Pee. i} age Mental concentration camps for freed American POW’s suspected of ‘indoctrination’ SAN FRANCISCO The first test of the U.S. Army’s announced plan to set up mental concentration camps for pris- oners of war who displayed “symptoms of having succumbed to Communist indoctrination” was in the offing last weekend. The army, which systematically eliminated from the first batch of prisoners to be flown home those who had a good word to say for their treatment in Chinese and Korean POW camps, started on Thursday last week to move home the re- mainder of 149 sick and wounded prisoners repatriated at Panmun- jom. ae Included among those who left Japan for Hawaii was Paul Schnur Jr. of San Francisco, conspicuous- ly marked “No interview” . and: kept away from the press from the first moment he stepped into U.S. |. territory at Panmunj om. The army indicated -what it may have in store for men so; classified when it announced that it intends to intern them in hospitals for “mental” treatment. Extent of the U.S. Army’s hor- ror story campaign was indicated at a press conference at Travis air base at the time of the arrival of the first plane load of 35 pris- oners. Even the commercial press described the scene as, “bedlam” -and indicated the inane nature of many of the questions asked the returnees. The interviews were held in the hospital auditorium. Some 300 re- porters, photographers, radio men and television and newsreel cam- era operators attended. * Only five of the 35 consented to be interviewed, and most of them had cause to regret their decision. Questions were shouted at the men, and the weary soldiers re- plied as best they could. Cameramen shouted: “Just lean into the mikes and say it’s great to_ be back!” “Just talk about the Communists and brutality!” “Tell us how it feels to be back home!” To one returnee a cameraman. said: “Just say slowly and loud into the mike: ‘All I had to eat was rice.’ Can do?” The soldier stared at him and shook his had. “No can do,” he said clearly. He asked to be taken away from “these: fool questions.” PT is good campaigner in election The Pacific Tribune is a good election campaigner—none better. It should be used by canvassers for progressive candidates, and in some “concentration” areas it can be distributed door-to-door. Getting subs, too, is a vital part of election work. During the past fortnight : our PT workers have turned in subs to the number of 106 Here’s the scoreboard: Fairview, 7 subs; North Vancouver, 6; Nel- son, 5; New Westminster, 4; Nan- aimo, 4; South Burnaby, 4; Nor- quay, 4; Grandview, 3; Moberley, 3; Victoria, = Sointula, 3; Dry Dock, 3 Point Grey, 3; Advance, 3} Langley Prairie, 3; Olgin, 2; Electrical, 2; West End, 2; Victory Square, 2; Kelowna, 2; Courtenay, 2; Princeton, 2 Port Kells, 2; Cumberland, 2; Lake Cowichan, 2; NFLY, 2: Trail, 2: Thousands attend May Day rally Shown here is part of the crowd, estimated at 10,0000 people, that attended Vancouver’s May Day rally at Lumbermen’s Arch. And (at top) is William Moore of Burnaby, veteran socialist and wellknown Vancouver pioneer who, at 86, was the oldest marcher in the May Day parade. LPP candidates campaigning for development of Island steel, chemical industries. By HAL GRIFFIN NANAIMO, B.C. The possibility of establishing steel and chemical pranetries” on Vancouver Island “by reducing arms expenditures and using our tax dollars constructively to develop our natural resources,” was advanced by Nigel Morgan, LPP provincial leader, when he addressed a May Day open air rally in Nanaimo’s Comox Road Park on Saturday last week. Speakers included Frank Snowsell, CCF member for Saanich in the last legislature, and chairman was Allister McLeod. The proposal to develop a steel industry on Vancouver Island goes back to British Columbia’s entry into Confederation when Amor De Cosmos, leader of the democratic movement for self-gov- ernment and second premier of the province, tried unsuccessfully to interest British capital in Tex- ada Island iron ore deposits. In the eighty years since politi- cal charges that he was promoting his own financial interests forced De Cosmos to abandon his scheme, various governments have used the issue for election purposes. Once, in the twenties, the legisla- ture actually passed a bill to sub- sidize establishment of a steel mill. But nothing has come of all the many plans and proposals. The issue is of far more than academic interest to the people of Comox and Nanaimo-The Is- lands constituencies. There, two Labor-Progressive candidates, Jack Higgin in Comox and Mrs. Grace Tickson in Nanaimo-The Islands, have brought it to life and are mobilizing popular support for it. Mrs. Tickson does not have to convince Nanaimo workers of what the project would mean to them: in terms of jobs and wages. There UFAWU ‘reelects hk. Payne The central election committee of the United Fishermen and 4! lied Workers’ Union has announe ed final tabulation of the refer .