NEW YORK—Labor charges
at the fascist Argentine govern-
int’s suppression of democratic
rzhts has become even more
lastie since her admission into
ie United Nations conference
sre fully substantiated by a
msational report from Buenos
wes in the New York Times.
Smuggled out of Argentina to
ade mangling by censors, the
ws story by Times Correspond-
t Arnaldo Cortesi declared that
hings have happened in Buenos
res recently that exceed any-
ing that this correspondent can
‘member in his 17 years’ experi-
ee in fascist Italy.”
“The Argentine government
'd no sooner declared war on
‘emany and Japan and signed
': final acts of the Mexico City
aference than it deprived the
gentine people of what small
mains of freedom they still
ssessed,” he reported .
“Under the pretext that in
rtime anyone who did not ap-
ove of the government was a
vitor to his country, the govern-
wnt embarked on a campaign
intimidation by wholesale ar-
ts of prominent citizens and
ere measures against any
wspaper that dared to raise
voice in protest. At the same
ie political censorship was re-
‘ablished in the vain hope that
#s of what was going on could
‘kept from the outside world.”
-ronically, even a story he
‘yte on Secretary of State Ed-
dR. Stettinius’ declaration
Argentina was obligated to
:

ry out effectively all of her
amitments under the Mexico
y charter was hopelessly cen-
ed, the Times correspondent
sorted.

‘At Mexico City, Cortesi said,
)sentina “andertook to abide
the principles of the Atlantic
arter, to permit free access to
vs, to eliminate the remaining
iters of Axis influence, to sup-
:t democracy and to respect
: rights of individuals, and fos-
i justice and freedom.”

As proof that Argentina has
ectly violated these commit-
nts, Cortesi charged that “all
is In the country are full to
aflowing,” that “during the
,nth of May alone eight news-
ders were closed and seven
tors and other outstanding
-vspapermen arrested,” that
‘ole sections of Buenos Aires
| under martial law, that
vceful. citizens are searched
{ arms in the streets, and that
fi least one innocent man was
ichinegunned while entering a
‘way station.”

NEW YORK—A fight for job
| ‘urity and paid vacations
inst employers who threaten-
a lockout in defiance of a
ar Labor Board decision was
2 by the Intl. Fur and Leather
rkers Union (CIO) after 15
mnths of negotiations.

For shooting his way through the Siegfried line last December and taking his objec-
tive though badly wounded, Capt. Charles L. Thomas, a member of Local 600, United
Auto Workers (CIO) was given the Distinguished Service Cross. He is the second Negro
to receive the award. Above, he is congratulated by Pres. W. G. Grant of the local.

LPP Leader Pays Tribute To
Election Campaign Workers

a Fergus McKean, provincial leader of the Labor-Progressive Party paid a special
tribute to those members of the LPP who worked for the election of LPP candidates dur-
ing the jederal election, at a.special election night rally conducted by the LPP in Boiler-

makers’ Hall, June 11.
INVALUABLE EXPERIENCE

“In previous years our party
never ran more than one candi-
date,” McKean stated to the
meeting. “And we should recog-
nize that though in the past our
candidate’s votes could be
counted as total votes, in this
campaign we must recognize
that the votes our candidates re-
ceived were hot just total votes.”

“We should regard the elec-
tion campaign as an invaluable
lesson, and the experience that
our party has gained will win
us seats in future elections, for
we will have candidates in the
field in future elections.”

PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS

McKean pointed out that dur-
ing this campaign it has been
possible for party members and
supporters to perform a great
deal of educational work among
the workers by canvassing and
personal contact. “But we have
still a great deal of educational
work to do; we have to review
the vote in the various polls,
and we must study the results
of the campaign in the various
polling divisions.”

“We have learned that we
must start in immediately for
the provincial elections.”

RED SCARE CAMPAIGN

Pointing out that it was the
false issues raised by the CCF,
coupled with their isolationist
attitude that succeeded in nulli-
fying the progressive vote in
many constituencies, McKean

said that the Tory-conducted

~GE 9 — PACIFIC ADVOCATE

campaign contrib-
uted greatly to the defeat of
labor candidates. “The main ob-
jective of the election, the de-
feat of the Tories, has been
accomplished,’ McKean conclud-
ed. “There is now absolutely no
possibility of a reactionary gov-
ernment coming into power in
Canada.”

