_ THE PEOPLE Published every Wednesday by The People Publishing Co:, Room 104, Shelly Building, 119 West Pender Street, Wancouver, B.C. Telephone: MArine 6929. Epiror Har GRIFFIN MAawnaGiINc Epiror ——...-....--.-- Kay GREGORY - Busrness MANAGER .-...-.—---------» ... EDNA SHEARD Six Months—$1.00 Qne Year—$2.00 Printed st Brosdway Printers Limited, 151 East 8th Ayenue, Vancourer, B.O0. 7 Make Democracy Work For Total War HEN the all-party parliamentary committee tabled its report at the end of the last session of parliament in 1942, the minister of justice, Hon. Louis S. Laurent, took the authority upon himself to indicate government action, contrary to the recommendation of the parliamentary com- mittee which favored the lifting of the ban on the Communist Party of Canada, and other cultural, educational, religious and working class organizations. At that time St. Laurent stated he “would be most re- luctant to recommend to the governor-in-council anything which might be interpreted by the country at large as legal-. izing real Communism in Canada.” Just what St. Laurent meant at that time by “real com- munism’ was not stated. ‘In a letter of October 13, 1942, to Drummond Wren, secretary of the Workers’ Educational As- sociation of Toronto, St. Laurent elaborates the question further. “In my opinion, differences, even if they arose in the past, cannot be forgotten when they are fundamental, and I am con- vinced that the differences between international communism and the constitutional setup and Christian civilization*of our country are fundamental ... the acceptance of communism might, as you suggest, cause consternation in the ranks of our enemies, but I am sure it would also cause consternation in the ranks of very large numbers of loyal citizens of most of the United Nations.” The Canadian people, through the medium of a parliamen- tary committee, gave the lie to St. Laurent, as far as Canada is concerned. The granting of civil rights to any group does not mean the acceptance of the creed of this or that particular group. = e qe people who are most happy at the Bourbon-guardian- ship- of Louis St. Laurent in opposing lifting of the ban _ are the Vichyite and pro-fascist, reactionary organizations in Quebec—who oppose every major effort in Canada’s war contribution to the cause of the Allied Nations. These quis- lings have a valuable mouthpiece in the person of St. Laurent. A few days ago, February 23, in reply to a question put by Angus MacInnis, M.P. for Vancouver East, Hon. St, Laur- ent reiterated his position agaimst lifting the ban. The minister is quoted as saying that, “There is a fine dis- tinction between those who now conduct the affairs of Rus- sia and those who, as the Communist Party of Canada, advo- cate the overthrow of government by force.” ... “To lift the ban would be to give serious encouragement to a doctrine that is contrary to the criminal code.” George Black (Prog- Con., Yukon) supported St. Laurent with a series of wild assertions which had no basis in fact. His groundless assertions of communists admitting acts of violent sabotage against Canada’s war effort is a quisling fabrication of the wildest sort, and does not reflect a sense of responsibility in public affairs. The people of Canada know these charges are untrue. The Goebbels propaganda machine will hail this with diabolical glee. A new parliamentary committee has been set up to study the working of the Defense of Canada Regulations. It is hoped they will begin with the scheduled report and recommenda- tions of the 1942 committee. In making democracy work for Canada’s war effort, there is no place today for undemocratic restrictions upon citizens who are wholeheartedly in support of total war policies. Nor is there any place in a war government for quisling Vichyite elements like Justice Minister St. Laurent, who obstruct the unity and war effort of the nation by continually waving the red bogey of “communism.” The people of Canada, through their numerous organiza- tions, trade unions, and others, should once again make their desire known in this respect with the same decisiveness and unity that they did in 1942 — by letters to their M.P.’s, by representation to the new parliamentary committee, by con- demnation of the quisling position of Louis St. Laurent — in- sist that democracy be made to work for total war and the ban on the Communist Party of Canada be lifted. Russian - ensive \W/orries Finns By TOM McEWEN yee mighty sweep of the Russian offensive extending from Murmansk to the Black Sea, and their smashing victories over Hitler’s legions, is causing perturbation among Finland’s Wazi ruling clique. The North African campaign, and the victories of the USA and Australian forces in the South Pacifie is also having its effect in Helsinki. They are less sure than they were a year ago that “Finland’s aspirations’ would be best served by a war-alliance with “Der Fuehrer.” The recent Finnish ‘elections’ in which Rysto Rytti was ‘re- elected’ president, is significant for two reasons. First, that as soon as ‘re-elected’ Rytti was im- pelled to state that, “we hope that when peace comes, the United Wations will understand Fin- Jand’s position,’ a clear admission that the hope of a Hitler victory was rapidly fading, and second, that in this Northern nazi state, plaything of fascist reaction, the Finnish people had no voice in the elections or in the affairs of the country in general, and are beginning to boil over, The Hel- sinki nazi cabal are caught be- tween the horns of a total Hitler defeat and a people demanding democratic expressions and peace. The Finish bourgeoisie and the Finnish Social democrats — of which Vairno Tanner is the leader and lackey of Rytti—blood brothers under their political skins, have insisted on playing with fire — are getting badly burned—and are now crying for sympathy. e ° e OPING that the Allied Na- tions “will understand Fin- land’s position” is an admission that the Finnish nazi stooges, Rytti-Tanner-Mannerheim, et al, backed the wrong horse. An ad- mission that a Nazi defeat is not only probable but inevitable, and that Hitler has been no more able than was Chamberlain or Dala- dier, to satisfy “Finland's aspira- tion.” Since 1918, the bourgeoisie of Finland, with the aid of German troops under Baron Gustay Karl von Mannerheim (who has since become a Finn?) have crushed the Finnish people in a> nazi