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Facts About Science
In Readable Form

MEN, MACHINES AND MICROBES—By Dyson Carter—

Contemporary Publishers—39 Cents.

SCENCE IS FUN! Dyson Carter, alert young Canadian sci-
entist and writer of Russia’s Secret Weapon and the novel

Night of Flame, proves it conclusively in this little book.

Pick it up,
Death,” and before long

absorbed, as if it were the latest mystery

in your hand, rather than a
treatise on the use of two chem-
jeals called allantoin and penicil-
lin, and ®a couple of diseases
mamed osteomyelitis and septi-
cemia.

The reason for this is readily
apparent. Young Mr. Carter has
several revolutionary ideas that
shock more conservative men of
science. He believes, strangely
enough, that it is in the best in-
terests of all concerned that lay-
men learn aS much as possible
about new scientific discoveries.

Perhaps the most interesting
parts of ‘Men, Machines and
Microbes” are those which deal
with scientific discoveries closely
connected with our job of winning
the war. “Measuring Hitler's
Coffin” is one of these. Here we
are introduced to the “small, se-
lect and devoted band of men and
women, working at the strangest
job of all the thousand duties
of this war,” the pepole who are
*enstodians of industrial measure-
ments, the inch, the ounce, the
pulsebeat of light, throb of elec-
tricity, shimmer of heat.”

The growing superiority of Am-
erican, British and Russian war
planes is largely due to these peo-
ple, whose work it is to make sure
that vital parts are fitted with
accuracies greater than a ten-
thousandth of an inch. The in-
struments required to feel such

tiny measurements, explains
Carter, are marvels of engineer-
ing, and among our valuable

secret weapons.

Another section, “Pushing Back
Death in Subs” points out that
men going down to the sea in sub-
marines take far fewer risks to-
day than when the war began—
and all through the courage of a
famous English scientist. Because
of his work escaping from a dam-
aged sub is no longer a matter
of luck alone.

Tt all began in June, 1939, when
the submarine Thetis began her

open it at the first section,
you will find yourself absolutely

“How Dirt Cheats

thriller you held

fateful maiden voyage. On her
trial run she submerged on sched-
ule. But she failed to come to the
surface. When salvage vessels
finally raised the hull all on board
were dead. The Admiralty ordered
a full investigation.

‘Dr. J. B. S. Haldane, interna-
tionally famed as a scientist and
champion of democracy, was
asked to attend the enquiry on
behalf of the Amalgamated En-
gineering Union and Hlectrical
Trades Union, both of whom had
lost members when the sub went
down. Listening to the evidence
Haldane was painfully aware that
the sinking mystified all wit
nesses, simply because they were
guessing about what goes on in
sunken submarines. Mechanical
troubles they had down in black
and white, But no one knew for
sure what happens to men try-
ing to escape.”

Haldane made up his mind to
find out. He assembled a little
iron chamber, big enough only
for three people to squeeze into,
and fitted with every gadget
needed to imitate deep sea condi-
tions.

“Often, during the tense sci-
entific dramas that were acted
in this chamber,” continues
Carter, “this famous man came
face to face with death in hor-
rible forms.” However, navy ex-
perts were able to re-design equip-
ment according to his findings,
leading to greatly increased safety
for Allied sub crews. On May 23,
1939, when the US. sub Squalus
came to grief below the surface
of the Atlantic, six naval officers,
51 crew members, four navy yard
workers and one civiilan were
rescued. Without the contribu-
tion of one scientist these men
would have lost their lives.

Contemporary Publishers list
“Men, Machines and Microbes” as
4 “must” book. They are right!

—Cynthia Carter,

New Books On Hand

SLAVS TO ARMS
By Tim Buck
By Dyson Carter

By Clara Zetkin

119 West Pender

CANADA IN THE COMING OFFENSIVE,

MEN, MACHINES AND MICROBES,
cee eee oie
LENIN ON THE WOMAN QUESTION,

THE TRUTH ABOUT JUGOSLAVIA
INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE No. 5 and 6

S
Open to 6:30 p.m.

The People Bookshop

105 Shelly Building
MA. 6929

Vancouver, B.C.

‘Unite And Fight For }

A DARK, thick veil of censorship overhangs India. Meagre
and fragmentary are the reports from which the real
conditions inside the “brightest jewel of the empire” can be
established. But despite all this, every report asserts the great
role played by the Indian Communist party in organizing a
genuine people’s anti-fascist fighting front and in combating

the fifth-column elements.

Late in September of last year
the central «committee of the
Communist Party of India met
in Bombay. The meeting was of
the greatest historic significance.

The party was meeting openly
for the first time in its history.
The young party of the Indian
working class had struggled
against the most brutal repression
all throughout the fourteen years
of its existence. But at this mo-
ment, the Communist Party: was
the only mass people’s party that
was wholeheartedly supporting the
war measures of the British gov-
ernment.

