THIS WEEK: A Roundup

The War

European Invasion Near

Current successes of the three Allied armies in Tunisia fore-
cast an early end to the Nazis in that vital sector. The American
break-through at Mateur is particularly encouraging, indicating

that Lieutenant-General Patton's
men, after a few bad starts due
to lack of battle experience, are
now rounding into shape on equal

footing with the famous British
Bighth Army. The American suc-
cess at Mateur has cut off the

Wazis’ communications in the cen-
ter, and US and French troops are
now within a few miles of Bizertc,
one of the two main Tunisian bases
in German hands.

Although the Nazis are fighting
stubbornly, their forces are being
Sapped, their supply line disrupted,
their airforce annihilated. But they
are plaving for time, time to per-
mit Hitler to develop his own initi-
ative on the continent to get in his
final blows before the Allies strike.

From the long point of view the
chief enemy of the Allies in Tun-
isia is time. Hitler's plans will have
to be disrupted under all circum-

stances and steps taken to reduce
enemy strength on the barrow en-
emy salient in Tunisia. In this, a
Jesson can be taken from Stalin-
grad. +

At Stalingrad the Red Army cut
the Germans off. But they did not
wait until they had destroyed all
the enemy at Stalingrad. As soon
as they had him surrounded, -they
struck in many other sectors. This
served the double purpose of not
permitting the concentration of
forces in any one spot and also
disrupted enemy plans.

Such a tactic, it is believed, could
well be emulated in North Africa.
Enemy supply bases are not in
Tunisia, but in Sardinia and Sic-
ily. It seems reasonable to expect,
then, that the Allies could start an
invasion of Europe even before
the enemy in Tunisia is complete-
ly destroyed.

Tunisian Battle and Stalingrad

An Allied invasion of some part of Europe, perhaps the islands
of Sicily or Sardinia, seemed to be on the cards this week as new
troop movements were reported in the Mediterranean. Some of

the reports were credited to Axis
sources, which declare that several
conyoys have recently left Gibral-
tar heading eastward into the Med-
jterranean. Allied observers of
course refused to offer comment,
but it was noted that there were no
deniazis of German claims.
Opinion that an invasion is com-
ing is further strengthened by
Premier Stalin’s pointed references
to the Allied offensive in North
Africa and to the Allied bombing
of Germany, and his assurance to
the Soviet people of victory be-
cause of the effects the war of
coalition is having upon the enemy.
His speech seems to have sur-
prised certain official circles
abroad, though there should be lit-
tle reason why it should have done
so. His specific references to the
swork of the Allied armed forces

were made because it has now
become certain that the advances
in Tunisia and the bombings of
enemy territories are a forerunner
of an armed invasion of Europe.

Now, for the first time, Allied ar-
mies stand on the yerge of en-
gaging millions of enemy troops,
of relieving pressure on the East-
ern Front and creating the condi-
tions for a rapid victory.

Stalin’s May Day message has
established the premises for even
closer collaboration among the
United Nations. Now there is need
to implement this collaboration in
the form of an invasion of Europe
and a double-barrelled attack
against the enemy. The conditions
for an Allied victory in 1943 still
exist. Time is passing, but the
Germans know that the next two

=months will tell much of the story.

Medical aid is being given these wounded Tommies after the
battle of Gabes Gap, in which the British 8th Army spiked
one of Rommel’s attempts to fight a holding action.

Murderers of East and West

News of the execution by Japanese of some of the members
of General Doolittle’s bombing force that raided Tokio will not
surprise those who have followed the type of warfare waged by

the enemy in both the Far East
and Europe. This is particularly
true of the Chinese, who have felt
the uninhibited ferocity of the
Japanese aggressor for six yeaers.
Until the Nazis themselves set new
patterns for brutal massacres of
entire populations, nothing in his-
tory surpassed the behavior of the
Mikado’s troops in Nanking,

The thing to remember here is
that the cruelty of the Japanese
in China and of the Nazis in the
Soviet Union and Poland is an in-

tegral part of a system which is
attempting to brutalize the entire
world. It has struck some of the
heroes of the United States, as in
the case of Doolittie’s men and the
survivors of Bataan. And, obsery-
ers believe, it will continue to
strike wherever the fascists of eith-
er Japan or Germany are allowed
to make advances only possible
through the fact that as yet the
Axis has been seriously engaged
by only a small part of the Allies’
potential military strength.

World May Day

Canada Demonstrates for Victory

Across Canada last Sunday thousands gathered to celebrate
May Day and to pledge support of Canada’s Fourth Victory

Loan.

In Toronto,
out to turn away

police were called
eager citizens

trying to enter packed Massey
Hall, where Communist-Labor
Total War Committee Secretary

Tim Buck brought cheers from his
audience when he expressed the de-
termination of Canadian workers
to resist provocation, and while
fighting for a correct total war
policy to raise production sights
for the coming battle.

