1. F. STONE EXPOSES MAGAZINE ’SCOOP*

How Collier's fabricated yarn
of ‘Red’ planes over Canada

LAIMS that Soviet planes have
flown over the Canadian Arc-
tic were invented in an effort to
create public alarm and so make
it easier for Western Electric
Company to sell millions of dol-
lars worth of equipment as part
of a “defense” project.

This is the charge made by I. F.
Stone, well known U.S. writer,
in the October 10 issue of his
paper, l. F. Stone’s Weekly.

Claims that Soviet planes have
been seen over Canada were re-
cently. played up by Collier’s
magazine in a sensational article
and have been spread over the
headlines of Canadian and Ameri-
can daily papers on several occa-
sions in the last few ‘months.

It was Collier’s which, a few
years ago, published a special is-

sue depicting a third world war

and the destruction of the Soviet
Union. The issue aroused a
storm of. protest throughout the
world and it was sharply denounc-
ed in Britain, France and other
European countries as brazen
war propaganda.

Collier’s recent article is no
less brazen war propaganda and
no less fictitious. As Stone points
out, the entire “sensation” was
a malicious lie, fabricated from
beginning to end.

Stone relates that the maga-
zine “put full-page ads into a
great many American newspapers
publicizing the sensational story

. it was played up as a

Collier’s scoop by someone who
had seen it with his own eyes.”

The ads stated that ‘almost
daily at least one Russian plane
violates our continental borders

. a great many of the aircraft
have penetrated deep into north-
central Canada... now that Rus-
sia has the hydrogen bomb, we
are wide open to a crippling at-
tack.”

The magazine thereby places
this dramatic question: “What
are we doing about it?”

Collier’s, of course, was, all pre-
pared to answer its own question.
“To find out, Collier’s sent a cor-
respondent 1,000 miles; he visit-
ed top-secret installations and
saw the invading Red _ aircraft
himself.”

Stone discloses that all the
Collier’s correspondent, William

Ulman, did, was to sit and “play .

poker in a radio station in Alas-
ka.” There, according to Ulman,
he saw on the radar screen a sig-
nal of. an aircraft which was “al-
most certainly a Russian plane.”

Elaborating on his claim, Ul-
man asserted: “We saw in the
distance the refiection of a Rus-
sian observation plane which was
hurrying back to its Siberian
base.”

Stone comments that accord-
ing to the ads, “a great many of
the planes have penetrated deep
into north-central Canada’ but
the “distant reflection” seen by

OPEN FORUM

Fire prevention

CITIZEN, Vancouver, B.C.: Al-
though Fire Prevention Week -is
over, the fact is that good citiz-
ens, conscious of the number of
lives lost in fires throughout the
year, are always interested in pre-
ventive measures. Consequent-
ly I think these comments by Fire
Chief Hugh S. Bird are worth re-
printing in the Pacific Tribune:

“We have just completed an ex-
tensive fire prevention program
which points out the common fire
hazards and if all our recommen-
dations had been complied with,
most of the people who lost their
lives in recent fires here would be
alive today.

“Tt is certain that a number of
these péople lost their lives
through smoking in bed or drop-
ping lighted cigarettes into ches-
terfields.

“We also warned people about
putting ashes in wooden or card-
board containers, and this prac-
tice without doubt caused one
death.

“In our fire prevention mes-
sages, time after time we have
warned people against the use and
storage of gasoline, and yet it is
a common practise for people to
keep gasoline in their homes and
use it for cleaning purposes,
Time after time gasoline has ex-
ploded, ‘with people receiving
serious burns. Once again we
say, do not store or use gasoline
in the home.

“Another dangerous habit is
that of. using 30-ampere fuses in’
private homes where the regular
fuse should be 15-ampere. When
the electrical system becomes
overloaded, instead of blowing the
fuse, the wiring becomes over-
— setting the building on

“Again, a common occurence

are gathered at a fire, is that each
person thinks someone else has
turned in the fire alarm, thereby
causing considerable delay in the
fire department being notified.