vice of terror and repression, have lent themselves to any and every anti- Soviet foreign clique, as a sort of provocation and intrigue centre against the USSR. The innumerable “incidents” of provocation on the Finnish-Soviet- Karelian border from 1922-39 are evidence of their eagerness: to pro- voke and attack the USSR. In 1939-1940, in keeping with their own foreign ‘aspirations’ they succeeded in provoking war with the USSR. They could have realized much of their aspira- tions for a greater Finland (geo- graphically) by peaceful negotia- tion and exchange of territory offered by the Soviet Government. Mytti and. Mannerheim, with their foreign backers, didn’t want it that way. They wanted war— against the USSR. They got it, and their “glory’’—in the plaudits of the commercial press, was shortlived. The Red Army taught the Finnish war-mongers that its Commander-in-Chief Stalin meant what he said anent “pigs who stick their snouts into the Soviet cabbage patch’ getting their snouts soundly rapped. Now Mannerheim, Rytti and Hitler are in bandages as a result of ignor- ing the lesson, and Herr Schik- elgruber’s Finnish allies want to pull out and call it quits. Tanner, the Social-Democrat, holds up Rytti, the protege of in- ternational finance capital, and together, seek a path to peace, and in doing so, cling to their plea for “understanding Finland’s aspirations.” This dirge fools no one—and least of all the Finnish people. e ° e HE Finnish people have al- Ways sought to live at peace with their Soviet neighbor. The Finnish people have never for- gotten that they received their in- dependence and freedom from tzarist oppression by the Soviet government of the USSR. That their pro-nazi leaders have chosen to forget this fact, have chosen to align themselves with the en- emies of the USSR has not been the wilil or desire of the Finnish people. Qn the contrary, every organ- ization the Finnish people have built since 1918 to advance peace and neighborly relations with the USSR has been ruthlessly crushed by Mannerheim and Company. It is hardly likely that the Allied Nations will enter into peace negotiations with Rytti and Mannerheim, any more than they would enter into peace negotia- tions with Hitler or Mussolini, particularly when the proviso of ‘Finland’s aspirations’ can only be realized at the expense of a- valiant member of the Allied na- tions—the USSR. It is likely, however, that the Allied leaders, Churchill, Roose- velt, and Stalin, particularly the latter, can give the Finnish peo- ple the assurance that their de- sire for peace and their demo- eratic liberties are contained in the spirit of the Atlantic Chart- er, that the aspiration of the Finnish people will be fully guar- anteed—but that such a guarantee does not cover the Rytti-Tanner- Mannerheim janasaries of the Hitlerite Axis. With the liquidation of these traitors to Finland, the path to peace with their neighbors is open to the people.of Finland, and above all else, peace and a policy of friendly neighborliness are the basie aspirations of the Finnish people. United Nations Praise Red Army Representatives of the Allied Nations cabled their con- gratulations to the Red Army on its 25th anniversary this week. In a packed Albert Hall meeting in London, a message was read from Premier Stalin replying to greetings from the British people. “This demonstration of friendly feelings on the part of the British people for the army of the Soviet people strength- ens our confidence that the moment is near when the armed forces of our countries, by joint offensive operations, will smash our common enemy,” said Stalin. —<——— SHORT | by OV Bill Yellow and Red rAASHE sign on the window jf, “Cafe” but the people wh | there rendered it “hash-joint # Was a small place, just big en — to @&hip the proverbial cat. 779 were not cats around, how j® since pickin’s were scanty. es A cook sweltered over a range which was crowded iz ¥ corner by the door. Two wai} their union buttons promin § displayed, “took ‘em away. § smart little Chinese boy did al 7 rest of the work, vegetable . dishwasher, swamper, porter § handyman. : Into the joint came a nondes white man, one of those p who, having read Kipling, im: that upon their shoulders is the burdens of the world’s 1 ward peoples. He pulled himself up to the: ter close to where the Chinese peeling potatoes. When he §@ ordered his meal and had a § ment to look around he saw Chinese and blurted out, “Wha hell are you doing here, you y bastard?” The Chinese was not flusterm § put out in any way, but, sm = to the other customers, he : back, “I am not a yellow bas ' I red. YOU yellow bastard, t. why you talk crazy. Where union button?” 4 Everyone laughed; even the stopped scraping the hot pla join in. Barbarians In an article entitled “Va of the 20th Century” in Int tional Literature No. 1 and 2, the writer quotes a statemer Hitler, “We are barbarians an want to be barbarians, This | honorable status.” The statement is fifty-fifty rect and fifty-fifty wrong. first sentence is false; the se. one is true. Barbarism is an hi able status, but the Nazis ar barbarians. Barbarism was the higher — of primitive communal saciety that stage of social develop there were no soldiers, no darmes, no policemen; no pro tors or judges; no prisons or suits. There were no ciasses. that sound like Nazism? Labor in barbarie sociéty we honorable contribution to the of the community. The pk “dignity of labor” is a joke te. under primitive communisn meant just what it says. In Nazis’ New Order there is slavish toil for the worker. fuehrer or gauleiter ever coul ever will command the res shown by the barbaric tribe the humblest sachem. Their classless communist ety was a better one in every except one — economically —~ those that have followed it. © might Engels write: “What and what women such a sot breeds, is proved by the admire inspired in all white people ~ have come in contact with spoiled Indians, by the pers dignity, uprightness, strength character, and courage of these barians.” : : It is natural that Hitler and minions should claim these 4 butes of communal barbaric” But they lie in their teeth. Tf - mean the definition of barbal of those who are ignorant of & deyelopment, plunderers and agers, they are entitled to it. The Soviet people alone today entitled to claim kinship with communal societies of the pas and they have solved the econ problem. “a iF