Harold Pritchett, candidate
for Vancouver East, thanked his
campaign workers and_ stated
that the lessons of this campaign
will stand every member and
supporter of the LPP in good
stead in future election cam-
paigns.

GLOWING TRIBUTE

Austin Delany, candidate for
Vancouver North, payed a glow-
ing tribute to Syd Zlotnik, cam-
paign manager, and stated that
there was no -occasion for -un-
happiness at the results of the
campaign. He pointed out that
the objective of keeping reaction
out of power in Ottawa had been
achieved, and that the effort put
into this first campaign of the
LPP would have its reward in

“Red scare”

the coming struggles of the

working class.

PARTY STRENGTHENED
Minerva Cooper, B.C.’s_ only

woman candidate, running- in
Vancouver Burrard, stated, “I

know that we can all feel proud
of having taken part in a fight
which has strengthened our
party. We have brought to the

people the main issues of the
campaign, and we can accept
credit for the defeat of the Tor-
ies. In this we have made a
special contribution that no
other party has made.”

PROUD OF SHOWING

“There is no reason for anyone
to feel unhappy,’ said L/S
James Thompson, LPP candidate
for Vancouver Centre. “I myself
feel very happy at the support
which was given to me by the
voters in my constituency. We
must remember that we have
entered a campaign for the first
time, and can be proud of the
showing that we have made in
this election.”

During the evening, bulletins
were regularly read to the meet-
ing by C. A. Saunders, P.A.
Editor, as they were received
over direct wire. Al Parkin, LPP
radio newseaster, read frequent
roundups of the progress of the
election.

—FRED WILMOT

A gala festival is being plan-
ned by the Scandinavian Central
Committee, a federation of Scan-
dinavian organizations, and will
be held at Seymour Park, on
Sunday, June 24.

The Mid-Summer Festival, the
tenth annual festival conducted
by the Scandinavians, is expected
to be a great success. A program
is planned which includes music,
games anda _ sports. Refresh-
ments will be served.

sritish General Elections Will
lotly Contested By Labor

LONDON — The British
general elections, first since
1935, officially got under
way this weekend with the

dissolution of Parliament on
June 15, and the Labor Party,
principal organization of the
working class, has entered the
tampaign fortified by its most
enthusiastic conference in many
years. 5It is certain that. labor
will gain a considerable number
ef seats
Labor representatives in the
House of Commons will be re-
juvenated and strengthened by
the election of a considerable
number of young, forward-look-
ing candidates whose vitality so
impressed the recent Blackpool
conference of the Labor Party.

It is extremely difficult to
estimate the possibilities when
there has not been a general
election in ten years, and when
the progressive vote will be split
two and even three ways in hun-
dreds of constituencies. There is
indeed a serious danger that the
Labor Party rank and file under-
estimate the very big task they
have on hand and the very great
effect of Churchill’s personality.

There is a popular idea both
in Britain and abroad that the
Tories’ sudden decision tto stake
everything on an immediate
election was due to their convic-
tion that Prime Minister Church-
ill’s present popularity would be
seriously on the wane in the
coming months. True, his pres-
ttige is declining and will contin-
ue to go down. Mistrust of
Churchill in home affairs is
widespread and ineradicable. It
is based on a long and bad dom-

estic record, and nothing has -

happened in this war to cure it.
If Mr. Churchill’s head has been
turned by the VE Day cheers—
ungrudging and well deserved—
that must be still ringing in his
ears, campaign strategists have
not failed to note that, from
Brighton to Chelmsford, the ut-
most usage of his name has
failed to stampede the votes in
a whole number of by-elections.
Indeed, it has sometimes acted as
the kiss of death.

PANICKY MOMENTS

But the clue to the compelling
factor which decided the Tory
strategy in calling such a quick
election is to be found in the
Labor Party conference vote on
unity of the progressive forces,
defeated by the narrow majority
of 1,315,000 against 1,219,060.
The closeness of the vote
brought some panicky moments
to the old-line Labor Party bur-
ocrats sitting on the platform.
Supporters of unity within the
party executive number only
some three or four out of twenty.

An analysis of the voting con-
firms the impression made by the
totals... The vote was not directly
upon unity, but technically, in
favor of reference back to com-
mittee of the executive’s refusal
to enter into discussions with
other. progressive parties to
avoid electoral clashes and dupli-

-ecation of anti-Tory candidates.

The vote against unity was
preponderantly made up from

Continued on_Page 15
See BRITISH ELECTIONS

SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 1945.

and that the aging ~