Unity between labor and armed
forces was clearly demonstrated
when Petty Officer Bob Carter, of
the Royal Navy, recited grim ex-
periences in the Atlantic and the
Mediterranean, and Harry Bell,
for Toronto war workers, assured
him that Canadian workers would
labor untiringly to back up our
men in uniform.

In Hamilton, 1,500 people attend-
ed open air rallies to send greetings
to MacNaughton and Stalin, and
to send resolutions to Prime Min-
ister King urging opening of a
second front in Europe and the
lifting of the ban on the Commun-
ist Party.

In Winnipeg, more than 3,000
workers gathered in the Civic
Auditorium, heard Dorise Neilson,
MP, and pledged support of the
Victory Loan drive.

In Saskatoon, a capacity meet-
ing listened to CCF and Commun-
ist speakers, and union members.
In Calgary and Edmonton public
meetings were held, attended by
thousands of Canadians.

Only sour note was heard from
Montreal, where anti-war forces
were handed a victory on a silver
platter when the City Executive
Committee, headed by Mayor
Adhemar Raynault, at the last

minute cancelled permission for
the holding of a Victory May Day
rally.

This action was taken, say Mont-
real workers, after threats from
the notorious Order of Jacques
Cartier and Young Catholic As-
sociation that there “would be
trouble if the meeting was held,”
and their “representations’ that
it could not help but be of “a
Communist nature.”

This attack on the thousands of
people who were expected to turn
out in support of total war policies.
and the coming offensive, riled
citizens. The subject of the meet-
ing was to have been, “Labor Backs
the Attack.” All speakers who
were to have addressed the gather-
ing are well known for their activi-
ties in support of total war.

Dangerous implications of the
ban were made clearer by a City
Executive decision to consider a
suggestion that no group or or-
ganization of any kind be allowed
to hold public meetings in city-
owned halls except during elec-
tions.

It was this same Mayor Raynault,
Montrealers point out, who was re-
sponsible for the banning of sev-
eral meetings some time ago and
finally one which was to have been
addressed by Alfred Costes, mem-
ber of the French Chamber of
Deputies who has since been ex-
ecuted by the Nazis for his activi-
ties in the French underground
movement.

Another thing worthy of notice
is the report that a group of RCMP
plain-clothesmen were on hand
when Tim Buck — one of the
scheduled speakers — arrived in
Montreal, and trailed him from
the station,

Greetings Across the Sea

Attempts to sabotage unity between British and American
trade unionists were doomed to failure this May Day when
Harry Adams, president of the British Amalgamated Union of

Building Trades Workers, Will
Lawther, president of Miners Fed-
eration of Great Britain, Robert
Willis, secretary of London Trades
Council and R. K. White, secretary
of the National Council of Engin-
eers and Allied Trades Shop Stew-
ards, cabled greetings to a huge
“Labor For Victory” rally in New
York’s Yankee Stadium.

In an answering cabie to the
May Day rally in London’s Trafal-
gar Square, Ferdinand C, Smith,
secretary - treasurer of WNational
Maritime Union and chairman of
the New York rally committee de-
clared: ‘‘We look forward to the
day when the trade unions of both
our countries, togther with our

gallant ally, the Soviet Union, can
meet in a real federation that will
assure for the people of the world
a lasting peace.”

The message of Britain's Nation-
al Council of Shop Stewards stat-
ed: “On behalf of a million work-
ers in over 1,000 arms and ship-
building plants, we send you greet-
ings Recognizing that fas-
cism is the number one enemy of
labor, we have sacrificed many of
our conditions and long-cherished
custotms. We initiated the fight for
joint production committees, and
through our trade unions we con-
tinue our all-out efforts to ensure
that all remaining obstacles to
maximum production of war weap-
ons are eliminated .. .’

- ceived its first and e

Lewis ws. th

The strike of 50”
stalled a large part a”
into effect on the Mz
with a vast majority 0:7
heeding President Roo
that they “stay on the ;

In the public mind |
John L. Lewis seem?
larger in the crisis th:
of the miners, their wiv
jlies. This tendency 1
strengthened by the sk
line treatment given thi
the press, Canadian as |
erican.

There is no doubt th
er's cause is just, tha
mand for a wage incres
sary in view of the fac
wages are considerably
general level in other
tries and have been
duced by the soaring
ing. On the other hani }
not exonerate the UMW
His position, and that
operators, has beer ¢€
ward precipitating a :%
out regard for the vil”
the war. On the one h-
erators refused to giv
of answer to the unic
for the wage increases,
ing down the proposal
be operated on a sii
basis the ‘year round,
union agreed upon. ©
hand, Lewis’ attitude hi
lacking in good faith.

For some considerabl
one-time CIO leader hi
ing up with the most
forces in the country.
fact that the miners’

quent victory over th
with the support of th
ganized labor moveme:

Fine logs like these
*Forest Branch, De

L

Red Tape @

The forestry brai
proceeding to hang i
ing to all accounts.

Events which gave |
suspicion were:

1. Batco Developmen
one of the smaller log
tions, found it profit
slash large companie
at Oyster |River, salvag
of feet of valuable lum!
wood.

2. The Forest Bran