“Wherever you see a fire and
eannot see or hear the fire ap-
paratus approaching, do not hesi-
tate to turn in an alarm, as it is
much better to have a dozen re-
ports of the fire to the alarm sta-
tion than to have none.

“We in the fire department
know that most fires are caused
by carelessness and it is only by
the cooperation of the people of

~Vancouver that we can reduce the

loss of life and the heavy proper-
ty damage.”

Thanks for donations

C.S., Sardis, 50c; H.W.H., New
Westminster, $1.50; Correspond-
ence press club, Vancouver, $10;
J.N., Kamloops, $2; G.McQ., Van-
couver, $2; Mrs. A.A., Vancouver,
$1.50; E.D., Hope, $5; K.J., Sal-
mon Arm, $1; L.V., Sointula, $3;
C.A., Courtenay, 55c; Britannia
Beach, $2; A.K., Vancouver,
$1.50;

C.H., Vancouver; $2; Sea and
Shore press club, $10; N.S.C.,
Vancouver, $1.50; C.J.N., Vancou-
ver, $5; W.P., New Westminster,
50c; D.D., Ocean Falls, $2; A
Friend, Vancouver, $5; C.Z., Van-
couver, $10; A Friend, Vancou-
ver, $1.25; Mrs. H.R.Y., Vancou-
ver, $2;

Grandview press club, Vancou-
ver, 2; Point Grey press club,
Vancouver, $1; Lettish Workers
Club, Vancouver, $5; Kitsilano
press club, Vancouver, $2.60; M.
H., Vancouver, $2;

Trail press club, $1.50; F.H.,
McGillivray Falls, $1.50; A
Friend, Vancouver, $5; W.W.L.,
Calgary, $2; A Friend, Hamilton,

when a large number of people $1.

the Collier’s man was quite some
distance from Canada.

Ulman said he was in a radio
station where he could see the
waves of the Bering Straits
“shining in the distance.” But
the Bering Straits are 2,000 miles
from north-central Canada!

And this story was played up
as an authentic proof that Soviet
observation planes are flying over
Canada and placing the security
of the United States in jeopardy!
@

Stone relates that he went to
the Pentagon (U.S. military head-
quarters in Washington) to find
out’ what officials there thought
about this “sensation” in Collier’s.
He writes:

“T asked at Air Force Head-
quarters whether the article
was cleared from the security
standpoint. The answer was
that the article was brought
there and that the Air Force
could not agree with a great
many of the things it contained.
A security officer simply stat-
ed that the article was return-
ed to Collier’s with the nota-
tion:

““This articles was checked
by the General Information Of-
fice of the Defense Department
for purposes of military securi-

ty. When the article is printed .

no reference must be made to
this fact unless the following
statement appears: ‘The fact
that the Defense Department
checked: this article is no con-

This is a reproduction of the lurid full-page illustration in Collier's

"depicting the mythical threat to U.S. cities posed by “Red” planes a

all intended to whip up support for a new radar network across Can

ada manned by U.S. troops.

firmation of its facts or opin-

ions’.”

The mialicious intent of the
article is clear. .What makes it
more damnable, as Stone points
out, is the fact that it was de-
signed specifically to create prop-
aganda for Western Electric Com-
pany, which has equipment it
alleges can detect the flight of
aircraft from great distances.

Collier’s threatened that the
“Russians” can “with one blow
kill as many as 35,000 Americas
and destroy America as 2 wor
power.’\ And all this war proP®
ganda is intended to “prove” that
the U.S. people ,must buy aa
equipment of Western Electt€

Company, which would cost 4

“mere 325 million dollars. - « *

WILLIAM HENRY JACKSON — FORGOTTEN HERO ~

_ would

Riel visualized new republic

as ‘haven for the oppressed.

e ris
f¢ the
Prince Albert Volunteers .
drawn from this source. -It ins
the credit of the progressive mili:
of the Settler’s Union that