|endum vote for the three top of- ficers of the union and reports that Reg Payne of Sidney ha been re-elected president for 4 third term. The committee reports that 2030 valid ballots were cast in the T& ferendum, 78 absentee _ ballots were disqualified |and destroyed without being opened because members concerned were in rears of union dues or assess ments, making a total of 2108 bal- !| lots cast. The vote for president of th? UFAWU was Reg Payne, 1035) Kurt Larson, 941; spoilt ballots 54; majority 94. Homer Stevens of Ladner ha been elected general secretary treasurer, the vote being Homer Stevens,| 1360; William Herlihy: . 634; spoilt ballots, 36; majority 726. Alex Gordon of Vancouver has been elected business agent, pe vote being Alex Gordon, ne William Goddard, 598; spoilt ba lots, 48; majority, 786. Spoilt ballots consisted almost entirely of blanks when individu members expressed no preferen? for either candidate for some PO sition. The central election commit has asked for a meeting with t 2 union’s general executive a to discuss certain aspects of election. It reports that an investigatie” is being conducted into the source of the slanderous material put anonymously during the electio campaign. Recommendations for conduct of future referendum ballots ™’ wi be presented to the eexcl board for its consideration pe proposals will also be place yen" fore next year’s UFAWU conv tion. are 1,700 unemployed in Nanaimo today. Nor does Higgin have to enlarge on the betrayal of the people’s interests by shipment of Vancouver Island iron ore to Jap- an. Residents of Campbell River, Cumberland and Courtenay were shocked this spring when it was revealed in the legislature that already 800,000 tons of iron ore— one-tenth of the Quinsam River reserves—have gone to Japan. Yet in Cumberland the coal miners are working short time. As Morgan, leading his party’s election fight as a candidate in Vancouver East, told the May Day rally here: “We have a good supply of coal, iron ore and hydro-electric power right here on this beautiful island. Cut down the arms waste, open the doors to world trade and Brit- ish Columbia has everything to gain from peace. “We live at the gateway to half the world’s population. There is no reason for a single citizen to be unemployed provided we elect to the legislature men and women who will end the presént policies of betrayal and put the people’s interests first.” Crow’s Nest celebrate May Day BLAIRMORE Mining camps of the Crow’s Nest Pass. celebrated May Day with a public meeting in Blair- more. Ben Swankey, Alberta LPP leader, was the main speaker: A snow storm forced cancella- tion of a scheduled parade but ‘the May Day rally was well attend- ed. In this area May Day is a holiday, according to the agree- ment the UMWA has with oper- ators, and in Blairmore it is a legal holiday and all stores and businesses are closed. The meeting endorsed a coal policy outlined by Swankey who charged that the Canadian govern- ment is pursuing an anti-Canadian policy by permitting millions of tons of U.S. coal to come into this country while our coal mines are being forced to shut down or go on short time due to lack of orders. G PACIFIC TRIBUNE — MAY 8, 1953 — PA” miners pRUMEELLE . Despite snow and rain there a good turnout of workers in th district for the May Dey work sponsored by United Mine isi ers sub-districts one and pit sub Speakers were John Brovs sist district secretary; Sam y president of Michel local, if Mike Ivan, secretary-treas! se East Coulee UMWA; and au. Roberts, UMWA member i fh federal candidate for Bow Tom Mackie was chairman. ib the The speakers dealt wit. need for peace, trade an jo moi was pointed out that while A lion tons of coal are shipp’ US» Canada annually from t work many local miners are © u ing one or two days 4 A “Miners in the Crow’s Ne a area are compelled «to a0 + fire the woods and cut trees gcd wood—because there is ‘t0? coal,” said Sam English.