Keynote to the B.C. District Convention plans for all-out war effort

THE BC LUM

BHR WORKER

Page Three

is given by President Hjalmar Bergren and Dist. Sec’y Nigel Morgan

in their Joint Officers’ Report, part

We are today meeting our Fifth An-
nual Convention, with the largest and
most representative delegation ever to
gather from the great 30,000-man lum-
ber industry of British Columbia. During
the year that has elapsed since our last
Convention, we have recorded substantial
progress, Today we must dedicate our-
selves to the task of assuring further
progress of our Union, and of facing the
tremendous problems that lie ahead.

Since our last Annual Convention Hit-
Jer has embarked on a campaign of
world conquest. His fascist hordes hav-
ing over-run Europe and rained terrible
death and destruction from the air over
Britain, and on June 22 treacherously
attacked the Soviet Union. Spreading
with the speed and all the ferocity of
a great forest fire in the peak of summer
heat, war has come to the Pacific, sud-

of which is printed below,

denly but none the Jess devatsing. March-
ing rampant over the lives and liberties
of the inhabitants of all the nations of
Europe, fascism today casts {ts long
bloody shadow not only upon the peo-
ple of Europe, the Soviet Union and
China, not only upon our gallant men
servihg in the armed forces, but upon
our people right here In British Colum-
bia; for this Province, our home, is in
imminent danger of becoming one of
those bomb-torn, bleeding, suffering
front lines. In this new critical situation
the delegates to this Convention face
great responsibilities and even greater
opportunities, representing the only or-
ganization in an industry upon which 3
out of every 5 people in B.C. are depend-.
ent either directly or indirectly for their
livelihood.

Proposals to Help Defeat Fascism

In this new crisis a program of ade-
quate defence measures; a program to
speed production of food and armaments,
help build the health and morale of
our people, and develop unity for the

defeat of fascism is an urgent need. The
task of drafting such a program, upon
which the future progress. of our union
depends, rests upon our shoulders,
brother delegates. Ours is the respon~
sibility, the duty to formulate a program
fitting the needs of the membership we
represent; a program that will help the
International Woodworkers of America
to continue to grow and achieve economic
and social security, so that it may ful~
fill its historic role of uniting the 30,000
woodworkers in this district with the
100,000 members of our International
Union, the Canadian Congress of Labor,
of which we are a national affiliate, and
our parent body, the powerful Congress
of Industrial Organizations, which now
boasts more than five million affiliated
members, Organized labor can become
the most important and decisive eco-
nomic and political force in B.C, but if
there is to be an International Wood-
workers of America or any other labor
organization left, the threatening horror
of fascist world-domination must be re-
moved.

Nothing Less Than Ali

With the attack on the Soviet Union
went the last vestiges of any hope the
war could be ended in any way other
than complete military victory. Those
influences who seek to limit the coun-
try’s war effort will have dfificulty in
finding persuasive arguments. It is now
apparent that the fight is one for sur-
vival—for life or death—and that nothing
Jess than an all-out effort will be ade-
quate. There can be no doubt in our
minds that if fascism is victorious it
will bring about the destruction of all
progressive organizations of the people,
Ineluding our labor unions, which will
subsequently result in enslavement of our
people, worsening of our living standards
and working conditions, and the loss of
all those rights and liberties we have
gained through years’ of struggle,

With over-growing admiration we
watch the heroic and magnificent cour
age with which the British people are
meeting Hitler's wanton and brutal at-
tacks, Nothing the world has ever seen
ean match the ferocity of the assault
Hitler has launched against Britain and
the USSR, and yet not an inch of land is

