we

ee

In sunny Alberta also

one

Unity mean

By B. R. SWANKEY

s victory for people

HE big problem facing Alberta voters !
tinuing their forward march. Our peo
ourselves on the fact that the Tory y
that no old-line party has been in office since 1921.

from 1905 to 1921.)
‘The wave of radicalism that
Swept the West following the
first World War brought the
UFA into office in 1921. But it
too betrayed the people; by 1935
dissatisfaction with it had be-
Come so wide-spread that not
one of its members was re-
elected. It was in 1935 that
Social Credit with its promises
of basic dividends, of an easy,
simple and painless way out of
the depression captured the
minds of the majority of the
voters.
_ History has shown that the
election of Social Credit was @
Step to the side, going off on 2&
tangent so to speak, rather than
a step forward. We now are
faced with the need of getting
back on the track, of over-
Coming all illusions about an
easy way out, of basifig our
hopes not on panaceas but on
Our organized strength, Our
Problem is to defeat the present
reactionary Social Credit govern-
Ment as well as defeating the
Liberal bid for power, and to
elect a progressive government.

t

OW can this be done? If

all progressive groups (the
CCF, LPP, trade unions and
farm organizations, etc.) were
to unite their forces and place
Only one progressive candidate
in each constituency, then vic-
tory for the people would result.
T am confident that there is

BY,
=

How long ?.

Editor, Pacific Tribue.

Yesterday, I bought a copy of

your Tribune. I would very much
désire that you put my name on
your pressure list.
The cost of living is the most
vital question before the Canad-
lan people today . . - and the
PEOPLE should rule,

Our Prime Minister always has
& good red-herring on the agenda
when the affairs of this country
Bet out of hdnd. This time it

is the Royal wedding.

Just how long a patient people
Will put up with this state of
things is a question, but we
Certainly need a drastic clean
up of both government and the
Organized capitalistic press. We

fought to down fascism, and
What have we got? More ex-
Ploitation and misery.
A. CAROLYN MAYE
Victoria, B.C. ~

Dur ‘free’ press

_ Editor, Pacific Tribue.

The following is a copy of &
‘etter I sent to the ‘Vancouver
Sun’ but was turned down by
that paper which prides itself
°n being “a newspaper devoted
© progress, and democracy, tol-
france and freedom of thought.

“In a recent issue of the ‘Sun’
2 woman complained of being
ve on a corner while street

YS go sailing by.

Why blame reyedacye for this
Situation? There is a by-law

Prohibiting the carrying of any
. More passengers than the seat-

capacity, yet the cars are -

Packed from end to end during
the rush hours. Why not agi-
_ fate for more street cars in the
busy hours? BCElectric share-
holders of course would object
to this. Workers serving the
‘Public for a. living earn .

_ FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1947

This vs
Wnute

sufficient agreement on basic
issues among these various groups
to enable a common program to
be worked out. In practice it
would mean that in a large pro-
portion of constituencies the pro-
gressive candidate would be CCF,

B. R. SWANKEY

in others LPP and in still others
a straight farmer or labor can-
didate. It could lead to the elec-
tion of a farmer-labor govern-
ment genuinely representing the
needs of the majority of the
people. Unfortunately such unity
bas not yet been established,
due mainly to the opposition of

their money. Move up to the
rear please, move up to the

rear.”. \
R. H. LLOYD,

Vancouver, B.C.
Re

Wasting their substance

tor, Pacific Tribue.

ee = recent article Palme Dutt
points out the tragic mistakes
made by the British government
which has brought the country
to the unhappy condition ite ds
now in. The tory policy adopted
by the Labor government on
assuming power could only lead
to the ‘road to ruin.’

This road was persistently fol-.

lowed in spite of recent warn-
ings by the British Communist
art
> patean of using the American
loan for the purchase of mach-
inery by which the home in-
dustries could have been re-
constructed in 3 modern way,
and which would have enabled
them to increase production, and
thereby exports, they frittered
away the bulk of the loan in the
upkeep of 2 huge armed force
at home and abroad, for no
other purpose than to bolster up
British and American imperial-
ist interests.