HIS is the third and concluding
article of a series from a letter
written by J. B. Brady of Stanley
Mission, Sask., whose grandfather
fought with Louis Riel.
'OMKINS related that during
their confinement, at Duck
Lake, the prisoners were visited
by Riel. He recalled that Riel
spoke excellent English with a de-
cided French accent. He said:
“Gentlemen, the fortunes of
war have made you our prison-
ers but you have every assur-
ance your life and property will
be respected and you will be
treated according to the recog-
nized rules of warfare. If at
anytime you have any com-
plaints lodge them with Mon-
sieur Richelieu, the captain of
the guard, and he will transmit
them to our council.” :

Lash, the Indian agent
other white prisoners refused to
talk to Riel but Lash did threaten
Riel with the words, “I will live
to see you and your council hang-
ed.” Riel asked Tomkins if he
had any questions to ask. There-
upon, Tomkins enquired what
Riel proposed to do if the rebel
efforts succeeded.

Riel declared. that the Metis
summon representatives
of all the peoples of the North-
West to set up a national assem-
bly to meet at Battleford which
would become the capital of a
new federated republic based up-
on the division of the country in-

‘to national regions having a com-

mon centre with the boundaries
radiating from there to the outer
circumference of the republic, ex-
cluding, however, the northern
and Arctic regions which were to
be allocated to the Indians and
Eskimo and others following that
mode of life. é

and »

Tomkins pointed out that in
this hypothetical state the Metis
would be a minority. Riel ack-
nowledged this but averred there
would be a community of interest
in which all would share. Tom-
kins quoted his words:

“In this new nation all the
oppressed peoples of the earth
will find a haven and a refuge.”
Accordingly each immigrant

group would be apportioned to
their national region. All regions
would enjoy local autonomy with
direct federal representation at
Battleford. In matters of external
affairs, customs and defense, fed-
eral power would be supreme.

°e

Touching on the Settler’s Un-
ion. During the pre-rebellion
period it gave outspoken public
support to the Metis demands.

Tomkins recalled a meeting
held at Red Deer Hill during the
winter of 1884 to which Riel was
invited by the Settler’s Union.
Rie] advised that every constitu-
tional method of recourse be fol-
lowed. He was exceedingly mod-
erate in his views and the entire
meeting endorsed his proposals.

A single dissident view was
heard. This was Captain Deakin,
a noted Saskatchewan River navi-
gator of that time. He agreed
with the justice of the Metis de-
mands, supported by nearly every-
one in the country, but warned
that the Tory government at Ot-
tawa would not redress any griev-
ances as long as Riel was asso-
ciated with the movement.

A. conspiracy of silence shrouds
the role of the progressive ele-
ment of the Settler’s Union who
gave wholehearted sympathy to
the Metis cause. However, the
main body of the Settler’s Union

became loyalists during th
ing. The main strength 0

tants like Jackson and Scott
ed the rising. ae
7

ie thi
William Henry Jacksotra 1s
ep

jou

militant secretary of the Set tt
Union, is in reality a forgo
democrat of the Old West.

Tomkins recalled that Jacks
had already joined the Metis »
Duck Lake before the actual ies
break of hostilities bega™-
assisted in a secretarial C4 pie
to the Metis council. Whe? ined
yard Michell’s store was - the
he drew up an inventory % ©
military supplies taken. or

The court adjudged Jacks0P gp
sane and this flagrant dist?
was propagated to pelittle
minimize the fact there ba sive
unity between the pro :
whites and natives.

Jackson deserv
place in a People’s !}
Canada. The progressive
the Settler’s Union were Mae of
forbears of those militam™ ve
western agrarianism WHIC? “ind
us our own A. E. Partrids® Ato
Carl Axelson. — ee
e
Our Metis people mad
contribution to the dem
struggle. We have seen
ing of the buffalo, the 24" (oq
of the early Hudson’s Bay grad
pany and the passing of OUF oye
tion to the militant labor © pe
ment of our time who adition
true inheritors of our * Ph ow
of democratic struggle. hall
that with their help we § jist |
the passing of the monop?
the 20th Century.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — NOVEMBER 20, 1953 —