being ylelded without the fierces! strug-
gle, and consequently the highest pos-

The hate of fascism, whether of the
Hitler or Mikado brand, is universal
among the working people, in whose
hearts the love of liberty, peace and se-
curity burn bright. Workers have al-
ways, are now, and will always stand
willing and determined to make what-
ever sacrifices may be necessary to smash
fascism. In China, in Spain, in Britzin,
the labor movement has been in the fore-
front in the defence of their national se-
curity and democratic way of life. And
now in Canada and particularly in British
Columbia, where ' military attack may
any day become a reality, we must not
be hesitant in coming forward to meet
the challenge this war presents to. all
those things that labor holds dear. Prime
Minister Winston Churchill and Mac-
kenzie King have pledged our unity and
all-out support for the democratic world
front with United States, the Soviet
Union, China and all those nations at
war with the Axis powers, and the In-
ternational Woodworkers of America
(CIO) whole-heartedly applauds “their
historic proclamations. More than that,
we must give the policy of “a fight to
death with fascism” our unconditional
support. Labor must unite and work as
one man towards the common goal—ihe
complete defeat and eradication of Hit-
lerism and fascism,

l-Out Effort

Against the shock of treacherous and un-
expected blows the Soviet people stand
firm, blunting and now routing an army
hitherto deemed invincible. In leader~
ship, courage and morale of the Red
Army is proving to the world what a
people's army is like, just as the gallant
struggle waged by the Spanish pecle
showed. Behind every inch of ground
they captured, the Nazis have found
armed workers and farmers ever wait-
ing to strike back. The Soviet people
own their own land and factories and
they will fight to the death for them.
Eventually the Soviet Union will com-
pletely smash and defeat the fascist
hordes, and when it does, a new and
better chapter in history will open. For
as the Very Reverend Hewlett Johnson,
Dean of Canterbury, says, in the fore-
word to his exhaustive study, “Soviet
Power,” Russia stands for all that is
Progressive: for justice, equality be-
tween classes and races; for the ending
of exploitation between man and man;
for a juster and nobler economic and
social order. That is why she has heen
s0 hated. That is why Hitler now at-
tacks her, It is true to say the destinies
of the human race are staked upon this

cost to the invading monster.

great battle whose opening shots are

now being fired. On the one side is
light and progress, on the other the
darkness and corruption of reaction and
slavery and death, Russia, in fighting
for her own socialist freedom, fights
also for ours. In defending Moscow, they
defend London.”

Yes, brother delegates, just as this
world-renowned and reverend English
Dean points out, Britain’s front line runs
through Moscow, just as three and a nalf
years ago it ran through Madrid. And
let there be no mistake about it, Van-
couver’s front line runs through Lon-
don. Should Hitler be successful in con-
quering England or the Soviet Union, he
would then proceed with his timetable
plan of world conquest. With the aid of
his junior Japanese partner he would
move inevitably and rapidly to bring his
new order of bombs and tyranny to the

With a full realization of all that’s at
stake, and consequently of the need for
an all-out effort we willingly contribute
our utmost to the defence of our nation
and the government's policy of aid with-

out stint to all nations resisting aggres-
sion. t is the job of every woodworker
to assist in this great task so vital to our
safety. We hope this Convention wili
provide a medium through which the
loggers and millworkers, the pulp and
spruce division of which is engaged in a
vital war industry, can make their cou-
tribution, and from which the general
public can get a clearer understanding
of what needs to be done right now.
Everything and everybody for victory!
There must be no loose screws in Can-
ada's fighting machine, particularly
when that machine means the difference
between fascism and freedom. Maximum
production, maximum efficency and max-
imum co-ordination of our entire man-
power and ‘resources with those other
forces making up the world front of dem-

‘The issue is whether the British, Rus-
sian, Chinese and American people, like
the people of Europe, shall be ruled from
Nazi Berlin, with the aid of Quislings
and Petains, or whether the peoples of
the world, recognizing the common men-
ace of fascism and the justice of the
Allied war resistance, shall stand united
for victory.