Secondly, the party was meeting
at the most crucial moment in
the Indian history. A ruthless
enemy was massing on the east-
ern borders of the country, ready
to enslave the people for all time
te come, while at the same time
the country was torn with anarchy
and chaos. The task facing the
party lay in organizing the peo-
ple for total resistance against
tremendous odds.

main political reports were

delivered by G. Adhikar, and

P. C. Joshi, general secretary of
the party.

The main resolution adopted
condemned the repressive policy
followed by the British govern-
ment in India, which it describes
as an incendiary flfth column
policy driving the Indian people
to the tragic fate of the Malayan
and the Burmese people, and
places the responsibility for
plunging the country into a grave
and perilous crisis on the should-
ers of the government. The reso-
lution described this policy as
“stabbing our Chinese, American,
British and Soviet allies in the
back,” and declared the continu-
ation of such a policy can end
only in a colossal disaster for
both the Indian and the British
peoples.

But, the resolution points out,
the situation can still be re-
trieved. The three favorable fac-
tors are cited as follows: First,
the failure of the government to
ereate any widespread opposition
to the Indian Congress. Secondly,
the existence of a mighty poten-
tial basis for the creation of na-
tional unity. Finally, the demand
for Indian freedom and national
government is gaining growing
support from the peoples of Brit-
ain and America.

Joshi pointed out that the In-
dian Communist Party has be
come a mass people’s party -He
said that at present the party
stands third strongest in the coun-
try, coming after the National
Congress and the Moslem League.
And in the international sphere
the role of the Indian CP will
in importance be overshadowed
only by the Communist Parties of
the Soviet Union and China.

N showing that the party has

become g genuine people’s

party, Joshi gave some interest-
ing facts.

An old peasant woman from
Malabar donated her only cow to
the party. The cow was her sole
possession.

A British soldier now stationed
in India gave all his savings of
500 rupees to the party.

Comrade Namboodripad, lead-
er of the provincial party unit
in Kerla, gave away all his prop-
erty worth 30,000 rupees, to the

* party.

The above facts speak for them-
selves to prove the mass popular-
ity of the CP of India.

In aiding the defense measures
of the country the party has
strained every nerve to assist the
war effort and to organize the
people for total resistance. In Cal-
cutta alone twenty defense com-
mittees were organized by the par-
ty. These organizations aid in
ARP, first aid and rationing prob-
lems, etc. Red Guards have been
organized in Bombay to aid the
people faced with countless war
problems.

Li this has been accomplished

despite tremendous obstacles
created by the bureaucratic reg-
ime. All sorts of meetings and
demonstrations are prohibited in
the big cities. Repression and per-
secution of anti-fascists still con-
tinues. In the big industrial city
of Cawnpore, the party held the

By DARSHAN
SINGH
SANGHA

working Class from going out on

- strike after the beginning of the

civil-disobedience campaign. Yet
all nine leading party and trade
union workers were jailed.

The trade unions under the
leadership of the party are play-
ing an important role in in-
creasing war production. Produc-
tion committees have been
formed in numerous plants. The
resolution of the CP regarding
trade unions and production,
states: “While on no account are
we prepared to surrender the right
to strike, yet it is our policy to
minimize stoppages and strikes
consistently with the defense of
the interests of the working class
and the nation.”

HE main slogan put forward

for the Indian people by the
party was national unity; unity
of the National Congress and Mos-
lem League, for national defense
and for the speedy realitization
of a national government. On the
same basis a country-wide cam-
paign was to be initiated; for the
rélease of Mahatama Gandhi and
other
ers, as a first step towards re-
opening negotiations; to stop re-
pression; to check destruction,
sabotage and anarchy; to combat
the fifth column; to lift the ban
on the Congress Party, so as to
negotiate for an all-round set-
tlement, and to set up a provin-
cial national government for In-
dia’s defense.

imprisoned national lead-—

ove!

gris perrhh centre raraeademe reo

See ETNA arom bre!

berry

DARSHAN SINGH &

Organizational plans wel §
laid to strengthen and expa Fe
work of the party. :

To finance this work ac ©
gent out for raising 200,000 4
And to help the party £ hy
the masses, plans were 14%
inerease the circulation :
party newspaper, ‘People’s
(English edition aione) to
copies. “People’s War” i |
published in Urdu, Hind
Marathi.

ARNING the people

grave peril facing the
erland, created by the ir |
threat from without and 2
within, Joshi sounded a
eall to the masses. His 7
in part reads: t

“There is no time to los
Japanese are coming. Eiti
unite and fight or go und
die. The way you have beer
ing the British bureaucrat
ime is not the way to get
our backs. You will end »+
ting the Japanese in its
instead!

“Let not the Burra Sahit
India the graveyard of
patriots. Let us unite to n>
the battlefront of our ow2 |
dom by transforming our
from a sham struggle, wl
really sabotage of nation
fense, to a real strugele,
is building our own un?
fending our own country
winning our freedom with
in hands!”

:
Communist-Labor
Total War Committee ..

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