Mr. R. G. Forrester, chief of
the British ‘Scientific Workers
Committee’ estimates that

ee arene of scientific man-
power is now concentrated on
military research and says,
“thousands of scientists are en-
gaged jn completely useless
work.”

Why this concentration on

h? There are only
in the world in

any

military researc
four countries
which there is

" the USA, Britain,

. happening,

Yor Derttnnt

talk of a.

n the coming provincial elections is that of con-
ple have a progressive tradition.
party has never gained power in this province and
(The Liberals were the government

We pride

the CCF leadership which be-
lieves that the CCF is suffi-
ciently strong to “go it alone,”
to capture the government in the
next elections. In my opinion
there is little likelihood of this
this dangerous ilu-
sion can only lead to the defeat
of progressives and to victory
ox reaction.

Surely this lesson was amply
demonstrated in the 1944 elec-
tions! That year four , main
groups were in the field—CCF,
LPP, Social Credit and Inde-
pendents. (The Independents
were a united front of the Con-
servative and Liberal parties.)
In no instance did the Inde-
pendents contest a seat where
the LPP or CCF were sufficient-
ly strong to offer a _ serious
threat to Social Credit. Instead
they actively supported Social
Credit in these constituencies.
The result was a victory for
Social Credit:in these constitu-
encies. This could not have hap-
pened had there not been a split
in the progressive vote.

The lesson is clear. Unity on
the left means victory for the
people. Disunity means a divid-
ed vote and victory for reaction,
It is not yet too late to ach-
ieve this unity although time
is running short. All forward-
looking citizens who want to
keep Alberta progressive must

work for such unity.

\

(ou Pleade.

force of 1% million men, which

- Palme Dutt states is the number
referred to by the government?

In 1946 British national re-
sources were 14% above pre-war
level, personnel consumption had
decreased by more than 2%, de-
spite the increase in population.
New capital investments de-
creased by 9%, while public ex-
penditures (social services) only
increased by 3%. This against
a military expenditure of 249%.

These figures serve to show
how the resources of Britain,
including the U.S. loan, have been
squandered. “Of the total
deficit’ of 400-million pounds in
1946, 300-million pounds was
government overseas expendi-
tures, of which 225-million pounds
was for military upkeep.” It

is plain that the Labor govern-.
‘ment “prefers to follow its im-

perialist adventures at the ex-
pense of the standards of living
of the British people.

This social-democratic govern-_

ment is running true to form,

careful of the interests of the-
‘privileged few, and betraying the”

cause of the many. s
A, CHEVERTON,
Whiterock, B.C.

Pen pal wanted :

Editor, Pacific Tribue.

‘I have a letter from England
asking me to find a 15 or 16-year
old pen pal for a young English
worker who is interested in the
labor movement and would like
to correspond with some young
Canadian similarly inclined.

I can think of no better place
to find one than through the

“medium of the Pacific Tribune.

Anyone interested please phone
Dexter 1939-T.—With best wishes,
UNA STEWART,
Vancouver, B.C,

_ evidence to prove that some so-called democratic governments have

- Short Jabs

uiby Ol’ Bill

: ea HOWLING democrats of “free enterprise” may not be dialecti-
tians in philosophy but “change” plays a large part in their
every-day approach to questions of day-to-day struggles between
them and those who provide the wealth they “acquire.”
They change their indignant pro-

There’s a difference ! tests according to circumstances
as suits their purpose of the moment.

