a — a OL’ BILL SHORT JABS _ REAT publicity is being accorded in the American and Americanized G Canadian press to the appointment of a woman as U.S. ambassador to Denmark. This is the first time in Anferican history a woman has been given such a post. The woman herself admits she has no qualifications for the job except that she was a door-bell ringer for Truman in the last presidential election. This is one of those hardly noticed events that show the back- wardness of the U.S. in matters of real progress. In the false con- ception of progress which is identified with the ’ atom bomb, the American war-mongering imperial- ist felt safe (until a few days ago when they learned that Soviet Russia too, had an atom bomb), in claiming how far ahead of all other countries their country was politically. None of the news items referring to this appointment of a woman ambassador make any reference to the fact that the first woman ambassador in any country was not an American nor from any of the alleged socialist countries Harold Winch has been visiting nor from any capitalist country either. The first woman ambassador in history Was Alexandra Kollontai, appointed by the Soviet govern- ment to be their representative in Norway exactly o 4 thirty years ago. Kollontai was not only a door-bell ringer but was highly qualified for the post of ambassador. She participated in the work of the higher committees of the Communist party and the Soviet government. When the government sent her to Norway as its ambassa- dor they were not belittling or insulting the Norwegian people and the same may be said of the Mexicans to whom she was appointed later. So the great claims of American progress are like thistledown that blows away in the wind. Real progress lies in other quarters, in this case in the Soviet Union, which can never lose the honor of being the first country to send a woman as its representative to another country. Truman who became president by the accident of the death of FDR probably thinks Denmark is small potatoes and it won’t take much to get its vote in the United Nations Assembly or the Atlantic pact countries, soa door-bell-ringer is good enough for them. And the permanent staff of the embassy will look after the spying activities which are the principle job of American embassies in foreign coun- tries. However, there are people in Denmark who will not see it that way. When the scandalous verdict of guilty of conspiracy to overthrow the 1U.S. government by force and violence was rendered by a hand- picked FBI jury with the help of a prejudiced tin-pot judge in the worst kangaroo court in the history of the United States, the state department’s lying Voice of America broadcast to radio listeners in 22 languages throughout the world, that the Communist leaders had availed themselves of every defense under a democratic law to prove their innocence. It did not say that every time they did so the bigot on the bench committed them to prison for contempt of court. Judge Medina, if he has any of the spirit of his people left in him, certainly cannot, feel proud of his part in this miscarriage to hear himself acclaimed by every anti-Semitic reactionary in America. The whole trial was a travesty of democracy. and the finale was in keeping with the rest of it. The golden curtain was drawn around the jury after the trial was over when they were warned not to talk about or comment on the trial by the prejudiced judge. .And it is probably another first time in American history, to the credit of American “justice” that all the defense lawyers were arrested and thrown in jail. (That is probably to teach them not to defend Communists.) The Voice of America did not tell this on its broadcast nor did it tell that the prosecutor, John F. X. McGohey, who claimed that the program of the accused is dictated by Moscow, gets his instructions from Rome. On the same day that this farce of justice was being staged, the U.S. representatives in the United Nations special political committee were drilling all their heelers, on that body, including Canada, to vote to recommend to the General Assembly to send the case of the traitor priest Mindszenty to the international court of justice along with others from Bulgaria and Rumania alleged to involve “civil rights.” It must have been this peculiar-form. of “justice” that once impelled someone to write, “Justice is a strumpet.” No other description is possible in view of the American imperialists actions in their own bailliwick and their buttinski maneuvers in more democratic lands. The: scoundrelly priest was convicted of treason on evidence which well merited the death penalty, but no evidence was adduced in the trial of the Communist leaders—only the say-so of a few FBL stool- pigeons. é On the same day too, that the monstrous verdict was redered in New York, the liberation armies of the Chinese people moved into Canton and Chiang Kai-shek flew the coop. Canton is a long way from New York; nonetheless that event in China had a bearing on the decision in New York. But the U.S. imperialists cannot hire enough judge Medinas and FBI juries to do anything about it. Gov't tries to restrict news sources in Otta A new pattern in news coverage appearing on Parliament Hill is perturbing many old-time