With eleven million men under direct
Nazi command, the resources, factories,
and enslaved labor of 17 nations sup-
porting Nazi blows for world conquest,
every Canadian must pull his full oar.
Every-one of our country’s lumber camps,
sawmills, shipyards, mines, fisheries, fac-
tories, every one of our country’s farms,
and every ship, truck, and railroad car
must deliver for the destruction of fasc-
ism. Canada has already achieved much
in its contribution to Allied war effort,
and has in the past three years probably
undergone the most rapid industrial de-
velopment in its history. The Canadim
people are making ever-increasing sacr
fices to speed up and increase thelz
country’s war program. More than 175,-
000 Canadians have joined the Reserve
Army for home defence, not including
those who have offered their services
without charge for ARP work and those
who have been @rafted for training and

The lumber workers realize and will
realize ever more fully, that with so mu:h
at stake both for ourselves and for o ©
brothers throughout the world that no
sacrifice is too great. To fight now with
all that is in us, will prevent far greater
sacrifice and suffering later. Commend-
able as Canada’s efforts are, however,
now when the crucial hour of battle ap-
proaches, let us realize that they are not

-IWA Convention Plans To Aid War Effort

o:

Western hemisphere. Our homes, our

future, our freedom is as much at stake
in this conflict as if Hitler had unleashed
his hordes against us directly. And while
Hitler's army is being driven back, we
must not think that it is not still power-
ful and that there are not still serious
battles ahead. Spain, Abyssinia and
China were defeated because brave men
need more than words for their defence.
The battle against fascism cannot be
left only to the British Soviet and Chin- *
ese people. The Canadian people, and
particularly British Columbia’s lumber
workers should, and will willingly, we
are confident, do their part. We are
proud of our contribution to the struggle
against fascism in the past. We will not.

miss any opportunity to strike a blow
in the future,

Loggers Can Make Big Contribution

ocratic nations. Canada is at war to de-
fend and advance for unborn generations
of Canadians the traditional liberties of
our country and the hard-won benefits
of recent legislative and economic pro-
gress. The issue today clearly is free-
dom or the slavery of fascism, and let
there be no mistaking the fundamental
difference beween the freedom we have
been able to retain and the tyranny of
Nazi rule. Besides our own right to live
and let live, we fight today for the freedom
of our relatives and friends in our former
homelands in Europe, many of whom
have been placed under the yoke of
German fascism. The lumber workers
honor those brave people in Britain, the
Soviet Union and particularly those
heroic trade unionists and workers in
enslaved Europe, who today lay down
their lives to hold up Hitler’s march to
conquer the world. We salute their cour-
age; and solemnly declare with firn
determination, “IT SHALL NOT BE IN
VAIN — WE STAND WITH YOU ONE
HUNDRED PERCENT!”

Greet Libyan Counter-Invasion

military service for an indefinite period.
In addition to these, more than 325,000,
who today are wearing the uniform of
the Canadian army, have gallantly step-
ped forward and offered their services
for anywhere in the world for the dura-
tion of the war. More than 100,000 of
these brave heroes who have volunteered
their everything for the defeat of Hitler-
ism, are at this moment doing service
in the British Isles impatiently waiting
their chance to join with the other All’-d
forces in the East in a well-co-ordinated
drive to take full advantage of every op-
portunity to harass Hitler's armies from
the rear and assist in liberating those
people in the suppressed’ parts of the
continent,

One of the most heartening of develop-
ments in this regard has been the British
counter-invasion of Libya—the first step
in response to the need for a second
anti-Hitler front, as urged by Canada’s
General McNaughton, Premier Josef
Stalin and many prominent Britishers.
More decisive moves of this kind will
help the Canadian people at home to
even more squarely face up to the ques-
tion: “Are we doing enough to build our
army, navy, airforce, and step up pro-
duction? Are we doing our share in
smashing Hitler?”

Canada’s Effort Not Vet Sufficient

IWA, particularly from the sawmill sec-
tion, have volunteered during the past
year, including five leaders of our Union
who were delegates to this Annual Con-
vention last year. During this coming
year we have much to do if we are te
do our share in providing the forces nec-
essary fo smash once and for all the en-
slaving destructive forces of world fasc-

yet sufficient. Many members of the

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