In the last two wage disputes between the IWA and the boss
loggers and millmen, the screams of R. V. Stuart and his henchman
propagandist, Bob Morrison, about the lack of democracy in the
union could be heard right across Canada. As they told the story,
the executive of the TWA acted as a barrier to prevent an open
expression of opinion by the men in the woods and sawmills on
the proposals the bosses wanted them to accept.
Of course it was so much nonsense, as the decisions of the
IWA are arrived at in a more democratic manner than the laws
passed by the Dominion and provincial governments.
During the past few weeks we have been treated to a barrage of
radio and press propaganda which shows a changed “free enterprize”
conception .of democracy. Listening to speeches on the radio by
Grauer and Jack, spokesmen for the alleged public utility that
should be operating here we learn that they have revised the
arguments of the Stuart ‘democrats.’
These highbinders are sore that the advisory committee of the
Vancouver, Victoria and New Westminster streetcarmen did not
accept their scandalous offer without reference to the membership
of the union. Their idea of making agreements appears to be
that the committee’s acceptance should be all that is necessary
for “free enterprize’ democracy. But the street car men’s’ union
is just as democratic as the lumberworkers’ union. Hence the
croaking of these Messieurs B.C, Collectric.

On June. 9th last in Victoria, ‘the home town boy ‘who made
good,’ Dal Grauer, told a meeting of kindred spirits of the CMA
that what was needed was “a positive program of diagnosis and
remedial action. Such a program would both preach and practice
the virtues of cooperation and friendship against the creed of clas¢
struggle and hatred.” } : : a

Mr. Grauer never had a better chance to do a little practising,
If he is in earnest about getting rid of discontent, how about
granting the union’s absolutely fair and reasonable demands and
substituting a little “cooperation and friendship” for his efforts
to saddle the onus for the present situation on to the people of
Vancouver, Victoria and New Westminster?

‘Failing this on his part, and since the B.C-Electric have under-
taken to provide a transportation system for these cities and ig
not doing it, they have broken the agreement on which their
franchise is granted. It is the duty then of the city councils of
these bodies, if they have the interests of those who elected them,
to take over the street cars and busses and operate them as @
real public utility.

Te oft-quoted line from Hamlet “The lady doth protest too much,
» methinks,” came into my mind more than a few times during
the last couple of years when imperialistic apologists were denying
responsibility for interference in the domestic affairs of other
t ; countries. This past week has proved
Scarlet Pimpernels’ that I was justified in believing that

the protests were for the purpose of

covering-up.

The much-touted “escape” from Poland of Stanislaw Mikolajczyk,
has brought to light the claims made by the Polish government at
various times, that Western imperialism was carrying on subver-
sive activity in that country. It is true also of other countries
and when we read of diplomatic and consular representatives being
chased out of some country as happpened to some members of the _
U.S, ‘embassy staff a few days ago in one of the Balkan countries,
we are entitled to believe the same kind of didoes are being played
by these “honorable” representatives of democracy as they now
admit in the case of Poland.

From a U.S. military government source in Berlin, now comes

well. organized. forces operating inside of Poland. Naturally they
do not claim the “honor” of being the murderers. of the three or
four thousand ‘Polish. government ministers, officials and soldiers
who have been slain by “underground” assassins since the Polish
people took over the ruling of their own country, but of the forces
for carrying out the “humanitarian” task of “saying” the dupes
who try to carry on their subversive activity in the open, they
can boast, “so romantic, you know, so like the Scarlet Pimpernel
who used to save the aristocrats from the terrible revolutionists —
in France.” *. : 2

The press describes this apparatus as an “Anglo-U.S. under-
ground railway.” Their purpose is supposed to be to “save persons
escaping from the east to the west such as scientists, technicians,
scholars and politicians.” But it is nothing of the kind, it is to help
the evasion of the laws of Poland by the agents and tools of
British-American imperialism, such as Mikolajezyk had developed
into since his return from London. It would be more aptly named if
it were called a “gang of filibusterers.” : . :

Last May, the Polish deputy-minister of justice, Leon Chajm,
addressed a press conference in. London. He charged that such
underground activity was being “instructed, financed and militarily
equipped by national groups from. abroad.” Nationalist groups here
denied it. But there is evidence enough to prove it and here
an admission of guilt on behalf of these governments who ure
proud of the “Scarlet Pimpernels.”

Scoundrelly political shysters, lying pressmen and publishers, and
radio commentators loaded to the gills with Jergins lotion, speak
of the Communists as a fifth column but this Scarlet Pimpernel
gang is a real fifth column like the one that aperated in Spain. .

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE 5