Page 2 —— Saturday, November 18, 1944 Continued from Page 1 LPP Statement On Reinforcements ‘a of the nation as a whole, TODAY. The National Executive of the lLabor-Progressivye Party has reviewed the problem in the light of the above and re- cognizes that the stand taken by the Prime Minister is the one which, in the existing situation, best meets the needs and the real interests of Can- ada. We therefore endorse his stand and pledge our unequi- vocal support te the effort to secure adequate reinforce- Ients through the voluntary system. We were compelled to restudy the question because until now we have advocated total war pglicies including universal ap- plication of the selective draft for overseas service. Before the plebiscite we cam- paigned energetically and, as Was admitted by the Conserva- tive Montreal Gazette at the time, more systematically than any other political group for an affirmative vote.. The Tim Buck Plebiscite Committees set up all over the country contributed large- ly to the overwhelming ma- jority of “yes” yotes that were cast. > We believed at that time that, if proper policies and educational methods were adopted, compul- sory Service overseas would be generally accepted in Quebec as in other provinces. We pointed out, what our national history illustrates, that opposition to conscription in Quebec is, in the main, a result of the national friction and animosities sedu- lously fostered by tory reaction and the varied means by which tory protagonists of conscription seek to make it an issue of na; tional superiority; for example, Premier George Drew’s inex cusable slur upon the French- Canadian people as “a conquered race.” In marked contrast to the position adopted by the CCF, we urged support of Bill 80 to give the government authority to in- troduce conscription for over- seas service. In his broadcast address Mr. King reaffirmed the decision of the government to do that should it become necessary. The members of our national leadership, including those of French-Canadian birth in the province of Quebec, who were of military age volunteered for active service. Some.of them re- mustered into infantry units to get overseas. They have served or are serving in Hong Kong, in Sicily, in Italy, in Normandy and on the Netherlands Front as well as in the R.C.A.F. and the Royal Canadian Navy. = Several members of our na- tional leadership have died in action, others have returned to the front after recovering from wounds. Seme have been wounded and returned to the front more than once. Not a single member of the Labor- Progressive Party is to be found in the Home Defense Army; we speak in the name of Canadians who have of- fered, and are giving, their all on behalf of Canada in this war. We echo the words of the Prime Minister: ““No pride could be greater than our pride in what our armed forces are doing to help win the war and to give Canada a foremost place among the free nations of the world.’ Our concern, as individuals and as a political party, is to en- sure that our comrades and their fellow fighting men in-the front lines, in Italy and Western Europe, shall receive the largest number of effective front-line reinforcements that Canada can send them—now and during the weeks immediately ahead. The question that we face as a nation is how to do that—not how to provoke a Dominion election in these crucial months of the war. Regardless of what opinion we may have held when there was still time to overcome the effects of national misunder- standings and violent opposition to conscription in Quebec, the province of Saskatchewan and other parts of Canada, the fact is that our troops are now locked in battle in the final stage of the war. A large measure of na- tional unity has been maintained until now and has enabled Can- ada to put forth an effort which commands the admiration of the world. This is not the time to destroy that national unity by reckless experiment while there remains a possibility of securing better and more effective rein- forcements by the policy which has so far prevailed. The facts quoted by the Prime Minister indicate that adequate reinforcements can be maintain- ed by the voluntary method. The possibilities for a united na- tional effort to secure enlist- ments has been added to consid- erably recently by the forth- right message addressed by Car- dinal Villeneuve to members of Canada’s forces overseas. In the course of his message Cardinal Villeneuve said: “T am now more convinced than ever that, notwithstand- ing other motives involved, this war is a fight to the bit- ter end for the vindication of human rights and the preser- vation of Christian civiliza- tion.”’ Cardinal Villeneuve’s state- ment should become the central material of a mass public cam- paign to bring tens of thousands of new recruits for active serv- ice through intensified emphasis upon the need and the justice of Nova Scotia GEORGE McEACHERN Pictou County CHARLES MURRAY Halifax Quebec FRED ROSE, M.