- lic safety in the event of military attack. But we hold that in time of war, perhaps even more than in time of peace, it is essential that the people have power to control the exercise by the government of any extraordinary power that may be accorded it...” More than 150 delesates from some 85 organizations of all kinds attended the conference, while more than 200 observers, many of whom were officially sent by or- ganizations to bring back reports, attended. Delegates or observers Were present from Vancouver, Re- gina, Drumheller, Alta.. Winnipeg, Timmins, Ont., London, Ont., King- ston, Cornwall, Oshawa, Hamilton, Brampton, Flesherton, Ont., Mont- real, Lennoxville, Que., and Fred- ericton, N. B. Delegates represented trade- union centres, trades councils and locals, religious, cultural, educa- tional, fraternal, social, welfare, youth and women’s organizations. TORONTO, Ont.—Immediate launching of a campaign to Taise a $50,000 defense fund during the remainder of the year was recided upon by the Canalian Labor Defense Leagne’s national executive at conclusion of the Montreal con- ference on Civil Liberties in Wartime. Thirty-two delegates attended the meeting from mam genters across Canada. Themeeting was concerned main- ly with a brief on civil liberties dramnyp by the executive for pres- entation to the federal government. It gives a detailed report on cur- tailment of civil rights under De- fense of Canada Regulations and offers the following. recommenda- tions: (@) Pull open, public parliament- ary discussion on the War Meas- ures act and the Defence of Can- ada, Tegulations at which labor, pro- gressive and church bodies will have the Tight to place their viewpoints before’ parliament, (2) Full restoration of the rights_ of Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights; Retention of complete par- liameniary democracy and an end to the rule by order-in-council. (3) Immediate repeal of sec- tions 5, 21, 24. 97, 39. 39A, 61.62 Nos, 45, 6, and of all related-wec- tions of the Canada Sees ee @ Full rights guaranteed for foreien-born populations and groups, even if enemy alien unless they are proven to be dangerous fascists and Nazis. (6) Immediate release of Harry Binder, Louis Binder, A. Roy Saund- ers, Douglas Stewart; Robert Geays, Victor Guy, Robert McClure, Fred Spewas, Stan Kmnudman, and all those arrested, sentenced and im- prised under the Defence of Ganada regulations for expressing opinins or exercising democratic rights, (é)Gondemnation of the outlaw- ing, wder Section 62, of the Com- mumist party of Canada, as a dangerous step toward the suppres- sion of minority groups that might opposs government policy and the demand that the ruling made on the Communist party be rescinded. (7) That the government prevent the dganization of vigilante groups and the present tendencies already exhibited in the city of Regina and other places toward mob violence. New Compromise Move In India Seen Probable LONDON, Eng—The Week, tewsletter published here, sees the possibility of ‘‘spectacular moves to gear India more firmly into the empire war The newsletter refers to uncon- firmed reports that ‘an offer of immediate dominion status will be made and that the viceroy’s coun- cil will be established to assist in intensifying the war effort and that prospects are that a drive will then be undertaken against all those who oppose Indian participa- tion in the war.” Scores of prominent leaders of the All-India Congress and Indian trade unions have already been ar- rested under the Defense of India regulations. The Week continues: “It is stated that this (the un- confirmed report of a pending offer of dominion status) is the partial reason for the inclusion in the new British cabinet of so many diehard elements, particularly Amery Lloyd. For it is pointed out that thesemen will act as assurance and guarantee to the right wing Tories that do- minion status will not be taken to mean some dangerous ‘extension’ of Indian freedom in a practical sense but, on the contrary, will be the necessary political step towards more fully mobilizing Indian re- sources for the war with a ‘firm hand’ in control inside the country, “It is understood the demand for this new turn in Indian policy has come from the labor leaders, wh) incidentally, were the originators a the proposal for the viceroy’s co’ cil at the beginning of the wa, which was at that time overwheln ingly rejected in India. “The announcement of t dominion status quo more, it thought, apart from its effec upon India as part of the empiz war machine, could alse be us¢ machine. ”? fully employed by the Labor party. . on the ‘home front? as a demon- stration to nervous followers of ‘progressive reform’ achieved as a resilt of Labor participation in the government and as ‘proof’ that the diehards are not die- hards after all. “It is as yet too early to estimate the Immediate practical affect of this Policy in Indian politics, though it is understood to have the tacit approval of certain elements in the Congress who are alarmed at the left wine progress in the last eight Months.” Montreal Youth Council Raided ee: Ont. — Seizure of wae. I and literature by. RCM Police when they raided Montreal Youth council head- onaaeets last week has drawn =e ae poretests from Canadian Defense Leagne in a wire to Prime Minister Kine. Text of eral Secretary A. FE. Smith read: League, in i e opal the mame of its na Z Of Wontreal Youth eee as an Files against the cementary jeivil rights of the E M people. ‘We urge that government Prevent illega] raids, threats of Mob violence and injnstified and Unwarranted attacks upon hou- est Working class and progressive €Toups in this country.’’