THE PEOPLE Published every Wednesday by The People Publishing Co., Room 104, Shelly Building, 119 West Pender Street, Vancouver, B.C. Telephone: MArine 6929. EpITor Hart GRIFFIN MANAGING EDITOR -.-- u.---- KAY GREGORY BusINESS MANAGER --------------—----=-- EpNnaA SHEARD Six Moriths—$1.00 Printed at Broadway Printers Limited, One Year—$2.00 161 Esst 8th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C, The Door Swings Open ASSAGE on Thursday of amendments to the Industrial Conciilation and Arbitration Act has opened the door wide to a new period of progress and sweeping developments that are bounr to reflect not only in the interests of the trade unions but the entire economic and political life of the province. Consider the situation existing up until the very eve of passage of the amendments. In every major industry in the province, labor was slowly getting into its stride on behalf of production for war against fascism. Realizing that total war meant participation by every man and woman in the battle for production, thousands of workers began turning to trade union organization, confident that through organization their efforts could be better directed toward securing real partner- ship in the war effort, insistent too in their demands that the fight against fascism required also the extension of greater democracy and freedom on the home front. ° LL this conscious energy and effort, however, was being seriously hampered by the failure on the part of many government and industrial leaders to grant it full expression. Im the lumbering industry, loggers and sawmill workers had been fighting for years for just one thing—recognition of their union. And it was only natural that while the employers re- fused to grant this basic right of labor, the men in the camps and mills were unable, and in some cases even unwilling, to devote their full attention to the serious problem of lagging production. It was this situation, repeated in a score of other BC. industries, that brought about a united labor demand for real labor legislation, a demand which Labor Minister Pearson, to his credit, recognized on Thursday. fe) OW that the new ICA Act is in effect, the trade unions and labor generally can face the future with high hopes. The many disputes that have been pending in lumbering, in mining, in dozens of other industries, can be speedily settled. With the settlement of the disputes will follow a renewed enthusiasm in overcoming production problems on the part of the workers. Labor will be able to turn its attention to establishing of labor-management production committees, in assisting the managements of our great war industries to in- crease the supply of raw and manufactured goods for the fighting fronts. For labor has accepted new responsibilities as a result of its struggle for its “Bill of Rights.” In the words of Mr. Pearson, “The government wants to see the principle of collective bargaining extended further . . . by eliminating unnecessary disputes ... and by opening the way for greater cooperation in the war effort.” Labor agrees fully with this statement of aims, and will, with the cooperation of employers, direct all its energies toward realizing them. The Red Cross = And The W ar O the lives of hundreds of prisoners in fascist internment camps, the Red Cross is the only ray of light in a horror- filled world. It means an occasional parcel of food, a letter from home—the only contact with people outside barbed wire and brick walls. We who have sent our sons, husbands and brothers across the sea to take part in the coming decisive action against Hitler must not forget that guns, planes, tanks and ammuni- tion are not alone sufficient for their needs. They will be wounded, they must be cared for, fed and cheered, and in many cases, life-giving blood must be poured back into their veins. Prisoners must be given food, homeless and orphaned children must be clothed and sheltered. This is the work of the Red Cross. Its present campaign for $10,000,000 is to enable it to carry on its task of saving lives, giving succor to war victims and cheer to prisoners. Its services will be needed more than ever as the Allies come to decisive grips with the enemy. Last month the Canadian Aid to Russia fund oversub- scribed its quota by two hundred and fifty percent for the gallant people of the Soviet Union, Let us answer the appeal of the Canadian Red Cross in the same spirit, realizing that when the time comes, as it will very soon now, for our own armed forces to take the offensive, the Red Cross will be on the job to look after those members of our family far from Canadian shores who are doing their bit to wipe fascism from the face of the earth. err Doctor Gills - Goebbels By T. McEWEN R. J. J. A. GILLIS, MLA for Yale, is quoted in press reports of March 5, as saying: “Soviet Russia today is the largest fascist state in the world and Joe Stalin is the greatest fascist.” Then Herr Doctor Gillis-Goebbels concludes in typical feuhrer style: as some may think, in Berlin. If Dr. Gillis is correctly quoted, this is not a matter of challenge or debate, but one of national se- curity and coming within the jurisdiction of the RCMP, who are charged with the enforcement of the Defense of Canada Regu- lation. Treasonable utterances such as those ascribed to Dr. Gillis must not be shielded by so-called par- liamentary immunity. Nor can the legal subterfuge of “sood faith’ in their fascist outbursts, as in the case of the Quebec MLA, Rene Ghaleau, be considered grounds for leaving these propa- panda agents of Herr Goebbels at large. The danger of our parlia- mentary assemblies becoming ob- stacles to unity of our national war effort and a menace to the cause of the Allied Nations is seen in the startling fact that no single member of the BC Government saw fit to repudiate Dr. Gillis’ Nazi outburst, or to rebuke the “honor- able” member for an ignorant ‘and slanderous insult to an heroic ally. A bears BC Legislative Assembly is mot the Reichstag. Dr. Gillis has a right to disagree with the point of yiew of other - honorable membeis. He may even call the CCF MLA, Colin Cam- eron, a “foreigner.” In doing so, his fitness to represent any body of public opinion in BC is not enhanced. On the contrary, it merely shows that, like his proto- type on the Wilhelmstrasse, he must substitute ignorant chauyin- istic spleen for reasoned argu- mentation, It is reported that Dr. Gillis has made a formal denial of this “foreigner” epithet. Compared to his slander of the USSR the “for- eigner’ incident is as nothing. The peoples of British Colum- bia must see to it that Dr. Gillis maes an official denial and apology for his attack upon the character and integrity of the peoples of the USSR and their leader, Josef Stalin. This is 2 patriotic duty and national obli- gation of the British Columbia Legislature of the people of BC and Ganada as a whole. HE USSR is Ganada’s ally in the greatest of all wars for national and democratic survival. The heroic role and sacrifice of the Soviet peoples and the Red Army in this titanic struggle has won the admiration and gratitude of the whole civilized world. Only recently on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the founding of the Red Army, leaders and statesmen of the Allied Nations expressed their profound grati- tude to the Soviet people and their Red Army. To the immortal defenders of Stalingrad, King George Vi presented the highest token of esteem, a sword of honor. President Roosevelt de- clared: “The Red Army and the Russian people have surely started the Hitler forces on the road to ultimate defeat and have earned the lasting admiration of the peo- ple of the United States.” “does anyone here challenge that?” This took place in the British Columbia legislature, and not, Prime Minister King cabled the following message which is en- dorsed by all decent men and women in Canada, with the ex ception of those pro-fascist Quis- lings—of which Herr Doctor Gillis is the latest ayowed adherent: “The yigor and endurance shown in the great defensive actions before Moscow, at Leningrad, at Sevastopol and at Stalingrad de- stroyed the myth of Nazi military invincibility. The imamense and sustained winter offensive along a continent-wide front has en- couraged all free peoples and given new hope of liberation to the conquered lands. The United Wations are all indebted to the Red Army for its contribution to ultimate victory.” Josef Stalin, the leader of the heroic Soviet people, and Com- mander-in-chief of the Red Army, is recopnized—not only as the be- loved leader of his people, but one of the world’s outstanding mili- tary geniuses—one of the greatest contributors to the inevitable and decisive defeat of German fascism and its Axis satellites. rivers of blood that have saturated Soviet soil, and other theatres of bestial Nazi ag- gression, have washed out some of the old barriers of prejudice and suspicion that divided the Allied Wations in the pre-war days. A bond has thus been formed that will guarantee victory and a lasting peace. In his tribute to the Red Army on February 23, British Foreign Secretary, Anthony Eden said: “We (Britain and the USSR) are not only agreed to work together for the utter destruction of the Axis in war—we are agreed on the broad principles which under- lie our collaboration for peace.” If the bond is broken by the re- vival of old prejudices and sus- picions, it may well mean catas- trophe to millions of the world’s common people. And it will be entirely due to the Quislings of the Dr. Gillis stripe, who, whether they know it or not, are willingly carrying on the anti-Soviet and morale undermining for Herr Dr. Goebbels. OR the national unity and war effort of Canada—and the in- tegrity of the BC Legislature, a public retraction and apology from Dr. J. J. A. Gillis is impera- tive. For the security of Canada, against the Quisling agents of Fierr Goebbels in our midst, a visit to Dr. J. J. A. Gillis by the RCMP with a yiew to acquainting him with the provision of the Defense of Canada Regulation is past due. Finally, the people fo Yale con- stituency, upon whose democratic responsibilities Dr. Gillis sits in the BC Legislature, must demand an accounting from their MLA. Their sons, brothers and husbands in the armed forces of Ganada demand the preservation and ex- tention of the unity of the Allied Wations, and the removal of those pro-fascist Quislings who would destroy that unity—for its weaken- ing or destruction serves the enemy they fight. Russia during the last 25 Ye An Inspiration I RECEIVED the following ti ly letter and challenge a § Tt is timely becaus of its contents. “Dear Bill: RUSSIA’S SECEH WEAPON is an extraordin and outstanding little book. r a book of a century. It is aj powerful weapon in our hand. use against ignorance falseh | and confusion of people’s mij} which have been fostered tematically by the press of big interests, especially aga This book is remarkable for simplicity, clarity and brillir of language; such that eve school child can understand & is very effective and highly structive. “When I read this book first September, 1 almost felt my stand on end with astonishr and surprise. I said to my ‘This is a different book, on the best of many years. It is rific. I felt like climbing © the rooftops and shouting to world to read it. Then I swo: myself to go among the people distribute 1000 copies of it. “T haye not got either $1000 41000 cents to give away for Vil over ignorance and falsehooc I must and will use every © of my energy and skill to st: 1000 ideas, which is more im) ant than any $1000 in the long “Byer since September I my solemn word to reach the mark and today Iam happy t clare that I went over the tor have now sold 1600 copies, an still going. “Praising the book or Pé the author on the back ik enough. Tf suggest that member of the community calls himself or herself prc sive, must and should feel duty to find means and e to handle at least a doen or copies of this book. This i war and we must act ne never. “= challenge anyone in thi province or dominion to ru the 2000 mark with me—M. Press Drive I GAN guarantee the facts is the spirit we need j next few weeks—during the drive for The People. This f enthusiasm, energy and a should be a Shining example of us in spreading our through our press ,of whi book, Russia's Secret Wea one phase and The People, other. During the last drive thi ers of this column made j business to raise $280 in tions and subscriptions to People on its feet. The) over the top. Now the Drive is here; are we goin it again? I believe we will If we cannot all take challenge of the writer above letter, atthough it 1 hoped some will, we can, 2 exert some effort to ma People assured of continue ence to carry on the work ing trade union unity ami nadian workers, (so badly at this time with disruptit work for Hitler,) and f the victory spirit which increased production of th jals needed for administe deathblow to fascism. If you can help this cc do better than in the le let me hear from you.