-P. : Montreal Cartier ROSATRE ST. PIERRE Montreal St. Denis SGT. HENRI GAGNON Montreal St. Marie LT. GORD. McCUTCHEON Montreal St. Lawrence-St. George PETER ALAN Verdun OSCAR ROY Pontiak Ontario DEWAR FERGUSON Toronto Parkdale R. W. ROBERTSON Toronto Dayenport STEWART SMITH Toronte Trinity TIM BUCK Toronto Spadina WILLIAM KASHTAN Toronto St. Pauls JOHN WEIR Toronto Rosedale FRED COLLINS Toronto Broadview J. DAVIS Toronto Greenwood LESLIE VARLEY Toronto Eglinton ALEX WELCH West York J. FE. WHITE East York BRUCE MAGNUSON Port Arthur DOUGLAS STEWART - Fort William TOM HILL Rainy Riyer-Kenora MICHAEL KOROL Cochrane GARTH TEEPLE Temiskaming CHARLES McCLURE Nipissing ALD. HARRY HUNTER East Hamilton PETER DUNLOP Wentworth CAPT. SAM SNIDERMAN * West Hamilton CPL. HARRY BINDER Ottawa West - GEORGE URBANZ Waterloo’ North TOM WALSH Brantford JAMES TURNER Ontario JAMES OLDHAM Wellington South ARTHUR MOULD London ~ T. EB. DEALY Lincoln Manitoba ALD. JACOB PENNER Winnipes North ANDREW BILESKI Springfield P.O. Labor Progressive Party Candidate’ Announced For Federal Elections — The Labor-Progressive Party is placing some 65 to 15 federal candidates in the field. ¥ give here the list of nominations already completed according to provinces. More nominati conferences are pending. So far 55 candidates have been named. Saskatchewan MRS. DORISE NEILSEN, ME North Battleford _ MRS. FLORENCE THEODOR] Regina Alberta SGT. BEN SWANKEY Jasper Edson HENRY MOL Peace River WILLIAM HALINA Vegreville ALEX HERD Edmonton East HENRY LUNDGREEN Wetaskiwin JOHN BROWN Bow Valley British Columbia MINERVA COOPER Vancouver Burrard _ HAROLD PRITCHETT Vancouver East WILLIAM STEWART ~ Vancouver North HARVEY MURPHY East Kootenay. HENRY CODD Kamloops HAROLD GRIFFIN New Westminster BRUCE eee Skee GARRY CULHANE Victoria ANGUS CAMPBELL Yale the cause for which Canada is fighting. If this. is done rein- forcements will be secured and the unity of Canada maintained. On the other hand, our na-. tional history and experience during this war should warn us that an attempt to introduce McNAUGHTON GEN. A. G. universal conscription for overseas service in this cruicial hour would aggravate all the difficulties that are now be- ing experienced. It would shat- ter national unity. It would in all probability create friction, < dissatisfaction and perhaps even disaffection, among the forces overseas. It is clear now that the cam- paign being led by Messrs. Bracken, McTague, Drew and the Tory press, is part of a sinister calculated plan. They seek to utilize the one so far unrecon- ciled conflict between the two nations which constitute the Canadian people as a wedge to further divide us and sharpen animosities. They seek to stir up domestic strife when the su- preme need of the nation is singleness of purpose. They seek to provoke a na- tional crisis and bring on a Dominion election when what is needed is that all our na- tional interest and energy should be concentrated upon getting the largest possible number of effective front line reinforcements and an ovyer- whelming superiority in equip- ment and supplies to our fight- ing men oyerseas NOW. The Tory leaders pose as be- ing particularly proud of the |splendid record of Canada’s arm- ed forces but their political cam- paign suggests a willingness to plunge Canada into civil strife far more than it suggests con- eern about the immediate inter- ests of the men overseas. The Tory leaders claim to be deeply concerned about the nation’s war effort but their friends in Que- bee, under the leadership of Frederick Dorion, are even now organizing an anti-war, anti- British and anti-national unity party in that- province. The Tory leaders pose as champions of the men overseas but one of the main results of their extra- vagant partisan campaign is to belittle the magnificent part that Canada’s troops are playing in The reckless lengths to w, the Tory leaders are going their effort to provoke a nati crisis are startling. They ind in thinly veiled sneers and & ders against General MeNat ton, the. architect of the Gi dian army. Press reports - cate that outstanding —Tr such as Major Bristol and € G. Williamson of the Cana Corps Association publicly reflections upon General =< Naughton’s personal motives discouraged the idea that erans should support his ¢ paign. Their press boasts ¢ fully that 30 officers are signing from a military uni “a eoncerted” political der stration against the govern’ and tries to encourage other do the same thing. Such ac on the part of army offic | fostering disaffection as it d eannot be condoned by any n¢ | paper which pretends to put interests of the nation firsi. - The fact that this. exam of fifth column tendenc among some army officers obviously a product of the! ganized campaign of the P | gressive-Conseryative Pai Should cause Mr. Bracken Stop: and consider where i selfish partisan policies of tl Party are leading. It must be said, furtherm that by his efforts to make p: capital out of the crisis by peated demands for a spe session of Parliament, Mr. M the Tory game. this war. —Continued on Pag Coldwell is, objectively, plPy ss