members of the press gallery. It’s the heavy hand of peacetime censorship of news, and the disappearance of back-. ground briefing of newsmen on vital elements of government policy. At least one nerve center department, External Affairs, has ceased its regular weekly news confey- ence. Formerly conducted by L. B. Pearson, the corferences became a “‘hot potato’ because they fre- quently allowed the public behind- the-scenes glimpses of what the government was doing but did not want the public to know about un- til it was ready. Keen-witted newsmen probing for real understanding of policies like the Atlantic pact, uranium and atomic energy, have irked official- dom here, so that they’ve virtually shut up like clams. One veteran newsman when ask- ed about the trend on news cover- age believed that officials of the gallery were giving way to a gen- era! “hysteria” with regard to news work. He believed that a case in point was the arbitrary suspension of the Canadian Tribune correspond- ent. It was the behavior of people who refused and feared to think, he said. It was alarming, this same in- formant noted, that freedom of. news coverage and movement around government offices was being given members of the press group who worked for “scurri- lous sheets” peddling extreme bigotry throughout the country. Another sample of this drive on freedom of information on the Hill is taking the form of an Official excuse that the presence of cor- respondent Sim Schcherbatykh of Tass Agency constitutes an “ideo- logical embarrassment” to other members of the gallery and high government officials. Using this convenient out, top government officials can now es- cape the questioning of newsmen who in their tion often flush out news that dis- ‘credits and exposes” the meaning of current policies. There is even talk of barring Tass from news conferences, particularly after the experiences with U.S. Secretary of Defence Johnson. Warned of the presence of a Tass man in a group of interview- Brother's Bakery Specializing in Sweet and Sour Rye Breads 342 E. HASTINGS ST. PA. 8419 search for informa-|. For SIGNS Call REMIS-KING SIGNS LTD. Outdoor Advertising CEdar 1510 2845 Burrard St. _ Vancouver — mat Union Made G-W.G, Work Clothes Guaranteed Pre-Shrunk Look Better Last Longer BLUE OVERALL BIBS $4.60 BLUE OVERALL SMOCKS BLUE “COWBOY KING” PANTS KHAKI COVERALLS IRON MAN PANTS ae Vancouver B.C. EAST END rane! ee Si ’ UNION DRIVERS HA. 0334 Fully 24-Hour Insured Service $11 E. Hastings Vamcouver Wood Sawdust UNION FUELS LTD. FA. 7663. ers, Johnson jumped on the first man who asked a question covering atomic energy with almost violent brusqueness. “Who are you?” he shouted, ex- pecting him to identify himself as Tass. : “Me? I’m Art McKenna of_ the Wall Street Journal,” came the sudden reply, leaving the U.S. cabinet member flustered. In an article to a Canadian paper one newsman said of ‘Sim,’ the Tass reporter, who is a former trained lawyer: % Canadian newspapermen are his friends. They like him and would not like to see him recalled by his agency; and above all they would not like to see him barred!’ from press conferences which he disconcerts, It’s all mixup and a product of the cold war.” The reporter points jout that, visiting statesmen get into a “quandary” or “become overcau- tious or silent’ when they under- stand Tass is present—all of which is an indirect tribute to the peace policies of the country he reports for. T. Greenwell mourned by Nanaimo miners The chapel was filled to over- The chapel was fielled to over- flowing as mine workers and friends for the Nanaimo area gathered to pay last respects to a native son of Nanaimo, Tom Greenwell, who passed away this month at the age of 62. _A staunch worker for every progressive cause and a member of the Wabor-Progressive party, Tom Greenwell played a leading role in the early organization of the United Mine Workers Union, during the period of company terrorism, when building member- ship was an “undergiround” task. Nanaimo miners and members of the labor movement offer their condolences to Tom Greenwell’s wife and family in their bereave- ment, wa OTTAWA — STANTON Barristers, Sol SUITE 515, FORD BUILDING, 193 E,. HASTINGS ST. (Corner Main & Hastings Sts.) MArine 5746 ‘& MUNRO icitors, Notaries “ME WW LD PRINTER AROU FOR 40 “I contributed my fair “Southams took over. and imported individuals f. my job. “I am still on the printers. abandon its union-wrecking \ | HAVE BEEN ON THE PICKET LINE DAILY PROVINCE “Until I was forced on the picket line by the Southam Co. in June, 1946. I had worked in the composing room of the Daily Provinee for 27 years. . Province, and I worked there long before the Southams of Montreal moved into Vancouver with their millions and bought the paper. There never was any trouble until the “Southams rewarded my lifetime of service with 40 months on the picket line, obtained a court injunction, sued members of my union for damages in the Supreme Court c picket line with my fellow I.T.U. We will be there until the Southam Co. ference table in good faith.” A. ROBB 27 Years’ Service ND THE MONTHS share to the building of the f rom all over Canada to take will policy and sit around the con- 1 ASK YOUR SUPPORT PACIFIC TRIBUNE — OCTOBER 21, 1949 — PAGE 2 ~/