ACIFIC WAR END SEEN Soviet Entry Will Speed | Liberation Of Colonial — Peoples From Japanese The new Pacific war situation which developed three months ago with the Soviet Union’s denunciation of her non-aggression,pact with Japan was PEOPLE’S VOICE FOR PROGRESS To. 41 SS> . 5 Cents | climaxed Wednesday when the USSR formally declared a state of war with - NCOUVER, B.C., SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 1945 the Japanese nation, completing the Allied ring of steel surrounding the last remaining member of the once-powerful Axis alliange: Announce- 0 ral over the ruling of at the strike was a legal legates to the British Co- ederation of Labor meet- onvention in Vancouver, resolution “vigorously “ g the illegal action of % ncial Cabinet in overrul- ij Wartime Labor Relations a nd declaring the strike | and requested the Na- lf vartime Labor Relations > “re-establish its provin- #rd’s authority to admin- - 1003 in this Province.” solution, one of the heavy of resolutions passed at ss termed the “most suc- trade union convention this Province,’ pointed = 's preamble that the Fed- s7ernment had established = tiation board under PC deal with -the Can Co. : that the administrator %.2d by the authority of the @ had declared the strike 2, 1d that the provincial Cab- -thout authority from the /3 had in the ninth day of ke had declared it to be : 2 us further moved in the pon that telegrams, stating hivention’s decision, would to Acting Premier E. C. | the Wartime Labor Rela- -soard at Ottawa, and to @ nt Mosher of the CCL. NITY, PAC of the most widely debated (ons at the convention ] resolution calling for eal unity between the ‘Progressive Party and the ‘The. motion, which was by the overwhelming vote _to 22, was opposed by a faction ‘of the convention. ssembled. delegates, recog- the need:for a united front or in the crucial period to accepted the ‘resolution instructed the executive of aderation to approach “the olitical parties speaking in pame,of Gabor, namely, Co- ivt. Act, Labor Unite # -esting an alleged coup de etat, which it was charged sments of the Coalition Government Cabinet in Vic- _| -formed in declaring the strike of the American Can the Wartime Labor Relations operative Commonwealth Feder- ation and Labor-Progressive Par- ty.’’ ._-The-convention-went, on-reeord as proposing that the influence of the trade union movement be uti- lized in such a manner that the support of the labor movement will be centred on one candidate in each provincial or.federalelec- toral constituecy. While not com- mitting the trade unions to the support of a single party, it per- mitted labor’s endorsation of an “individual candidate meriting the support of labor.” In recognizing the need for con- tinued political action; the con- vention, after considerable debate, passed a resolution which called for the establishment of a Politi- eal Action Committee of at least three members “to organize and direct a political action program within the Federation” and _ to “seek the co-operation of*the po- litical action committees of the Trades and Labor Congress and Railway Brotherhoods.” It was also decided that a ways and means, or finance committee, be established to raise additional funds to adequately finance the political action program. “INVESTIGATE CMA” A strongly worded resolution, which ecaled for Labor Minister George Pearson to conduct an “inquiry into the activities of the Canadian Manufacturer’s Association and effect a stop to the intimidation of this monopo- listie organization against union security.” The resolution, sub- mitted by the Boilermakers’ Union, pointed out that unions had in many cases found employ- ers: willing to agree to full se- curity’ but the CMA had inter- fered to prevent the consumma- tion of such agreements, and charged the CMA with opposing (Continued on page 8) See B.C. FEDERATION The overwhelming victory of the British Labor party has cheered workers everywhere. Top: London dockworkers give ‘‘V” sign. Bottom, left, Clement R. Attlee. Bottom, right: Winston Churchill. - @ An organization of veter- ans threatened to take action in moving to seize empty houses, forming vigilante groups. @ The Vancouver City Coun- cil, pleading that there was. lit, tle they could do as they had “a gun at their heads,” moved to approve the Wartime Hous- ing 1000-home plan. @ The British Columbia Fed- eration of -Labor, convention meeting in in Vancouver, ed a resolution caling for pub- licly administrated housing, price ceilings, and the release of build- pass- Citizens Demand Counzcil Broaden Housing Plans Vancouver's housing situation was highlighted this week by a number of significant developments. ing materials, and protested the segregation of veterans into se- parate communities. @The Citizen’s Rehabilitation Committee, through Arthur W. Cowley, secretary, caled for a central housing authority. e@ A mass meeting of citizens, held in the White Rose Ballroom, demanded a “housing czar” to administer building materials and ensure that such materials (Continued on page 8) ment was made simultaneous- ly at both Washington and Moscow, indicating that the action had been discussed and agreed on’ by Truman, Attlee and Stalin during the Pots- dam conference. Soviet military action against Japan brought an immediate altering of the entire Pacific war picture. The most conservative opinion be- lieves that the Red Army’s par- ticipation means the shortening of the war by weeks, perhaps months. There will be less chance that the Japanese. militarists will be able to stage a “last ditch” stand in Manchuria, while the entire political picture in China and the colonial areas of the Far East is certain to be affected by the. presence of powerful Russian armies acting as liberating forces. Responsibility for the war ac- tion was placed squarely at the - door of the Japanese military- fascists by the Soviet govern- ment statement, text of which read in part: “After the defeat and capitu- lation of Hitlerite Germany, Japan became the only great power that still stood for the continuation of the war. The demand of the three powers, United States, Great Britain and China on July 26 on the uncon- ditional surrender of the Japan- -ese armed forces was rejected by Japan, and thus the proposal of the Japanese government to the Soviet Union on mediation in the war in the Far East loses all basis. . “Taking into consideration the refusal of Japan to capitulate, the Allies submitted the proposal to the Soviet government ot join the war against Japanese ag- gression and thus shorten the duration of the war, reduce the pumber of victims, and facilitate the speedy restoration of univer- sal peace. ; “The Soviet government con- siders that this policy is the only means able to bring peace near- er, free the people from further sacrifice and suffering, and give the Japanese people the possi- bility of avoiding the dangers and destruction suffered by Germany after its refusal to eapitulate unconditionally. “In view of the above, the Soviet government declares that from tomorrow (August 9), the Sovit government will consider itself to be at war with Japan.” War between the two countries had been long expected as a (Continued on page 7) See HOUSING See PACIFIC