Tuly 25, 1942

THE B.C.

LUMBER WORKER

Page Five

B.C. LUMBER WORKER

Bi-weekly Bulletin Published by
B.C, DISTRICT COUNCIL
International Whee America

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Lift Communist Ban
To Improve Unity

Recent reports in the daily press fol-
lowing presentation of the report of the
committee to Review the Defense of
Canada Regulations, indicate that al-
though the recomendation of the com-
mittee was for lifting the ban on
the Communist Party of Canada, dis-
cussion and voting on this issue will be
delayed until the next session of par-
lament,

If these reports are correct, this Is a
very disturbing situation. :

Despite qualifications placed on the
question, the committee, in its report,
declared that “changed conditions have
ensued which in the opinion of your
committee, make it desirable to amend
the regulations.”

Prominent citizens, trade union leaders,
churchmen, MLA’s, MP's, newspapers
across Canada have expressed in no un-
certain terms, both publicly and in wires
to the committee, that they desire the
ban be lifted. They feel such action would
be in. the immediate interest of the Ca-
nadian people, inasmuch as it would
provide a tremendous impetus and stimu-
lation to the people's desire for an all-
out war effort to defeat Hitler.

That this expression of the people's
wish has made itself felt in the com-
mittee is very evident by the recom-
mendation for lifting of the ban des-
pite opposition, even resignation, of its
chairman, Hon. Minister of Fisheries
J. A. Michaud, This desire of the peo-
ple to enable the Communists, most
ardent anti-fascists and fighters for
democracy, most consistent workers for
the defeat of Hitlerism, to put forth
all their energies in the present struggle
to defend our very existence as a demo-
cratic nation, has become very clear in
the past few months,

Editorials have appeared in all the
leading papers from Otfawa to Vancou-
ver urging the government immediately
utilize the Communists’ offer of assistance
and cooperation for the common good of.
the nation.

In Britain, United States and Australia,
the Communist Party’s help has been en-
listed to assist in rallying the people to
greater efforts, In Malaya, the Com-
munists were released—too late—in a
frantic last-minute effort to strengthen
defense and boost morale.

In India, realizing the tremendous
influence that the Communist Party
can exert to convince the Indian people
of the need for active participation on
the side of the Allied Nations, the Brit-
ish government has lifted the ban on
the Communist Party and released all
imprisoned Communists.

Only in Canada, among those demo-
cratic nations fighting the greatest men-
ace to civilization, this vital force for de-
mocracy is not yet declared legal. Its
leaders are still imprisoned or threatened
with internment, and it-is refused an
opportunity to use its very effective power
to rally the people to greater heights of
endeavor in production and fighting
fronts,

For the government now to ignore the
wishes of the Canadian people, expressed
so definitely, to procrastinate and delay
implementation of a recommendation
which can bring nothing but good to
Canada’s war effort,*will strike a definite
blow for the forces or reaction, will pro-
vide that excuse for reactionary forces
in the country who seek to disunite the
people so that a complete gearing of the
country for victory cannot be obtained
soon enough to be effective for a defeat
of Hitler this year.

Refusal by the government to obey the
people's wishes on an issue which goes to
the root of democracy will be a negation
of the very principles of democratic gov-
ernment which is rule “of the people, by
the people, and for the people.”

But immediate action in concurrence
with the committee's recommendation
would release such a flood-tide of en-
thusiasm throughout the country that

.| the people would spare no effort or sac-

rifice to ensure a sweeping victory for the
Allied cause in 1942,

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By Evan Lane

THE NEWSPOINT

A Commentary on Current Events

wit Hitler’s armies now at the approaches to the Caucasus, agitation
YY | for opening of the second front is widespread. What a few months

ago was the demand raised mainly

by sections of the labor movement

and a few prominent individuals is today the cry of the great majority of
the people, recognized in the recent London-Moscow-Washington under-

standing on the urgent necessity of

Today it is generally accepted that
opening of the second front now can de-
cide the outcome of the war within
months and lead to victory this year. It is
also widely understood that an Allied in-
vasion of Europe will rally the peoples
of the United Nations for a supreme war
effort as no other action can, and inspire

the breaking of all production records.

The very fact that opening of the sec-
ond front, in face of the apparent need,
is delayed helps to weaken morale and
heighten suspicion of the government's
policies, Workers want to hear, not the
enumeration of difficulties, as elaborated
in Colliers recently by Quentin Reynolds
in his article, “Second Thoughts on a
Second Front,” but proposals for over-
coming these difficulties.

Some workers, misconstruing the de-
lay in opening the second front as de-
liberate, have fallen into a negative at-
titude of general opposition to the
governments policies because of it. Ob-
viously such general opposition con-
tributes nothing to the war effort and
actually hampers the campaign for
opening of the second front. Not gen-
eral opposition, but support of every
governmental policy that promoted the
war effort and agitation for a positive
demand enabled the British people to
influence the recent understanding of
the second: front.

S PALME DUTT, the famous British
writer, noted in an article last
month: “Powerful agitation throughout
the country expressed the popular de-
mand for the immediate establishment
of such a second front. Accordingly, it is
recognized that the agreement announced
on June 11 represented a milestone in the
achievement of the objects of this agita-
tion. The campaign now goes forward
for the fullest support of sustaining and
speeding the fulfilment of these decisions,
“The twelve-month campaign in Britain
for a second front constituted one of the
most outstanding popular agitations of
modern times in British and considerably
exceeded in scale and range the Spanish,
anti-Munich and People’s Convention
campaigns. By mobilizing broad public
opinion the campaign assisted in paving
the way for the agreements reached on
May 28 and further advance to practical
measures is now possible.

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opening the second front this year.
“Many factors contributed to the new
stage in the government’s policy and
strategy, but the campaign has been a
signal contribution of the British work-
ing class to the common aims of the al-
liance against Hitlerism and demon-
strated the role which the working class
can play in a democratic anti-fascist
war within the framework of national
unity.”

ONCLUDING his article, Palme Dutt
Cc stated:

“The task now becomes to rally the
united support of the entire nation for
the fulfilment of the undertaking of the
most urgent establishment of a second
front in Europe.”

Soon our own Canadian army will be
actually engaged on the fighting front
in Europe, for that is the people's will
and it must prevail. And here, on the
production front, in the agitation for total
war policies, the workers can make their
contribution to “a democratic anti-fascist
war within the framework of national
unity.”

Policies that cannot be reconciled with
a total war effort must be opposed. Criti-
cism is essential to strengthening of the
war effort, But criticism that offers no

|practical and positive proposal for ad-

vancing the war effort defeats itself. Not
merely opposition to prevailing policies
but leadership on the production front
and in the demand for stronger policies
that will rally all the people for total war

is the contribution labor must make to
victory.

Millworkers Appeal
To Youbou Crew

A special appeal to employees
of the Youbou Sawmill to join
the International Woodworkers of
America, Local 1-80, was issued
this week by their fellow mill-
workers in the Chemainus and
Hillerest mills. All possible as-
sistance was pledged by these
workers who have just recently
concluded successful organiza-
tional drives in their own districts.

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